Essential Elements Part I: Lampwork Bead Making by Patty Lakinsmith

Yesterday I did my fourth day of lampwork bead making by going to Michel Dubouchet's.   (See post dated 13 February.)  There waiting for me were the 50+ beads I made on Thursday, 1 April.  I must say I was disappointed in the results initially.  However, when I look at them technically, I did make some progress.  Most of my dissatisfaction stems from the fact that the color of the beads didn't turn out as I had envisioned.  When I got home and studied them, I could see that aside from their color, they really weren't all that bad.  Will post photos later.


This morning I decided to return to Chris Fisher's Moretti Effetre Glass Characteristics Chart and discovered information that explains the results I obtained.  It also confirms that I tend to work way too hot for much of the glass.  I intend to print the chart and take it with me next time.


Friday of this week is my first "real" class in lampwork bead making with Renate Berner at Creative Glass in Volketswil.  I am so pleased that I was able to enroll as I made the request so late.  As things occur in this day and age, the bead artist I spoke about in my last post, Ginette Wyss, studied with Ms Berner.


On the list of materials to take along to the course is a work apron!  Well, what does that mean?  A google search led me to Patty Lakinsmith's Essential Elements post in her blog, Plays with Fire.  

When she writes, "I know, I always feel like a dork wearing this to my classes at Arrow Springs when nobody else sports one. But I get distracted easily, and sometimes will put a cold rod into the flame (pointed at myself - how does this happen?), and end up being the bullseye for a flying hot glass projectile. That, or my mind will start to wander when I'm wrangling a huge blob for a striped cane, and the whole mess drips in my lamp. While I'm not known as a clothes horse, and it wouldn't be the end of the world to get some burn holes in some of my duds, it's the principle that bothers me. I'd just rather not. I know, you're thinking, "what will she be like when she gets to that 'forgetful' age", and well, I'm wondering that too. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, aprons. Right. The leather of the apron gives me a few seconds' worth of reaction time to either 1) scream loudly, 2) jump up and brush the molten bits off, or 3) curse like a sailor when these incidents happen. I feel lucky to have never suffered a serious burn because of my scatter brained tendencies."  I can really see myself in her words!


So, today I am off to see if I can buy a work apron!