Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Back At It After A Great Summer!

What a great summer I had with family and friends!  I did get to make beads this summer but didn't have time to photograph, edit and blog about them so now it's catch up time once again.

Most recently, I got to take an amazing 2 day class with Hayley Tsang so the first beads I will share are all made using my newest skills and techniques from the class.  The first day of class she taught us how to make silvered glass murrini .  I now have a nice little stash of my own handmade murrini!!!!  It was quite a process and I'm not sure I will be a big murrini maker but I sure can appreciate the time and talent it takes to make them!


So on to the good stuff - the photos:



Bead #1 - see the pretty murrini?
Bead #2 - see the pretty murrini?
Bead #3 - see the pretty murrini?
Bead #4 - see the pretty murrini?
Each of the above 4 beads look different from all sides but I didn't want to have 4 pictures of each one.  I really enjoyed making these beads.  I have some refining to do, especially with my stringer application, but I have lots of ideas in my head now about making beads similar to this only with a totally different feel to them.  I'm excited to experiment!!  As usual with silvered glass, it was hard to get a good photograph of the shine and colors on each of these beads - they are much prettier in person!

The next beads are my first attempts, using my own set up (torch, bead release, etc.) and I found that my usual bead release could not hold up to all that goes into making one of these beads.  I thought that might be a problem as one of my favorite bead releases comes off pretty easy and cleans up on the inside of the beads without any residue.  I tested my normal release as well as some stronger mud I had in the back of my cupboard.  Sure enough, I'll be using mud style release when I make these beads.  This is the second style of bead Hayley taught us in her class.  Of course these do not hold a candle to hers and I have a lot of practice to do on this style.  They are one of my favorite beads though, when done right!!!


I'll share my favorite first:



Clio Bead
This is the bead I was making on my regular release and I had to stop before I finished the design but I still like the bead and the color came out great - it's the famous Clio formula.

This bead has a base of Triton.  It was my first bead of the day and typically those are not my best beads and this one is no exception.

Triton Bead

The next bead has a base of Kalypso and it just looks washed out to me.  I must have done something wrong with my heating and cooling cycles - I'll keep trying.

Kalypso Bead

As you can probably tell, my class with Hayley was awesome!!!!  It was held at Bead Republic in Naperville, IL and I would love to return for more classes there.  They have a great set up and lots of great supplies. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming - students and staff!!!  I can't say enough great things about the owner and her business.  If you are a bead maker and near this area take a look at their schedule of classes - they have some great ones coming up!!!


While my daughter was home for a few weeks this summer, we took a Shambhala bracelet class together.  We kind of went nuts making a bunch of these but they are so much fun to make while you are visiting, watching TV or a movie, or any of the other hanging out stuff Mom's and Daughters do.  I can't tell you which one of us made which ones (except my first two that I made - they are the only ones I remember for sure are mine) but here are just some of them:



My first one.


My second one.














I experimented with glass and techniques a lot this summer.  Here are a few examples:

These are all made with the same rod of glass.  Love the colors it produced!!!
I hope you can tell what this is.  Pretty cool huh?
Just some fun colors and designs.  Loved making these!
This formula and design was based on a recent edition of Soda Lime Times.  I can see some potential here for some sea related beads.
Fish #1
Fish #1
Fish #2
Fish #2
Not perfect - just testing out some ideas - I think I like the darkest one best!
Another idea I was playing with.  Eh, not so much going on here that I'm loving.
Of course I always have to do some of these after I've been away from the torch for a while.  Masking patterns always sooth me and get me in the mood for creating!


I loved these!  Experimented quite a lot with frit this summer.


Experimenting with reactive glass and different black rods to see the affects - learned a lot here!


More reactive glass testing.  Pretty cool stuff!


Loved these - I'll have to go back to my notes to see how I made these. 


I made these so long ago I don't remember what I used - thank goodness I can get my notes and find out.
What would torch time be if I didn't make a ring disc at some time during the summer.  Got to keep up with my disc skills!







I invested in an entry level coring devise this summer.  I am only using copper and brass at this point but once I get comfortable with my skills I will use sterling. 


I like the look of a cored and capped bead.  I am putting a dapping block and tools on my Christmas wish list so I can make my own caps too.  I would love to take a class to learn how to use PMC to make about 3 things that I use often. I think I could come up with some great designs of my own to enhance my beads.  There is just soooo much I want to learn how to do but I don't want to pull time away from making beads - I need to collaborate with a metal artist I think - at least until I can learn some of these things myself.  At the pace I'm going I think I need to find a collaborator soon!


I'll be back soon!  Thanks for not giving up on my blog and stopping back to catch up with me.  Hope you all had a fun summer too!


Chris


Contact me: chrissandersonbeads@gmail.com - to make an appointment to see my beads and jewelry at my home studio.
Follow my life of Lampworking: http://beadsbychrissanderson.blogspot.com
Purchase my beads and Jewelry: http://www.artfire.com/users/BeadsByChris
Finished Jewelry sold on site at:  
1. Mermaid's Bite 472 5th Ave. South, Naples, FL 34102
2. SALVATORE CAPELLI SALON 114 W. South Boundary Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 - In the Country Charm Shoppes.
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Saturday, September 15, 2012

What A Great Summer I Had!

I found this as an un-posted blog in the draft section.  Not sure how that happened as I wrote this one last summer - over 6 months ago!!!!  So I'm going to post this one now since I loved my class with Hayley!!!!  If this is a duplicate then just ignore it.



Yep, I'm still here making beads!  It felt like I took the entire summer off but I did manage to make beads several times but I never found the time to photograph and edit the beads let alone blog about them.  So now it's catch up time!  I had a great summer by the way - my daughter was home for several weeks and I spent as much time with her as possible. It was just a nice old fashioned family and friends summer!!!

Most recently, I got to take an amazing 2 day class with Hayley Tsang so the first beads I will share are the beads I made at home using my newest skills and techniques from the class.  It was a silvered glass class - what else would Hayley teach right?  The first day of class she taught us how to make silvered glass murrini.  I now have a nice little stash of my own handmade murrini!!!! It was quite a process and I'm not sure I will be a big murrini maker and I appreciate even more the time and talent it takes to make them!

So on to the good stuff - the photos: