Glass is Strange - How to Save a Design

Lampworking Tips

One of the most frustrating but mesmerizing aspects of glass is that it can sometimes be unpredictable.

If you are a master of the science, this will work to your advantage and you can harness the power of the strangeness in ways that make incredibly beautiful and unique art.

If you are more of a WYSIWYG [what you see is what you get] kind of player ... then the surprises can be frustrating.

Effetre 591212 Pea Green

Take Pea Green for example. It behaves strangely. This color is like a super spreader or something and goes wherever it darn well pleases when you get it really hot or work it too long.

And the color likes to pool and create interesting striations and super saturated dots. Not always, but especially if it is layered on top of certain glass (like transparents). It either sinks in or spreads away and can often be challenging to control.

Effetre 212 Pea Green lampworking glass and beads
Effetre Pea Green and Lapis

I haven't claimed to master this glass. It throws me for a loop every.single.time because I forget. If I encase it first and pull it into a stringer it is much more predictable. But when I think I'm placing a cute little pea green dot on top of a rich dark transparent ... I rarely end up with a cute little dot - it's more like a distorted giant green blob.

If you find yourself in this predicament in the middle of making a bead ... and your cute little pea green stripes start looking a little more, um, unintentionally phallic 👀😳... then enter the magic TWIST to come in and save the bead. 

Yes. That's it. Grab a clear stringer. Heat the spot you need to desperately distort. Plunge the stringer and give it a good solid twist. Blow cool and break it off.

Voila! No more not suitable for all ages bead imagery. Cute little abstract twists instead. Whew! 

I actually meant to do that ;)

Looking for more glass lampworking color insight? Check out some of these posts:


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