BTW - Bead Table Wednesday

It is another Bead Table Wednesday (BTW).  Here is what is on our table right now.

This is my torching area last night.  It is so good to be able to work out in the garage and not be in several layers of clothes and still freezing.  Last night was a very enjoyable night of torching and I am really happy with the beads, except for one.

These are the beads I worked on most of last night.  I am in the mood for spring, so the beads are reflecting that mood.  I am also playing with new frit mom and I ordered a couple of months ago and I am loving it!


First Student Show of Jewelry - 2004

While mom and I have been working on our portfolio, for juried shows, I came across this photograph of my first jewelry pieces.  I like the beads but the necklaces are atrocious! Yes, you may cringe along with me; I was making it up as I was going along here people :)  I stopped making those beads once I started making more and more challenging beads even though I liked to make them.  I thought I was suppose to keep pushing myself to do more difficult beads, but as I am getting older, I am learning I need to do what I like and not think I should do more challengeing beads because I have been torching so long.  So, last night I thought I would give them a whirl again and I am so happy I did.


Green Dewdrop

I am calling the beads dewdrops because they remind me of dewdrops haning on a leaf and the water is reflecting the flowers from the flower gardens.  I am really loving this frit "Japense Maple" on the light green glass.

Now on to my other cringe worthy bead.  I have been wanting to make female forms again.  I learned how to make the female torso from taking classes from Lucio Bubacco (in morretti) and Emilio Santini (in boro).  I have always made the female form off the mandrel, but last night, for some odd ball reason I wanted to try and make the female form on a mandrel.  Yes, you may laugh hysterically when you see this bead.  I am going to have to use the hammer to get it off the mandrel because the bead release released as I was making the female form.  You can also see cracks down by the legs because I wasn't flashing the bead enough in the torch.  Oh well, practice, practice, practice. 

I wanted to make the female form as part of the March ABS Challenge.  We will see how this turns out because we have a pattern we want to also saw out for the March piece.

And last but not least are some patterns that need to be glued down on copper so mom, and maybe myself, can cut them out.  One is the pattern of dog (Great Pyrenees), the piece we want to saw out for the March ABS challenge, and a piece we are working on for a submission.

That is what our table looks like right now; a pile of beads that need to be cleaned, a bead that has to be smashed to get it off the mandrel, several patterns that need to be glued down and then sawed out and more beads to be made.  Have an enjoyable Wednesday night everyone!