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