Glass Color Testing: CiM 438 Meadow and CiM 909/910 Charlotte/Paris

 So I just got another batch of CiM glass to test - and I haven't nearly finished with the last batch! Time sure flies....  :)



First up is a pair of pinks from the last batch - Paris and Charlotte. The CiM website says that these are basically the same color. However, because lots of people are really picky about pink tonality, they decided to keep them separate.  Both Charlotte and Paris were made while attempting to duplicate Sakura, and didn't turn out to be as orangy. So they renamed them and put them both on the market.

I must say that while I am super-aware of most tone differences even in the closest colors, I cannot tell much difference between Paris and Charlotte, no matter what light source I am using. One of them might be a teensy bit more saturated than the other, but I can't tell which one after it comes out of the kiln.

On top of that, both colors are virtually interchangeable when it comes to stiffness, workability and consistency. So I am pretending like they are one color.

Both colors are slightly stiff, like most transparents. This means that when layering with opaque pinks in Effetre/Vetrofond, you'll find that the opaque may spread out from under the pink a little bit, especially when doing something like raised floral petals or stripes. For that reason, I prefer to use these shades over pinks which are stiffer. At this point, the ones that work best for that are the CiM pinks - Gelly's Sty is pictured here. Because Gelly's Sty is a bit opalescent (contrary to CiM's website which calls it a true opaque!) the result is a light, glowy pink, reminiscent of shampoo or bubble bath.

As with many pink transparents, Charlotte and Paris like to be worked on the cool side, with less fuel than normal. Work them gently to avoid that pesky bubbling and scumming. It's a bit of a balancing act keeping these cool enough not to bubble, but warm enough not to crack. Staying on the higher edge of the flame works best for me. Paris/Charlotte make gorgeous spacers as well - a brighter pink than any of the Effetre transparents, and less orangy than most.

Next up is Meadow - one of the colors from the new batch.

Now, if you look at CiM's website, you'll see a vivid medium green. Meadow is not nearly that bright in person - I think they really need to change that picture.  Meadow is a soft spring green that looks to be a bit brighter/less muted than Leaf Men. It's a lot like the other mid-greens we have seen from CiM in the past - Shrubbery being the closest, in my opinion.

Meadow works up really nicely.  I didn't have any shocking at all, and the glass is smooth and melts easily. As is usual for opaque greens, Meadow will striate, but not nearly as much as Olive or Leaf Men. It can spread out a little from underneath transparents, but not enough to cause any issues. It encases beautifully, erasing much of the striation underneath, and lightening the color a little.

I think this makes a perfect soft color for earthy spring designs, especially since those greens which are close in hue are not readily available anymore. Like Shrubbery (*sniff*).

So there are a bunch more colors I have to test - hopefully there won't be such a long time between posts!