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| I love texture and often try to incorporate this into my lampwork beads. The ”Snakeskin Bead” is a current favorite of mine. It has a great deal of depth and interesting random designs, but is not difficult to make. After you have tried this combination, you can easily change the character of the bead by experimenting with different colors of goldstone chips or frit and pale transparent colors for encasing. Experiment and make them unique to your personality. Above all... have fun! |
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Burnish the foil in with either a stainless tool or marver pad. Return the bead to the flame. Most of the silver will burn off during this process.
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Repeat this process, picking up more goldstone over the surface of the bead. Smooth the bead again until it is evenly shaped. (You may leave a bumpy goldstone surface on the bead if you like.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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When applying, push the clear down onto the bead to prevent trapping air bubbles. Repeat this process until the entire surface is covered in clear and then fill in any gaps. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gently smashing the bead with mashers, a little at a time, is helpful, or you can roll the bead on your marver pad. Slowly work the bead into your desired shape. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Remove the bead from the heat while turning the mandrel to maintain the bead’s shape. After a few seconds, when the glow fades, place the bead in your kiln, which should be set at 960°F for annealing. |
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Once cooled your bead is done. String on a cord or fashion as a pendant. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Working with a heated mandrel coated with bead release, heat and wind a core of ivory around the mandrel.
Smooth and shape the bead on the marver pad. Reheat the entire bead core until it is evenly warmed.
Roll the bead over a strip of silver foil placed on the marver pad.
After the foiled bead is well heated, roll the bead into the goldstone chips.
Return the bead to the flame and melt in the goldstone chips.
Easy so far... right? Now for encasing. If encasing a bead is a new process to you, try several methods and see what works best for you. Although time consuming, encasing your beads in clear or pale transparents will always add depth and magnify the design underneath — it is well worth the effort. Okay, enough said.
Heat the end of the clear rod until it is a molten blob, while keeping the bead just outside of the flame — to keep it warm. The bead needs to remain warm enough to prevent cracking, but if it is too hot the design will smear. This takes time and care.
Cover the entire bead with the molten clear glass by swiping it onto the bead.
Return the bead to a neutral flame and heat evenly to smooth the casing.
After the bead is finished, evenly heat and rotate the bead higher up in the flame.
To anneal the beads, let them stand in the kiln at 960°F for one hour. 
