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!
I think they look great!
you are awesome. this looks like so much fun mixed with a little danger! 🙂
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
funky fun! Looks like you’re having fun. Yay for doing something new!
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!
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).