A few more beads I have made.
I felt quakers trying this one.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Friday, 25 February 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Starting Out
Hello everybody.
I have recently taken up Glass Bead Making, why? That's the big question. It all started when my wife began to make her own jewelry, we went to some craft shows and looking around I saw some fantastic hand made glass beads, I thought to myself "I'd like to have a go at that", so had a look on the Internet and found lots of sites relating to this art, read articles watched you-tube and started to pick up little bits of information, in November we went to the craft show at the NEC in Birmingham, one of the exhibitors was a company called Tuffnell Glass, http://www.tuffnellglass.com/, great people and very willing to give advice and help with all the questions. I purchased their starter kit, small, neat and everything I needed to start making beads, couldn't wait.
So here goes, I set up my work area.
A small space in my shed, we have the glass rods (top left), mandrels (in bucket), tin with vermiculite (top right), tools below, and the torch in the middle.
This is called a Hot Head Torch, very simple to use it runs of mapp gas or propane, I have set mine up on a bulk propane cylinder using an adapter, the bracket is a simple metal angle bracket from my local DIY store bent over to give the angle that suites me and clamped to the bench, the torch is attached with jubilee clips, job done.
The glass rods I keep separated into transparent and opaque, stringers are in a separate jar.
Here's a few beads I made, not perfect but getting the hang of it.
What do I get out of it?
It's a way to help me relax and be creative, doesn't always work, some days I sit at the bench and have no inspiration at all, other days it just all comes together and having created something different and unique is one of the best feelings you can have.
As time goes on I will post more pictures of my creations and explain a little more about the kit and techniques as I learn them.
I have recently taken up Glass Bead Making, why? That's the big question. It all started when my wife began to make her own jewelry, we went to some craft shows and looking around I saw some fantastic hand made glass beads, I thought to myself "I'd like to have a go at that", so had a look on the Internet and found lots of sites relating to this art, read articles watched you-tube and started to pick up little bits of information, in November we went to the craft show at the NEC in Birmingham, one of the exhibitors was a company called Tuffnell Glass, http://www.tuffnellglass.com/, great people and very willing to give advice and help with all the questions. I purchased their starter kit, small, neat and everything I needed to start making beads, couldn't wait.
So here goes, I set up my work area.
A small space in my shed, we have the glass rods (top left), mandrels (in bucket), tin with vermiculite (top right), tools below, and the torch in the middle.
The glass rods I keep separated into transparent and opaque, stringers are in a separate jar.
Here's a few beads I made, not perfect but getting the hang of it.
What do I get out of it?
It's a way to help me relax and be creative, doesn't always work, some days I sit at the bench and have no inspiration at all, other days it just all comes together and having created something different and unique is one of the best feelings you can have.
As time goes on I will post more pictures of my creations and explain a little more about the kit and techniques as I learn them.
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