Glass Beads and Metal Leaf

Beads with copper leaf

 

Now I've got some time again, I had a lovely afternoon in the studio experimenting with glass and metal leaf.

When I was at The Glass Hub a couple of weeks ago they showed us some of the effects we could make by adding different types of metal to our work.  I particually loved the copper leaf which turns blue and bubbles.  I made a paperweight with copper leaf in it and it now has pride of place on my desk.

But could I do the same at a smaller size with my beads?

Beads with aluminium leaf

 

I bought some copper leaf, but while ferreting for something else in one of my drawers found some metal leaf from a project ages ago to make a star to go on top of the Christmas tree.  It didn't say what sort of metal most of them were but I thought I'd give them a go too.

I tried all with clear glass and then on vanilla, encased with clear as I know that vanilla has a tendancy to react with 'blue' colours.

Beads with variegated red leaf

 

First up was the copper leaf.  This gave the lovely blue and bubbles I was expecting with the clear glass, but then looked a bit muddy on the vanilla.

Next was some aluminium leaf.  This kept it's silver colour and made lots of bubbles.  It's an interesting look on both the clear and the vanilla and will be something to play with more I think.

The next set were called variegated red.  This one turned blue in the clear glass and sort of muddy on the vanilla.

Beads with variegated blue/green leaf

 

Variegated blue/green did the same.

And lastly was imitation copper leaf which also went blue in the clear but with streaks and muddy on vanilla.

Beads with imitation copper leaf

Interestingly the copper leaf I bought was loose, so while hard to work with sticks to the glass easily.  The other books of leaf all had the leaf attached to paper, which makes it easier to work with then working on paper, but did mean the paper set on fire when I touched the hot glass to the leaf!

I'm going to keep playing with the copper and aluminium but the others will be going back in the drawer for another day.