Tuesday 3 March 2020

CiM Testing: Firedragon

Handmade lampwork glass beads in CiM Firedragon by Laura Sparling

Yes, yes, it's been an age and all that but I'm here to write up my Creation is Messy testing findings. I posted the last wodge of them on Instagram but that makes it harder for Kathy to lift images and text for use on her website so here I be, back in the old blogosphere.

These new CiM colours will be available some time in April 2020.

There are about sixty new colours in the newest batch of CiM glasses and working out where to start was a conundrum but I eventually decided to begin with the beautiful Firedragon.

Handmade lampwork glass beads in CiM Firedragon by Laura Sparling

Oh, this is a gorgeous glass. In rod form, Firedragon is similar to Sangre, and it works like Sangre too but Firedragon ends up as a much more orangey red.

Handmade lampwork glass beads in CiM Firedragon by Laura Sparling

I used Firedragon like I do Sangre: make the bead, heat it until no wisps are visible, bring it out of the flame for ten seconds, where it will cool to a pale orange, then gently reheat for ten seconds so the red blooms, then I give it another ten seconds out of the flame before putting it into the hot kiln. Timing the reheating is important as I found the longer you reheat it the darker red it goes.

No bubbles, no shocking and no livery brown streaks that sometimes occur in reds.

The first three photos above are Firedragon over Effetre White 204.

Handmade lampwork glass big hole bead in CiM Firedragon by Laura Sparling

The big hole bead above is Firedragon over Effetre White 204 with spots in Effetre Light Turquoise 232. The Firedragon is darker red here where I kept it in the flame longer. It’s also gone a bit more translucent as opposed to being really transparent. Still a mighty pretty red, though!

Handmade lampwork glass big hole bead in CiM Firedragon by Laura Sparling

The beads were photographed indoors in natural daylight.

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