Making the Beads

This post is taken from my blog on 1000Markets. I have just opened a new store in that market. Of course, this new store is called Rosebud's Lampwork Beads. My goal in writing this blog was to introduce the reader to the making of lampwork beads. The lampworkers on this site are few right now. I am hoping that more will join and we will be able to educate the non glass person about melting glass.

Without a doubt, melting glass is my passion! Almost every morning, you can find me down in my "studio" with my kiln turned on and my torch brightly lit. My work table is full of glass rods of different colors, frit (crushed glass), stringers (melted glass that has been pulled into long, thin pieces of glass), shards (blown pieces of glass that have been broken), and bits and pieces of glass that have popped off the rods of glass as I heated them up. I also have mandrels (rods of steel) that have been dipped in bead release ( a gooey, clay like substance that must be dried and without which you would never be able to get a bead get off the mandrel). Next to my work table is a hands free phone that I use to talk with friends who call while I am working. That's a lot of stuff! However, I manage it, and I am able to produce beads using these tools. Here are some samples of beads that I made in this arena of organized chaos. The earrings were made with stringers.



















The vessel was blown with transparent glass rods and special mandrels.





















The bracelet was made with colorful rods of glass. The bead on leather is made with gray glass and fine silver wire. Nummy!


















The bracelet was made with colorful rods of glass.













The bead on leather is made with gray glass and fine silver wire. Nummy!




Visit my new store and let me know what you think.