firebymail.com kits are based on low fire underglaze technique. They feature the vibrant and clear colors created by AMACO, American Art Clay Company, made in the U.S.A. Each jar of glaze is clearly marked Step 1, Step 2, or Step 3. Just follow the steps!
Paint the entire bead one color or multicolor. Underglazes are WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) color in the jar only a little lighter than they will fire. Clear glaze will deepen the color slightly. You can paint every inch of the bead including in the hole. what is not painted a color will just fire white. Brushes should be cleaned in between colors with just water.
Accent Glaze is optional. I include a small amount of white accent glaze in every firebymail.com kit just in case you like dots or stripes or white over color, like I do. And it is thick so your dots can be raised up as high as you like!
Make sure all of your underglaze and accent glaze is thoroughly dry. Now you are ready for your final step, three coats of overglaze to make all of the color covered in a beautiful high ceramic gloss. Leave an allowance of about 1/16″ or so around the hole of a bead so that the glaze won’t stick to the metal firing bars when put through the bead holes. This high gloss overglaze is pink in the jar but will fire to a clear high gloss. Let each coat dry before you put on the next. Drying times vary greatly depending on the moisture levels in the air where you live. Just remember: step three is three coats!
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