Implosion/petal beads

I'm back at Spruill Arts Center taking bead making classes from Margo Knight.  Our first class was implosion/petal/lotus beads.  I'm not going to try to explain them, but I'll refer you instead to a detailed explanation on Lampwork Etc. by j2canoe entitled appropriately "How to Make the Implosion/Petal Beads".  Here are mine:

These are time consuming to make but worth it in the end.

Thallo silver glass

My next trial of Double Helix silver glass is Thallo, which is a beautiful green which reduces to iris green:

On the top row are two beads made by adding a  stripe of Thallo on the equator,  reducing.  The first is on transparent green, the next on transparent light green.  on the bottom row are two beads made by adding a small amount of Thallo to a mandrel, reducing, then encasing.  I love the turquoise in the first bead.  The last bead is made entirely of Thallo, which is reduced after shaping. 

I'll be taking a break from bead-making for the next week or two to prepare for the Georgia Goldsmiths Guild's Holiday Jewelry Marketplace, which will be held at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, 805 Mount Vernon Highway in Atlanta on Friday, November 18, 10 til 4 and Saturday, November 19, 10 til 3.  If you live in the Atlanta area, stop by!  Mentioning this blog will get you 10% anything you buy from my booth.