Making an Implosion Marble in Soft Glass 

Thank you. That's what I was hoping for.

I agree! :)

beautiful music and glass

+Filip Wahlberg Thank you. I think it's magic every time I do one. Not sure what the best angle would be to show the implosion. When you see it from the bottom, it looks like a disc with an "inny belly button." When looking from the side, you see the glass decorations that have stretched and become 3D. AMAZING!

+Filip Wahlberg I would too. I still don't really understand what happens at that point. The results sure are pretty, though.

+ShinyToySupra Thank you so much. I'm glad you understood what I was doing and enjoyed watching me work. I love working in glass. I hope you will try it one day.

What's the name of this beautiful music? Please....

I have a PhotoShop program I use to edit the videos. I'll have to try out adding my own narration/music over the top of the edited clip. Thanks.

Vicki Schneider This music is nice :) well done!

Vicki Schneider Or just add text to it for instruction when you think it is important for us to know....

+Vicki Schneider That was amazing how you can make such a intricate design on such a small marble.

+Vicki Schneider I think that it would be nice for you to have some sort of voice over for the parts you thought were important for people to know, and then music in between the speaking parts :) What you have now is very good, though, as its very calming to watch for those of us who are not looking for marble-making tutorials

Stephanie, thank you for watching my video and for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed it. I have a number of other videos I think you'd like.

Thank you. Actually there are a lot of marble collectors out there.

Thank you for your kind words, Coco. I have another marble tutorial on RU-vid with a multi bloom flower design and hope to be posting a new video within the next week. I hope you enjoy them as well. If you want to add one of my marbles to your collection, please let me know.

For some reason I haven't been receiving notifications when people comment. Sorry for the delay in acknowledging your comment. The thing to remember is that glass wants to be spherical. So when I apply heat to the edge of the disc, it wants to round out. That process stretches the design that I applied on the bottom of the disc into the middle of the sphere. Does that help at all?

+Monroe Jack Thank you. I have a few small burns on my arms. The vast majority happened when I was tired/careless and not following the procedure sand safety rules I teach my students :-)

Thank you for watching my video and for your very kind remarks.

Thanks! I can assure you if I only had 3 hours behind a torch mine would be "colossal failures" too. Keep torching. There's no substitute for time at the torch.

Thank you. I'm glad you gained a new appreciation for creations from hot glass. Did your grandmother have paperweights or marbles? Paperweights are usually made with a much bigger set up, a glass furnace. Whatever the process, I think hot glass is magical.

+Vicki Schneider She had both, the marbles in a bowl on her table and paperweights in random places rather than her desk.

Adam, what a nice comment. I'm glad you found my video helpful and that you tried to make a marble based on your viewing. Sorry that it broke when you were making a bail. Bails are often a pain in the neck. It's so hard to remember to keep a good heat base when you are focused on a detail, like a bail. Don't give up. You'll get it. I'd love to see what you wind up making. Boro isn't my thing. Good luck and thanks again for reaching out to me.

+Adam Graham I just posted 2 video tutorials on making a floral marble. I invite you to take a look and let me know what you think. They include narration and graphics to explain the steps.

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Diana. I do love working with hot glass and put a piece of myself into everything I do. I'm delighted when people appreciate my work. I have several other videos I think you would enjoy. I hope you will watch them and let me know what you think.

Thank you, Michael. I find working with glass to be magical. I'm glad you enjoyed my work. If you like glass, I invite you to watch my other videos. Let me know what you think.

i will be vicki, along with puppy and stupid dog videos, glass metal and wood crafting videos are a perfect antidote to the horrors of internet drama :)

Don't they? 😀 I included instructions for other flameworkers who watch videos to learn new techniques. I also thought non-flameworkers would find it interesting to learn more about what they're watching.

Ooo. This stuff really interests me lol

+lilz. Thanks. I bet you'd enjoy my other videos. It's so much fun working with glass once you get comfortable with it.

Andrea Hardee Thank you so much. Once you get past the "jumping on one foot, rubbing your stomach" stage, it is VERY meditative. Do you work in glass? I just posted a new video of me sculpting a head in glass. You might enjoy that one too. Here's the link ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-STjDHty9LVc.html

Thank you, Karin. The piece I am making in this demo is actually a solid marble about 1 inch in diameter. If you were wondering how hollow Christmas ornaments are made, it’s by blowing air into glass. The glass for ornaments usually starts out as a hollow tube that is sealed at the end with heat and then blown to create a sphere. Working with glass is magical. I’m glad you enjoyed my video and invite you to watch some of my others to see how versatile and beautiful glass can be.

I’m glad you watched my video. I have others I’m sure you would like as well. Happy New Year.

Vicki Schneider ookay?

Thank you, Kathryn. I love working with glass. No matter how many times I sit at a torch, I feel the magic. If you like figures, take a look at my videos sculpting a child and Rudolph. You might also like the sculptures I have on my website www.expressiveglass.com/glass-art-by-Vicki.html. I'd like to know your favorites.

+AversaS I'm sorry working with glass feels out of reach. Here's a thought. If there is a teaching studio near you, maybe approach them about trading services for some instruction. For example, if the studio does beads, studios always need mandrels dipped, beads removed and cleaned, glass labeled and put away, etc. check with the studio and see what you might be able to work out. Good luck. Working with glass adds so much to my life. I wish you the same.

I recently posted 2 videos I think you would enjoy. They show how to make a beautiful multi-bloom floral marble. I hope you'll watch and let me know what you think.

Working with glass was a hobby for me when I started about 10 years ago. Now I own Expressive Glass, a nine torch teaching studio in Buffalo, New York. I love teaching new people how to "turn hot glass into cool stuff." It's a good combination for me, teaching and torching a lot. Thanks for your interest and for watching my video. I have several others you might find interesting. Take a look if you have a few minutes. Who knows, you might find a new passion working with hot glass.

-Thank you very much! I love manipulating glass.

+loren Metoxen Thank you. I believe most people can learn to make these beautiful pieces. Not sure it's talent. Maybe it's more perseverance. :-)

Thank you so much. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I didn't know you had commented.

I'm happy you enjoyed watching me at the torch. I have posted several other videos I think you'll find interesting as well. Even after 10 years, I'm still fascinated every time I melt glass.

Thank you, Mia. I'm glad you watched my video and let me know what you thought. I have several others you might enjoy as well, especially the multi bloom floral marble.

+bensons999 Thank you.

I recently posted 2 videos I think you would enjoy. They show how to make a beautiful multi-bloom floral marble. I hope you'll watch and let me know what you think.

Tabatha, glad you enjoyed my video and finished piece. Glass is lots of fun to work with once you get past the initial awkwardness.

Thank you. It's even more relaxing to do, that is, once you get past the feeling that you're hopping on one foot, rubbing your stomach, and patting your head. LOL

Thank you, Cindy. Do you work with glass?

Atheo, I love the water and the beauty beneath the sea. I'm glad my marble brought back memories for you.

+Gary Huddleston Everything you say is correct, Gary. It's never too late to give it try. Who knows, you might even like it. :-)

+Celeste “Lestie” Loftus Thank you very much. I used to find making marbles very stressful, but with time and practice, it became meditative. I'm glad watching me work is calming.

+Celeste “Lestie” Loftus If you like to watch me work, I just posted 2 new videos on making a multi-bloom soft glass marble with a bubble layer. I hope you'll let me know what you think. I did my best to incorporate the suggestions subscribers had made, such as including narration. Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. What do you think?

im sorry Vicky*

+Valek Lusuk Thank you. What a nice thing to say. If you liked that video, I hope you'll take a look at a new one I posted a few days ago. It's a floral marble with a bubble layer. There's also a shorter one showing the prep. Let me know what you think.

+Vicki Schneider sure

+Valek Lusuk i fell awful cuze i messed up with your name sooorryT_T

+Valek Lusuk Please don't worry. I'm glad you watch my videos and enjoy them.

Inept Swordsman It really "ain't no big thing." One of the nice things about working with soft glass (COE 104) is that you don't need a huge torch with a powerful flame to melt the glass. I can get within a few inches of the torch I'm using in this demo and just feel a pleasant, gentle warmth. And no, I don't have asbestos hands. :-)

+Vicki Schneider The sides of the flame really aren't that hot. my DD has made a few marbles, and has trouble controlling the marble bacuase she's holding the punty too far back. So... I thought I'd give it a try in front of her (having done a little glass work). I was able to get within an inch of the side of the flame without feeling much. (I'm convinced energy, heat or otherwise, is more "directable" than for what we humans care to take responsibility.) Straight out, yeah, really hot.

Wiseass Skeleton also, notice, no hair!

Wiseass Skeleton goo

Wiseass Skeleton grow up kid

Thank you. The first marble I made was terrible. I was so nervous and didn't know what I was doing. After creating hundreds, it's one of the most relaxing things I make at the torch. It's mostly a matter of sticking with it and accepting the "failures" that lead to the successes. Take a look at my other videos to see some skills that seemed beyond me at first.

Thank you, Zelez. What kind of art work do you do?

Thanks. Glad you liked it. (You can always start shooting marbles again.)

+Linda Wloszczynski Thank you, Linda. Do you work with glass? Do you remember how you found my video and what made you want to watch it?

Someone shared it on facebook. I do work with glass, soft and beads only, but want to start branching out into sculptural and maybe boro. I have always admired your work ao I was happy to have run across your video. I hope you post many more!

+Linda Wloszczynski Thanks, Linda. If you're ready to try some sculptural work, I invite you to watch the other videos I've posted. I have 2 videos on sculpting a child and 1 on sculpting Rudolph. If you watch them, please let me know if they were helpful to you.

+Vicki Schneider Already planned to watch them! Thanks so much Vicki.

+Linda Wloszczynski I just posted 2 new videos on making a multi-bloom marble and I'm curious if my narration detracts from your experience. Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. Could you please take a look and let me know what you think?

Thank you, Susan. Have you watched my other videos? You might find them of interest too. Let me know what you think. I don't know if you take classes, but I'm hosting Kim Fields in October. She'll be teaching sculptural bird and butterfly beads. If you're interested, here's a link to information and registration. www.expressiveglass.com/registration-fields2.html.

I never had the money to take classes in lampwork and if I had the money at the time I was starting out I wouldn't have been able to take classes. I live in SC and at that time there were no classes available anywhere. SC is a little behind the rest of the country. Right now I can't do lampwork in my home cause I got grandkids living here and Social Services and they act like my tank will blow up the house. They will take the kids if I have my equipment in the house. Like I said, SC is a bit behind the times specially where I live. It sucks.

Thank you. Do you do torch work? It's magical. I have several other videos you might enjoy watching. Happy New Year.

Janit Sky Thank you, Janit. Due to the kind of glass I use and the fact that I'm working at a torch (and not a furnace), the size of my pieces is limited. It would be wonderful, though.

Thanks for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed my video. I have several others I'm sure you would enjoy. Have you ever tried torch work? It's amazing to do.

Thank you, Cari. If you want to see me work in person, stop by the Roycroft Holiday Show December 3-4, 2016. I'll be in the Power House (visitors center). You can make your own icicle at my torch for $25. I'm also at Expressive Glass, my studio, at 3333 Lake Shore Rd, Blasdell between the Ford and steel plants most afternoons. Give a call first. You can even take classes and learn how to play with glass yourself. I hope to see you soon. Go Bills!

Thank you, Elizabeth. Glass is magical to watch and even more so to work with. I invite you to look at my other videos to see what else can be done. And perhaps you will find a place to try it out yourself. Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed my work.

+Serena bensted I don't know whose ad it was. I signed up for AdSense and they put ads before my videos. Glad you liked the video. I plan to do more in early 2016.

+Serena bensted As promised, I just posted 2 new videos. Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. Could you please take a look and let me know what you think?

+TheCrimsonBeat Thank you. Glass is an amazing medium. There's so much you can make with it and I have rarely seen anything in glass that wasn't pretty (some prettier than others, but all pretty.) If you haven't tried it, go find a place to melt some glass. You may never look back.

Thank you. I have another video on a different style marble. I hope you'll check it out if you get a chance.

Thank you so much. I love making them and treasure my memories of playing marbles as you did. I appreciate you watching and commenting.

I guess that falling asleep is a compliment. :-) Glad you liked it.

Thank you for contacting me and sending feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed my video and found it soothing.

+Fatima Stephens Thank you, Fatima. It's magic and amazes me every time I make one.

+Fatima Stephens Here's another design you might enjoy watching. I just posted 2 new videos on making a multi-bloom soft glass marble with a bubble layer. I hope you'll watch them and let me know what you think. I did my best to incorporate the suggestions subscribers had made, such as including narration. Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1.

Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it. I have other flameworking videos I invite you to watch and let me know what you think.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. I have other videos you might like, but they don' have music. Sorry.

Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed my video. If you want to see more, I have several other videos I think you will find interesting. Let me know what you think.

I'm glad you enjoyed watching my video. Thank you for contacting me. I have others you might enjoy. I hope you'll check them out.

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it. I have other videos you might like as well. I hope you'll check them out. The music was one of the clips available through Adobe Elements. I liked it the best for my kind of work . . . flowing.

+gigicaly Thank you for your suggestion. This video is designed to point experienced lampworkers in the right direction and to show people who don't work glass a bit about the process. It is not intended to be a detailed tutorial. I can't afford the time it would take to create a detailed tutorial and give it away for free. Glass is my business, not my hobby. Are people still purchasing tutorials?

Vicki Schneider well most tutorials today are free on youtube and the money come from the number of views the video has. If I remember right the count was something like 1 dollar per 1.000 views, but that was long ago. I do not know how exactly it works today. You can probably search it out than if you feel up for it you can do like a test video with a small tutorial introducing people to basic glass tools and procedures... nothing to advanced or secret stuff you base your income on. Make it short like 10-15min nothing 1 or 2 hours long as people will feel discouraged to see it(if it has to be long make it in small parts) See how many views you get and how actually the whole money cashing thing works. Once there if you're happy you could go on or just stop. Most people love this type of art pieces and would love it to see how they were made with no real interest of stealing your secrets (like me). Beautiful work by the way. Another idea would be to just make short clips where you present the final products as they are beautiful to look at :)

Thank you for your suggestions and compliments. I think you're right about people expecting things for free these days. I have lots of ideas for videos. Now it's a matter of making them. I did sign up for Adsense and have started making some money based on views and people watching the commercials that precede my video. My implosion marble video has over 400,000 views. I'm blown away.

+gigicaly I think you'll find I followed your suggestions in 2 new videos I posted on making a multi-bloom soft glass marble with a bubble layer. I hope you'll watch them and let me know what you think. I did my best to incorporate the suggestions you and other subscribers had made, such as including narration. Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. What do you think?

It's my pleasure. I hope to create some more videos soon.

Thank you, Paul. Enjoy your exploration of this versatile medium. One word or caution. You may know this already, but one of the ways glass is categorized is its coefficient of expansion (COE). Heating glass with unknown COEs together can cause major problems because they may be expanding and contracting at different rates. This will cause your pieces to break.

Thank you, Owen. No matter how many I make, I still find them magical. I just posted a new video yesterday on how I make a glass hummingbird. I invite you to check it out. It's very different than marble making bi have other videos you may enjoy as well. Let me know what you think and thanks for watching.

You are more than welcome. I will be sure to check it out

Thank you.

Thank you, Janet. I'd be happy to sell you one. They are $32 US plus shipping at cost. LMK.

+Cibeles Sanz That's what I was going for. Thank you.

Really, Kelli? Glass is magical, but I had hoped my video would have made it clear. Do you have any questions?

Vicki Schneider haha I meant it more lightheartedly, but I do think that it’s honestly beyond my comprehension level how you created that out of glass. It blew my mind!

Thank you. Once you understand how glass reacts in heat, you can get it to perform magic. It’s great fun!

Thanks. I find each marble I make magical. What made you laugh when you saw it?

Knowing that I'll never be able to do something amazing like that but someone else can easily. Lol

Ah, I see. I'm glad I put a smile on your face. You could learn to do this too.

Thank you. The background music was a clip I selected from the software I used to edit the piece. Glad you liked it.

Thank you, Karen. You too could make it look easy after you worked at it. Are you a lampworker?

Hi Vicky, yes in the UK as in my lovely hobby. I mainly make beads of courage. You gave me great advice before on one of the forums when I was struggling with off mandrel work a few weeks ago, thank you. I am going for a weekend classes with Caroline Weidman in April here in UK for off mandrel sculptural work, hoping to really get some great tuition from it. I love your work.

Let me know how your class goes. I have several other RU-vid tutorials you may want to check out. Keep me posted.

Thank you for watching, Jim, and for your kind comments. If you like flameworking, take a look at my other videos. Let me know what you think. BTW, do you melt glass?

Thank you. I'm glad you watched. I love working with glass check out my other videos. I bet you'll enjoy them too

Thank you. I’m glad you liked it. If you’re ever interested in purchasing one, they are $32 plus shipping and include a wooden display stand.

Thank you very much. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I didn't know you had commented.

Thank you. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I didn't know you had commented.

I'm glad you thought so. Working with glass is wonderfully relaxing - that is once you get over the feeling that you're hopping on one foot, rubbing your belly and patting your head simultaneously. LOL

I'm glad you enjoyed watching my video and that it made sense to you. I have several more that show other projects and techniques. My most recent ones include narration that should make the steps more understandable. I hope you'll watch them and let me know what you think.

Thank you, Alexandra. It's even more relaxing to do it (once you know what you're doing.) I hope you'll watch my other videos and let me know what you think.

Vicki Schneider Thanks

+Signe Mauritzen It's hard to know the right combination: music, narration, torch sounds, music and narration. I guess I'll have to try a few different approaches. Thanks for your comment.

+Vicki Schneider I like it just the way it is! That was a magnificent piece of work you did there!!!

Thank you, Doris. I'm glad you liked it.

+Signe Mauritzen I just posted 2 new videos and I'm curious if my narration detracts from your experience. Could you please take a look and let me know what you think? Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. What do you think?

+Vicki Schneider Personally I liked this one (with music and no narration) best, but as I said before, I watched it because it is so beautiful. The one I liked the least is the one where you neither narrated or had music. As long as you do such a great job picking music I say go for that. Hearing you explain what you were doing was really interesting too, so I think it depends on what I am in the mood for: Laying back and relaxing or learning something new. I like both, don't make me pick

Thank you, Haydee. I'm glad you liked it. If you haven't watched my other videos, I invite you to check them out.

Tanks Vicki.... i follow you!! i like your work!

+haydee farfan Do you work with glass? If you do, is there something you'd like to see me demo?

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

+Vicki Schneider No worries, you're welcome. I'd love to see more videos like this too. It's so fascinating, I love it. :D

+RedHyuuga I have several other videos, but none has music background. I invite you to watch them and let me know what you think.

+Vicki Schneider Ah, I'll watch them since I really enjoy the beauty of handmade handicraft. :)

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I have several others you might enjoy as well.

Thank you. Glad you liked my video and took the time to let me know. I have several others I hope you'll watch and enjoy.

Thank you, Vera. I agree with you, but the market still calls them marbles. :-(

Thank you for your concern, but there really is no need to worry. The flame is very directional. I can have my hand about an inch and a half from the side of the flame and only feel the heat I would feel if I were sitting in front of a fireplace. Glass is a very poor conductor of heat, so the rods do not get hot. And the tools do not conduct a lot of heat through them so I do not need to Where any special gloves. I hope you will watch my other videos and stay in touch with your thoughts and questions.

+Pink Sexyon18 Thank you!

+Pink Sexyon18 I just posted 2 new videos on making a multi-bloom marble and I'm curious if my narration adds or detracts from your experience. Could you please take a look and let me know what you think? Here are the links to the narrated versions: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jVDNs1ejULo.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sER7FcrJKdQ.html. I also did a non-narrated version of Part 1. What do you think?

Thank you. My control comes from practice and learning how much heat to apply, where to apply it, and when. If you are losing control, I'm guessing you are applying too much heat. Good luck and don't give up. I've been flameworking since 2006.

Thank you very much. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I didn't know you had commented. The little "crumbs" I picked up during the process were crushed glass called "frit" and some were slices of glass called "murrini" that I made. They had a design in them. I own Expressive Glass, a teaching studio in Buffalo NY, and I also teach people via the web in private virtual coaching sessions.

I recently posted 2 videos I think you would enjoy. They show how to make a beautiful multi-bloom floral marble. I hope you'll watch and let me know what you think.

Thank you. I hope you enjoy my other videos, especially the ones where I'm sculpting a child out of glass. Let me know what you think.

+Véronique Raynodjed Thank you, Veronique. Do you work in glass?

+Vicki Schneider well I create glass beads for dreadlocks that I sell on Etsy (www.etsy.com/fr/shop/BEADS4LOCKS?ref=hdr_shop_menu if you want to have look)...but that's not my main occupation

+Véronique Raynodjed Nice work, Veronique. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.