Double Helix Test Batches Summer 2015

Sample beads and details are on our website!

NEW Postcard!

A new postcard featuring the newest series, Scherherazade is here! Just in time for the Bead&Button Show and the ISGB Gathering in Houston.

For those of you who will be heading to Milwaukee next week, my beads will be available for sale at the Meet the Teachers venue Wednesday night, AND for the first time, at the show – Visit the SMGBE/Glass Act booth #1018! 

This postcard will be part of the 2014 Gathering Box available for purchase in Houston. I am very excited to be participating after a two-year hiatus. 

Soda Lime Times

I am honored to be the Feature Artist of this month's Soda Lime Times Reactive Glass issue, as well as the opportunity to share in the Tips from the Masters column.

Completed Challenge Two Strand!

I finished my strand and made some vocals to go with the 40 beads!

Here are the last 10 beads - I misplaced bead 18 (don't ask!) so I actually made 41 beads.

Completed strand! :D

Beads 32 to 36

Beads 37 to 41

Completed strand with vocals

Focals

Started to make some for sale (soon!)

Another Challenge 2 Update!

After a heavenly week at Hanalei Bay in Kauai, I finally got a chance to melt some glass. Of-course I immediately wanted to work on my three-color project! Unfortunately I just found out I needed to make 1" lentil beads for an upcoming PMC class with Claudia Pagel-Trimbur / glasting, thus limiting the amount of challenge beads I could do each session (we are only to make 5-6 but I only managed four the last two sessions).

Beads 19 to 23

Beads 24 to 27

Beads 28 to 31

Here is the full strand of 31 (only nine more to go!) with the focals:

Only managed to make one new focal - the one in the front! :)

Challenge 2 Update and MORE!

My three-color Challenge 2 of the 40-bead project hit a screeching halt due to travel. I managed to sneak in a little time at the torch between trips for I had wanted to take what I learned from Heather Trimlett's amazing project and incorporated into my work for a while now. I am thrilled at what turned up in the kiln! I am sure the kiln fairy helped! ;-)

First are the latest Challenge 2 beads. Size consistency is my nemesis! I may have a plan in mind as I am laying down the base color but inevitably the glass "speaks" and I would go off to a completely different direction – usually resulting in a MUCH larger bead than planned! I have decided to stop fighting the speaking of the glass!

Double Helix Opaque Luster Test Batch TH473, discontinued George Tessman Glasswork Black Nebula (for the reaction lines), and the trusty Effetre Opal Yellow, beads #10 to 14:

Beads #15 to 18

Incorporating what I learned to my regular work, I did use a tool to rake the bead on the right (challenge rules do not allow using tools) I believe I will have a new series soon! I think I will offer both giant focals along with smaller complementary beads in different color palettes!

Here is a picture showing the scale of the focals - the sphere on the right is 29mm (a little over 1-1/8") from hole to hole.

Challenge 2 – Three Colors!

For those of us who completed the Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge on the Lampwork Etc. forum, we continue this exercise by going into Challenge 2 using three instead of two colors.

If I thought picking two colors (and committing to creating 40 beads with them) was difficult, nothing prepared me for the three-color selection process!

After multiple test beads - with some being compete fuglies - I settled with Double Helix Opaque Luster Test Batch TH473, discontinued GT Glasswork Black Nebula (for the reaction lines), and the trusty Effetre Opal Yellow.

Here are the first nine beads: