Bead Fail!

May 14, 2009 at 8:56 pm (glass, lampwork)
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Last couple of outings have not been so great. No plan. Wait, I knew that.

One thing I did learn: Even though I’m practicing encasing, it is counterproductive to encase a perfectly good bead just for its own sake.

Made three “subtle stripe” beads last night, and each one is wonky-shaped. Bad.

Made a poor excuse for a “goddess bead” night before last. Finally took a good look at it this morning, and it’s not horrible. Just nothing new.

I need to give my next torch session more thought. Have a, you know, creative process instead of just grabbing stuff.

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Next time make a plan

May 4, 2009 at 3:58 am (Bullseye, glass, lampwork, lentil)
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Made some random beads tonight that may or may not work. I made a caterpillar, but I fear it will crack. I don’t think I kept it backed into the flame enough as I was working (endlessly it seemed) on the dots. Also, very bad stringer control, a little shaky and maybe just a little tired after last night’s successes.

Tried to make a butterfly sort of thing, and a really funny thing happened. As I was adding glass to the sides for “wings,” I suddenly noticed 3 rows of glass I had added were just…gone. I looked around my work area, and never did find them. This is generally something you don’t want to happen, because duh glass is hot. It will burn ya! And your clothes. And your carpet.

Then tested out my lentil and pillow molds, with dubious results. Need to figure out exactly how much glass to melt for a perfect fit. Did discover that the Bullseye Orange Marmalade is a really pretty glass.

Will post pix tomorrow.

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Sea change

May 3, 2009 at 9:41 pm (Bullseye, glass, lampwork, studio)
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I think I beat my previous record for a torch session: 12 beads in two sittings.

I feel…sorta possessed. Working with the Bullseye glass had given me new energy. It seems to be very forgiving. Having the kiln going for immediate annealing also helps, especially for the thin, scalloped discs. I had not one single casualty!

Seaform III

Seaform III


This is a thin disc of different colored layers, flattened and shaped as it grew. The edges were scalloped with the dragging/poking tool, and dots applied to the disc as the last step.

My last bead of the night:

Crayzee Dayzee

Crayzee Dayzee


same process as above, but the disc is fatter so the “petals” wouldn’t droop. Then went all fussy on the dotting, which is not as neat as I would like, but hey, I’ll take it!

Something has happened in this past couple of months, but especially in the last few days since pulling out the Bullseye rods from the corner. I feel more in control. Though I’ve been more than willing to take chances this last two months and not mind failing, upping my chances of success with the tools I use has been a phenomenal experience.

So the question is, how — or indeed WHETHER — to transition from COE104 (Moretti/Effrete/Vetrofond) to COE90 (Bullseye, most likely). I will use up my current stock of about 15-20 rods before making a commitment: Bullseye can be a bit pricey, and there’s no need to hurry the process. On top of price, there are space constraints, if a new collection of rods is to be as organized and handy as my current set-up — a necessity, not a choice.

Now I think I know why I was able to purchase collections of cheap glass from eBay when I first started lampworking! I think I will not do a complete turn-around, as I have lots of COE104 that I really, really like, especially my Vetrofond oddlots (of which I will be getting another bundle soon). There’s plenty of room for all of it under my tent!

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Seaforms

May 2, 2009 at 8:01 pm (Bullseye, glass, lampwork, twisted cane)
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I decided to mess about with some Bullseye glass that I’ve had forever and have barely used. The last time I tried, I was not happy…but I was also not quite as adept at the torch as I am now.

I didn’t really have a plan. I made a twistie, but it was really hard to pull. Bullseye is a bit stiffer, and I also didn’t have my punties ready for action (forgot to snip off the sharp ends, duh!). So that didn’t turn out well at all. I figured I’d choose some colors, pull some stringers, and just see how it felt.

I made a base bead out of swirly, transparent dark orange, then used dark orange opaque stringer (which barely showed up) and green sparkly stringer (which most emphatically did!). Then grabbed my poking/dragging tool and inadvertently pushed some of the glass up, and it didn’t just flop back into place. I pushed the next bit down, and then saw that the glass is stiffer, and takes/holds a shape very nicely.* I repeated the pattern a couple more times to make a scallop or clamshell shape. I added a few light purple dots around the scalloped edge, and that was that.

It was so easy to repeat, I made three. And two smaller spacer beads.
Seaforms
I am so happy with these beads, I am going to make a whole bunch of sets using different color palettes. If I am happy with them (and why wouldn’t I be?), I think I’ll make the leap and get the Bullseye sampler. I’ll try the same design, of course, using the Moretti/Efrete/Vetrofond that I’ve got, too, just to see if there is a marked difference.

This is fun, this is exactly what I want to do right now! Experiment and document, and hopefully find my own voice at the torch.

*The stiffness is what I didn’t like when working with Bullseye in my first few months of flameworking. Now that I am doing more complex stuff, I think it will be an advantage. From what I have been reading, stacked dots are easier to control, as they don’t spread so quickly. It will be easier to “sculptural” beads, too. If I decide to do that. (Many artists who do sculptural glass use boro because it has low COE and thus higher melting point, making it easier to shape and manipulate. It is also used for blown glass.)

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Excitd

February 6, 2008 at 6:04 am (glass, jewelry, lampwork)
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I just did something that I think will make some gorgeous beads. Nothing terribly new, just stacking lots of colors in a disk and letting them flow all over each other. Very planetoid-looking beads. The possibilities for color and design are, I think, pretty exciting.

swirly_1a

blue_planet_2

This one is pretty large, barrel-shaped, and very 3D. I shaped the swirly on a marver to get indentations, the encased the whole thing in Lauscha clear. I hadn’t realized that the bead would turn into a great ocean-waves-crashing-against-cliffs scene. I’d love to be able to capture it on film!

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