Let there be beads!!!

One of my first "No Excuses" initiatives was to just get downstairs and light that torch! It felt so good to just melt that glass. I went down there with no preconceived ideas...just played with the colors and put the bead in the kiln when I thought it was the shape it wanted to be. I even made my first semi-successful hollow! I say semi-successful because the hollow part is rather small, and the bead is close to round...I didn't want to mess with it too much in fear of the hollow inside collapsing on me. In the picture below, it's the green bubble in the back.

Another success was that I was able to get "raku" frit to flash that lovely purple that I could never get it to do on the Hot Head torch. It's the one right in the middle with the black base.

I do need to spend more time on the new torch to get a better feel for the heat, get my control of it back -- some things were melting TOO fast! ha ha ha One disappointment, the pretty clear and wispy pink bead on the left just under the green bead has a stress crack along the bead hole...booooooooooo!

Well, here's a picture! I plan to schedule a bead making day for at least twice a month. I'm so excited and inspired again!

Wrap me up...

I explored the world of wire wrapping yesterday at the SGB-MA quarterly meeting.

Here is what I created during the great demo given by Ms. Stevens, one of our members. I have always liked silver, and this was quick to make! I took one of my recent beads and wrapped this pendant. I still have more I want to add to it, but for now, here is my creation. I may take some of my other beads to this next step now that I have some new inspiration.