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Making glass-beads
By spotogspindel | January 21, 2010
What an exciting start on my day! My friend Marianne invited me over to make glass-beads. I´ve never done anything like it at all before, and was super-excited!
Warming the glass-stud gradually in the propane-flame.
When it is glowing, you can twirl it around a metal-rod that´s been pre-fixed with some sort of poisonous stuff I don´t know what´s called, so it won´t stick to the rod forever, and you´ll end up with a funky decorative stick for you plant or something…
Yep, that´s me in the Mrs. Michelin disguise! So concentrated I can´t talk, then super-excited, and back to concentrated again. The googles hide the red and yellow flame, so it´s easier to see what you´re doing. Because of the gasses, we were half outside, so it was pretty cold, but SOOOO worth it!
Anyway. Twirling away.
O! We added some broken glass chips into a couple of them. See, the glass looks yellow, but it´ll turn out read. I like the magic of chemistry! The black thing next to it, is a heat-resistant spatula, to shape the beads with.
After the beads are made, you have to let them cool until they´re not glowing anymore, and then leave them in this cork-like insulation-stuff. For about half-an-hour or so.
Some of the colored glass-studs we used for the beads, along with two of the finished ones.
And here are the two first glass-beads I´ve ever made in my life! I still need to clean out the grey powder in the middle. We made several more, (and would have made even more if we didn´t run out of propane) but they wern´t cool enough for me to take home, before I had to leave.
See how the purple one has red dots in it? Thats from those little yellow chips. I know they´re not great, but I´m still as proud as can be! It was FUN!!!
And now I can cross out one more thing on my 41-list!
Topics: Technique | 6 Comments »
January 22nd, 2010 at 00:57
I think they look great!
January 22nd, 2010 at 04:24
you are awesome. this looks like so much fun mixed with a little danger! 🙂
January 22nd, 2010 at 06:12
Janne, this is SO super-exciting! I never knew you could do glass making with a propane torch! How fun to see how it’s done, and I can feel your emotion! I hope you will show us your beads at Artfest.
: ) lulu
January 22nd, 2010 at 18:25
funky fun! Looks like you’re having fun. Yay for doing something new!
January 23rd, 2010 at 06:05
janne, lucky you! i’ve always wanted to try working with glass. best of all is the glass making costume. hahaha kidding! the beads look terrific!
January 23rd, 2010 at 08:28
I’ve always wanted to do this and now that I’ve seen how much fun you had, I must (plus come up with my own list).