Maiden of the Mist

Fresh from the kiln!  A lovely long smooth bi-cone featuring new CiM Cerulean.  Enjoy!

Revisiting Boysenberry

This weekend, I revisited Boysenberry Ltd.  The lush journey was a great reminder of how this CiM berry color is incredibly versatile.

The glass holds edges through repeated heating and flame polishing.  The rich, juicy color perfectly sets the stage for vibrant enameling and a glint of 24kt gold.  Definitely on my list of top 10 favorite CiM Purples:

CiM Wisteria

CiM African Violet

CiM Evil Queen

CiM Eggplant 

CiM Aladdin

CiM Boysenberry

CiM Thai Orchid

CiM Enchanted

CiM Heffalump

CiM Your Majesty

A bit of color testing underway

When testing for CiM, I attempt to pair the new glass with complimentary colors.  Hopefully, the design's subtlety helps viewers to focus on the allure of glass.  Color paired with pattern can evoke such a wide range of emotion, from joy to extreme dislike.  Personally, I find some colors to be a bit more challenging based on engrained color preferences.  As sheer as a steep mountain face, which an artist must scale in order to see beyond the rise.  I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to grow in areas where I would otherwise avoid organic designs. 

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Cotswold, Serenity, Merryweather, Sacre Bleu

Cotswold Ltd. Run is a muted turquoise.  The opaque glass reminds me of CiM Quetzal, but with heavy gray undertones.  The glass feathered nicely when paired with fine silver foil and an Lapis Ivory.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.





Serenity Ltd. Run is a splashy, tide pool blue.  A dark version of CiM Poolside, the new transparent color boasts a hint more green than CiM Pulsar.  A lovely crisp, clean glass to showcase frit and a variety of decoration.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.

Merryweather Ltd. Run is an intense aqua velva color.  The translucent opal glass has a luminous inner glow which easily shows under bright light.  The vivid color is quite stunning when placed beside CiM Tardis.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  I'm looking forward to adding this unique color to my studio glass supply.

Sacre Bleu Ltd. Run is a transparent Winsor blue.  The rich color exhibits jewel-like tones similar to that of a precious sapphire.  Very similar to CiM Royal, but with the slightest hint of regal violet.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing. 

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Spook, Enchanted, Venus, Siren, Poolside

Colors from Left to Right:  Spook, Enchanted, Venus, Siren, Poolside

Venus initially looks to be a pale pink in rod form, however when the glass meets the flame a light peachy amber hue emerges.  Light hazing occurred during testing.  See photo above for bead sample.

 

 

 

Spook is a heavenly white.  The glass remains clean and crisp when paired with other CiM colors.  Over a Effetre Pastel White base, the glass mimics Mother of Pearl.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  The glass does not reveal any hint of red, other than a pale pink glow when paired with purple.  The glass becomes murky when combined with Rubino Oro. 

 

 

Enchanted is a pale pink lavender.  When compared to Effetre Transparent Dark Lavender, the new CiM color has a lighter plum hue (see sample photo below).  Light hazing occurred during testing but cleared up as the glass became molten. 

Colors from Left to Right:  CiM Enchanted, Effetre Trans. Dk Lavender

 

Siren is a pale transparent green.  The glass seems to color shift during the final flamepolish on the hollow example bead.  During the initial testing of the ribbed round, the glass remained clean and crisp in color.  There was a bit of initial hazing during the flamework process.  No shocking or bubbling occurred.

 

 

Poolside is an exciting new addition to the CiM family.  The vibrant transparent teal has an electric look in bright light.  The glass held crisp lines during sculpting and the color remained clean when paired with fine silver and silver reactive glass.  

Testing in Progress

Peaches takes the title of "Quality Control" very seriously.  No slacking off with her around.  

"Back to the torch... squawk!" 

My World Defined

Glass Geek (noun) \ˈgläs gēk\
: a person who is extremely interested in glass.
: a glass enthusiast who finds the medium exciting when others may view the art as boring.

The latest reaction of CiM's test color gives me butterflies. The initial color is a transparent Emerald, but a reaction occurs when paired with a dark ivory that awakens the nutty glass nerd inside. Kind of like the joker's guttural laugh rising from my soul, but I digress.... back to the cool reaction which creates a new band of color between the emerald and ivory glass. This is not a moody metallic line of demarcation one might expect, but a rich avocado halo of awesomeness. Just another reason for flameworkers who love green to be counting the days until CiM's new color release date.

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Byzantium, Meadow, Ecru, Musk, Allspice

From left to right:  Byzantium, Meadow, Ecru, Musk, Allspice

Musk Ltd. Run is a transparent, honey-kissed, mountain dew.  The vivid color is very similar to Effetre Kelp 090, but Musk is slightly more intense.  No shocking or bubbling during testing.

Allspice Ltd. Run is a cinnamon alabaster.  Extended flameworking yields a rich, woody blush to the smooth finish.  No shocking or bubbling during testing. (Pictured above)

Byzantium Ltd. Run reminds me of juicy, homemade blackberry preserves.  The glass is slightly transparent and allows light to pass through and showcase the rich jeweled color.  No bubbling or shocking during testing.

Meadow Ltd. Run is a fun color addiction to the Messy family.  The lovely green nicely fills the gap between Elphaba and Olive.  The bright, cheery opaque green is easily shaped and sculpted.  Perfect for a floral vignette project.  (Pictured above in Baby Hulk bead.)

Ecru Ltd. Run is a soft, creamy alabaster.  The glass should be worked in a neutral, well-balanced flame to avoid any golden discoloration.  The soft nature of Ecru lends nicely to pressing or shaping.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Slate, African Violet, Jet Stream, Cleopatra, Ceylon

 From left to right:  Pulsar, Royal, Jet Stream, Cleopatra, Ceylon

 

Slate Ltd. Run is a pale gray blue.  The subtle transparent glass reminds me of a Midwestern sky before a Spring thunderstorm.  The stiff glass presses easily and holds shape nicely while adding intricate surface decoration.  No bubbling, hazing, or shocking during testing.

 

 

African Violet Ltd. Run is a rich, transparent purple which is true to it's name.  The intense color is difficult to capture in a photograph.  Similar to most transparent colors, the glass holds shape well to create a solid base bead.  The glass would best showcase it's vibrant color as an encasement over a light base color.

 

 

Ceylon Ltd. Run is a transparent, smoky topaz.  No hazing or bubbling during testing. Very clean and crisp.  The stiff crystalline glass has a lovely slightly pink glow.  Much darker than CiM Chateau which has a amber tint, Ceylon's color is more muted leaning toward a more neutral spectrum. 

Jet Stream Ltd. Run is slightly lighter version of Royal Ltd. Run with a soft kiss of navy.  When used to encase fine silver, the glass flowed nicely without being too stiff.  The fine silver foil remained bright and clean without reaction. 

Cleopatra Ltd. Run is a vivid amethyst.  The dark purple leans toward the red-violet region on the color chart.  Like most transparents, the glass is stiff.  The rich hue can easily be showcased when used to encase a lighter base color.  No shocking, hazing or bubbling during testing.

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Velveteen, Pistachio Ice Cream, Toto, Tamarind, Experimental

Colors from left to right:  Toto, Pistachio Ice Cream, Velveteen

Velveteen Ltd. Run is an alabaster beauty.  The glass begins as a soft caramel with slight pink undertones.  When flamepolished for an extended period time, a burgundy blush blooms in the glass.  Truly a unique beauty in the CiM line.  No shocking or bubbling. 

Pistachio Ice Cream Ltd. Run is well named.  The opaque glass has a soft gray-green hue which will pair nicely with any seasonal palette.  The versatile color was a joy to work with.  No shocking or bubbling. 

Toto Ltd. Run is a rich tortoise brown.  The glass initially is a bit muted in color, however when flamepolished for an extended period of time, a deep, rich golden-brown emerges.  A very desirable color for sculpting or organic forms. 

 

Another view:

Colors from left to right:  Olive, Pistachio Ice Cream, Velveteen, Toto, Tamarind

 

Experimental Ltd. Run

 

Experimental Ltd. Run is a clean, crisp transparent.  No bubbling or hazing during testing.  When used for encasing a silver rich glass during flameworking an implosion technique with gold mica, the glass flowed nicely.  In comparison to Effetre 004, the CIM glass is buttery soft and encases easily, where the Effetre is sift and a bit unforgiving.

 

CiM experimental is on the left and Effetre 004 is on the right.

 

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Class M Planet, Denim, Mockingbird, Splash, Halong Bay

 

Pictured above from left to right: 

Class M Planet, Denim, Mockingbird, Splash, and Halong Bay.

Class M Planet is an exciting new addition to the CiM family.  This blue version of Canyon de Chelly exhibits an assortment of lovely tones including moody denim, soft French blue, and mossy green.  Definitely on my "must have" list.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.

Denim is a transparent backpack blue.  The color exhibits the perfect color of denim blue with a nice balance of gray, but without any green.  No shocking occurred during testing.  Light bubbling/fizzing occurred, but quickly corrected itself.  (Pictured above in the comparison photo.)

Mockingbird would best be described as a soft gray otter in color.  The transparent color is akin to CiM's opaque Nimbus in hue and saturation.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  (Center bead, pictured in comparison photo.)

Splash is a pale periwinkle with a hint of sapphire.  The lovely transparent glass is in the same tonal family as Halong Bay.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Quetzal, Yellow Brick Road, Painted Hills

Quetzal is a true turquoise blue.  A darker, more color-rich version of Celadon.  Admittedly, I am excited about this new color addition.  The forgiving nature of the glass did not require a perfectly balance flame to stay clean and crisp in color, unlike other turquoise glass.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing. 

 

Pictured above from left to right:  Painted Hills, Yellow Brick Road, Toto, Garnet, and Emperor.

Painted Hills is a warm vanilla color.  Initially, the glass is milky white when heated, but the soft golden yellow tone begins to bloom as the glass cools.  A beautiful addition to the CiM family.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing. 
 

 

Yellow Brick Road is a golden kissed Dijon.  The color is a more subtle tone of Honey Mustard.  When initially introduced to the flame, the glass is extremely milky in color.  During the heating/cooling process of working the glass, the golden tones begin to bloom.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  (pictured above)
 

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Aloha, Elf, Blue Arrow Frog, Prairie Grass, Garnet

Aloha is a vibrant tropical blue.  The slightly darker than turquoise Fremen, the opaque color reminds me of a spring Bluebird.  The glass was easy to mold.  No shocking, bubbling or color distortion occurred during testing.  (Turquoise accent color in the Koi cabochon pictured below.)

Koi Cabochon features Aloha, Elf, and Blue Arrow Frog.

Elf is a cheery, Holiday green.  A darker version of CiM's new Pixie, the glass is shaped with ease.  With extended working, only slight gloss streaking occurred.  No bubbling.   Minor shocking occurred during testing which can be avoided by pre-warming rods. (Elf is featured as the lily pad detail in the Koi cabochon.  Pictured above.)

 

Blue Arrow Frog is a deep, lapis blue.  The rich opaque color is darker than Ming and more on par with the vibrate color of Royal.  A nice addition for a variety of projects and designs.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing. (Blue background color for the koi cabochon pictured above.)

 

Ogre Toe set features Prairie Grass, Garnet accent rounds.

Garnet is a dark, berry-stained red.  The glass easily strikes with little effort.  The rich color blooms into a saturated blood red.  From Valentine's Day to Halloween, this glass is perfect for fun Holiday designs throughout the entire year. Counting the days until the release date! (Accent rounds in the Ogre Toe bead set.)

Prairie Grass is a happy, citrus green. Akin to Elphaba this color is not streaky with extensive gloss striations.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  (Main color in the Ogre's Toe bead.)

Creation is Messy New Color Testing: Blarney Stone, Pixie, Spearmint, Dragon, Envy

Pictured from left to right:  Blarney Stone, Pixie, Spearmint, Dragon, and Envy.

 

Blarney Stone is a vibrant grass green.  The glass was easy to shape and mold.  Unlike other heavily pigmented greens, the glass did not fizz uncontrollably during testing, even with prolonged flame exposure.  An envious color addition to the CiM palette.  No shocking occurred. 

 

Pixie is a bright alligator green.  The elfish color addition nicely fills the color transition from green to green-blue in the CiM palette.  No bubbling.  Very minor shocking occurred during testing.  (See comparison photo above)

Dragon a blushed avocado green.  The baring many similarities to Ogre, but with a more intense saturation of sage green.  Easy to shape and extremely forgiving.  No bubbling or shocking occurred during testing.  (See comparison photo above)

 

Envy is a close cousin to Emerald City.  This new color has a slightly grassy hue.  The glass molds with ease and flows surprisingly well for being a transparent.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  

Spearmint is a refreshing minty blue.  The color addition spans the gap between Kryptonite and Mint Lozenge.  The glass is a dream to shape and mold.  No shocking or bubbling occurred during testing.  (Featured as base color below)