Which white for flower petals?

[D Adams]

Hello,
After years of never being interested, I have a sudden passion for making flowers covered with trans, poked and encased. When I close my eyes to go to sleep, they are on the backs of my eyelids!
Which (104) white would you recommend for the petals?
Thanks,
Diane

[Debby_Weaver]

What kind of glass are you using?

I use Moretti/Effetre and I use their plain ol' white as the base for a lot of transparent colors whether they be flowers or not. I know there are shades of white in other glass but I am not that familiar with them.

Debby

[D Adams]

Hi Debby,
I'm using Moretti/Effetre, also.
Thanks! Diane

[Kuehlmorgen_D]

Hi Diane

Vou can try all opaque colors as background for the transparent color layer. There are some really beautifull combinations with periwinkle. Try to use dark ivory behind red, orange and yellow. Find out how coral supports these colors in a different way. Do experimantal flowers with one background and multiple transparents or with different backgrounds and one transparent color. That will help you to find unusual combinations.

There is only one thing to mention: If you use combinations of sulfur- and copper-colors you might get a black layer between them. You can avoid this by adding a neutral (crystal) layer inbetween. The more you heat the glass the more reaction you'll get. Loren Stump teaches how to make ivory mice with gold ruby eyes without getting that black layer in the contact zone.


Have fun with it and keep playing!

Dietmar



PS: If you need a lighter hue of an opaque color you can blend it with white. But be aware the Special Colors will create striking opacifiers. That can be a pain or fun; or both at once

[D Adams]

Ah now those are interesting suggestions, thank you both!
Very inspiring to experiment; however, I've missed one thing where you said 'crystal', Dietmar...do you mean clear?

[Kuehlmorgen_D]

Yes, "crysral" is the colorless transparent glass aka "clear". But you can use any nonreactive (with copper and sulfur colors) color you have as well.

[leslie101]

Try some CIM cirrius and some transparent enamels over the surface of it. If you want you can etch them when you are finished. it can be quite lovely.
it depends on what type of flowers you are trying to make.
Leslie

[D Adams]

Hi Leslie:
At this point, the base is white covered with a light trans. Then I place the petals. Yesterday I covered them with clear and a dark trans. More petals, more clear, more trans...plunge and encase. With each, I'm working smaller and smaller so the result is a detailed bead that draws me in to its depths...well, that's my goal anyway! What I'm learning with each one is better heat control.
I didn't know there was such a thing as a trans enamel so thank you for that tip.
Diane

[leslie101]

There are enamels that are transparent. I also like to use colorless. (I'm sure it's just crushed glass.) I make sculptural flowers not in the bead. I bet you are getting some great results.
It sounds like you are having alot of fun.
Leslie

[D Adams]

Morning,
Well, you are right about that! I'm a bit happy that the result is something resembling something real...they are not perfect; however, they do look like flowers.
Yesterday I found some sage green in my stash. Not sure why they call it sage green...looks more like taupe.
Am trying Dietmar's suggestion and experimenting.