Workshops in Glass Bead Making - What do you think?

Whenever I participate in an event such as Open Studios, I am often asked, 'do you teach glass bead making?' My answer has always been 'no, because I only have one torch and the insurance would make a class too expensive.' Recently however, I've been reconsidering and really getting excited about the idea. It's early stages at the moment and first I must find out if there is going to be enough interest.

Glass Bead Making Workshops for 2017

I am hoping to set up a workshop next to my garden studio to run tuition in glass bead making for beginners and for those with experience who need just the facilities. I would like to find out if it may be something people would be interested in etc.

If you think you or somebody you know may be interested in making glass beads and would like to know more, then please contact me. lhjewellery@onwight.net, facebook.com/littlehousejewellery, www.littlehousejewellery.co.uk

Here is a rough idea of how the workshop classes would run. What do you think?

Glass Bead Making Workshops

-       For a maximum of two people working at one time.

-       Introduction/taster course including safety, getting to know the equipment, glass etc and instruction and practise of basic bead making.

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Courses and sessions

-       3 hour first steps course including introduction as above. During this course you will learn how to make a basic bead and decorate it in a variety of ways with bobbles and spots.

At the end of your course your beads will be annealed in a kiln and will be cleaned and ready for collection or posted the next day.

-       Further techniques course – 3 hours learning and practising three new techniques such as encasing and making and using stringer.

-       Semi-independent bead making sessions – practising and making beads with some support. New techniques will NOT be taught during these sessions. These are specifically for those wanting to practise and perfect what they have learned. These are charged per hour, with a maximum of three hours per session. Annealing and finishing as above.

-       Independent bead making sessions for those with experience and wishing to work on their own. Glass, facilities and annealing provided. Annealing and finishing not included. Maximum 4 hours.

All bead makers must complete an introduction course before they attend any further courses.

No meals but tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

Charges – per person

-       Introduction/ taster course - £10

-       First steps course - £50

-       Further techniques course - £60

-       Semi-independent sessions - £15 per hour.

-       Independent sessions – with glass provided per hour - £10, with own glass - £8 per hour.

Please note that these details are just a draft at this early stage and are likely to change.

March 2016

Combining Lampwork and Fused Glass

I have always found my fused glass pendants to be very popular with my customers. I can see the appeal: they are bright, eye-catching and can compliment clothes simply and inexpensively. Although my pendants are hung on suede or satin cord, many people have a favourite silver or gold chain they like to use instead. Some have several pieces of fused glass that they interchange to go with different clothes.


The problem is I've always felt I am not very good at it. With beads I can be free and easy, in my opinion handmade beads look better if they are not quite perfect. It sort of distinguishes them from mass produced beads. However with fused glass it is completely different. The best fused glass is precise and balanced in shape, arrangement and design. The best examples of this are Nina Bulley www.ninabulley.co.uk and for stunning objet d' art, Pauline Evans isleofwightarts.com/paulineevans.
Both of these artists will be taking part in the Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios next month [July 2015] isleofwightarts.com.
The other problem with my fused glass is that I have not invested enough time to get to know what happens to different glass when it's in the kiln. It's a bit like the old days when I use to take a roll of film to Boots and eagerly await the prints, but on opening them up, finding only six or seven out of twenty four that were any good. Thank goodness for digital cameras! Well fused glass is just like that. I carefully prepare a tile of what I think are going exciting pendants. On opening the kiln however, some glass has slumped unevenly, any tiny mistake I had ignored before, now is emphasised and looks wrong. Making beads is relatively instant in comparison, I know straight away whether a bead is going to work or not.

Well I thought it was about time to have another go with a different approach. My aim has been to combine lamp work bead making with fused glass. I have briefly tried this combination before by literally making a flat bead and then fusing onto glass. The problem was the bead release, which no matter how much I tried to clean out of the hole, still left an ugly rough bit behind. This time I am making the 'beads' on the end of the mandrel rather like the way I make stud earrings. There is less bead release to remove and if there is any residue, it is hidden within the layers.

Lampwork 'beads' made especially for fused glass

What I also wanted to do is to create an effect that wasn't so slumped or melted. A little less like a melted ice cream and instead have more defined edges. This I did by experimenting with different kiln temperatures and timings. I am making progress with this, but not quite there yet.

Anyway see what you think. I have found some lovely simple silver plated bails on Etsy [hotfusedglass] and will hopefully have some pendants ready for my Open Studio weekend from 17th - 21st July. More photos to follow in a future post.

Open Studio Yearbooks Have Arrived!

I know that Summer is here when the Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios Yearbooks arrive isleofwightarts.com. I feel a tiny tingle of excitement when I open one up for the first time and find my entry in it. It also means that it's only six weeks to go and I really have to step up my preparations.

My daughter, Ellen won't be able to join me this year with her weaving, as she's rather busy with work in Whitstable. I am pleased to say I won't be on my own however, as for the second year running, Jude Allman  judeallman.com will be sharing open studios with me. Jude makes fabulous stoneware pots, bowls and ceramics.

I enjoy open studios, as it is a great opportunity to demonstrate how I make my glass beads. It's also super to chat to old and new visitors in my garden workshop.

Beads within Beads

'Bead within a Bead' Necklace

For the past few weeks I've been working on a new design. At last, after many attempts I've created enough 'beads within beads' to make a mini collection.
After experimenting with mauves and paler greens, I decided on a strong shade of teal with a core of pale opaque green, which I thinks works well at giving the beads a sort of extra 3D effect.

Anyway, see what you think. So far, I have made a necklace, a bracelet and earrings. These are all available on my website -littlehousejewellery.co.uk

'Bead within a Bead' Necklace

'Bead within a Bead' Earrings

'Bead within a Bead' Bracelet

Bead Party with the Ladies of Porchfield

'Orphan' Glass Beads

Seed Beads and Handmade Glass Beads

Had a super evening with the Porchfield ladies group yesterday. They each created a made measure unique necklace with my 'orphan' beads and a selection of seed bead.

Several Ladies were inspired to take home one of my bead kits too.

Finding the Right Event

Tactile Disc Bead Necklace

The week started well with a good day at the Affordable Arts Fair at Ventnor.

I've been trying to analyse why one event can be so much more successful than another for me. It's difficult to pin point exactly. I know it's definitely not the number of visitors, as events with a high footfall have so far produced my poorest sales.

It may have something to do with location perhaps? But why a small seaside town like Ventnor artsisle.org appears to be better than a busy Saturday outside John Lewis in Southampton is a mystery.

This leaves me with demographic, which sort of links to type of event. Excuse me if I use West Quay as an example again. There wasn't a vast number of stalls at West Quay, but a lot that consisted of goods [particularly jewellery] that were handmade in a looser sense. It's hard to explain, so apologies for sounding sniffy and snobby, but the stalls attracted the eye of people who were looking for a trinket, an inexpensive treat, a bargain, something nice but ordinary. Whereas an arts event such as Open Studios isleofwightarts.com or Affordable Arts Fairs attract people who spend time looking. The visitors are generally more interested in how something is made and connect to uniqueness.

I don't pretend to be a professional artist. I don't have a degree and I am almost entirely self taught. What I do have is ten years experience in lamp work bead making, an eye for colour and I think a distinctive style of my own. I like to try new techniques and ideas, but don't like to do the same as someone else.

So where do me and my jewellery belong? When it comes to events, I would say somewhere between the craft market and a professional artists' event. Bead making and I however, know exactly where we are. I may never make a fortune, but as long as I continue to get a thrill from turning on the kiln and firing up the flame, everything else is just a bonus.      

Me!

Trying Something New

Cylindrical Beads within Transparent Outer Glass Beads

For the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with a new style of bead. It's sort of a bead within a bead.

First I made a cylindrical bead and then used the hollow bead technique over the top. This was quite successful and effective. The biggest difficulty is getting the bead even and preventing the transparent outer bead from collapsing onto the inner bead. Hopefully, it just needs plenty of practise.

Cylinder Base Beads

I got really ambitious next, I decided to try and create a loose bead within a transparent outer bead. It took a good few sticks of clear glass in practise, as the beads continued to fuse together. On the ninth attempt I achieved it.

Tricky to see, but small orange bead within clear glass bead

Unsuccessful Attempts

In conclusion, although I quite like the loose bead within a bead, there's a few impracticalities with it. It's success rate at the moment being one and the difficulty in cleaning out the bead release being another. I may go back to it at a later date. However the original cylinder base bead definitely has possibilities. It's effective on it's own and definitely has scope to develop further.

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My Perfect Place

Summer house April 2015

A perfect place to chill out after a walk

Earlier today I found a lovely post on Facebook entitled 'She Sheds, Women's answer to the Man Cave'. lightersideofrealestate.com. The sheds are beautifully decorated little places to escape to.

It got me thinking about my shed, or as I grandly prefer to call it, my 'summer house'. It's not a beautiful shed, it's not stylishly decorated. In fact it is messy, cluttered and far too full of stuff. It is the place where I make my beads. But oh, it is so much more than that. It is a little protective capsule of a place. In a world and a life that is always changing, it is a place that stays the same.

View through the door

The other day I was listening to someone explaining what meditation was. They said it wasn't necessarily a person sat crossed legged with eyes closed, making 'om' sounds. It could be simply being in a peaceful state of mind. Well I would say my shed is the nearest I have ever got to meditation and being at peace. When I walk through the door I feel my body and mind relax. The radio or audio book is turned on, the kiln is fired up and very quickly the only thoughts in my head are to do with beads [and following the audio story, of course].

Making Beads

And Toby dog finds it relaxing too!

 

The Return of Red

Considering my favourite colour is red, I think I've done rather well to get to April without making some red beads. The truth is it's done me good to use a different range of colours and tones. I have enjoyed and been pleased with what I have created using aqua, white and mauves. However, with the sun shining and everything buzzing with life in the garden, when I go to the summer house, I keep getting drawn to the red sticks of glass. I suppose it's a little like wanting a fresh salad rather than hearty casserole on a warm, sunny day.
Anyway, I picked out my favourite red and then experimented with earth colours - dark brown, wood, cream and a new one called fossil. I really like fossil as it has a lovely swirly, marble effect. The one down side with 'fossil' is that it is very expensive, so I have to think of ways to use it sparingly but still effectively.

Red with 'fossil' spots and small plain 'fossil' beads

 

Black with Smudgy Flowers Beads

I do like black, so I made these beads. Although they are black, my intention was to make them summery with soft smudgy flowers of lavender and pale pink. I was aiming for sort of Chinese chrysanthemums. I didn't quite achieve this, but I'm pleased with results all the same. www.littlehousejewellery.co.uk

A Stall at West Quay, Southampton

Why am I writing about what was probably my least successful stall? On the down side I not only sold very little and few people even stopped to look [I do struggle on the eye catching presentation bit]. This was a shame, as I like explaining how my beads are made and watching how people then take a closer look. Never mind, win some, lose some.

Enough of the negatives and onto the positives. Firstly, I was in West Quay and situated quite close to my favourite department store, John Lewis. Every three or four hours I would leave Mark in charge of the stall and have an amble around the different departments, mentally adding things to my wish list.

I feel a little sad that I won't be having another stall at West Quay, as the other stall holders were delightfully friendly and the chats made the day a very pleasant experience.

There was art work, embroidery, iPad and tablet rests and of course all sorts of jewellery. On the stall next to me was Michaela  Carrington who deservedly did well with her fused glass.etsy.com/shop/micpru. There was a stall just round the corner where a man wrote and drew on single grains of rice! I watched him write 'Congratulations' on a tiny grain. He didn't even use glasses or a magnifying glass. He would then suspend the grain in a tiny vessel of liquid [ some sort of oil, I think?] which magnified the grain so it can be read by people with normal eye sight. www.ricewriter.com


We managed to get wifi and so were able to unobtrusively follow the Six Nations Rugby. We were packing up and travelling home during the second half of the England v France game, so I didn't get find out what a great game it was until later.

Anyway, even though I won't be there, if you happen to be in West Quay at the end of June, take a look, there's some interesting things.

Forthcoming Events - 2015

Open Studio Weekend 2013

Handmade Stall at West Quay Shopping Centre, Southampton
 - Saturday 21st March 2015
-9am -6pm
- First chance to see me and showcase my latest Spring 2015 collection in all its glory!

Isle of Arts Affordable Arts Fair at Ventnor Winter Gardens, Isle of Wight- artsisle.org
 - Monday 4th May 2015
 - 11am - 4pm
- Looking forward to this event in a beautiful location.

Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios - isleofwightarts.com
- Friday 17th July - Monday 20th July 2015
- 10am - 5pm daily
- I love this event because its a great opportunity to demonstrate exactly how my beads are created and made into my unique jewellery.

Mauve Bracelet Spring 2015

Open Studios Weekend 2014

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