Spring Beadmaking
It's so nice to have a three-day weekend. I have a lot of work to do for the end of the year at school, but I was still able to fit in a lot of lampworking today. In fact, that's the only time I feel okay; the rest of the time, my body just wants to go to sleep. It must be fighting a cold. But beadmaking makes me feel alive!
My goofs for the day: almost putting my hand IN the flame; attaching the rod to the bead at a part of the rod that was too cool, so the rod would attach to the bead; and somehow making a bead I really like that won't come off the mandrel. Oh well. It's especially a problem since half my mandrels are going to beads showing the steps to make the focal bead for the TV show. (I only have ten!)
Yesterday I spent a lot of time gardening, so it only makes sense that I would try to make sculptural flower beads today. It's harder than it sounds! I'll post my two efforts when I can photograph them, embarrassing though they are is. The red one used to be better, but in working the leaves, I think, one of the petals cracked, and a couple of them melted together. I have to learn how to make bigger petals without growing a third hand. Part of the problem is I'm so limited in the tools I have.
Here are the flowers, be they as they may:
I also tried two beads on a mandrel again today. These turned out more even than the last attempt, though still not perfect.
One success story is my first bead with dichroic glass. Using dichroic glass is weird - you have to heat the encasing part in the flame, then turn it around and lay the dichroic part on the base bead. Very strange and difficult. But I really like how the bead turned out. It's my favorite for today.
My second favorite is a beautiful rare peach colored glass with white, lime and light blue layered dots. Very summery!
My other favorite, which will probably be consigned to plant stake-dom, is another frit bead with silver wire over it and a rolled indented design. I really like it. Sad that it won't come off the mandrel. Maybe a miracle will happen and our strange attempt to release it by freezing will work!
I'm very pleased to hear from people that this blog is inspiring and/or helping them. That's why I'm doing it. Thanks for your feedback!
My goofs for the day: almost putting my hand IN the flame; attaching the rod to the bead at a part of the rod that was too cool, so the rod would attach to the bead; and somehow making a bead I really like that won't come off the mandrel. Oh well. It's especially a problem since half my mandrels are going to beads showing the steps to make the focal bead for the TV show. (I only have ten!)
Yesterday I spent a lot of time gardening, so it only makes sense that I would try to make sculptural flower beads today. It's harder than it sounds! I'll post my two efforts when I can photograph them, embarrassing though they are is. The red one used to be better, but in working the leaves, I think, one of the petals cracked, and a couple of them melted together. I have to learn how to make bigger petals without growing a third hand. Part of the problem is I'm so limited in the tools I have.
Here are the flowers, be they as they may:
I also tried two beads on a mandrel again today. These turned out more even than the last attempt, though still not perfect.
One success story is my first bead with dichroic glass. Using dichroic glass is weird - you have to heat the encasing part in the flame, then turn it around and lay the dichroic part on the base bead. Very strange and difficult. But I really like how the bead turned out. It's my favorite for today.
My second favorite is a beautiful rare peach colored glass with white, lime and light blue layered dots. Very summery!
My other favorite, which will probably be consigned to plant stake-dom, is another frit bead with silver wire over it and a rolled indented design. I really like it. Sad that it won't come off the mandrel. Maybe a miracle will happen and our strange attempt to release it by freezing will work!
I'm very pleased to hear from people that this blog is inspiring and/or helping them. That's why I'm doing it. Thanks for your feedback!
posted by Susan at Aspiring Arts at 8:45 PM
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