Lampwork Beads, Headpins and Oxygen Concentrator Question

Last weekend was an awesome weekend for me - I worked on making beads - which I have not done for over a year. It felt great!!!

Out of the beads I made I think these are my favorite - mom even liked them. I thought we could use them for the January ABS Challenge piece - but I am not sure now because we keep changing our minds on what we want to enamel the pendants.

This is Sunday's bead making haul.

I really like how these turned out - except the one in the middle broke - going to have to make more of those!!!

These are my test color bead sets - I really don't like how the bottom four turned out - but I love the top four sets. You just never know what is going to happen with the glass - though it is fun trying it out :)

Can you see The Missing Link by Cindy Wimmer in the background - I
so want to give some of those wire projects a try!

I also made another set of the ones mom and I like. If we don't end up using these I will probably put them in our Etsy shop.

Here are all the beads that need to be cleaned. I hate cleaning beads when it is cold in the garage - going to have to make sure the water is hot, hot, hot!

Since we had last Monday off for MLK - I thought I would try making headpins. They are much harder to make than I thought!

My pile of headpins and a couple of beads I made.

I started off making the headpins out of transparent tan glass - from the bottom up are my first beads. It was interesting trying to figure out how much glass to use and how to keep the blob of glass from rolling off the wire.

My next four headpins - it is interesting how the pink fired - the bottom two was black and pink frit and the top two are the same black and pink frit - I thought I had the same flame going on all four beads - but who knows what I did :)

My last two headpins I made.

And the last of the beads I made that weekend. I think I have an idea for these beads - though I need to make more of them.

I would like to make another necklace like this - instead use a blue bird. I would also like to connect the beads onto "wire branches" to make it look like cherry blossoms. Of course I haven't told mom that idea yet - because she is the master mind behind the wire wrapping!!!

Image from ABR Imagry

This past weekend I have started doing a lot of research on using an oxygen concentrator instead of using oxygen tanks. Our favorite oxygen company was bought out two years ago - mom and I loved working with this company because they were awesome and delivered the oxygen to us.

Well - mom and I finally had to have our tanks refilled in August - since August this company has tried to bill us for the tanks (plus this company does not deliver the oxygen - which has made transporting the tanks interesting).

We bought both of our tanks over two years ago - we only have to pay for the oxygen. We have sent copies of the receipts numerous times and have even talked to the owner. Well on Saturday we get another bill stating we need to pay the bill or yada, yada, yada. MOM AND I ARE NOT HAPPY!!!

That letter has pushed me to start looking at oxygen concentrators because there isn't another oxygen company nearby (plus I really hate transporting those tanks in the car!).

So - my questions for any of your lampworkers -

• Do you use an oxygen concentrator
• What type of concentrator do you use
• Do you only use one
• Where did you purchase your concentrator from
• Are there any good YouTube videos about setup for a concentrator

This is a short week for me - I am taking Thursday and Friday off to spend with mom before she goes back to work on Monday. Mom is actually going back to work five weeks early - her knee is doing great and the doctor is very impressed with how she is coming along - YAY mom!

So - I hope to do an enameling session on Thursday and have pictures to share on Friday.  Have a great week everyone!