Ask me anything! - Page 13

KCGirl · #**361** 2011-03-24, 12:41am

Holy smokes! How did I miss this?? Kalera, I have admired you and your work for a long time. First of all, your posts are always kind, fair and gracious-I always enjoy your sense of humor, as well! Secondly, your ability to make gorgeous beads with every kind of glass imaginable - blows my mind! I have been working boro for 5 years and I still haven't remotely mastered it. My 104, Lauscha, Bullseye, Reichenbach, soft silvers, SIM, etc. sits collecting dust. Your skills ROCK! I would absolutely spend good money for your boro recipes (All of them!!)

I hope its not too late to inquire about some boro sets. In the spirit of not taking advantage of your sweet generosity, It took me awhile to reduce my request list of 15 down to 5

I love ALL of your beads but particularly these boro:

Vetlanda, Green Stripes, Mahogany, Skyline Boro, Kelp

No worries if you are done with this thread!
Lisa

ElementalsDesign · #**362** 2011-03-24, 10:04am

Kalera... (as usual) you rocketh!

~Rachel

JanithS · #**363** 2011-03-27, 3:01pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

You are not an idiot! I misremember colors all the time!

Those beads are Gaffer clear frit over Uroboros clear; the slight difference in viscosity between the two glasses gives it a prism effect.

I love the effect too but where can you get Gaffer clear frit?

Kalera · #**364** 2011-03-27, 10:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCGirl

Holy smokes! How did I miss this?? Kalera, I have admired you and your work for a long time. First of all, your posts are always kind, fair and gracious-I always enjoy your sense of humor, as well! Secondly, your ability to make gorgeous beads with every kind of glass imaginable - blows my mind! I have been working boro for 5 years and I still haven't remotely mastered it. My 104, Lauscha, Bullseye, Reichenbach, soft silvers, SIM, etc. sits collecting dust. Your skills ROCK! I would absolutely spend good money for your boro recipes (All of them!!)

I hope its not too late to inquire about some boro sets. In the spirit of not taking advantage of your sweet generosity, It took me awhile to reduce my request list of 15 down to 5

I love ALL of your beads but particularly these boro:

Vetlanda, Green Stripes, Mahogany, Skyline Boro, Kelp

No worries if you are done with this thread!
Lisa

Thank you so much, Lisa! I took a few days off, but I'll never be done, I don't think.

Vetlanda is Amazon Bronze frit over cobalt,

Green Stripe, Kelp, and Mahogany are canes I made out of mystery scraps which, sadly, I have no idea the identity of (thank Mr. Smiley's Shorts for many happy mysteries!)

Skyline... wow. I am pretty sure the frit is NS Aurora and the base is NS Irrid, (probably striped over clear to make a cane, which would give it the striations) and then two 3mm clear stringers were laid around the equator and melted in before full encasing.

I cannot sing highly enough the praises of getting a big bag of unlabeled shorts and just using them up to make beads. I learned so much about how to tell what a glass will do by how it changes in the flame, and how it might react with other colors, just by learning to understand nameless mystery glass!

Kalera · #**365** 2011-03-27, 10:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCB23

Kalera... (as usual) you rocketh!

~Rachel

Thanks Rachel!

Kalera · #**366** 2011-03-27, 10:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanithS

I love the effect too but where can you get Gaffer clear frit?

http://gafferglassusa.com/

Angie09 · #**367** 2011-03-28, 4:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

Reichenbach Mystic Pink 104: http://www.glasscolor.com/products/d...D=121&pID=1772

Hi Kalera,

I purchased several Richenbach colors including this one but I'm not getting the vibrant colors you are. I use a minor and a oxy flame ... help please!!

Kalera · #**368** 2011-03-28, 8:47am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angie09

Hi Kalera,

I purchased several Richenbach colors including this one but I'm not getting the vibrant colors you are. I use a minor and a oxy flame ... help please!!

Wow, I don't know how to help with this!

All I can think of is that it might be a different batch? I don't do anything special to mine, at all.

LyndaJ · #**369** 2011-03-28, 10:35am

Angie, are you using a 5 lpm concentrator? or tanked?

Pia Kaven · #**370** 2011-03-28, 11:17am

Wow, havent seen you Lynda for a looooong time! Good to see you... or maybe you have been just at different parts of the forum...

I have a question too... not really that Kalera would be specific to your beads, but you are so kind to share the information, and I would like someone to explain me little

so here it goes.
I have Unlimited Oxygen's M10, and I am on the look for a new torch... not seriously yet, but hopefully not too long from now. I would love to do some boro work too, actually I would like to do some bigger boro, like goblets and other blown stuff, and this is where my question comes: What kind of torch would you recommend for that, and how much extra oxy do I need? I do have a tank too... not keen on refilling, but could be done now and then.... rather then.
And if I just want a smaller upgrade, what kind of torch could be supported with just one M10?

And then another question you might not even know the answer for, if you dont have M10... where in that machine is the little numbers that show the hours of use??? I have never seen any running numbers there... am I just blind?

Thanks for being such a sweet heart, what would we n00bs do without you??? And I do know how much bad typing annoys you, so my apologies, I know I am a serial offender.

Kalera · #**371** 2011-03-28, 3:59pm

Well, I'm not a torch expert, and I can only really answer questions about stuff I do (my beads) and not stuff I don't do (goblets) but I run my Barracuda on one 10 LPM and one 5 LPM machine, connected with a T. Hopefully someone who is an expert with concentrators and torches can chime in with more information.

Pia Kaven · #**372** 2011-03-28, 8:29pm

Thanks Kalera for trying though, I thought that this might be out of your expertise, and I have heard earlier that Mirage would be a good one and that regalia would fire that one up nicely, but I would like to get someone elses opinion since it wouldnt be a major investment for me to do that. Id rather use my M10 plus what ever and get the torch that will do the work, but wont break the bank.

Thanks Kalera!

Angie09 · #**373** 2011-03-29, 4:15am

Quote:

Originally Posted by LyndaJ

Angie, are you using a 5 lpm concentrator? or tanked?

I use a minor on a Regalia with lots of oxy.

LyndaJ · #**374** 2011-03-29, 7:21am

Kalera - sorry for the hijack.

Angie, pinks are sensitive.

If the O2 isn't pure enough, they can get dull.

The other thing that I've seen, and read from other users, is that pinks can get washed out if they get too hot. I've even turned mine a little grey from overheating.

So, you might want to turn your flame down or work further out in the flame, really slowly to get the most vibrant pinks. Slow and cool, even if you're encased.

Back to your "ask me anything" thread now.

Angie09 · #**375** 2011-03-29, 7:53am

Thanks Lynda!!! That just might be my problem .. I have a tendency to heat everything too much I think. I'll give it a try ... and THANKS for the hijack!! It is greatly appreciated!!!

rainygrrl · #**376** 2011-03-29, 6:39pm

Pia, you might want to post your question in the torch and/or boro rooms.

Kalera · #**377** 2011-03-30, 9:25am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

I might be having a mid-life crisis, or maybe I'm just looking for more excuses to hang out on the computer and procrastinate working... but if anyone is interested in how I make a particular bead or just achieve a specific effect, post a pic of it here and I'll spill the beans. (The only exceptions are things I learned in a class from someone who is still teaching, in which case I'll refer you to them.

)

I just want to reiterate to anyone with a question to please post a pic or link to the beads you're interested in, because I don't have them all memorized by name and that saves me from having to go look them up. Thanks!

Pia Kaven · #**378** 2011-03-30, 9:46am

Thank you Kalera and everyone else! I will talk with goblet peeps

gemsinbloom · #**379** 2011-03-30, 9:47am

This thread has been a blast, thank you for your generosity Kalera. I just have one I want to ask you about.

http://www.beadwife.com/detail.tpl?ItemID=11980

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

I just want to reiterate to anyone with a question to please post a pic or link to the beads you're interested in, because I don't have them all memorized by name and that saves me from having to go look them up. Thanks!

Kalera · #**380** 2011-03-30, 10:53am

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemsinbloom

This thread has been a blast, thank you for your generosity Kalera. I just have one I want to ask you about.

http://www.beadwife.com/detail.tpl?ItemID=11980

Thank you!

You're welcome, and thank you!

Those are Effetre Dark Ivory wrapped in a strip of heavy silver foil, then trailed with an Effetre odd-lot that I think was called "Sapphire" (basically a lighter shade of cobalt) and then shaped in a Corina Squeeze press. I make these using a wide array of transparent colors, and haven't found any that weren't pretty!

gemsinbloom · #**381** 2011-03-30, 11:32am

Oh I am surprised it is dark ivory, thank you, I will give it a whirl today!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera

You're welcome, and thank you!

Those are Effetre Dark Ivory wrapped in a strip of heavy silver foil, then trailed with an Effetre odd-lot that I think was called "Sapphire" (basically a lighter shade of cobalt) and then shaped in a Corina Squeeze press. I make these using a wide array of transparent colors, and haven't found any that weren't pretty!

Kalera · #**382** 2011-03-30, 7:43pm

Every torch will give you a slightly different ivory/silver reaction, and so will different batches of ivory, and on top of that your fuel/oxygen pressures and levels can make a difference. If you have a triple mix torch you'll probably need to make the flame a teeny bit reducing to get a really nice fumed effect on the ivory. I always burn my foil off thoroughly to allow it to slightly fume the ivory before trailing on the transparent color.

emoon · #**383** 2011-04-07, 2:37pm

Kalera,

This thread...how very generous of you! I am always awed by the kindness of Lampers, on LE. You serve as an example, and all those beads...an inspiration!! Thanks!

Pia Kaven · #**384** 2011-04-07, 2:56pm

Yeah, can you believe? Lots of people would try to sell this info, and here Kalera just gives it out freely. I

Kalera! This is way awesome. So generous!

emoon · #**385** 2011-04-07, 3:15pm

I know we all have been facing economic challenges, and this is just so, well, COOL!! Not that there was ever any doubt...

Kalera · #**386** 2011-04-07, 9:01pm

Thank you all!

Jo Ann · #**387** 2011-04-08, 9:20pm

Hi Kalera! I am a newbie, living in an area of Ohio that doesn't seem to have anyone teaching beadmaking, so I am learning on my own through books, dvd and this forum. My question is that I am seeing bead with dots of silver, that the artists list in their description as pure silver wire. How is this added to a molten hot bead, and is it soft wire or half hard wire that is used?

Luna Avis · #**388** 2011-04-09, 7:48pm

Hi Kalera,

Another newbie here. Really appreciate all this information. Thank you. Your beads are beyond wonderful.

BTY I would the first in line to buy that book if you ever write it. Also if you ever decide to teach a class, please add me to the list.

In the mean time here are my questions and thank you again for freely sharing so much great information.

Are there any books that you would recommend specifically for frit?
What is silvered sand?

emoon · #**389** 2011-04-10, 5:55am

What IS silvered sand, anyway? It has a moonlit sexy sound to it...I'M IN!!

KayTStudio · #**390** 2011-04-10, 6:28am

Thanks again Kalera.
This thread and your unselfish sharing have inspired me to try again using frit. In fact I now have a small little stash to play with.

I'm having a lot of fun on the torch learning how to use it without burning it and I seem to have had some success with the Romance blend from That Frit Girl. I won't be throwing those beads into the garden anyway.

So thanks again for adding a new dimension to the obsession.

And silvered sand has piqued my curiousity too now.. lol.