I've been busy

A lot of jewellery partying going on so I've got my hands full with production. Here are a few examples:

Upcoming holidays

so I thought I'd show you some holiday beads:

Hearts and dots

Santa on a string

Winter friends

Santa heads

Turtle santas

Some of last weeks work

Today I finally took a few pictures of my beads. (And a lot of my jewellery. Am going to update my webshop tomorrow.)

Effetre Crystal Clear 1006

I love it!

Bought a pack from Tuffnell and I'm sure to pick up more cause this is greate.

I've been using Vetros clear and it worked fine when I was on a HH, but when I got myself a better torch, the clear glass started frying on me and every flaw in the rod got visible in the beads.

The new Effetre clear doesn't do this. It doesn't fry, scum, bubble or in any other way misbehave.

Summer vaccation is over

I'm back from a long vaccation and is trying to figure out how it all was done! It's hard to get used to the alarm setting off in the morning and to all the routines the a life in a family of four requiers.

It's also hrd go get back to the torch. Not that it's not funny (I've missed it while I was away) but you loose a bit of the feeling after five-six weeks. But I practise!

During the summer I've been focusing on making jewellery out of my beads and that's also a lot of fun. A lot of kind people have been inteerested in my work and I also stood at my first market ever. Here are som pics from my both:

Note the greatest jewels I've ever made - my sweet, sweet children.

Most of the jewellery contains my own lampworked beads, though not all. Sometimes it's fun to create with bought stuff!
I'm especially proud of my earring displays! ;) Yoghurt packges and a cereal box. But it worked and I had something to talk to the customers about.

Some finished jewellery

I thought I'd show of some jewellery I've made with my lampwork beads:

Earrings for Maria

Black and white pendant

Ratteling flower bracelet

Ratteling bracelet with B/W beads

My first cross necklace

Delivery today

I got my package from Tuffnell today:
Mostly. it's just about filling my glasstock but there are some interesting pieces.
I'm trying a new bead release - Fusion Bead Separator
I'm giving Iris Gold frit a try
I finally invested in a masher and a TUNGSTONE picker
And - on top of the pile - is the new Effetre Crystal Clear that I'm really anxiouse to try.

So see you later! I'm going to do some seriouse torching now.

Finally!

I've updated my webshop at Babs Beads & design. One of these days I'm going to uppdate this blog with some beads to, but now I just hvae to go to bed.

Getting crazy!

I love my new burner, but it aso makes me completely mad. I just can't seem to learn to handle my clear! Also, the Dark aqua and CiM colour Leaky Pen is almost impossible to use as they fry as soon as they se the flame.

I can't do without clear and I love aqua and ink so this is really annoying.

Finally!

I sat down at the torch the other day, and finally it clicked. Not so much that I can make the same quality of beads I used to, but this time I could manage the clear Vetro without burning it and I also found at least some stringer control.

Now I've got my hopes up. Maybe I'll learn to manage this! :)

Now even hotter

I'm still trying to figure out my new torch. It's a lot of fun, but at the same time quite frustrating as all the glasses react in new ways. The ones that I earlier worked with ease now tends to drip, burn and scum in a way that I yet don't master.

On the other hand, the ones that I earlier almost never used as it took ages to get them to melt, I now find very pleasant.

Some of the new reactions are manageable and even fun. Some just annoying. Like
- the Vetro clear bubbles and scums. So now that I finally get it hot enough not to capture airbubbles it creates its own bubbles all over the place.

- my beloved Vetro black, that has always behaved nicely, though a bit stiff, now is starting to let me down. When making black and white beads, for example, the black is invading the white, creating "watermarks" on it.

- using stringers for dots is much harder, as the heat tends to boil the glass.

It's all probably a matter of PPP, but right now I'm quite frustrated.

Hurray!

Yesterday I installed my new Minor Bench Burner, complete with a New Life oxygen concentrator and all. It's wonderful and I'm allready in love.

It will take somPPP though, to get used to it. Now I finally understand what they mean by "dripping hot". :) And a lot of the advice I've red that seemed unimportant on my HotHead suddenly makes sence.

But this will be great fun. Now I can bring the colours out of the raku. I also ordered some DH Gaia to celebrate the event.

My webshop

This Monday I launched my webshop. You're welcome to visit it at Babs Beads & Design.

I'm aiming at two editions - one in swedish and one in english - but not for a while. In the meantime I use both languages in the shop. As soon as I get time I will translate the other pages as well.

I will also put more and jewellery in the shop.

Happy Valentines day!

Here are som hearty beads.

This is a bed i made for a necklace in a competition. The theme was Aurora Borealis.
It's made of black Vetro with lines and dots of Reischenbasch Irirs Bkue. The dots are covered with raised dots of Vetro Clear.

Encased florals

These get there own post as I'm actually kind of prowd of them Not that they're perfect, but they are the best encased beads I've done, so far.

Flowers in the snow

Closeup on Autumn flowers

Closeup on Blue flowers

Finally some pictures

Last week we had some snow and almost sunshine so I took a few beads and my camera and went out. Here are some of the results.

First, I called this "River", but then someone pointed out to me that it reminds of the swedish alps ("fjällen"), and that's more accurate. Effetre Dark Ivor, Vetrofond black stringer, SIS and Effetre Turquoise.

Nosferatu was here.
Vetro black, dark ivory, SIS and some striking yellow and red.

Another Body and soul.
This one is better than the last one, I think.

Raspberry chocolate
I'm especially fond of the raised dots wich in some angels show the raspberry red and in other angels don't.

Happy birthday to me... :D

My birthdaypresents are starting to roll in. (I turned 40 the 21:st of January and wished for a new torch and money to buy lampworkingstuff for.) I got the Nortel minor I wished for and the order is placed, though it hasn't arrived yet. The money I got I've decided to spend on presses, special glass and other tools that I wouldn't afford otherwise. So I've been doing some happy shopping the last week! :)

Today the first package arrived. Two new presses from Cattwalk.
Aren't they great!? The lovely people at Cattwalk even tied pretty ribbons around the handles and put a treat in the parcels.

This will be so fun! i just wish I would get better soon, cause I can't find the energy right now to do anything. This cold is drivning me crazy!

Now I can't wait for the next package to arrive! Pretty glasses from Sansiera.

Three red cats

I've spent a lot of time practising encased florals (when I haven't taken care of sick children). I'm slowly beginning to grasp the technique of the beads, but still haven't got a clue on how to get sharp fotos of the damned things. Beginning to suspect that my camera is of too low quality for this kind of photos. But I'll give it another try.

Meanwhile, you'll have to settle whit this picture of three red cats. They're about 20 mm high.

First reaction

For the first time I managed to get SOME reaction out of the raku glass.

It's not much, it's hardly pretty and the bead is useless, but at least it's something!

Loving these

I'm loving these brass tools from Beady Sam Glass:

Double pointed tools, perfect for sculpturing

What I want for my birthday

This is what i want for my birthday:

A Minor Bench Burner!

I've outgrown my HH and need (!) a oxygen/propane-fueled torch. I choose this particular one as it can be bought in Sweden and from a person who is really good at making beads.

I also wish for lots of money to buy glass and lampworking tools!