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:

Final Result – Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge

It has been an amazing exercise. I want to thank Heather Trimlett for her challenge and my LE friends for I wouldn't have finished this project without their support and inspiration!

If you are interested in joining us - many of us are continuing on to Project 2 with three colors instead of two - visit:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250615

Beads 1-10

Beads 11-20

Beads 21-30

Beads 31-40

Finished necklace! :D

Progress Report – Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge

Beads 15 to 22

Beads 23 to 30

Strand of 30 beads (10 more to go!) 

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:

SE9 - Ninth Silver Color How To eBook

SE9 - Ninth Silver Color How To eBook

The long awaited SE9 PDF is finally available! Our sincere apology for being so delinquent in bringing you this version. Hayley's one-year stint as the Director of Communications and Marketing on the volunteer board of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) as well as the Editor in Chief of its printed magazine, Glass Bead Evolution, really put a wrench in our schedule. Fortunately, this is all in the past and we are now back on track! We hope to continue bringing you informative ebooks and other exciting opportunities in the world of COE104 silver glass! :)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

This booklet is a compilation of exchange beads submitted for SE9 – Ninth Silver Color How To and Exchange - on lampworketc forum. With 45 pages, there are over 110 beads with description. Each bead is accompanied by the recipes of glasses used and some have detailed step by step description of how the bead was made (the level of detail is based on how much information the original beadmaker shared.)

Other content includes a list of silver glass by manufacturers and notation of the glass being striking or reducing, and index of each silver glass used in the booklet for easy reference, and a basic step-by-step (illustrated with photos) instruction on how to strike and how to reduce silver glass.Silver glassmakers featured: ASK, BellaDona, Double Helix, Effetre, Lauscha, Precision 104, Reichenbach, StrikingColor, TAG 104, and Kugler.

This pdf version of SE9, at 10.4 mb, is for viewing on your computer. You may also print one (1) copy of this using your printer at home. No authorization will be given with this version to print at a service bureau such as Kinko's. Please make sure you have high-speed internet connection. Instant download is available here! 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

S E 9 - pdf version

This pdf version of SE9 - Ninth Silver Color How To e-Book, at 10.4 mb, is for viewing on your computer. You may also print one (1) copy of this using your printer at home. No authorization will be given with this version to print at a service bureau such as Kinko's. Please make sure you have high-speed internet connection. 

Instant download is available for $17.00 on our online store! 

 Please note that this item cannot be returned.

S E 9 - printed book version

The print-on-demand spiral bound, book format of SE 9 - Ninth Silver Color How To e-Book is available at lulu.com for $39.00 plus shipping. Click here to purchase.

S E 9 - CD version

Available upon request. Please inquire.

New Photographic Set Up

At the 2013 ISGB conference, the Gathering, in Rochester, New York, presenter/instructor Doug Baldwin had his light boxes set up in the classroom area for students to use. Many took advantage of this opportunity to snap pictures of their work from class and post on social media such as Facebook. I saw first hand how compact Doug's system was and it didn't take long for me to purchase two light boxes.

For those of you who are familiar with my work know the challenges I face. All the bling and clear encasement create reflections and hot spots. 

I was very pleased with this image until I photographed the same bead again with Doug's system. 

This was taken from the top shooting down just like the above image. The daylight bulbs help bring out the actual bead colors better than the tungsten ones I used before. With less glare, you can actually see the depth allowing the dichroic to show through as deeply encased in the core of the piece.

This one was photographed from the front allowing the light behind the bead to show through. The result is a more true-to-life representation of the bead.

I struggled continually with hot spots on photographing my heavily encased work. As you can see from this image how distracting they are.

With Doug's system, again the colors are more true to life and there is no glare! 

Update 1: Just wanted to add another image - taken with my iPhone 4s with Doug's system. It's not as nice as the above images but considering it's from a phone, it's actually not too bad! 

Update 2: Still playing with this new system - learning how to capture the iridescence in my photography. I think this is definitely an improvement!

Double Helix Test Batches – Rochester Gathering 2013

Quick pictures of these awesome test batches Double Helix is bringing to the Rochester Gathering. Make sure you get there when Technical Vendors open at 10am on Thursday 15 July! :)