Thank you so much for doing this video. I bought a mason stain sample set and was so excited about playing with them. I mixed them with water and was extremely discouraged by the results. Your video is exactly what I needed to try again.
Great introduction to getting started with Mason Stains and links to supplies needed and class recommendations; great demo on your adorable Russian bird enamel pendant!
Can't wait to hear how your mermaid turns out! If you are interested in more about skin tones, I highly recommend a class with Merry Lee Rae. She's a well respected cloisonne enamel artist and makes gorgeous mermaids :)
I can't seem to find the jelly pens w titanium? Could you share a link? And thank you so very much for sharing what you've learned! I love your videos❤
You are welcome and thanks for reaching out 💕 Try searching for 'white Gelly Roll pen' to find the right product. I know that particular brand name has titanium in it...but I don't think they market it that way.
Yes. These are considered a 'final fire' technique to add embellishments to your work. The gold and silver Gelly roll pens contain mica and the white contains titanium. I like to fire them around 1350 in my kiln for about a minute and a half. You will need to experiment with your kiln/torch to find what works for you. If you fire these too long, too hot, or too many times, the minerals will dissipate into the enamel. Fire too short or too cool? They will come off.
Thanks for this video. I Live in France I would love to know where you got your kiln safety glasses what brand are they? They look like could fit over my prescription glasses.
Hi Debra! You are welcome. They are Pyramex brand with a 3.0 IR Filter Lens and do fit over glasses :) I bought them from Amazon. This is the link for them here in the states: amazon.com/gp/product/B00YA25XI8/
Oh, one more question: I was wondering if I added some dry liquid semi clear enamel, if that would affect the color or outcome. I was thinking that by adding enamel to the mix, it might help it adhere....Then again, maybe I'm over-complicating it; something I do often! It might make it so it doesn't flow as easily through the pen. I just ordered a bunch of crow quill pens and nibs.
My suggestion here would be to experiment away and let us know how it goes!!! There is such a thing as painting enamels which are very finely ground enamels and pigments mixed together. Who knows - maybe you'll find a really nice way to achieve similar results using this method. Hope you have fun with all of this!!!
I have 2 brands Glassline and Color line. I used them on my fusing glass andcI wonder if they will work. I will let you know how my experiment turns out !
Hi! Mason stains have a matte finish. It is an artistic decision if you would like to add clear enamel on top for a shiny finish. You will need clear in between layers of Mason stain because they do not contain glass. In other words, Mason stains don't stick to other Mason stains.
Thank you so much for this video! I just ordered all of the colors of Mason stains and I'm very excited to try using them with a quill pen. You gave the recipe for Jilly oil--Is there a reason for the mix or is it just because she liked the scent? In other words, would any oil work: lavender or orange or another? Thanks, again.
HI! Thank you for your kind words. The combo for the Gillie oil yields a very nice consistency that has a decent working time, yet dries without waiting forever. I've only had experience with this and lavender and do prefer it :) I've heard of people using other oils as well, so my suggestion would be to try what you have on hand and see how it goes, then experiment with others to find what works best for you.
@@10Gables Oh, I LOVE this! I had tried using a quill pen in the past with underglaze black and had no luck. Now, I can finally get a very fine line and so easily! I'm over the moon. Thank you so much!
@@10Gables I've mixed up some Gillie oil to play with and can't believe how easily it works with a Crow Quill pen. I've yet to try it with the lavender oil or others. I am so excited to finally have an easy way to make a thin, black line. I did try painting some mountains within the black lines and the colors for the mountains all but disappeared while the black remained. My kiln did not get hotter than 1400 and my kiln has a window where I keep watch for the shine as the enamel melts. Any advice on how to proceed so that the color stays? I hope I can figure this out because I just ordered all of the remaining colors I didn't get in the first order! Also, I tried adding clear enamel over the mason stain painting, but it kind of repelled and pulled in a funny way. I'm assuming that I need to make sure that I'm using the 2030. I just checked and it was a soft fusing transparent--2008--wrong stuff. Will that really not work, or should I try to add more on top? I tried painting some black mason stain onto a stamp, but that was not at all successful; maybe it was too thick; I'll try the make-up sponge next time. It too easily smudged. I just watched the video for a third time(!) and I thought I remembered something about lighter colors requiring less time, but I didn't see that this time through. Is there a reason you use the Jelly Roll pen vs. the white mason stain? I can't tell you how appreciative I am that you made this video; I've looked for others since seeing it, and have not found any that go into any kind of actual information or "how to." Thank you for being so thorough.
Thanks so much for this info. While my blues and greens are coming out nicely, I've been having trouble with reds and oranges. They just seem to burn right out. Any tips for working with them?
Thanks, Ri Mi! I would recommend a few experiments with temperature and firing time to see if one or the other is causing the red/orange mason stains to dissipate into the enamel. I've found if I run things just a little too hot or a little too long? They disappear. Hopefully this helps.
I find that red/orange burn out. I add clear to keep things even and only add the orange or red at the last fire before grinding and then the final fire.
Hi, Chris, this was so helpful!!! i had been playing and had been discouraged by the flaking; I was applying too thickly. One question -- can you torch fire (from below) mason stain designs?
I also realized -- are the Pearly Karpel "paints" also mason-stain based? A friend gave me a large set of those, and they seem to act the same way (always into "use what I have" mode!)
Hi Andrea! I have not tried to torch fire mason stains. Logically, I would think if you are good with heat control to prevent overfiring, they should work just fine. For your second question, I would recommend reaching out to Pearly Karpel directly to ask about contents of her 'paints' to determine if they are a pigment-only product or if they include enamel. I hope this helps!
Hi Chris, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!! Quick questions; Do you have experience enamelling on Gold? What would you recommend as oxide inhibitor? I found that the pickle often affect the enamel :/. Thanks heaps in advance
Thank you, Francois 💕 I haven't enameled on gold, but do use gold foils from time to time in pieces. Some colors are reactive over silver and others over gold. A layer of flux on top of the silver/gold before applying color will prevent those reactions. Making samples using less expensive foils can be a good way to discover problems before working on your final piece. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for doing this video. I bought a mason stain sample set and was so excited about playing with them. I mixed them with water and was extremely discouraged by the results. Your video is exactly what I needed to try again.
Oh good - I am glad it was helpful! I hope you have fun with them and using different techniques to apply them.
Great introduction to getting started with Mason Stains and links to supplies needed and class recommendations; great demo on your adorable Russian bird enamel pendant!
Thank you, Isabel 😁 I hope you have fun exploring Mason stains.
Thank you. I need to make a mermaid and I want to paint the face. Great video, so helpful. 😊
Can't wait to hear how your mermaid turns out! If you are interested in more about skin tones, I highly recommend a class with Merry Lee Rae. She's a well respected cloisonne enamel artist and makes gorgeous mermaids :)
thank you so much for this introduction video, super helpful !👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
So much great info - thank you!
You are so welcome!
I can't seem to find the jelly pens w titanium? Could you share a link? And thank you so very much for sharing what you've learned! I love your videos❤
You are welcome and thanks for reaching out 💕 Try searching for 'white Gelly Roll pen' to find the right product. I know that particular brand name has titanium in it...but I don't think they market it that way.
Never seen green glasses except for lasers.
do you fire after applying the Gelly roll pen?
Yes. These are considered a 'final fire' technique to add embellishments to your work. The gold and silver Gelly roll pens contain mica and the white contains titanium. I like to fire them around 1350 in my kiln for about a minute and a half. You will need to experiment with your kiln/torch to find what works for you.
If you fire these too long, too hot, or too many times, the minerals will dissipate into the enamel. Fire too short or too cool? They will come off.
Thanks for this video. I Live in France I would love to know where you got your kiln safety glasses what brand are they? They look like could fit over my prescription glasses.
Hi Debra! You are welcome. They are Pyramex brand with a 3.0 IR Filter Lens and do fit over glasses :) I bought them from Amazon. This is the link for them here in the states: amazon.com/gp/product/B00YA25XI8/
Oh, one more question: I was wondering if I added some dry liquid semi clear enamel, if that would affect the color or outcome. I was thinking that by adding enamel to the mix, it might help it adhere....Then again, maybe I'm over-complicating it; something I do often! It might make it so it doesn't flow as easily through the pen. I just ordered a bunch of crow quill pens and nibs.
My suggestion here would be to experiment away and let us know how it goes!!! There is such a thing as painting enamels which are very finely ground enamels and pigments mixed together. Who knows - maybe you'll find a really nice way to achieve similar results using this method. Hope you have fun with all of this!!!
I have 2 brands Glassline and Color line. I used them on my fusing glass andcI wonder if they will work. I will let you know how my experiment turns out !
Do Mason Stains have a matte finish? Do you have to put a clear enamel on top?
Hi! Mason stains have a matte finish. It is an artistic decision if you would like to add clear enamel on top for a shiny finish. You will need clear in between layers of Mason stain because they do not contain glass. In other words, Mason stains don't stick to other Mason stains.
@@10Gables Thank you Chris! Sometimes I like a matte look. Your videos are so helpful and clear. I appreciate your generosity in sharing!
Thank you so much for this video! I just ordered all of the colors of Mason stains and I'm very excited to try using them with a quill pen. You gave the recipe for Jilly oil--Is there a reason for the mix or is it just because she liked the scent? In other words, would any oil work: lavender or orange or another? Thanks, again.
HI! Thank you for your kind words. The combo for the Gillie oil yields a very nice consistency that has a decent working time, yet dries without waiting forever. I've only had experience with this and lavender and do prefer it :) I've heard of people using other oils as well, so my suggestion would be to try what you have on hand and see how it goes, then experiment with others to find what works best for you.
@@10Gables Oh, I LOVE this! I had tried using a quill pen in the past with underglaze black and had no luck. Now, I can finally get a very fine line and so easily! I'm over the moon. Thank you so much!
@@10Gables I've mixed up some Gillie oil to play with and can't believe how easily it works with a Crow Quill pen. I've yet to try it with the lavender oil or others. I am so excited to finally have an easy way to make a thin, black line. I did try painting some mountains within the black lines and the colors for the mountains all but disappeared while the black remained.
My kiln did not get hotter than 1400 and my kiln has a window where I keep watch for the shine as the enamel melts. Any advice on how to proceed so that the color stays? I hope I can figure this out because I just ordered all of the remaining colors I didn't get in the first order!
Also, I tried adding clear enamel over the mason stain painting, but it kind of repelled and pulled in a funny way. I'm assuming that I need to make sure that I'm using the 2030. I just checked and it was a soft fusing transparent--2008--wrong stuff. Will that really not work, or should I try to add more on top?
I tried painting some black mason stain onto a stamp, but that was not at all successful; maybe it was too thick; I'll try the make-up sponge next time. It too easily smudged.
I just watched the video for a third time(!) and I thought I remembered something about lighter colors requiring less time, but I didn't see that this time through. Is there a reason you use the Jelly Roll pen vs. the white mason stain?
I can't tell you how appreciative I am that you made this video; I've looked for others since seeing it, and have not found any that go into any kind of actual information or "how to." Thank you for being so thorough.
How do these Mason Stains compare to porcelain paints? I have some Josephine paints. Are you familiar with them?
Sadly, I am not familiar with them. It would be an interesting experiment, so if you try, I'd love to hear your results 💕
Thanks so much for this info. While my blues and greens are coming out nicely, I've been having trouble with reds and oranges. They just seem to burn right out. Any tips for working with them?
Thanks, Ri Mi! I would recommend a few experiments with temperature and firing time to see if one or the other is causing the red/orange mason stains to dissipate into the enamel. I've found if I run things just a little too hot or a little too long? They disappear. Hopefully this helps.
Thanks, Chris!
I find that red/orange burn out. I add clear to keep things even and only add the orange or red at the last fire before grinding and then the final fire.
Hi, Chris, this was so helpful!!! i had been playing and had been discouraged by the flaking; I was applying too thickly. One question -- can you torch fire (from below) mason stain designs?
I also realized -- are the Pearly Karpel "paints" also mason-stain based? A friend gave me a large set of those, and they seem to act the same way (always into "use what I have" mode!)
Hi Andrea! I have not tried to torch fire mason stains. Logically, I would think if you are good with heat control to prevent overfiring, they should work just fine. For your second question, I would recommend reaching out to Pearly Karpel directly to ask about contents of her 'paints' to determine if they are a pigment-only product or if they include enamel. I hope this helps!
@@10Gables Thank you! I tried torch firing the other evening, and I watched *very* carefully -- and it seems to have worked!
Hi Chris, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!! Quick questions; Do you have experience enamelling on Gold? What would you recommend as oxide inhibitor? I found that the pickle often affect the enamel :/.
Thanks heaps in advance
Thank you, Francois 💕 I haven't enameled on gold, but do use gold foils from time to time in pieces. Some colors are reactive over silver and others over gold. A layer of flux on top of the silver/gold before applying color will prevent those reactions. Making samples using less expensive foils can be a good way to discover problems before working on your final piece. Hope this helps!