Bambi beads

Tina, Thanks for posting these. I like his work, lots of my favorite colors.

Patti

Such a lovely, classic color combination! Those are like teeny counterparts to Susan's hefty pieces. I love the size and weight of her beads, but those look like they'd be nice to design with too.

Oooh, with copper! What a great idea!

Have you tumbled many beads before? I love the effect... it's either more silken or more organic than chemical etching, depending on the grit you use. I've been using a really fine grit lately but last year I did a bunch that were really coarse, and I'm thinking about getting another barrel so I can do either one at will. The texture of using a coarse medium looks so wonderful on pale transparents!

Hi Kalera - I did some with some really, really fine grit last time, but I'm too impatient :-). What grit size have you been using? I'm lucky 'cause I'm a 3 minute drive aware from a lapidary supply place so I can get the grit there. I think they have 100, 200 and 600 grit and then into the really fine stuff like cerium oxide.

Mike's been experimenting with white hearts lately too, there's something that is so lluminous about them, and when they're etched it is such a lovely effect.

I love it when a very old style of bead gets new treatments.

-Su

The grey sounds lovely! I've been wanting a tumbler for ages but they're hideously expensive in the UK. We use Etch-all, but it does seem to give a less soft surface than I'd like.

Maybe we'll have to take the plunge and get a tumbler.

I love the idea of the copper with the grey! Any pictures yet?

-Su

Hi Su - I love white hearts - I think you're right, they glow from the inside out. No pics yet, but I'll make sure I take some next week. Su - I've heard most people are quite happy with the very inexpensive tumblers they get from Harbor Freight. Maybe one of your American buddy's could mail you one?? (No Harbor Freigh in Canada or I'd offer).

Thanks for the offer, Susan, but there's a voltage difference in the UK, things run on 220 rather than 110-120! I still get nervous each time I plug the phone charger into something that looks like it should be powering a water heater or clothes dryer.

I'll keep an eye out on eBay, with luck I might find one, it looks like fun for our son anyway, he's the right age to enjoy rock tumbling.

I am lucky that Mike is willing to try the sorts of beads I love, as it would get very ugly if I had to hold his coral and turquoise glass hostage to get more whitehearts! I stacked up a bundle of transparent glass with some white rods as a hint for his next day in the studio. Think he'll take the hint?

Make sure you post a link to the photos, I love your beads and am always looking out for them.

-Su

Oh right, I forgot about the voltage difference. I think EBay might be a good bet then - it seems like kids grow out of rock collecting at some point - although in my family that's not true - we have 3 geologists and my mom who took lots of geology courses. It made our trip to the Rockies this weekend lots of fun - experts every way I turned while we were hiking :-). Autumn in the mountains is so amazing, lots of colour inspiration.