Trade beads for Margo's class

I can't believe we only have one more class this summer!  We all agreed that we wanted to make bracelet-sized beads to trade with each other so that we each can make a bracelet.  The colors we agreed on were the following: light and dark ivory, light transparent aqua, color (Effetre heat wave) and pea green.  We don't have to use all of the colors in the beads,so I chose light transparent aqua and light ivory to create a beach scene.  Then I added murrini made from light ivory and coral to create a sea shell effect.

I can't wait to see what everyone else came up with!

Scallops

These beads are a take on scallop shells and are easy to make with a lentil press.   I started with light ivory glass, adding enough glass onto the mandrel fill the center of the lentil press, but not enough to go out to the edges.  Next I wrapped a twistie around the bead, and pressed again, this time filling the lentil press.  I used a variety of glass for the twistie:  light ivory and light amber, light ivory and dark amber and light ivory and rose quartz  (CIM 511907).  Finally, I textured the lentil with a knife, adding indentations along the edge of the bead, and the making incisions from the indentation of the middle bottom of the bead.  Here are the results:

The bead at the top left is made with a dark amber/ivory twistie, the one on the top right from a light amber/ivory twistie and the one on the bottom with the ivory/rose quartz twistie.  I should mention that I tried a twistie of pink opalino with ivory and the pink turned a nasty brown color as I was texturing the bead.  Evidently I got the bead too hot.  I haven't had problems with pink quartz.

I've been making so many shells that I've run out of light ivory, so I'm going to have to make a run to Flametree Glass to stock up.

Lucky seven bracelet

Yesterday, at the monthly meeting of Southern Flames, we made a leather bracelet using seven lampwork glass beads that we made or purchased.  Gerry and Stephanie White, of Beads by Design, guided us through the process.  Basically, we strung 2 to 3 beads on three strands of leather held in place with a jig.  The ends were finished with knots which were glued in place.  The completed bracelet is shown below:

The beads themselves were made from Ekho glass from Double helix.  The class was cooled then heated until I was pleased with the colors;  then the beads were encased.  I used 3/16 inch mandrels so that I could easily string the beads on the leather cords.  I'll be making more of these!

Augers

Next in the shell series (also from Small Shell Tutorial by Diane Woodall and Becky Mason) are augers:

These beds are made from a oval base bead, which is marvered so that there is a long end and a short, thicker end.   The bead in the lower right was made from a base bead of sediment;  all of the others were made from ivory, the lower left was dark ivory, the tops beads light.  The bead on the upper left had an additional layer of a twistie made from light ivory and medium transparent topaz.  After shaping the bead, an indentation is made in the thicker part of the bead and a dot of pink is added.  I used rubino oro in the top bead, which I think is too dark.  The others were made with pink opal, which worked fine, except for the sediment bead, where the color was muted.  Not sure if I'm going to use this combination.  Finally, the lower part of the bead is heated and a spiral is carved into the bead with a knife.  And you have augers!
Coming soon to my website:  etsy.com/shop/DeborahDRoss.

Sea urchins

More shells from Diane Woodall's and Becky Mason's small shell tutorial, this time sea urchins.  These are relatively easy;  just make a round bead, flatten the bottom, and place dots on the top section:

The dark green beads are made with Commando (CIM 475), while the light green are made with Lichen (Vetrofond 986).  I tried dots of raku (upper righ0t, but I think I like dots of silvered ivory better (the remaining beads).  I'm coming up with some good ideas about how to use these in jewelry, so visit my web site (etsy.com/shop/DeborahDRoss) in a month or two.

Sand dollar beads

Long walks on the beach at sunset are my idea of a vacation.  I'm trying to capture that feeling by making shell beads.  When I found out about Becky Mason and Diane Woodall's Focal Seashells and Small Seashell Collection Bead tutorials I had to buy them and try them out.  Here are some of my first attempts at sand dollar beads:

In their tutorial, Becky and Diane recommend using mandrels with bead release in the middle.  They suggest pouring bead release into a small container so that it mounds on the top, then rolling the middle of the mandrel.   I can't seem to use their method without slopping bead release all over my bench and wasting a lot when I pour it back into my container.  instead, I use a Nalgene bottle for my bead release.  By tilting the bottle, I can get bead release up to the middle of my mandrel.  I know this method is also wasteful;  after all you don't need all that release on the end of the mandrel, but it seems to work better for me.  Anyway, both methods will allow you to flip the mandrel and so that you are always adding dots and stringer from your "right" side.  Thanks, Becky and Diane, for sharing.

My take on Harvest Moon

I recently purchased a tutorial by Jacqueline Parkes describing how she makes one of her gorgeous organic beads, Harvest Moon.  After playing around with it, I discovered a video on Corinna Tattinger's website describing how to add to silver foil dot to a bead.  Wow!  What a combination.  Here are my beads:

Doesn't the silver foil moon just pop!  As usual look for jewelry made from these beads in my Etsy shop:  etsy.com/shop/DeborahDRoss.