Pictures from the Larry Scott class at Bifrost

Phew! That was a really hard weekend.
It startet out great with a short introduction of Larry and each of us students, while sitting down for a cup of tea


(must be a fine day ahead, right? :)

Then we went to the torches. Larry would demonstrate how to make the beads give us the materials and we'd get busy duplicating.
We had 8 beads on schedule during the two days, and began with an easy ivory and coppergreen design. Then on to larrys Peacock bead. Mine is not so fancy (the dots were too small to rake propperly), but here it is anyway, along with the Byzantine bead we were taught later on sunday.



The Filigre and Window beads went better. Here are mine, one etched to show the dark lines of silver on top of the ivory ridges, which is a trick he showed us.





By then evening had come, and those of us who wanted to, went out to eat locally. I had a wonderful time. I can't remember when I were last in a propper restaurant, and it was nice to be with people who also love beads :)
However - when we left to go home I didn't feel too well. I managed to get home and went straight to bed, proceeding to toss my cookies at regular intervals all night long. This was no fun and left me weak, dried up, tired and somewhat shaky. Not the best condition for precicion dot placement I'd say. The next morning I went to class, feeling fairly well most of the day, though the smell of lunch was no pleasure, even if I usually love lasagna :/

We were taught about dots, the Byzantine bead above, silver fuming, pulling stringers with a core colour, the No-name bead made with dark silver plum and Iris orange (which I gave up on shapeing)



and finally, the bead I had come for, the Night Sky bead



This bead has many more steps than any of the others, and of course I had to forget one (crusial) step, making my bead very dark and not so interesting. I did get the center dichrolayer down well (for a firsttimer anyway :), and some lovely massive swirls, so I am not entirely unpleased with it. And next time I'll definately remember :)
Here is a pic of how it should have been looking. I could not stand up the chance of getting one (or two as it may be) of Larrys beads, so here is the newest addition to my bead collection. A Byzantine bead and a Nightsky bead. Lovely :)



By now the afternoon was progressing and I were feeling quite poorly again, so I left during the last bead. I know how to make it though, if I should feel like it, although I would need a glass I don't currently have.

All in all it was a very educational couple of days. I have learnt a lot of little tricks and tips, and it was wonderful to get to meet Larry and the danish beadmakers. I should go on more courses :)
It was hard though. I usually only get to torch for about 4-6 hours in a week, so all this sitting and standing made my back a bit sore. But it's all gone now along with the sickness, and I am feeling fine.

Finally, here is Larry showing us the Byzantine and window bead.





P~

A class, a class, a beadmaking class!

I'm so excited!
In just one week (6 days to be precise) I will attend my second beadmaking class ever. The first one was a beginners course, just to get me started, and it was over 3 years ago! This time I am splurging on myself by having enrolled in a 2 day class taught by Larry Scott.

The class will be held at Bifrost Studioglas, which is where I went for my beginners course too, and where I get most of my glass. It is a great place I think, and I look much forward to 2 whole days of torching.
Imagine that, hours and hours on end of melting glass and learning new tricks. It will be glorious! And further more, I have arranged for a day off from work the day after, so I will have time to go through everything again at home. Super!

I have recieved a mail with pictures of the beads he'll teach us, and they look fantastic (can't show you, because I haven't asked permission, sorry). I look much forward to learning the techniques and trying it all out for myself. Both his byzantine beads and windowbeads are there, and also a lovely black one with silverblue swirls, looking like a galaxy in outer space.

The course was a spur of the moment thing, as Larry Scott was going to be in Denmark for the opening of an exhibition at Bornholms Kunstmuseum. It's all about glass beads and opens today. I hope to get to go and see it myself later in the year. It runs from january 17'th to march 14'th 2010.

In other beady news, besides lots of purple beads, I made this guy.



Unfortunately he is stuck on the mandrel and is now living with one of my favourite plants :)

P~

Greetings to a New Year :)

I love getting to stay home for a days on end, and this christmas I got 12 days in a row (the rest of the family got 16) Yay! We love sleeping in, and so our days will slowly start and end later and later. This makes starting up again very hard on all of us, especially in the winter with all it's darkness, but we just have to get to it I guess.

This is what I made from the nifty purple bead 2 posts back. I really like it and wear it everyday, even when it clashes with my blouses :)



I'm in a bit of a purple periode these days, it's all because if the frit. I have been making all kind of shapes using the same colours and I love all of them. I definately need more fabulous frits in other colours.
Here is one I have cored, fairly large, not a bracelet size (I've made those too :).





And here some tests on other basecolours.
Yep, I definately will get more frits :)



Happy New Year!
P~