FireNFusion is a Wisconsin based glass artisan who has both an Etsy store and her own website, Dichroic Jewelry and More. She posted a really cool tutorial on her blog how to make a fried marble pendant necklace. Thanks Nikki for updating this link!The marbles aren't actually fried in oil but baked in a really hot oven and then rapidly cooled in iced water. Some marbles will break apart but you can glue bead caps with wire loops on the survivors to make pendants. This is probably how crackle beads are made.
Now marbles have no holes so here are other ways to incorporate them into jewelry :
1. Don't have a bead cap with a loop?
Not a problem, head on over to Beading Daily for their free tutorial on how to create a wire bail for a marble shown below.
2. If you don't like to use glue, then you could make a wire cage.
Studioheath.com has a great free cage pendant tutorial. (update : link no longer available) The SeaGlassLady also on eHOW shows a more informal style of marble wire wrapping (shown below, link is now dead).
Plaidbunny over at the Sweater Surgery blog also demonstrates a lightly wire netted technique she tried from a book.
3. Want to make something other than a pendant?
Then make the classic double looped wire cage which you can incorporate into bracelets and necklaces. This excellent tutorial by Jinn on Wet Canvas shows you not only how to make the wire cage but also twist wire to form the bracelet below :
The Crafts Channel on Youtube also has a wire cage video tutorial which shows the main steps to make this type of cage. However this video tutorial uses a drilled round bead. The instructor feeds an eye pin through the bead covered with the decorative cage. Parts of the video are difficult to see as the view was often blocked by the instructor's hands. You'll get the picture though.
Via
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
Now that's some cool stuff. Never even thought about how they would get the crackles but that makes perfect sense! Cool tutorials too!
ReplyDeleteI had used some crackle style beads in a bracelet design when I first started out but I never knew how the crackles got in the ball/bead. Very interesting tut!
ReplyDelete-Stephanie
I've made a few of these fried marbles. It's fun and they look cool. Haven't had any break yet so I guess I'm pretty lucky!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Pearl...interesting idea. I've used crackle beads before...now I have some idea of how they got that way...
ReplyDeletecheers
No way!! I love these and need to have them right now. This is why I have to have good resistance when I read your blog. Too many good ideas!! :)
ReplyDeleteThey use to make these in the oven in the early 70's. I had a hugh coffee table center piece of large baked marbles fashioned into a bunch of grapes.
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeleteThe tutorial for: tutorial by Jinn on Wet Canvas only has one page... 1 of 6. There is no next button =( I only get to see the beginning, the end result is PERFECT for what i'm making =(
I don't know what happened to that page. Never mind. Watch the video on how to make the wire bead cage. The coiled wire section is easy to do. Just neatly coil wire around either a mandrel like a knitting needle or on the inside wire itself. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun idea. Being a confirmed seedbeader, I'd make my cage & bail from seed beads.
ReplyDeleteThat would be so cool, Kippercat!
ReplyDeleteI am FirenFusion :0) I just wanted to let you know my ehow article was moved to my blog located at: http://www.nikkilynndesign.com/2011/01/how-to-make-fried-marble-necklaces.html So, if your trying to relocate it, you might want to try here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki for letting me know so I could update the actual post! Pearl
ReplyDeleteThanks this is really cool and interesting.
ReplyDeleteCan't find the Seaglasslady tutorial on eHow :0( and that marble in it's cage looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. Alas I can't find the URL anymore since eHOW revamped their site. Try using several lengths of square wire and gather it up at the top, making a bail before wire wrapping all the ends.
ReplyDeletelove the idea, now I know what to do with all the odd marbles I pick up from the street that drive hubby mad, I'd make a cup from a bead cap to hold one or cage it with two filigree ones linked with either wire or seed beads depending on how big it was, and if they only chip a little bit that would hide it
ReplyDeleteI am new to this sight. Very nice project, I am curious about the marbles, can I use the the glass marbles that are used to fill flower vases so they would have weight, the color ones that are usually in the imitation flower section?.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog! You can certainly try those types of glass marbles. Remember that a proportion of any marbles will not work - ie cracked beyond use.
ReplyDeleteLove the wrap ideas! I made fried marbles from this blog or another a year ago, just now trying to wrap more than the initial 5 I tested coil wraps on. For those looking for Jinn's twisty bracelet tutorial, I found the links to the other pages, following:
ReplyDeletePage 1: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/
Page 2: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/page2.php
Page 3: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/page3.php
Page 4: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/page4.php
Page 5: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/page5.php
Page 6: http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/7671/361/page6.php
Hope that helps, for anyone still looking!