Lucky Dip Bead Release

Now it has been a while since I posted in my blog....................months and months and months.

Last year I got busy dealing with other things other than bead making until just before christmas.

But now I'm back on the bead making trail - and have loads of ideas to try out........so watch this space.

Ever since I started lampworking I have made my own bead release - and I have been very happy with it.  I have drawn on my understanding of clay and glaze technologly from my days as a potter and made a few tweeks to the recipe and believe that I have now got it to be almost as good as I can. 

So I took a deep breath......and offered up to the lampworking world - via the Frit Happens Forum.  A whole bunch of lampworkers agreed to test samples and feedback their thoughts on my product.  A largely they were happy with it.

Now I am selling it......through my Etsy shop.  It is available in Taster Pots, 250 ml and 500 ml jars.  So far I have had quite a few sales and I am hoping this will build into a steady stream of sales over the next few months.

If you want to take a look click on the link to my shop - over there on the right.

Etsy Treasuries

I just love Etsy Treasuries.  I love to see what other people choose to put in them - and making them is just like curating your own personal exhibition.

I have made 3 treasuries so far - and have been lucky enough to be featured in quite a few more.

They are quite simple to make.  If you have an Etsy account just sign in and click on the 'Buy' button.  The select the Shopping with Teasuries.  You will see a tab on the right that you click that will let you start to create your own treasury.  Of course you can keep it all for yourself - but the fun is in the sharing.

If you don't include your own work, and you can get enough other folks to look at it, click on the the thumbnails and leave a comment then you may even get through to being published by Esty themselves.  How does that work - you score points for each of the above actions - the more points the better the chance.

But even if you do include your own work - you get the opportunity to spread the things you like to a biger audience.

Go take a look and give it a go.

Here's a link to my latest treasury http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d78822b68ef6d9150572a74/pink-n-green?index=0

Now don't forget to click on the thumb nails and leave a comment.

Getting out of a rut challenge

I am a fully paid up member of the Frit Happens Forum, spending more time on the site that is good for me I suspect.  But it is a huge source of inspiration and an extremely friendly place.

Anyway a challenge was set - a partner sends you a picture and you use the colours in that picture as a source of inspiration for a bead or a set of beads.

Well this is the picture I recieved from my sending partner.

And I got my thinking cap on. 

Several attempts later I came up with these.

My first attempts were too complicated, trying to get too much onto one bead and getting too tied up in the image and not just the colours.

So I decided to step back and just think what are the colours - shades of blue, white, sable, green, grey and black.

Thought that getting them all in would be overdoing it a bit, so I decided to keep to the ones that have the biggest influence on the image or took up the most amount of space in the image.

That took it to the blues of the sky, the sable of the beach, the whites in the clouds and surf and a bit of green and coral/pink in the details.

After playing around with rods of glass in these colours I settled on dark and light transparent turquoise and opaque turquoise and sky blue.  Dark ivory for the sable, and a couple of shades of green.  The darker green is Effetre Pea Green, but I don't know what the other is as its from an unlabelled rod.  I thought about using a white, but was worried it would be too white, if you get what I mean.  So I went for Effetre clear and etched it as it gives a better feel of surf/sea foam.  Then some coral, just a bit.

I don't usually use these blues, and rarely use coral.  I do, however use a lot of ivory.  Greens almost never.

I also decided to use the excerise to get to grips with dot placement - something I keep promising myself to concentrate on but always seem to avoid and just do dots now and again.

I also decided to keep the design really simple - but to try and link all the colours together by repeating the same design elements - donuts and raised dots.

When the beads were done I lined them all up and tried various combinations but still something wasn't right.  Q - What was it?

A - they were too shiney.

So out came the etching solution - and hey presto!

I am really pleased with the result and most certainly will be returning to these colours and designs again.  I have often thought about using the coral, but had not thought of teaming it up with the greens - I really like this combination.  Just need to figure out what glass it is now.

Oh! and I just had to make one of these as well.

He's not a  PPPPP..Perfect Penguin - but I love him just the same.

So if you are getting stuck in a rut - get someone to send you a picture and challenge yourself.

New beads listed in my Etsy shop

I have been busy photographing, editing and listing new beads in my Etsy shop.  It never ceases to amaze me just how long a process this always turns out to be.  I am sure it's quicker to make a bead than get it ready for listing.

Anyway - rather than bore you with loads of photos I shall tempt you with one

This a a lovely set I made recently.  Nestling among the lentils and the Dicentra flower bead are some of my silvered ceramic beads.  I made these last summer and have been testing for 'tarnishability'.  They have been left exposed to the air for months now and not a hint of tarnish.  I think I will be making some more pretty soon.

This is the first time I have listed a set like this.  I have done a couple of smaller sets with beads of the same design - but I get so bored with making the same bead over and over again.  I set my mind to making say 9, then after 3 or 4 I am tempted to revised than down to 7 and sometimes I stop at 5!

So I decided that themed sets are probably the way for me to go.

Anyway - feel free to mosey on over to the Etsy store to take a look at my wares - the link is too the right.

Etsy shop is now open again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have now re-opened my Etsy shop - and started listing some new beads.  There is a link to the shop on the right of the page.

Etching Hearts

I have been a busy bee - making lots of new beads, experimenting with new colours and techniques.  Don't worry I won't chuck it all at you at once.

Let's start off with a few that I am particularly proud off.

I have been working on free formed hearts - that is heart shaped beads that are made without the use of a bead press.  It has taken a while to get to grips with the technique and make a nice heart shape. The technique I have been practising has the hole going top to bottom, so the bead is made on the mandrel.

This really sharpens up the molten glass control skills - getting the glass to move into the right amount of droop, and not ruining the shape of the bottom end of the heart, while adding some decoration.  I have decided to keep the additions simple so as not to detract from the shape of the bead.

The first one is standard Effetre black with a little Rubino Ora and white rose.  I made a stringer by encasing some standard Effetre white with the Rubino and twirled it onto the bead.  There are little green dots for the leaves and a yellow centre.  I have etched the bead in Etchall.

This one is Effetre Rossato - the first time I have used this glass and it's lovely.  I have added some standard clear glass wings and a little coil of fine silver. Then etched it.

And finally CIM Heffalump with Effetre white and dark purple.  Again etched.

I decided to acid etch rather than tumble etching so that the whole bead was treated.  Tumble etching does not get into the nooks and crannies.  I was also worried that the tumbling would knock the raised decoration off.

Overall I am pretty pleased with the result.  The photography is a bit pants - sorry about that - but the light is really bad here today and I couldn't wait to get the post up.  I will redo them next week and upload them to my Flickr account.  Then I will probably list these in my Etsy store when it re-opens in a couple of weeks.

Neglecting my blog.

Well - I didn't realise it had been this long - but I haven't updated my blog since September. It's not that I haven't had anything to say or beads to share - but it just doesn't seem to have happend.

I did promise myself to blog more regularly as a New Year Resolution - but it's taken me a month to get started.

Well I have been making beads - lampwork, but took a break when it got just too damned cold in December.

I invested in a big hole mandrel - 5mm and made some big hole beads as christmas gifts. They take a fair bit of patience to make. The glass melting capabilities of my hot head torch are challenged - but we got there with a few mistakes along the way. Some are a bit wobbly - but I think I shall call this an intrinsic quirkyness.

I have taken part in a bead swap on the Frit Happens Forum and got a lovely little lampwork bear clutching a bunch of flowers. As it was my mum's birthday a couple of weeks ago and she loves bears I made it into a Fibula for her. Using a couple of tibetan silver beads, a length of 1.2mm sterling silver wire - and hey presto! The little bear was made by Pam at www.mapleglass.co.uk

This is the first fibula I have made that I have not scrapped, and have become so inspired that I made another with some of my own beads. These are Effetre Ink Blue trailed with fine silver wire. Not keeping it though. I have offered up as a prize in a PIF competition on the Frit Happens Forum. Next one will be a keeper though.

Have loads of plans for new beads - lampwork and clay - so will be back soon.

Playing in the Frit Pit

I have been experimenting with Frit. Little bits of glass that just transform the beads into little beauties.

Got the goodies from Beadysam who makes and sells glorious bends of colours.

I am not going to ramble on about these - just let the piccies speak for themselves.

If you want some frit then follow the link (Other Links - bottom right of the page) to Beadysam.

Frit Happens Team give away.

Take a look at this. The Frit Happens Team on Etsy are holding a superb prize give away - just follow this link to find out more.

http://www.blogspot.com/2010/09/frit-happens-forum-team-giveaway.html

Prize Draw - The Result!!!!

The winner is Victoria Tierney - congratulations Victoria.

Thank you all for entering, please be on the look out for more prize givaways in the future.

Terri

Blog giveaway!!!!!!

I have been making vague noises about a blog giveaway in various forums for a while - so now I am making good.

The prize is....................................................a goddess bead, and she is silvered.

This is open to all my blog followers who leave a comment below. If you don't already follow the blog - then just click to follow and leave a comment - couldn't be easier.

I will draw a name on Sunday 22nd at 8pm.

Silvered ceramics

Well I have been busy. For ages I have wanted to try silvering some ceramic beads - just like the greek ones. Did a lot of researching online - well tried to but there is not a lot of info on how it's done. Did find some references to 'poor man's silver'. This is 'silvered' ceramic jugs etc, from the 18 century (I think). They made jugs etc in the same designs as silver ones and coated them with a metallic paste which, when fired, made them look like they could be solid silver. The recipes I found were full of nasty toxic stuff - so thought perhaps I'd give them a miss.

Instead I have used PMC paste. Not on a glazed surface - just tumbled. The clay has not been high fired so it was still a bit absorbant. I think this has given me a nice 'textured' kind of surface. Definately goning to make more of these. Will have a go on glazed beads as well for the super shiney silver finish.

New lampies

Not content to tumble just my porcelain beads - I have been tumbling glass beads as well. I know a few lampworkers use this techinque instead of etching to create beads with a 'sea glass' effect, but I wanted more of and 'etched' effect - without the chemicals.
I put them in with the porcelain beads, together with some tumbled stones and some polishing compound as an experiment and I am very pleased with the result. You can see that the 'shine' has been taken off and the beads have a very pleasing matt surface now. I think it makes the details and delineation between the colours and the reaction lines much crisper. The are a few nooks and crannies that the polishing compound just doesn't get to, but overall a success I think.







I also managed some torch time this week. I got hold of some CIM Sangre and gave it a go. A very nice red, but I think I need to practise 'stricking' it a bit more - you can still see some orangy/yellow on some of the red beads. For those that don't know what stricking is - some glasses only form their colour if they are worked then cooled and then heated again. Perhaps after they have been annealled they colour will improve. I will certainly be making some more with this lovely glass.
Also been playing with pinks and mauves. Practising encasing and inclusions. I have created champange bubbles in the two beads with murrini and the mauve lentil next to them. The results are still a bit hit and miss - but at least they didn't crack.
I also used my own 'home made' bead release for these beads and I am very pleased with the results. The beads came off the mandrels very easily, and the holes cleaned up a treat with a run under the cold tap and a gentle scrub with pipe cleaner. There are a couple of bits that need a bit of a scrap at or a soak perhaps and they should then be as clean as a whistle. I flame dried the release without any problems, after double dipping the mandrels. Got a few cracks, but not near where I was working - may try a slightly modified recipe to see if I can stop the cracking.

Goddess Beads

I have been experimenting with Goddess Beads. These are a quite popular type of bead based on various goddess, but mostly the Venus of Wilendorf. It is believed that the beads were made by women in rituals related to fertility.

After several failed attempts to fashion something that I found even remotely pleasing I decided to try 'pulling' the clay. For those of you that are experienced with pottery making, this is how you make handles for mugs etc.

One of the reasons I went for pulling was that porcelain dries and cracks really quickly - and with the weather being so hot and dry when I was making them it was proving a thankless task to hand mould them.

So small lumps of clay were roughly shaped and then pulled/coaxed into shape over a bowl and using liberal amounts of water. They were then left to stiffen up a little and the breasts were applied and moulded in and the details sgrafitto'ed in with a pointy tool.

Fired then tumbled. The tumbling taks off almost all the making marks etc, and some of the detail. The result is silky smooth and warm. Glazes put such a hard and brittle barrier between you and the clay. Though I may well try some of these glazed as well.

I have listed a couple of these on my Etsy shop - and I think one may well be used as a Blog giveaway soon!

Etsy Treasury

Today someone featured some of my beads in a Treasury on Etsy. And I am absolutely delighted. It is the first time I have been included in a treasury (to my knowledge). There are some delishiously English items featured in this Treasury which is called 'Made in England.

Treasuries expire after a few days - so be quick and follow the link to take a look.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c3457a3da918ddf456906f/made-in-england

New lampwork

Having recently aquired a new but 2nd hand lentil press I have set to experimenting, after getting my torch set up that is.

Starting with the lush turquoise and ivory effetre glasses I made a few beads and then got to work with the press. First one is on the bottom left of the picture - and I think it must have been beginner's luck!

Then moved on a bit to try some other techniques. I have got myself some murrini and some brass mesh. I have been practising using the mesh as an inclusion encased in clear, and the idea is that when heated enough it creates bubbles that look like champange bubbles. This worked best on the one that cracked - sod's law. I guess I just didn't get the others quite hot enough. I will get the hang of this sooner or later!

Other than that I have been busy updating my Etsy shop, adding new stock and posting much improved photos. Go on over and take a look.

Back soon,

Terri

I'm still here!!

I know...a very long absence. I have moved house and am still in a bit of a muddle but getting there but have not got set up for ceramics and lampwork yet.

I have started making again. I have been experimenting with some polymer clay. I decided to enter the monthly competition on the Making Jewellery magazine forum. Taking inspiration from the picture published there I have come up with these beads. Working from the elements that I found the most interesting - the colours and the textures. The brief does say that you should make something 'wearable' and I suppose in that respect I have not entirely fulfilled it - but they are in my opinion potentially wearable.

I will be getting the polymer clays out again soon. I enjoy the immediate results you get with polymer clays. Yes they have to be baked, sanded and perhaps varnished but compared to ceramics this is all so quick - packet to bead in less than an hour. I suppose then you could even make the bead, then the jewellery and wear it tonight!

I have been developing a load of ideas for my ceramic beads, which has now started a train of thought towards making some trinket boxes and even larger ceramic items. This is quite exciting as I haven't really make any ceramics of this type for a long time. I am looking forward to getting stuck in. I suppose I will have to start a seperate blog for them - lol.

Moving on from bead making and ceramics I have been busy with a commission for a tiara. I have never made one before, but here it is. Crystals and freshwater pearls. I am happy with it........but the bride has not seen it yet. I hope she is happy with it. It's for my daughter's friend. My daughter thinks it won't be bold enough to stand out against the bride's blonde hair, but I think the sparkle from the Swarovski ABs should do the job - especially if they get a sunny day. I am sure I can alter it a bit if necessary.

Well that's all for now folks. I will be back soon with lots of new work and news of a new competion.

New Beads

It's been very quiet around this blog recently - sorry! I have been involved in organising our house move and the laptop has gone away for repairs so I have dug out an old and very slow one to use for now.

Have been making beads though - lampwork and porcelain. Only have photo's of the lampwork for now though. I have been trying a number of techniques - and failing miserably with many. But there are some worthy of showing to the world. I have been playing around with encasing and making tablets/lentils. No presses - just flattening them against a metal surface. I like the 'organic' quality of the shapes this gives and has nothing at all to do with the fact that I don't own any bead presses - lol! No really I do like working in this way and really do like the results.

Also been making more of the red and yellow daisy beads and some new floral designs. These beads are much more sculptural than the tablets. Not sure working with two very different techinques at the same time is a really good idea - but I enjoy the challenge.

Made a load of porcelain beads as well, but not been able to get them photographed yet - so watch this space.

Bye for now

Terri

I have added my voice to the Crafts Council's latest campaign to raise the profile of Crafts in the UK.


Their site says, "Craft Matters was launched in October 2009 to encourage people to stand up and be counted as supporters of contemporary craft and tell us why it is important to them."


Over 6000 people have supported them so far. Go along and take a look, even if you choose to not leave a quote yourself you will see it is full of amazing affirmations about the power crafts has in people's lives.


Here is the link: http://www.craftmatters.org.uk/


Or click on the big orange button.

Bye for now

Terri

Tumble Polished Porcelain

Well the first batch is out of the tumbler - only took about a week of constant tumbling to get the finish I wanted. Phew!

But, even if I say so myself, they are just lovely. I will most certainly making more of these. A bit of a shine - tho more of a sheen on some. Even the finest details are still visible.

I have some porcelain that I have stained that I am sure will look stunning in this lovely finish.

I have started listing these on my new Etsy store along with a lot more, so go along and take a look. The link is at the top of the page. The picture quality here is not as good as it should be - they are not as blue as they would appear to be.

Bye for now

Terri