Continuing on with the testing for the giant batch of new colors I got from Creation is Messy, today's colors are the gorgeous aqua called Zoe, and the soft neutral called Chateau.
First up is Chateau, and lovely transparent brownish beige. It reminds me a bit of cream soda, and is a nice alternative for Effetre's Light Brown transparent.
According to CiM's website, this color was created to be similar to Sepia, but without the reddish undertone. It fits the bill nicely - it's a true pale brown without any reddish or greenish undertones, and works nicely as an encasing layer for any browns or creams.
One thing I need to mention is that this glass can scum easily if you heat it too fast. Work it under a cooler flame, and when using it as stringer, don't let it get too melty or it will bubble up. It's not too stiff, so there's not much of an issue getting it to melt.One other thing - when using this color with Effetre Sage (the new handmade version, not the machine made version) I had some severe compatibility cracks when making encased florals. I am not sure what the culprit was - but using it under a thick encasement of clear (DH Zephyr) produced cracks like I have never seen. I didn't get cracks with other combinations of similar colors, so I have narrowed down the culprit to either Sage or Chateau. The cracking didn't happen in any other beads made with these colors - just the encased florals. So just bear that in mind.
Other than that, I really love this color - it's a nice neutral that adds a soft beigy brown cast to anything it's layered with.
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| Chateau layered with Effetre Mudslide makes a nice toffee color. |
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| Chateau layered with Effetre Sage is a soft latte brown - use sparingly to avoid cracks. |
On to one of my very favorite selections in the new color batch - Zoe. When CiM sent the new batch of colors, there were quite a few in the aqua/teal/blue range. That thrilled me because I really love those colors. Zoe is one of the best. For some reason, this color just shines and sparkles more than any aqua I've seen in any brand of glass.
Okay, enough gushing - on to the important stuff.
The first thing you need to know is that transparent aqua shades are a bitch to photograph. Seriously. The camera just does not capture the real color very well. It doesn't even look right on the CiM website, which frustrates me to no end, because I want to relay to you, the color addict, just how gorgeous this aqua blue really is.
CiM made this color to be a light version of Pulsar ( which is basically CiM's version of Effetre Dark Aqua) It succeeds - it's lighter and slightly less saturated than Pulsar, which I really like. This makes it the perfect shade for springy aqua beads.
As usual, CiM's aqua glasses are better behaved than Effetre's - they don't scum or bubble or spread or bleed, etc. Zoe is no exception. There may be some scummy spots when you first melt the rod, but those will disappear quickly as you melt the glass. Zoe can take a lot of heat without burning out or bubbling, which makes it an ideal layering color. Zoe isn't too stiff, which is also nice.
I think Zoe makes a wonderful layering color with either Effetre Light Sky Blue (for a brighter shade) or CiM Duck Egg (for a softer shade).
As I mentioned before, there are several other aqua shades in the new CiM color batch. Most of these are very close in hue, with just tiny differences in the amount of green/blue and in saturation. I'm sure there are lots of opinions on which is best, but Zoe is my personal favorite. Since color love is subjective, your mileage may vary. So far, I am of the opinion that any one of these aqua shades will be a great addition to your palette. :)
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| Zoe layered with Duck Egg (the purples are Heffalump, Dark Lavender and Pale Ink Blue) |
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| Zoe layered with Duck Egg (the purples are Heffalump, Dark Lavender and Pale Ink Blue) |
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| Zoe with Duck Egg as a raised floral is nice and bright. |
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Wow :)
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