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Sunday, July 25, 2010

ABS Carnival Bloggers... Exploration

Exploration….

“Exploration is the act of searching or traveling a terrain (including space, see space exploration) for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans. In human history, its peak is seen during the Age of Discovery for Europe's contact with the rest of the world, and Major explorations after the Age of Discovery for scientific exploration in the modern era.”

This is an interesting topic for me as my first University degree was in Geology and I spent a number of years working as an Exploration Geologist… OK so none of the above is the type of exploration that relates to art beads… however lets grab the phrase ‘the act of searching’ that is what I have spent the last 17 days doing.. searching through my hords of ‘double helix’, Rocio & TAG silvered glasses … trying to recreate a bead…

I had/have a pendant in the gallery… , a cutomer saw it… She wants a pair of earrings made out of the same bead!



No problem, …. HA HA… base white… swirl of silvered glass … psuedo encased…. Well I have tried almost every rod of different silvered glass that I have… approx 30… I have 3 different whites I’m sure they all do something different and at least 5 clears…. Do you have any idea how many beads I’ve made in the last 17 days… since I had to make at least 2 of every test in case I got it right….

Here's about 20 % of the beads....



The first week they were actually pretty beads… now they are fuggly… totally FUGGLY! This morning after I pulled yesterdays beads out of the kiln I officially gave up! The woman will not get her earrings!

However some of the beads have been lovely! This bracelet (probably Kronos) lasted two days in the gallery... I rescued the fuggly beads by adding coin pearls to them and actually the jewellery is OK....





I HATE to admit this but I still haven't quit trying... I'm thinking that the glass is actually original Olympic Rain... I just need the humidity to match the day that I made that first bead and I'll be all set!

7 comments:

brokenteepee said...

They aren't fuggly.
They are lovely.

Anonymous said...

Those are beautiful! I hope you figure out the recipe!

Nicki said...

I think they look really cute. Like them a lot.

Elaine said...

Definitely don't think they're fugly. Wouldn't have noticed they weren't perfect if it hadn't been pointed out to me!

Then again, I get asked to go back and colour match old pieces and this almost always means head+desk injuries.

Islandgirl said...

OK I need to explain fuggly here... I was hoping for white beads with a bluey green overlay and got brown... in a generous mood I'll say cinnamon overlay...

If they had been what I wanted they might indeed be very pretty beads but from my memories of colour theory if you put any 3 colours together you get brown... I wanted blue... therefor FUGGLY!

The rather lovely bracelet that I made out of the brown ones got pawned off on a gallery as I couldn't see myself selling it without grinding my teeth!

Cindy Gimbrone said...

Precisely the reason one cannot retro-create - I did that once and it isn't worth the time and effort you have to put into re-creating a happy glass reaction. Sorry you experienced that! :-( The beads you made are lovely but you're right about too many colors and you've got brown. Glad you were able to sell your bracelet - it's gorgeous!

steufel said...

I would gladly take all of them. If that is fugly I'm absolutly fond of fugly -)