Blown Hollow bead paired with two regular beads

My new favorite style

Elusive Petal Bead Technique

Tried and tried to figure this style out myself with fair results but not good enough for my liking. Thankfully, located a tutorial. Ahhh! I can finally make petal beads.

Orange is Black & Black is Orange

At least when they are melted.  This is a difficult color combination.  Black glass is orange when it is melted and orange glass is black when it is melted.  Applying melted dots of one color to the cooled base of another color is difficult because the colors are the same at that point.  There is very little visual difference to aid in proper dot placement.  But I LOVE orange and black so.....

Photographing beads may actually be harder than making them.  May need to take a class someday.

Harlequin Set

Practicing dots again.  Trying to make pairs that match in size, shape and pattern for earrings.  Strung the practice beads on a simple choker and will wear this way until I do something else with them.



Cigar Box Display

This morning, on the bus to work, I finally got some beads organized into a Cigarbox Display.  One hazard - one of my beads fell and went rolling down the aisle from the back of the bus almost to the front.  Write that one off I guess?  No - the gentleman in the seat next to me hiked up front and retrieved it for me.  Chivalry LIVES!

Dots & Stripes Choker

As always - the beads are changeable.

I love this changeable necklace style!

The doubled chain fits through the larger hole beads I've been making and are stopped at the end by the charm ring.   I just made the red bead yesterday.

Apple Core Bead on two different backgrounds. Wow - what a difference!

First Attempts in Several Styles

Left to right:

Paws - Been wanting to make dog paws 

Starfish - this style still needs work but not bad for first attempt

Harlequin - I am more proud of this dotted bead than ANY of my other beads because it shows dot control

Twisted dots - love this style and this bead was my first attempt

My first entry

As a beginning lampworker, a blog will be a nice way to track my progress and share photos with friends and family.  Made this Mickey Mouse bead for a co-worker who is a die-hard Mickey fan.  It was fun figuring out the "suit."