Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge

I have been wanting to do Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge - actually started a couple of times and then life got in the way. Sitting next to Heather at lunch in Rochester during the ISGB annual conference, the Gathering, and chatting about this made me want to really give this another go ... and actually to completion! So I decided to invite others to join me to keep me in check ... and that misery love company! lol!

The challenge thread was started on 22 August on lampworketc forum - we are currently at 81 participants and one of whom actually just finished her strand!

Here are my first four beads:

Then I saw everyone's color combinations and decided to explore other options:

From top (left of the knot) going counter clockwise with base color listed first:

• Double Helix test batch EU and Kronos 2 
• Double Helix test batches EU and IL
• Gaffer Purple Rose and Reichenbach Florence (the Florence swallowed the Purple Rose) 
• Reichenbach Enamel White and Gaffer Purple Rose 
• Double Helix Helix and test batch VK 
• Double Helix test batch VK and Helios 
• Handpulled Red Roof Tile and CiM Lapis 
• CiM Lapis and Opaque Yellow (almost went with this one) 
• CiM Lapis and Split Pea 
• CiM Lapis and ASK Silver Rattan 
• ASK Silver Rattan and Tribal Turquoise  
• Opaque Yellow and CiM Lapis (almost went with this one) 
• CiM Lapis and Mermaid 
• CiM Mermaid and Lapis 
• Opaque Yellow and CiM Lapis (this is what made me stick with Kronos 2 and White - the lines are getting fuzzy even tho I tried to melt the dots down coolly and slowly.  
• Dark Turquoise and CiM Lapis

At the end of these tests, I decided the stiffer transparent Kronos 2 and opaque White yield the crisp, defined lines that will allow for stacking lots and lots of dots as this exercise progresses. Thus I circled back and finally committed to the original combination. 

Here are the four beads from session 2:

 Here are the four beads from session 3: