Hi to all of my inspiration!

On Friday I received my copy of Corina Tettinger's "Passing the Flame". My heart just pounds when I see all of the beads that get posted on this forum. The book (this is the 2nd edition) is great and I can't seem to get enough of it. I am planning to go to Toronto for a weekend workshop with Amy Waldman Smith at BeadFX, hopefully in July. They have a brick and mortar & on-line store. Trouble is I don't know what I will do if I get hooked!! I already saw the panicked look on DH face when he was reading about flying hot glass, etc. (That's really not funny but the look on his face was!) I have done this before with stained glass - but got tired of renting studio time ($$) and since we are trying to downsize in the next few years I can't see putting a studio anywhere in the house. There are no lampworkers within 4 hours of where I live!

I guess the only way to see if it's something I would even be able to do is to try it! In the meantime, thanks for showing me a world of art I would have never been exposed to.

OH Lynn, I can guarantee you will have a blast, ignore the hubster and go for it, flying glass makes life interesting!!!

Remember to come and ask us lampies for tips if you get stuck, but you have made a really great start with Corinas book, the price is so prohibitive initially but oh my gordon is it worth the investment!!!!!

Hi Tan, thanks for the encouragement, your beads are always so awesome. I had read a thread about this book a month or so ago (could have been an old thread). Anyway, it did sound like the it was pretty pricey. However, BeadFX in Toronto had it for $75.00 regular and on sale last week for pre-inventory sale at $60.00 (30.00 pound) so I grabbed it. They do ship overseas but of course customs will get you at the other end. If anyone is interested here's the link but they are closed this Monday & Tuesday (23 & 24) for inventory taking (on-line store is closed as well). I let you all know how it goes.

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Great link Lynn, let me know when you start beadying and we can do a special lampie swap

Good luck Lynn!

I'm just home from a Bead Fair so I'm all tired out and not a lot of use, but I'll definitely be excited for you when I get my energy back! It does sound a bit daunting if there's no lampworkers nearby, but that's what the internet's for!

Have you checked out Frit Happens forum, and Lampwork Etc?



Oh, and congrats on getting PTF so cheap, thats an amazing bargain

Oooo your gonna love it Lynn!! I really believe that Lampwork is the perfect hobby for those with little space. Unlike Stained Glass you don't need a large bench that takes up loads of room and you can even pack it away if you need extra space(well thats what you tell your husband, even though you have no intention of doing so LOL). I think one tiny little corner shoud do it Wheres the harm in bagsying one tiny ickle corner of the house?

Have fun
Em xx

Okay - the deed is done. I have booked the class and the hotel accomodation so I guess this is for real now. I just hope I can get past my fear of driving in Toronto and finding the place. Thank goodness for google maps!! July 12 & 13th it is. Wish me luck

Lots and lots of luck Lynn, not that you will need any of it, you will be hunky dory!!!

oohh you were lucky to get into a class so quickly.
Have fun and let us know all about it when you get back.

Melanie

I am here and found the studio tonight before checking into the hotel (didn't want to get lost in the morning). I had time to check out the studio-it looks great. Only 4 people per class and the retail store looks fabulous! Can't wait to get going in the morning. Watch for updates tomorrow.

....and photos too!!!!

I hope you're having fun.

How exciting Lynn!

Have a fantastic time, can't wait to hear your updates (and see your pics! )

Have fun

ooo Lynn tell tell tell!!!

Well, we all arrived in our long-sleeved shirts, old jeans and toes covered (no sandals). Great - it's almost 30 here with high humidity!!
So the first thing we did was the safety rules regarding the torch and gases(now I know what POOP means) then about the different kinds of glass. We used the soda glass - Moretti she said. The instructor (Amy) made a spacer bead and then it was our turn . How the heck do you people do everything at the same time - warm the rod, the mandrel, keep turning both but don't get the bead super hot or let the gather droop? Yikes - I always thought I was a fairly co-ordinated person until today. Then we practised getting the "pucker" right, then using the marver and other tools. I like the squisher tongs because I love the shape of lentil beads.

After lunch we pulled stringers to use to make dots (or pointy blobs in my case) or put lines and squiggles on a tubular bead. I really like the effect of swirling in the bead with a cold stringer. That was neat. We also rolled some beads in frit but I think those will probably just look messy. By the end of today all our beads were in the kiln - about 10 each. I'm not quite so afraid of the flame itself, I think I can keep my hands out of it. I didn't realise that neither the glass or mandrel conduct the heat so you aren't holding hot items while trying to be creative! That was a plus.

Tomorrow we see today's work and then we will be doing encasing and using foil, some florals and scultural work apparently, but I really just want to learn to make nicely shaped spacers for now (maybe with layered dots if I can get that right). I'm exhausted from information overload and nerves but it was wonderful.

Now, I think I will work on the June-July challenge and relax and read your posts from the last week or so.

Wow Lynn, that was an excellent report!

Having just had Lesley and Kathy over here a couple of days ago, making their own first beads, I can really visualise everything you're saying - I bet they can too!

Enjoy a restful evening and I hope you have another fun and productive day tomorrow - you do know that your life is unlikely to ever be the same now, don't you?!