New Video : How to strike CiM 'Sangre'

I've just uploaded a new video to my YouTube Channel.

After my CiM Sangre post I had lots of emails from people asking about how you actually strike this glass. It's one of those things that is easier to show you rather than to put into words so I've made a video.

Apologies for the aeroplane noise near the end of the movie. We live quite near an airfield so it's a pretty regular occurrence. You can still hear me, though.

I hope you find the video helpful.

CiM Testing : Sangre

I'm kicking off my Creation is Messy testing at the beginning of the rainbow and the first colour I'm posting about is Sangre. This 'dense and saturated striking red' is an utterly gorgeous colour and for a striker it is pretty easy to work. The colour is as richly red as its name suggests - sangre is the Spanish word for blood.

Striking colours develop in the flame. By gently cooling and reheating the colour will become deeper and more vibrant. Some striking glasses are easier to strike than others and Sangre is one of the easy ones.

The beads at the top of the post include two plain Sangre beads - the one on the left is just straight plain Sangre and the one propped up at the back is a thin layer of Sangre over a CiM Peace (white) core. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Sangre acts as an encasing glass.

But in my opinion the best way to show off this wonderful red is to use it in moderation and to let the light shine through it. The beads above have a core of Sangre which I've heavily encased in Vetrofond clear and decorated with polka dots in CiM Peace. As you can see I've got quite consistent results with the glass regardless of the fact it's a striker. I really didn't treat it any differently to a non-striking transparent and I went about my beadmaking business in a pretty normal manner. That's what I mean when I say Sangre is easy to strike.

Sangre, like most transparent reds, likes to be photographed in natural daylight or else it will look like it has a brownish tinge to it. The two photos above were taken in the early morning sunlight.

The photograph below was taken in the shade of the conservatory and shows one plain Sangre bead and one that is etched. The glass etches really well.

CiM Sangre will definitely be my 'go to' transparent red from now on. Love it!