Beads

Hello

I can't believe the children are off school again next week.

I've been out for two shed sessions since I last wrote.

I've done more stringer practice following some instructions by Corina:



The lines are getting straighter and I'm getting more used to where to hold the stringer in relation to the flame. You are suppose to move the bead rather than the stringer which I find very tricky.


I've been trying to make my beads more round rather then donut shaped. I'm not that great at it though and often end up with holes that don't have the dimple they should have:


The hole should have a dimple like this:


Without the dimple they don't look as good when strung to make jewellery and will be more likely to cut through whatever stringing material you use.

I moved onto shapes. These are 'tabs':


This is a cone but it's not brilliant:


And looks like a Darlek!


These are cubes that went quite well although it's hard to get sharp edges. When you flame polish off the chill marks the bead rounds off a bit.


These are cylinders which went quite well:






These beads use Rubino Ora which is a pink glass. Pink glass is expensive because it needs bits of gold. I've not bought any pink for ages because the price has tripled.


The one on the left was going to be a poked dot one but the bead release cracked so I abandoned it.

Here's a bicone that went well:


More stringer practice there.

This is another cone. I'm pleased with this one:





More stringer practice.


There was a twistie tutorial. I made one and wrapped it around a bead. Consistency of size was a bit of an issue here:


Corina has a tiger bead tutorial in her book and these have been very much admired by other people in the past. I made this one following my new improved skills and it's my most tiger like yet:


The shapes section includes a heart tutorial and following it has led to my best two hearts yet:


I have a heart press but find it very difficult to get good ends when I use it. These two hearts follow Corina's freehand heart tutorial and I'm really pleased with them.





It was my birthday recently and P and I went Ape. It was really good fun and great to do something just the two of us. A and I do lots together but he and I don't so it made it an extra good present.

A and I have discovered loom bands and been making a few of those. I started with a cheap loom but bought a proper one when I decided I really liked doing it. A is next to me now making one. There are some great videos on You Tube.

We've also all been Minecrafting a bit. I have a pretty good cave all dug out with a bed and what not.

Big d made a delicious meatloaf yesterday. It was met with great suspicion by the children. A isn't a great eater anyway and she wasn't keen. P ate all his and really liked it. D ate it very unenthusiastically.

A invented a new word when she said "I'd like to bring this chair in but I don't know how to unwet it".

Have a great week.

Sally
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