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These photos are of our torchwork, also referred to as lampworking. It is a centuries old technique for making glass beads. Traditional beads are made using an open flame and rods of colored glass. The seventeenth-century Italian artisans used oil lamps ~ thus the term lampworking. Today bead makers use torches, some use the "hot head" torch and Mapp gas, that is what we started with. It is alot less of an investment to see if this is something you want to do. Now, we use a torch with a mixture of oxygen and propane gases. If you do very much at all, once you get your equipment it is so much cheaper for your gas, as well and Quiet! The artist uses a mandrel {stainless steel rod} coated with bead release, molten glass will stick to almost anything it touches. Both the mandrel and glass rod are heated and when the glass becomes molten it is wound onto the mandrel to make the bead. There are many different techniques used to create the unlimited different looks and shapes of the beads. Our Stained Glass Guild was holding a workshop in beadmaking about 5 years ago. I had played with a torch from the hardware store, not much besides making stringers to add to my fused pieces. Pat in his many years as a plumber had much more experience {and equipment} than I did. I suggested that we just go and check it out. Funny but on the Marble video Pat made with a local college he said "I thought beadmaking was girlstuff, I really didn't want to go, but my friend dragged me there". Now he can't stand going more than a few days without making a marble. Yea I got him a marble mold for his birthday about 3 years ago. Here are a few photo's, we haven't had much of a chance to get any good photos online. Very small stuff takes some really great equipment to see clearly. |
Kitty Beads
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Cats! what else would you expect from me?? These are actually two beads for each kitty. Then I put them on a wire stand. Actually where the wire stand is, is where the mandrel was during the making of the bead. As you can see these kitties look familiar.... yep! Miss Suzanna and The Governor.
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Heart N Heart Necklace
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This is Pat's delicate work of a heart~n~heart necklace. It took plenty of pratice too! He puts lattacinno or a solid color stringer around the edge, no simple task. He first designed this for his wife.
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Pat's Blue Marble
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THE MARBLE, he usually doesn't keep them long enough for me to find a way to get a photo of them. I took this during his marble video. Very soon I hope to add more. He is the Marble King around these parts. I have made marbles, and finally found something in glass that men like! Even women like them and sometimes I have glued a hanger so they can be hung in a window. But since a serious surgery I just haven't had the endurance to make one without Pat's help. Once you start work in the torch, no breaks! You have to keep the glass moving constantly or it falls to the floor and trust me not fun! During our first few marbles we did do some chasing balls of fire across the floor! |
Pat's twist marble, made with lattichino
| Kat's blue combing swirl marble  |
This photo shows several types of marbles, and that it is difficult to get a good photo of marbles!  | |
Last update August 25, 200l
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