design

Tales from the torch: Nov. 21st-22nd/07

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Results from my last few torch sessions: 

The four goddesses are sold (custom order).

two goddess beads and a tube focal 

From left to right:

  • still playing with a warm palette – this focal combines enamels, frit and clear.  i’d originally planned to completely melt the clear encasing smooth and then decided to leave it lumpy.  The bumps feels great.
  • turquoise goddess with several shades of pastel frit.  i reduced her a little to bring out the earthy copper trails.  i think i’ve finally got the hang of reduction – at least with blue glass.  at one point i had her completely red and then was able to add and remove the red copper on her surface by waving her in and out of different parts of the flame. very cool.
  • i love purple – it’s my favourite colour but it’s one of the hardest to get in glass – the rod colours tend to either be greyish or do weird things in the flame.  This goddess is rolled in purple powder and then three shades of frit.

 last few torch sessions

From left to right:

  • another experiment with dark raku – this time i heated and cooled it a lot so the colour development progressed further – moved past the olive to more gold and hints of purple. will have to play more…
  • trying to find a way to get orange, reds and silver to play nicely together.  not quite there yet.  i’m happy with the shape though.
  • started a goddess but didn’t like the strong reaction between the light blue frit and the ivory – plus i ran out of fuel…lol.
  • tried again with a white base instead.  the softer reaction between the white and the light blue frit is much better
  • love this one!  bright green and purple frit – aren’t they awesome together??!!!

Tales from the torch: Nov. 13/07

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Custom orders sample 

This bead is a first try at a custom order.  It’s HUGE – approx. 2.5″ – I like it but the colours aren’t working for me.  I used three different shades of red frit for some colour gradations in the leaves and they all came out looking exactly the same.  WAY annoying.

Sample beads 

These are my test beads from last week.  They may not remain tests for long though, as their remakes were NOT an improvement. dammit.

On the good side that bead on the far right is my first bead to ever come out exactly the way i wanted (better even!) – i love it and it’s MINE. 

Aaah well, back to the torch!

Random thoughts

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Photo:  The Teenager enjoying a boat cruise at a luxury resort (c. 2004)

1. Child-free days off:  Gotta love ’em.  I’m off work today but The Teenager had to go to school.  Significance? I am totally and completely free! I can guiltlessly do whatever i want for the next 8+ hours!!! Plus! no demands, whining, backtalk or moodiness will interfere with my good mood until approx. 430pm today.  Could a dedicated mommy ask for more? 

 2. I often think in glass rod colours: Doesn’t matter where I am, if anything (usually some passerby’s colourful outfit) catches my eye, i’ll start to calculate how i can recreate that design and which colour rods i should use: oooooo… that lovely abstract blouse? Hmmm…i think a clear base, with a Moretti white and Lauscha blue latticino and an assortment of Gaffer pastel frits, perhaps as a focal, in a barrel shape – or should i use a press…?

3. Bad piercings:  On friday’s bus ride home, there was a young woman standing directly in front of me with a lip piercing.  Now normally i don’t have an issue with piercings (some are quite attractive) but this one just looked painful.  It was in the corner of her bottom lip, with the metal weaving three times in and out through her skin.  I kept trying not to stare but really?  i wanted to lean over and ask her:  “Sweetie, would you like me to help you take that out?” 

4. Karaoke madness:  Saturday night I found myself in a cheesy piano bar with some friends enthusiastically belting out Barry Manilow’s Copacabana to a room full of dancing strangers.  Once the adrenalin wore off it occurred to me that a piano player, a mike, a binder full of lyrics and a cheering audience can delude you into thinking (just for  a moment) that you can actually sing.

Tales from the torch: Nov. 8th/07

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This is a quick pic of the results of yesterday’s torch session and the bits and pieces that went into making these two beads.

At the top is my marver with the three types of frit ( tiny glass chips) i used.  (you can ignore the red powder, that’s the enamel i used for this morning’s torch session.)  Then the two little strips of pure 99.9% fine silver foil – that’s what gives the beads their luscious sparkle.

In front are the two rods used for the base glass.   Yup, that light blue rod made that awesome rusty red colour in the back bead as well – cool, huh?  It’s called reducing, which means bringing to the surface the metals used to colour the glass.   This time i did it kinda by accident but I’m gradually learning how to do it on purpose – it’s really quite a neat effect.