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! :)

Some of my first beads made at home

My studio has now been set up for a week and I have managed to get to the torch most days.  I should be torching today but some of my equipment needs a bit of TLC after the cold night and damp weather.  I thought I would share some of the better beads I have made and those that I am most pleased with.

First are a couple of big hole beads, the pink one is clear with a reactive frit and is prettier in real life, the other one was dots with spots that did, to be honest, go a bit wonky.

The second photo is of two dotty beads that I rather like.

The third is of two hollow beads with little spacers, the biggest one was the first hollow bead I made and I am very pleased that I managed to make it without it collapsing or breaking.

The final photo (a bit out of focus on the blue bead) is of two gravity swirl beads I made.  I have to say I am particuarly pleased with the red one!

Studio finally up and running

I have finally got the studio set up in the outbuilding (jolly chilly out there) and today saw the first day of beadmaking at home.  Beads currently annealing in the kiln so no piccies yet, but thought I might post some photos of my work area. (Very pleased by the way that I didn't blow everything up in my first attempt)!

First photo shows how high the ceiling is in the barn; the second one shows my work area; and the final one shows one of the big doors which will give me ventilation.  The double doors are about 8 foot wide and there is another one opposite the one in the picture.  Gives a lovely airflow but is also can be very windy!

Christmas pressies and kit

Been making Christmas pressies with some of my home made beads, the first items of jewellery made with them that were not just for me.  This first one is make with turquoise opaque and clear glass with ivory dots.  The two earring beads and the clear glass beads have been etched.  Also used Hill Tribe silver spacer beads and my own hand made clasp with Stirling silver.

The second item is for my Mum; periwinkle blue and sky blue with blue/green frit (crushed glass) melted in.  Strung on 49 strand beadalon and finished off with seed beads to hide the beading line and to prevent it cutting into the skin.  I would have done a nice clasp to go with it, but my poor old Mum has terrible arthritis and had previously asked if I could use magnetic clasps (one of her friends had showed this type of thing) so I have, not very pretty but functional and does the job well. (Sorry not good pictures but I was in a rush to take them to get the items into the post).

In other news I now have all the kit to start making beads at home, but it has been so very cold (currently minus 6.7 outside) that I haven't been able to face getting the studio set up properly as it is in an unheated outbuilding.  Seems that it might get a bit warmer after Christmas so hopefully I can get going.  It's very exciting to have my own kit, but very frustrating not to be able to use it yet.

Getting excited now

It's been brilliant, renting torch time at the studio where I had my first lesson in lampworking, if things go ARGHHH there is always a helping hand and support and advice and lots of fun and good company too,  but I so want my own space so I can make beads when I want to.  Have found a few pennies to spend on equipment and now the outbuilding has electricity again so I will be able to see, but I desperately need a table and chair to work on.  Our lovely landlord promised to make me something, but as with everything I am impatient.  Did see something very suitable on freecycle but I was too slow...  Anyway, patience is a virtue they say so I must practice it.

Biggest other problem right now is struggling with one of my all time favorite colours, dark turquoise, it is reactive and for some reason I seem to be getting it wrong.  Next session at the studio is in two weeks and I am sure my wonderful mentor will put me right.  

Also trying to get good photos, have a great camera, but the light is so bad at the moment it is proving difficult.  I could do with light box, but just something else to spend money on at the moment so am trying to find other ways to solve some of the problems.  Have a cunning plan which if we get a bit of sun again I will try out, so should get some more photos up again soon and will try to get some pieces made up from my stash of beads already made.

One thing that I have been really pleased with from my last session is using frit, crushed glass, which you can roll your hot bead in and then melt or do lots of other things with.  Bought some from a lovely lady and had a go recently with really great results.  These will probably go into a necklace for my mum for Christmas so once made and if my photo plan works, will put up the pictures.  

Hope everyone is warm and OK, jolly jolly chilly here!

Finally got some torch time.

Have not been able to get sorted out at home yet with torch etc for lampworking, but have been able to hire some studio time at the lovely Mango Beads in Barnstaple.  Getting there, but getting perfectly round beads with nice puckered holes can be tricky.  Falling in love with using frits and also with using greens, blues, ivory, brown! and to my surprise orange (or to use its proper name, apricot!).  Hopefully it won't be long before I can get set up at home and can get some real practice in!

Some new lovelies

These are some polymer clay beads I made, they still need polishing, and a bit of cleaning up then they will look very scrumtious!  Admitedly they are not terribly sophisticated  but they are for an 8 year old girl as a birthday present as she loves to make jewellery and I thought they were nice and bright and simple for a girl to play with.

Also a necklace I made out of some seed beads that I bought in error (I wanted seed beads but not these ones), actually it has turned out rather well.  The findings are partly bought, partly my own making (the clasp and chain for example).  I should have some more lovely glass ones to show later this week.