What a difference a day makes (or a couple)

Don't seem to get much time at the torch, well not as much as I would like and for a couple of weeks just couldn't get to it for work, but then two weeks ago I went on a 2 day course with the most wonderful Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork fame http://www.lushlampwork.co.uk/  This was held at the studio of the also very wonderful Manda of Mango Bead fame in Barnstaple http://www.mangobeads.co.uk/ The first day we did dots and spots and a bit of sculptural stuff, piggy buttons and one that was supposed to be a monkey but got a bit confused and ended up as a one eyed bear!   I also got to try out using a press which I had never done before.  Have to admit that my dots and stringer control still needs alot of work, but it is still early days for me and I am learning all the time, just need as much practice as I can get (now where did I put that lottery ticket!).

On the Sunday we played with silver and silver glass.  Well I have to say that this was my favorite day and I cannot believe the things we learned and made.  If you had told me a month ago I would be making these things I would have fallen on the floor in hysterics.    To be honest I wept a tear after making this bead, I just couldn't believe I had done it.

Since then I only managed to have a play at home yesterday and made a few beads, sadly my favorite
(the one at the bottom of this post) appears to have a blooming great thermal crack in it, but hey ho these things happen and I know exactly what happened so won't do it again!  Oh yes, the bead in my blog title is also one I made yesterday and come to think of it, there might be a bit of a competition on the 'favorite' front! :)