OMG! I'm becoming an ETCHING junkie!

I don't know exactly when it happened, but it did. This set is in my Etsy store, along with several other etched discs sets. Now, I just can't seem to help it.















Today, I was looking at some beads I had in my bead box. OMG! They were transparent and they were NOT etched. I walked away, very slowly. Here's a photo of them as I found them.














These beads were made with transparent purple and transparent pink. The pink does not show up in the photos very well.





















I also found this free form piece I made many moons ago!


I walked away slowly, but I came back quickly. Before I knew what was happening, I had put the beads in a plastic bowl. I had filled two other plastic bowls with water. One bowl was full of plain water for the final rinse and to the other I had added baking soda to stop the reaction from the etching. There was no way to stop it now! I poured the etch liquid into the bowl with the beads. I began to stir and waited for the etching to be completed. Oh, goodness, I am an etch junkie!

I've calmed down now, and here are the results. These beads seem to glow. I love them even more now.





















I can no longer ask: To Etch or not to Etch? I have no control any more!





















What do you think? To etch or not to etch?

To Etch or Not To Etch

The debate rages on: Do you etch your beads or not? Some people feel that every bead they make should be etched, at least, given a light etch so that the bead can be photographed without a glare. Others feel that not a single bead should be etched. Some feel that the only reason to etch a bead is to save it.

For our non glassy readers, to etch a bead means to put that bead in a solution or rub it with a cream to take the shine off of the bead.

I used to be a person who felt that no bead needed to be etched until...I had a bead that might be saved if it was etched. I did, and it was beautiful!

Now, there are times when I do like to etch a bead. Organic beads, I feel, look good etched. See the little orange and ivory nugget on the top right and bottom left. I do like the look of the organic etched. See the two beads where the white is encased in a transparent color? I think that etching makes the bead appear to glow from the inside. I like that look. See the blue bead? That little nugget seems to have an inner glow. I like the look better than the unetched beads on the upper right.

What do you think? To etch or not?