Heather Trimlett's 40-Bead Challenge Results #1

I started a thread on the Lampwork Etc. forum a month ago so I would stick with this challenge to its completion. I am now onto Challenge #2 with three colors instead of two... and happy to report many of the 90+ participants also completed their first challenge!

If you are not familiar with Heather's challenge, click here.

Better yet, join us at LE! There is no deadline so jump in anytime to challenge yourself!

Here are the result of our participants who completed Challenge 1!

Deborah – Black and White

Ellen – Black and White

Felicia – Lapis Cobalt and White

Gail – CiM Firecracker Red and Vetrofond Coral

Hayley – Double Helix Kronos 2 and White

Julie – Lapis and Light Turquoise

Karen C – CiM Creamsical and White

Kristin – Light Turiquoise and Avocado

Liz – Kugler 181 Silver Brown and Tongue Pink

Marianne – Periwinkle and Black

Martinia – Vetrofond Black and Silver Pink

Milyn – Light Sky Blue and Dark Brown

Susan R – Cobalt and White

Susan S – Lauscha Hawaii Purple and Copper Green

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! :)

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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! 

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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! :)