Cracklin' glass gems

I was given a container of clear glass gems, and since I really had nothing else to do today, I decided to spend the morning crackling them.

The process is very easy. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Put glass gems on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. While they're in the oven, fill a metal pan or bowl with ice water. I've found that having the water chill while the glass gems are "baking" gives better results.

I've also found that it's better to not "bake" too many glass gems at a time. The last time I filled the cookie sheet, the first gems to be plunged in to the water crackled nicely, but the last ones to go in didn't crackle as much. Today I used a small cookie sheet, and heated about 24 at a time. I now have a nice big jar filled with crackled glass gems just waiting to be turned into Ice Drops!

I think the crackled glass gems look especially nice. The seem to pick up colors and emphasize the "ice" part of the Ice Drop. I love my new shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts. This design is one of Dave's doodle pyrography designs. I think it's appropriate that I used a Doodle Pyrography shuttle to create a Doodle Ice Drop!

I had one lonely glass gem sitting on the table next to my chair, so I decided to take the time to turn it into an Ice Drop as well. I do love my Grizzly Mountain Arts shuttles, and I pleased to own several with lighthouse designs on them.

I really thought I would move on to other tatting designs in the new year. I did start on a Myra Piper design, but I've messed up on it twice, so I have nothing new to show. I've been saying it for a long time, but I really do need to get my craft supplies in order. I keep telling myself that I'll spend 15 minutes a day going through something, anything. Then I get distracted by a pretty shuttle, a glass gem, or a color of thread. Maybe it's time to embrace my messiness!