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... and now, a public service announcement, from
our sponsor:
| Worried
that you, or someone you know has a serious BEAD
ADDICTION ?
Do your family and friends
think you're addicted to beads ?
Do you sometimes wonder yourself
?
Do you go to WalMart for groceries and come back
with plastic fishing tackle boxes instead ?
Worried that if you buy any more beads you'll
have to turn your bedroom into a beadroom?
Use our handy
diagnositic tool to see if you need professional
help:
Press your left index finger
to the button on the screen and hold there for
ten seconds.
Now click below to view your
results:
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At
the request of my students
and a couple of internet voyeurs,
I have another page of more
detailed pictures of my studio
set - up:
MORE
STUDIO PICS
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This
space intentionally left blank.
I have
better things to do than sit here and amuse
you, ya know!
There's
BEADS
to be made !!
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Here's
my workbench.
The
kiln is on the left, the torch centrally
located, and my glass and tools on the
right.
Notice
my ventilation hood above the work space.
Ventilation is very important.
Off
to the right, you can see my oxygen tank.
The propane is outside. |
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This is how I used to store
my glass rods.
I
primarily use Italian Moretti glass. I
store the clear and dichroic glass in
mason jars. I keep a small inventory of
glass rods and supplies for sale to students
and local beadmakers, so now the glass
is kept in a trunk on wheels!. I'll have
to get a picture of that!
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I
bet you're wondering about the fairy,
aren't you ?
She
is an original work of art done by my
British friend, Jacqui Barrett, a muralist.
She keeps me company, and helps me work
my magic. Now if only I could get her
to stop sprinkling that fairydust all
over the workbench..... |
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This
is me, working at the torch.
You can see
my glass rods behind me, as well as one
of the most important pieces of equipment
in my studio: My CD player. I can't make
beads without music !! |
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These
are stringers and latticino cane.
You
heat glass rods 'til they're molten, then
take them out of the flame and pull them
to make thin "stringers" to
decorate with. That's how you get the
fine detail.
Latticino
cane are made from several rods which
are melted and twisted together to make
beautiful striped patterns. |
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Just
so you know you got the complete tour..
everything including the
kitchen sink.
Okay,
the garage sink.
Across
from my workbench is a sink where I can
clean out my beads, and wash my glass
rods. A beadmaker's chores are never done,
it seems. Now you know why I have dishpan
hands. |
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Want to see it in person
?
Yes, I do give LIVE studio tours and demos.
If you're going to be in the Virginia Beach
area and would like to stop by, please email
me and we'll see if it can be arranged.
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