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By Liliana GlennPhotos by J. Dunlap

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A large image on the cover of a book in the window stopped me in my tracks one day. The book, Earth from Space by Yann Arthus-Bertrand captured my imag-ination. I turned page after page and saw images from so far away

and yet so close … like a glass bead … holding it in my hand, turn-ing it to yet discover another map or a formation of clouds above a luscious landscape filled with color and texture.

Glass beads designed with shards allow me to create dream-like spaces with extraordinary surfaces and perme-able connections. It thrills me to conjure up a visual thresh-old between a fictional, invented world and one that we can recognize ourselves in with ease. A highly desirable ele-ment of surprise with each new piece invites change and acclimation. Over time I’ve built a vast collection of shards which I strategically choose from when imagining a surface. Think of it as collage and remember that less is more.

Earth B ead

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This tutorial will be most useful to the student of lampwork glass with an intermediate skill level. There’s an assumption that s/he has acquired a variety of decorative techniques and knowledge of manipulating hot glass. Knowing the chemistry between different glasses, in addition to metal inclu-sions in relationship with heat, is useful when it comes to shards and moving hollow surfaces (as in those built on pipes and puffy mandrels).

The final bead includes the following component pieces:

(1) A silvered stringer made with opaque white and dark ivory, white enamel.

(2) Earth Shards (made with mosaic green, copper leaf, and enamels).

(3) A shard stringer made with opaque dark lapis blue.

(4) Ocean Shards (shards on shards with a variety of blue enamels and both opaque and transpar-ent rods, including silver foil and the shard stringer).

(5) Terra Nova Shards (Opaque reds, mustard yellow, light ivory, and white, orange and white enamel, silvered stringer). Feel free to play with other colors and inclusions as you will hardly go wrong.

Always remember that concept and imagination drive design. Let your mind fly while you remain steady on your feet.

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Making the Silvered Stringer

Tools and Supplies Effetre Opaque Dark Ivory rod Effetre White rod White enamel powder

Fine silver foil

Steps 1a and 1b: Create a gather with white. Shape it to a thick cylinder and roll it in enamel. Caution: When using metals and enamels, proper ventilation is a must.

Step 2: Stipple with ivory and melt it to a smooth surface; roll the cylinder in enamel again.

Steps 3a and 3b: Flatten to obtain a thick lollipop, wrap the lollipop in silver foil, and burnish; heat both sides to melt the silver.

Steps 4a – 4c: Apply a stripe of ivory on each side and prepare to melt; pull while twisting.

Note: The effect of the stringer will be different depending on how thin/thick you pull it. Experiment.

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TroughMarver (or masher)Graphite surface

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Making the Earth Shards

Tools and SuppliesBlowpipe 3/8” (or 10 mm OD)TroughSpoonEffetre Green Mosaic Premium (hair-thin stringer)Effetre White PastelWhite and Blue (9452, 9660) enamel powderCopper leaf

Steps 1a and 1b: Wind a thick-walled bubble on the end of the blow-pipe with white. I apply my first coil to the shoulder of the blowpipe, making sure to press down starting with the second coil for a thick-walled bubble.

Suggestions:n Your blowpipe should be clean of residual glass from previous ac-tivity and cleaned thoroughly from bead separator. I designate tubes for blowing shards, i.e. they don’t get dipped into bead separator.

n Glass cools faster than metal so pay constant attention to the connection between the edge of your pipe and the beginning of your bubble by heating (not melting).

n A thicker wall on the bubble allows better distribution of heat. You should be able to work comfortably when heating just one region of the bubble in order to apply pressure to rough surfaces and/or un-necessary relief or partial boiling of the glass which can sink the wall significantly if the wall is too thin.

n Use the smooth back of your tweezer, knife, or any fast-cooling surface for rapid and long-lasting impact. Reinforce the wall, wheth-er partially and/or entirely with a light puff into the pipe. Do not over-heat your bubble as you prepare to do that.

Steps 2a - 2c: Prepare a smooth surface and coat the bubble in white enamel and apply copper leaf; heat up one region of the bubble at a time with the oxy-gen-rich part of the flame to a boil and unveil the copper ele-ment. Repeat till the surface of the bubble no longer contains metallic surfaces. Randomly ap-ply alternate coats of white and blue enamels.2b 2c

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Suggestions:n The copper leaf doesn’t like to be burnished as it disintegrates rapidly. Place the leaf on a hard surface so that as you roll the glass the leaf adheres immediately. If it doesn’t, then just burn it off.

n Don’t overdo by using layers of leaf. The copper element will not come through as bright.

Steps 3a and 3b: Wind the mosaic green stringer around the bub-ble and melt it in. Boil the surface in a measured and localized way to create enough heat for the stringer to stretch and push the enam-els out.

Steps 4a - 4c: Once the design is to your liking, blow the bubble out to slightly thicker than a paper-thin wall.

Suggestions:n As you prepare to blow, make sure that the heat in the bubble is well distributed and that the consistency of the glass is more like clay than paint. Blow outside the flame.

n Turn the pipe gently (to retain centrifugal gravity) as you apply pressure with your lips to the open end of the pipe while puffing once with minimal intensity. The trapped hot air will expand and push the walls out. As the glass hardens, start blowing with more in-tensity. The moment you feel counter-pressure from inside the tube, separate your lips from it to avoid bursting the bubble in the air.

Step 5: Rest the pipe on a hard surface with the bubble trapped be-tween raised surfaces so that it doesn’t roll off. To remove the bub-ble from the blowpipe, hold the diamond shears (or chilled tweezers) on the end of the pipe for a minute or so to cool the glass faster so that the separation between the glass and the metal is clean. Either way, the bubble should separate on its own as the metal cools.

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Step 6: Wear safety glasses when breaking the bubble into shards. Wrap it in a paper towel (I like Bounty because it holds well) and break it in a container.

Cut a large piece into smaller parts (if necessary) with tile cutters by applying pressure on its edge.

Suggestions:n If the bubble doesn’t separate on its own, tweak it a few times back and forth (make sure not to do that with bare hands) and, if that doesn’t do it, break the bubble in a paper towel while still on the pipe. Next time, apply less glass onto the pipe and less pres-sure at the beginning of the wrap.

n To clean the blowpipe for your next use, wait for the pipe to cool, put on safety glasses, place your large tweezers with one leg inside the pipe, and gently squeeze to separate the glass from the metal. Do it inside a container to keep the dust and bits confined. You can always be more aggressive by using a grinding wheel (do it on a wet surface).

Making the Earth Shards Stringer

Tools and SuppliesEarth shardsEffetre Lapis BlueWhite enamel

Steps 1a - 1c: Heat about an inch of the lapis blue rod and roll it in enamel. Then apply the preheated shards to the glass rod.

Step 2a and 2b: Melt to a smooth surface and pull into a medium size stringer.

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Suggestions: n Preheat your thicker shards ahead of time by placing them into a hot kiln. Transfer them with your tweezers onto a raised graphite pad. To maintain the heat, place the pad closer to the flame by raising it with a wide-bottom glass jar or a brick ahead of time. n Hold the shard with your tweezers gently without squeezing to avoid breaking it.n Preheat the shard shortly before application by waving it in the upper part of the flame.n Melt the tip of the shard for a secure connection with the surface of the rod.n Heat the shard by applying a little heat throughout the surface without melting it down.n Use the back of your tweezers or the flat part of a knife to gently push and burnish the shard onto the surface.n Chill your metal tools with regularity.

Making the Ocean Shards

Tools and SuppliesBlowpipe 3/8-inch (or 10 mm OD)TroughSpoonEffetre WhiteEffetre Blue Sky Light PastelEffetre Transparent Cobalt BlueEffetre Transparent Teal LightFine silver foilPreviously-made Earth Shards and Earth Shard stringer

Step 1: Have some Earth Shards at the ready.

Step 2: Wind a thick-walled bubble on the end of the blowpipe with white and end with a smooth surface on a small bubble (continuous-ly but only slightly reinforced with small puffs on the blowpipe).

Steps 3a - 3c: Encase the white bubble with transparent cobalt blue; leave the ridges on the surface to intentionally trap bubbles for future design.

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Steps 4a and 4b: Apply large dots with a sky blue base and trans-parent teal on top. Melt those in by spreading the dots on the sur-face with a metal tool. End with a smooth surface.

Steps 5a and 5b: Apply the silver foil, burnish for maximal cover-age, and heat the bubble.

NOTE: I like the effect of silver on these transparent and opaque glasses. To amplify their effect by getting additional colors on the surface, simply alternate a few times between reducing the bubble slightly and cooling with metal surfaces to stabilize the surface for lasting results.

Steps 6a - 6d: Apply the Earth Shards; retain some relief to trap additional bubbles inside the canvas. Decorate the surface with the shard stringer and melt it all in. End with a smooth surface. When applying shards make sure to maximize its surface by adhering the two surfaces thoroughly.

Melt your design in strategically. For example, would you like the stringer to spread or to sink into the surface? By slowly melting the stringer in, your preference almost automatically is that of retaining its integrity for a more defined design.

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Step 7 (optional): As you get ready to blow, use diamond shears to give your bubble a neck. Avoid direct heat on that area as you prepare your bubble for a final blown piece.

NOTE: A glory hole would be nice, but since the canvas has to be heated in a flame and it’s harder to do so evenly, glass eventually shifts and you might end up with glasses with similar degrees of viscosity drawn toward and concentrated in one area. The canvas will shift overall and the likelihood of blowing through a thin wall increases significantly. As a result, you might end up with shards that are a bit on the thick side and rich texture; I suggest that you preheat those shards in a 1000°F kiln before fusing them with a hot surface.

NOTE: To preserve a layered look in your shard, you must plan the final size of the bubble ahead of time and not blow it out too thin.

Steps 8a - 8c: Blow the shard as you did for the Earth Shards, care-fully controlling the size of the bubble.

Step 9: Marvel over your shards! When the bubble is cool, break into pieces and pick a few for your final piece.

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Making the Terra Nova Shards

Tools and SuppliesBlowpipe 3/8” (or 10 mm OD)TroughSpoonEffetre White PastelEffetre Dark IvoryEffetre Medium RedEffetre Dark Purple RedEffetre MustardWhite and Orange (9830) enamel powdersSilvered stringer (from the previous tutorial)

Step 1: Wind a thick-walled bubble on the end of the blowpipe with white and end with a smooth surface on a small bubble (continuously, but only slightly reinforced with small puffs on the blowpipe).

Step 2: Stipple with dark ivory.

Steps 3a and 3b: Apply random dots of purple red and mustard. Spread with metal tool.

Step 4: Encase with medium red while preserving the roughness of the canvas underneath.

Steps 5a and 5b: Cover with orange and white enamels.

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Steps 6a - 6d: Apply the silvered stringer randomly and twist the surface with tweezers to increase the variations and the movement in the canvas.

Steps 7a - 7c: Melt to a smooth surface and blow a slightly thick-er-than-paper bubble.

Suggestion:n As you look at your shards, once they cool, you might decide to add more color or to dilute some of the shards by using them on a new bubble for shards. Great! Just don’t overestimate color; it will lose its fullness and depth if you stretch it too much.

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Making the Earth BeadTools and Supplies:

Puffy tube mandrel 5/16-inch (or 8 mm outside diameter)TroughSpoonEffetre Transparent Cobalt BlueEffetre Medium AmberEffetre Aqua LightFine silver foilPreviously made shards: Earth Shards, Ocean Shards, Terra Nova Shards, and Silvered Stringer

Step 1a and 1b: Prepare your shards to preheat them.

Step 2a - 2c: Build a thick-walled hollow bead using transparent cobalt blues, amber, and light aqua, as large as you’d like (my bead is 1 ½ x 2 inches). Hot fuse the canvas in its entirety (meaning that you need to melt until the hollow coils are fused together), but do not melt flat. The more ridges you leave on the surface, the more bubbles you will have to pop later - which is great, because that will unveil color and texture in pleasantly surprising ways.

Suggestions:n Before building the walls of your hollow bead, start with a thick spacer. Wind your disc onto a solid foot. From then on, apply heat to the discs alone.

n When working with large hollows, one concern is the separation of glass from the bead separator. The bigger the bead the farther away the heat is from the glass around the holes. As you apply more heat and as the gravitational movement becomes somewhat irregular, the cooled glass is very likely to separate and suddenly you feel like your world is moving all in the wrong places. To keep it steady and secure, always remember that much-needed heat bath all around the surface including the areas tucked in around the hole of the bead and turn slowly and evenly.

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Suggestions Cont:n Consider that with any surface in a hollow glass object, you need to concern yourself with the flow of it when heated. The more vari-ety of glass you use (opaque vs transparent, etc.), the more atten-tion to heat you’ll have to pay as glass heats and cools at different rates while permeating (or not) neighboring surfaces. A transparent canvas will move less, hence its vulnerability to heat is much higher. The change in the surface decoration as the canvas is drawn in and out with heat and blowing is somewhat minimal. An opaque canvas has low vulnerability to heat (especially when the wall is too thin) and the process of heating and blowing will feel more challenging even though it can be done with practice. The effects on the surface decoration are more likely to be dynamic because of a much more vigorous interaction between the elements in the opaque glasses and a moving canvas. The more you shrink the canvas with heat and allow the air to escape through the tube, and the more you expand the canvas by blowing into the pipe (not too generously though), the more design you will obtain as result.

n To reinforce the hollowness of your bead on the inside and to maintain an overall round form of your canvas, help yourself by gently blowing into the pipe while also getting a feel for whether there are holes in the canvas. If there are, then cover them with glass original to the canvas. Don’t use shards to cover those holes. It doesn’t work well because of issues of viscosity.

Steps 3a - 3f: Start applying shards one at a time, slightly atop of each other.

I chose to start with the Ocean and Earth Shards because I wanted the Terra Nova shards to have more prominence as result. Approach this like you would a collage. Use more enamel when/if needed; boil it if it needs to be less prominent. Work the surface with your mind’s eye and use the skills you have.

You can blow puffs of air into the mandrel as you work to help main-tain the shape.

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Suggestions:n Let your imagination drive your choice of shards as you create a background and a foreground in the design.

n Less is more.

n Stay in touch with your canvas at all times by monitoring the amount of heat you apply regionally and overall. The frequency of the blowing into the pipe will depend on how much heat you’re ap-plying during and after the application of shards. In the end, blowing shouldn’t have a negative effect on your piece unless you’re blowing glass that moves too much from being overheated.n Use the knowledge and skills you’ve accumulated creating shards. Transfer your knowledge of heat and practice gauging the size rela-tive to the amount of glass you end up with in your final piece.

Steps 4a - 4d: To melt or not to melt? My choice of melting to a smooth (more or less) surface is driven by my aesthetics. As I hold this bead, as audience, I want to keep turning it and zoom in only if something unexpectedly catches my eye. The surprise is taken away when relief dictates an expectation and the bead (and its view from space) is no longer round. The axis of interpretation shifts.

Suggestion:n Use a marble mold to finalize the shape, but remember that the heat is only in the very top layer of the bead. If the entire bead is moving you will lose the shape on your way to the mold and then inside it too.

Step 5: One last puff goodbye before we see each other again. Off she goes into a hot kiln (950°F).

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Variations: Here are some other variations of the Earth Bead, including some that are built on an opaque base.

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About the ArtistLiliana Cirstea Glenn’s contemporary glass creations embody metaphor and playful improvisation rooted in precise lampwork technique. The transparent possibilities of glass honor the tran-sient nature of experience and memory, encouraging a lightness of being and resisting fixed interpretation.

Through www.lilianabead.com, international and national gal-leries as well as her showroom in Natick, MA, Liliana’s original beads, mixed media sculptures and wearable designs inspire a diverse and loyal customer base.

Liliana teaches lampworking classes at her studio in Natick as well as Snow Farm, Williamsburg, Massachusetts, and other glass programs. Her highly acclaimed teaching approach emphasizes theory and technique in a class environment soaked in laughter and conversation. Melting away their preconceptions, Liliana’s students develop creative confidence as they capture beauty in small glass beads.