Messing About With Blues and Greens

Happy New Year!


I took some time off over the Christmas break and slowed the beadmaking down to a much more leisurely pace than usual.  I took the chance to both expand my range of Stonebaked beads and at the same time, do a little more testing for Creation is Messy.  


First of all I made a bead in every green shade of CIM I own, and also in similar Effetre shades.

I noticed a couple of interesting things here: I'm surprised how different Olive and Commando have turned out, they look so similar in the rod; I haven't played much with Poison Apple, but now I like it - its a similar shade to Effetre Nile Green but without the streakiness.

So I had to do it, I just couldn't stop myself ... here's the same beads etched!


Wow, look at Kryptonite! I never expected that glass to etch so nicely; Poison Apple is still looking really good; love Celadon too, and Split Pea ... and ooooh, Mojito looks great!


Peacock Green simply would not etch though, I've tried it in the etching fluid again, for longer, for like half an hour and it just refuses to change!




Now for the blues ... 

This is the first time I've used Glacier, its a lovely soft blue grey; Grumpy Bear is a little richer than Effetre Periwinkle; I worked Pulsar high in the flame and successfully avoided it pitting; Sapphire always surprises me, it looks much lighter in the rod.

They're all gorgeous, but the etched finish is just so .. so ... lush!


Electric Avenue is similar to Poison Apple, in that its smooth and non-streaky, but not opal like Peacock Green and Halong Bay (which also completely resisted the etching process, despite long immersion in the acid). Lapis has been one of my favourite glasses for a long time, but I've never thought to etch it before - I love how its turned out. 


This was a pretty time-consuming exercise but I really enjoyed the methodical procedure and the comparison photos are so useful.  A lot of the CIM shades are very similar to Effetre - Fremen and Smurfy versus Light and Dark Turquoise, Soylent and Celadon versus Grass and Petrol Green - and I think I'd be guided by price here when restocking; but a number of the CIM shades are quite unique (Kryptonite, Electric Avenue, Lapis, Dirty Martini, Mojito ... somebody stop me ....) and are definitely going on my New Year shopping list!