Week 9 -- 52 things -- Red Flyer Rosebud

Yes more practising and I think I'm improving ---- slowly!!

Wanted to use a nice Red glass because I had a few new ones and hadn't had a play with them yet, mostly CIM glasses, my favourite type of glass, this one is called Radio Flyer its opaque on the rod but when I pulled the petals -- Wow it was gor-ge-ous!!!

It turned transparent and started to 'strike' fairly quickly! Most red transparent glass has to be 'struck' which means you have to cool the glass then reheat it to bring out the true colour!! I've always had trouble with 'striking' reds especially, they never seem to stay a good red, they can go a semi clear which can be quite annoying, just my own inexperience and lack of patience mainly!!


This one was a dream, I LOVE IT!!!

So I will be using it more often, me thinks!!!

I also had a go at a sort of tulip which didn't really work, but the more I practice the more I learn!!

Also made some spiky pod headpins with my 'confritti' decoration on (this is frit - tiny chips of different colours of glass), which I leave slightly raised, basically its not melted all the way into the base. I made these a while ago as a set of three and one cracked so I thought right I'll make more to complete the set ........

Spot the mistake!

Yep!! I used the wrong green for the base colour, so now got to try and find the right green for the darker one and make more of the lighter one too. Ha ha!! Thats the trouble with artificial light, can't always tell!!! Think I need a daylight lamp up in my workshop!


Til next time

E x

Making Flowers with Laney Mead - Week7

Ah half term which means no kids for a week, nice rest and relaxation, well not including my daughter who isn't really a kid as she is 17 nearly 18 so still no kids for a week!!!!!



Right then, I was booked for a lesson with Laney of Izzybeads to learn how to make glass flowers and leaves on Tuesday of half term, this was my birthday present.

She lives quite a long way from me, she is in Hereford which is practically in Wales, about 4 hours drive away! I live in Bedfordshire!

Off I went Monday as I was staying the night in a hotel on the Monday so no driving on the Tuesday morning except for about 15mins down the road, but I was driving back that night after my lesson.  So a long day ahead.

I had a great time, we chatted on Monday into the night, catching up and sharing anecdotes and also showing me what we were going to tackle the next day!!!

I was really excited!! Her work is amazing!! I had been waiting to do this for a long while now so I really was going to enjoy myself but I was quite nervous too.

Here is what we both made, Laney's demo beads and mine mixed in together.

The yellow rose was my first ever rose with a white rosebud and different leaf shapes to start with, for practice of pulling different shaped petals/leaves. The other roses and the pansy are Laney's of course!

I had great fun, quite pleased with what I had achieved, so now I'm home I have lots of practising to do.

I recommend having lessons in lampworking especially if you want to improve your abilities, I learnt lots of tips as well as how to put the flowers together and Laney sent me some tutorials to practice with too.

Thank you Laney for such a fab time     xxx♥xxx     see you at FO in April.

Til next time

 

E x

What have I made???

I have been trying to get back to making either beads or jewellery, with not much success so far!!!

I went to my bead group a few weeks ago now, it was great to see the girls as I hadn't seen them for a few months. There were a few new faces which is nice but not many of us turned up but it was lovely to be there even only for a short while!

BUT..........   wait for it .....................

I did actually make something while I was there  ----  Hoooooooray!!  Well I say make really it was alter ........    

one of my own necklaces -- steampunk in style --- I love it, but it had to be done, it was quite difficult to get on over my head because of some chain drapes which didn't leave me much room to get my head through the remaining space/gap!!!! 

I had previously removed a few charms and the locket watch which was the focal, as I had decided to use it on something else instead. So I thought I would dismantle parts of it to begin with, then I added a couple of steampunk charms here and there,  then I adapted the chain drapes so I could get it over my head easier.  Not sure if its quite complete yet, may need a tad more tweaking!!!

So I did make a little progress in the jewellery making department but not so in the beadmaking department, however! 

Getting out into my cold workshop doesn't seem very inviting, now the weather is chillier, may try now all the festivities are over and no more rushing about to do!!

I didn't get any of the gifts done, I wanted to do, at all, must get myself organised better this year!!  Ha ha!! Same old story!!

E x