Blog Give Away! Nubs!

I have decided to have another blog give away. This time, I'm giving away a jar of my nubs! If you know me, when it comes down to glass, I want to use every little bit of glass. I have done many things using my nubs, but this time, I am going to give away a jar of my nubs. All you have to do to win is to guess how many nubs are in this jar. I'm going to show you 3 views of the jar and tell you that it is a pint glass jar. It's the kind you use when you make jelly. I will also tell you that there are no spectacular types of glass in the jar. They are scraps from Vetrofond and Moretti glass nubs.

To win, just enter your guess on this blog. I will choose the winner in a week, on November 3. I will announce the winner on November 4. So, go ahead, just enter a guess. It's that easy.




View #1 -------------------------------------------------------->





















View #2 ---------------------------------------------------------->






















View #3---------------------------------------------------------->

Now, I also realize that not all my readers are glass people. I also realize that even if you are a glassy person, you might not want my nubs, so I have an alternative give away, if you don't want my nubs. (It's okay if you don't.) I made a bead from my nubs. That is my alternate give away. If you win, and would like the bead instead of the nubs, you may choose that. It's up to you.

Here are 3 views of the bead.




















View #1 -------------------------------->





















View #2 ------------------------------>





















View #3------------------------------->

So, if you win, will you choose the NUBS or the BEAD? Good luck! I hope someone comments!

This and That and Shamelss Self Promotion

Before I forget, since June 21st is the Summer Solstice, I will announce the winner of my blog give away on June 22nd. That means you have one more day to go to the article titled: There's incompatibility and there's just plain ugly to enter the blog give away! That's the prize!











Shameless Self Promotion!
Once in a while we all have to do this, well, we don't HAVE to do this, but I like to shamelessly self promote my items. So, that being said, take a look at these things:

In my Etsy store:
PMS or something I said?
Ever feel that way?















My Artfire Store:
Jeans Appeal Funky Fiber Earrings
















In my 1000Markets store:
Island Passion Handmade Coral Lampwork Bead Necklace

















Be good and have a fun weekend!

There's Incompatibility and then there's Just Plain Ugly

There will be a test. Make sure you read the entire blog! Hmmmmmm!

Although I knew this to be true, I forgot the key to working with glass: Make sure the COE's (coefficient of expansion) are the same. All right, I was tired. I had gotten home the day before from the Bead and Button Show. I still had not yet recovered from the great time I had there. I decided to go back to the torch the next morning. I wanted to use some of my Gaffer Chalcedony glass. I made a core of clear then encased the clear with the Chalcedony. I pressed the glass into a lentil shape, struck the bead for color (heated and cooled), then, immediately put this stunning bead into the kiln to anneal (cool down properly) it. After the bead was cooled, I soaked it in water, then I began to use my Dremel to extract the bead release. What? The bead cracked in half--almost. I thought this was a thermal crack. It wasn't until the next day I realized, this wasn't a thermal crack. It was an issue of incompatibility. I had used a core of transparent clear 104. Chaldedony has a 96 COE. Dang it all! That was a beautiful bead! All right, lesson remembered. There is incompatibility. Watch your glass. Lesson relearned.

Is this the test? No not yet. Stay tuned.

Then there is just plain ugly. I found some glass that I had bought in a box of "shorts" (short rods of glass). I thought I would play with the glass. It wasn't the prettiest color I had seen, but I was hoping that when introduced to the flame, magic would happen. Well, it didn't. There really is just plain ugly! See what I mean.


















There was no magic. That color is just plain ugly. Luckily, I don't remember where I bought these shorts, but I hope not to buy them again. Oh, my.

Was that the test? No, not yet. Almost. So stay tuned.


















These are not incompatible glasses, it's just the colors. I used a bright orange for the lip and handle (What was I thinking?) and Chalcedony for the vessel. It's not a perfect vessel. I was trying to get the little blob of hot glass to strike and I didn't blow the vessel enough. Again, lesson learned. I think this falls in between both categories of incompatible and just plain ugly.

Now, finally, here's the test. Oh, did I forget to mention there will be a give away? Hmmmmmm. All you need to do is to comment on this blog, and I will draw a number to choose a winner. You have until next Sunday, June 21st. I will pick a winner then for this vessel. Please leave a way for me to get in touch with you if you should win. If no one comments, well, I guess I get to keep this little vessel.

Now, that wasn't a hard test, was it? I think it's easy. Let me hear from you!