Lamp-work session

I guess one of my drivers in life is "if somebody can do it, I can" coupled with "if it was made, I can make it too". I do face set backs due to a evident lack of brute strength (I'm very petite) and wanting quick results.

Being a wee bit *ahem*geeky, I was keen on learning to make my own beads. I've followed somewhat distantly the Pandora/Troll/Chamilla bead craze since:

             1. I don't like wild-fire trends,

             2. The beads, bracelets, spacers are overpriced (all machine made too),

             3. It is in fashion, a charm bracelet is dangling from every female wrist,

             4. It is not original anymore.

Several months back, I'd been to a very friendly bead and wire workshop at Amy Surman's. She is a lovely lady and knows her stuff. Her workshop is now bigger and Amy can now hosts lampwork sessions. Lampworking is pretty simple, it is about melting glass with fire to shape it and mix it artistically. It is amazing the extend of options one has with respect to mixing colours, shaping, playing with different sizes, melting again, creating protrusions... The possibilities are virtually endless. I guess one of the drawbacks is the amount of kit required, from gas bottles, burners, safety googles, aerated room to oxygen purifiers to increase the flame efficiency. Not something you would set up in your living room.

Getting the hang of it is pretty quick and very regimented with respect to choosing colours first, setting all the tools then opening the gas and oxygen machine to lighting up the torch and starting the fun!

To make a bead, it is all about creating a big blob of melted glass at the tip of your glass wand. Then wrap it around a rod and even the shape out using warmer or cooler flame areas and gravity. There are many techniques to add other colours and shape.

You can also twist a tongue-shape of molten glass and make lovely pendants.

Add bubbles of air, add colours by spreading the layer below instead of adding another coat...

Foreground, L-R: rectangular bead with clear and mat green, oblong drop with ivory and green (I overcooked the ivory, however the darker smoky lines are fancy) and red & ivory round bead with 5 mm hole (I wanted to make very precise red spots however the melting point of the red rod was lower than the white...lesson learnt).

Foreground, L-R: spacer blue bead with white melted spots, 2 clear beads with dark shade of "spritz" (glass crumbles incorporated into bead) see below as earrings, big round dark clear blue bead with blue mat spots.

Lampwork marine beads earrings with Swarovski faceted beads and uncut clear diamond on sterling silver wire and hooks