| Technical Tips |
| Tip of the month: August/September Soak your Moretti Dark Turquoise Beads Are you Dark Turquoise beads silvery black? Just soak them in CLR and you will have beautiful turquoise beads in a few hours. Be sure to read the label and follow all the safety precautions. |
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| Copyright Nina "Sam" Hibler 2007-2008 - all rights reserved Site content and images are property of Dream Fire and are not to be reproduced without written permission |
| Tip of the month: October/November Wire your beads without any wobble or shifting Do your lampwork Beads wobble on the wire you are using to finish them? Most beads have a 3/32 hole size. If you are using head pins or 20-22 gauge wire you can use seed beads to fill the space. Simply run a few seed beads on your headpin/wire then slip the bead over the seed beads and wire. Now the wobble is gone and the seed beads are hidden. |
| Tip of the Month: December Slow Down and Soak In To increasing the heat in your glass whether you are heating a bead to shape it or getting a cane ready to pull. Turn slower in the flame removing your glass for a moment or two (still turning gravity does not stop just for you!) Let the heat soak into the center and then return it to the flame. Repeat until you have even heat and glow. This will give you the heat you need for shaping your bead or to pull a good smooth cane. This also applies to life during the Holidays! Slow down and soak in the Now (life does not stop just for you). Don't miss the moment. Happy Holidays! |
| Tip of the Month: January/February This Months tip for my fusing friends and students. It is one of those simple "why didn't I think of that tips". When you are using small murrini or stringer components on a fused piece they don't want to stay in place. If you do get them to the kiln they sometimes jump right off as the temperature increases in the kiln. How do you keep them in place? SUPER GLUE the cheapest kind you can buy at your local hardware store. Just a small drip of super glue will hold a group of murrini or stringers in place. When using any Toxic materials you should have a well ventilated room. This is true when using the super glue. Use common sense and do not stand around the kiln room when the piece is firing. The fumes are toxic. I credit this tip to Jayne Persico. |
| Tip of the Month: March/April Inspiration I'm often asked where do I get the ideas for my beads? So I thought I'd show you. Why is this a tip? The answer is. Students and customers ask me to reproduce, or how to make, an exact copy of a bead someone else had made. In my opinion practising technique is the only time it is acceptable to copy. When you are learning you may copy to work on different techniques. As and Artist you have to find your own voice. And you will not find it looking at other peoples beads My inspiration comes from nature, fabric and literature. Sometimes it is my interpretation of favorite object like the alligator pin below. |
