I believe I mentioned a short while ago that I had decided to take a community education class on glass bead making. Curiousity made me sign up, but truth be told, the class is a blast. I have very little innate skill, but I think I'm making up for that with enthusiasm.
My very first bead (and the only bead I made in the first week's class). Not bad for a first attempt, but it does look more like a Hershey's Kiss than originally intended.
After my second class, this is my entire output to date. I'm getting better at shaping, but there are still more than a few problems to overcome.
My biggest problem right now is that I work too low in the flame. The result is that I get soot inclusions in the glass. This bead was supposed to be pure white. I worked with some clear glass last night as well, which turned out some topaz-like colors. Interesting, if that's the effect you're going for, but for now I'd like to stick with white. I got a little better at that towards the end of class.
We spent some time learning to shape the beads while the glass was still molten. I tried some five and six sided figures, but I tend to make smaller beads than many of my classmates, and they really didn't take to more intricate shaping that well. Still, I'm pleased with the clear blue triangle glass bead I made. By this point I had learned to work higher in the flame, so there is less cloudiness in the glass.
My last bead of the second night, and the one that shows the most promise. I managed to keep the white glass white this time, as well as get a good covering of frit on the glass.
My very first bead (and the only bead I made in the first week's class). Not bad for a first attempt, but it does look more like a Hershey's Kiss than originally intended.
After my second class, this is my entire output to date. I'm getting better at shaping, but there are still more than a few problems to overcome.
My biggest problem right now is that I work too low in the flame. The result is that I get soot inclusions in the glass. This bead was supposed to be pure white. I worked with some clear glass last night as well, which turned out some topaz-like colors. Interesting, if that's the effect you're going for, but for now I'd like to stick with white. I got a little better at that towards the end of class.
We spent some time learning to shape the beads while the glass was still molten. I tried some five and six sided figures, but I tend to make smaller beads than many of my classmates, and they really didn't take to more intricate shaping that well. Still, I'm pleased with the clear blue triangle glass bead I made. By this point I had learned to work higher in the flame, so there is less cloudiness in the glass.
My last bead of the second night, and the one that shows the most promise. I managed to keep the white glass white this time, as well as get a good covering of frit on the glass.
I've signed up for part two of this course in April, and am seriously thinking about buying my own equipment. Fortunately, starter equipment is inexpensive, so I think I can afford this in spite of my current plight.