Lampworking day #114. What I did with the last bit of gas.

The torch needs gas to run.  I use propane.  I basically ran out of gas on Sunday and that really sucked.  It was my first time and I just didn't know what to expect.  I had just made a hollow bead and was really excited about making another one.  I got halfway there.  The bead was almost closed up and ready to be decorated when the flame started getting smaller and smaller and eventually just... got cold.  I don't understand how a flame can be cold but it definitely was.  The glass just stopped melting.  It was ugly.  Anyway!  That's why this is all I made on Sunday.  This is also why I haven't made anything else this week... not that I've had any time anyway... This week's been rough!

So yeah - I always take this picture in case a bead cracks while I take it off the mandrel.  None did this time.  :)  

And here's the size comparison to a standard dime.

...I made a set.  :)  It kind of matches my blog colors... I really love this combination.  And these are just great shades of blue and orange, in my humble opinion.  Thank you, glass manufacturing companies...

I like the depth that is created when you put a clear dot on top of a not clear dot.  It creates like a visual (not actual) dimple... kind of like blood cells?  It gives me the idea to try it in red... ;)  Do you see what I'm talking about in the picture above?  Or are you just thinking I'm nuts?

Of course I wanted to make a bunch of big-holed beads too but I only got to make this one.  This one's NFS (not for sale).  I'm slowly but surely making a set for my own necklace. 

My set's all different shades of turquoise on ivory.  This one's got a brown streak with silver dots.  I think this is silver, but I'm not sure.  It was in a lot of glass shorts I bought and nothing was identified so I could just be tripping.

And THIS... is the first hollow bead I make that I actually like.  :)

I put two of my murrini in it!

And I "decorated with stringer"...

The holes aren't dimpled but who says they have to be... I like that this bead is ROUND.

In the next couple of pictures you can see the hollowness of the bead.  :D

Oh and then OK there was a tragedy and I ran out of gas and I went up to my room sadly and made some pre-earrings with the last bit I had of sterling silver beads.  Hopefully next week I'll get my earring hooks and silver beads to get back in production.  I am totally stuck for now.

I'm pretty sure my mom has dibs on this pair but who knows...

I like this combination a lot.  The orange is fun and juvenile but the maroon with flecks has a kind of retro look to it that I love.  Then there's little druk beads on top that impossibly match - to me it's amazing.  These druk beads are just awesome. 

Oh and then these which I really like because they're tiny and cute with Citrine and Garnet gemstones.  My lampwork beads are really dark in these pictures and I appologize.  They're like royal blue with red-orange and green/coppery dots.  When I finish the actual earrings you'll see them again. 

I hope you enjoyed this post.  :)