Fire-Light Beads 2.13

I have made and sold handcrafts for many years – working with fabric, concrete, clay and stained glass.

I loved working with stained glass, so decided to try making glass beads. I bought a book (Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins), a torch, some glass and a propane bottle. I read the book, hooked up the torch and with a shaking hand, (hoping the insurance cover on the house was adequate), lit the torch and made a really ugly bead.
I am always trying to work beyond my ability and some beads are so bad they end up as pot-plant decorations – they do add sparkle to the dirt!

I love working with glass. The possibilities are endless and every year new colours come onto the market. Some glass is easy to use, but some, especially the reactive and silvered glasses are downright capricious. One day they will do exactly what I want, yet on another day they will refuse to co-operate, producing nothing but mud! Rude words don’t appear to help! I know this, because on occasion the air around my workshop turns a lovely shade of blue.

I don’t always achieve my aims and the end results aren't always pretty, but the journey is often exhilarating, never dull, never predictable and never ending.

Love it!
Suzan