Studio Time: I made twisties! I made twisties! And stringers!

I made successful twisties! With decent length, too! My first one was the best. The others had one color thicker than the other. But, that will be a neat effect, too, eventually. My problem is I didn't choose high-contrast colors. They look higher contrast when they're in large quantities next to each other, but in the small quantity, they're too subtle. I need to learn to choose bigger contrast. But, even the subtle colors will probably look pretty cool. It will add some nice subtle detail to my beads.

I played with the silver plum color. LOVE THAT COLOR! It's a little too overpowering by itself, though. I think I'll pull that into stringers now that I know how to make stringers.

I've also been playing with clear glass beads and adding the pastel colors. I think they're turning out pretty good!

Finally...what's with the first one being the best? I'm starting to get a little annoyed with this trend. I'm really getting a feel for the glass. I'm getting dots down. I'm getting stringers down. It's only been 6 weeks! I'll start down a track and try out techniques, but my first attempt is always best. Does that make sense? Shouldn't I be getting better, not worse with practice? On the other hand, maybe I'm getting a little too confident when my first attempt is pretty decent. I dunno. Can't figure it out right now. When I come back to the technique a little later, I seem to bounce back.

Given my mistakes with color and my declining skill as I practiced a technique in a given session, I was getting a little irritated and bored. The I disciplined myself to try twisties and, guess what? I can do twisties! I'm back in the game again!!!

Studio Time: Green Frit Set

Here is my second set. I find I get bored with sets. But, maybe it's partly fear. Fear that I won't be able to replicate in size or color what I did in other beads. Even though these beads aren't exact matches to each other, I think they have some fun character that would still look cool in a set.

I have an odd confession to make, too. I think I'm afraid of the completely blank slate of creativity that's available to me with glass. I had finally come to the conclusion and accepted the fact that I was the type of person that didn't really create anything new. I take other people's ideas and build on them. That's my strength in the business world. I realize I'm taking other people's ideas and putting them together in my own way with glass. But, I don't want to just copy other people. I want to create. And that scares me. I don't have the design or art background so many others do. I just like it. So, if I don't have a design or art background, can I still be an artist? Can I handle the creativity?

Studio Time: Broccoli Bead

I meant to try out a gravity bead today. But, I forgot and got to playing with raking and dots. I think I'm getting the hang and feel of raking. I'm definitely getting better at dots and controlling dots. I even did a stacked dot! I thought I'd combine some retro 80's colors (hunter green, maroon, and cobalt blue). You see mostly the green. It reminds me of broccoli. With dots.
I want to explore some ideas with the cobalt blue and greens. The cobalt looks almost black next to the green. It might be interesting to combine a bunch of different greens together with the cobalt blue as the darkest color...thinking...thinking....

Studio Time: The Beginning

I've been cleaning up my blog and re-posting the old pictures for posterity.

Here are the VERY FIRST beads from the Fireworks kit. Lumpy bits of glass that I was quite proud of - mostly for not burning down the house with the torch.
The first beads from the beginners class. The top left is THE first bead...poor little burnt bead.

Studio Time: Hi. I'm Jennifer. I'm a glassaholic...

Hi! I make glass beads. I'm quite obsessed with lampwork beads. So. Here is my blog on my glass travels. A lot of this is a diary for me to learn as I go and share with my friends who are interested in what I'm doing. I'll share everything. Even the ugly beginning beads. And there are some pretty ugly beads out there. But, I'm not afraid to share. After all, we all started somewhere.