Weekly Challenge 6/22/03 to 6/29/03

[Lara]

Hello everyone! I've been asked to host this week's challenge. I'm having problems remembering what all has been a challenge here, so if I repeat, please forgive.

The challenge is an easy, but fun one, abstract beads. Some might call them organic, but I like abstract.

Here are some examples (mine of course).

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Jun-2003/10029-tdok_1.JPG

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Jun-2003/10029-pointy_tab_ok_wc.JPG

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Jun-2003/10029-purple_stone_cor_ok.JPG

Lara

[ValorieCox]

Great challenge Lara, and beautiful beads! Val

[Foofaraw]

Can anyone participate in this challenge? A little outside of the box for me, but hey, never know could stumble upon something neat.

Jenn

[McDuck]

I can FINALLY participate in a challenge! *happy dances*:D now to work on shape....more to come! mary...errrr...McDuck

[toozygoot]

Great beads Lara! Great challenge! I haven't been good at these, but since I will finally be connecting up this afternoon, I can give it my best shot.

Anyone can participate! It's more about learning and challenging yourself to something you may not have tried yet. My goddess entry was pathetic but I posted it. Don't be shy! Since I have been torch deprived for so long, I know I can go back and practice a new form. This is how we grow - in the guiding light of supportive friends.

pat

[Foofaraw]

Will definitely be something new, I can be very anal about things such as dot placement, scrollwork etc. To have a complete freeform is way outside the box. I think I will start by having Zach make one (six year old) this is the norm for him as he doesn't have much control, but loves to add lots of colors. Then I will follow his lead.

Torch party at my house!

Jenn

[JCA]

Pat
Your Goddess wasn't pathic. You gave it a Grand Shot.
I will be in on this one.
Have A Great Day ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Mr. Booger
Jim

[bolimasa]

Lara,
Could you give me advice on how to achieve effects similar to yours? I look at organic beads and think WOW! how do they do that?


Linda

[JavaGirlBT]

Cool challenge! Thank you, Lara.

I try to make an "organic" bead and it ends up looking like a mess. Any tips?

[Smedstad]

Hi all,

Now here's one I can participate in. I'm an organic. I tend to think in color combinations when I am planning my beads and see these combos all around me in daily life. In this case, I was looking to match a dress I bought which is crying out for a necklace with a large organic focal bead. You will never guess what colors I actually used on this (other than dark ivory, which is obvious).

Now I need to reproduce this for earrings and a few accend beads.

Please excuse my lousy photography.

Debbie

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Jun-2003/11073-organic.JPG

[glassyeyed]

I really want to try this, but I just don't know how to start. So, I'll ask too. Any tips?

[Lara]

Hi:

Yes, everyone can participate, the more the merrier. The cool thing about abstracts/organics is that there is no set way to do them.

Thanks for the compliments on my beads guys.

Some of you asked for tips.

When I think of "organic" I think if ivory. Don't know why, I just do. For those of you that haven't done an organic or are not sure what to do, make a dark ivory bead, swirl it with intense black then heat the snot out of it. Let it sag and swirl, the colors with spread and break apart giving you a really cool bead.

The top 2 beads above was from a technique in Cindy Jenkin's new book. I can't remember by whom, sorry. Those beads were made by building up a very large disk. I started with an ivory disk, added grey, blue, purples, tranparent cobalt, copper green, then melted it all down from a disk that was very tall and skinny. As it melted it sagged and fell on itself. Then I got it into a round shape, added stringers of dark ivory, then on top of that intense black. Heated the snot out of it and shapped.

Hope that helps.

Lara

[Plays with Fire]

Originally posted by Lara
Hi:

... swirl it with intense black then heat the snot out of it. ...Heated the snot out of it and shapped.

Hope that helps.

Lara

So, Lara, when you heated it, the snot, what, boiled out of it? dripped? Sorry, I couldn't help myself...
Beautiful beads, btw! Snot or no snot!:D

[Lara]

:D HEE HEE, well, nothing really came out of it, but I tried.

Lara

[papiermoonglass]

Count me in too! Organic is a stretch for me I'm usually so geometric, so I'll definately give it a shot...

Thom

[Ignuss-Fatuus]

well here is my first abstracty thing for this challenge...it turned out kinda cool and yes the pic is of the same bead from 3 different angles! its one of those weird sculpturallu bumpy swirlie attempts :) schermo does it best though :) but im not too ashamed of this one !
karin

[McDuck]

Oh Karin that is an awsome beadie! Here are my first two organic like beadies. Sorry no real ivory stringer in this house yet! Bead release blew on the orange one, black one needs a bit better shape but the bead release started to blow on it too :mad: . I might have fixed the problem with it, but, it still blows sometimes on the first gather! Hope you like em! -Mary...errrr...McDuck, needing the bead release fairy to smile on me!

[imLeroysBaby]

Question? I just love these beads and have been wanting to make one. Is the silvored ivory made out of the silver sheets you can get a Michaels and Hobby Lobby? I am going to Hobby Lobby today, will pick some up if it is. Doesn't Hobby Lobby sell pixie dust as well. I guess these are questions for Anne, she seems to always know what is going on at Hobby Lobby. Ha ha ha ha ha.

[paskon]

Originally posted by imLeroysBaby
Question? I just love these beads and have been wanting to make one. Is the silvored ivory made out of the silver sheets you can get a Michaels and Hobby Lobby? I am going to Hobby Lobby today, will pick some up if it is. Doesn't Hobby Lobby sell pixie dust as well. I guess these are questions for Anne, she seems to always know what is going on at Hobby Lobby. Ha ha ha ha ha.

No, don't buy that stuff at the craft store! It is not real silver and will turn black and yucky if you try to use it on a bead. You need the pure silver leaf or foil; you can mail-order it from the Glass suppliers like Arrow Springs, Frantz, Sundance, CR Loo, etc. I think that Dawn also has an ongoing bulk buy in it, right? I stocked up from her original bulk buy and she had great prices. I haven't heard anything about this lately, so I don't know if she is still doing it. Anyone else know?

Now, the pixie dust is a different story. All pixie dust is made from mica so it can be used, though some colors work better than others. I think the metal colors work the best. I don't really know; I bought mine from Arrow Springs or Frantz myself. I did buy some mica flakes that were made for use with polymer clay and used it on Xmas tree beads to look like snow...it worked very well. The pixie dust I have bought that is made for lampworking is finer, like a powder. The mica flakes I bought were flakier.

HTH!
-Patti

[dark13ootique]

Since I got the new torch, I've been doing lots more organics because they turn out so much cooler in the hotter flame :D I'll have one tonight! :D

[toozygoot]

Oh! I love what I am seeing! If it were only that simple to come up with these results!

Question: which rods have the magic snot in them to begin with - is it the intense black? :D

And thanks Jim!

pat

[Blair]

The intense black is what Jim Smirchich uses in his webbed beads (there's another webbing effect that uses opalino's, I believe, but they are different effects). Basicly you sort of drizzle fine lines of intense black all over your bead, work it really molten (melt the snot out of... I couldn't help but laugh at that!) in an oxydizing flame, and the black will break down and web out. Really cool look! I've been playing with it myself a lot lately. As soon as I get back to my scanner this afternoon I'll post a picture of my organic I did last night.

Blair

[Jillie Beads]

Here is my attempt at the weekly challenge! Ivory base, silver ivory stringer, dark amber stringer and encased in light amber. I cannot finish a set of beads to save my life lately, so I guess I will just work on focals! I was pretty pleased how this one turned out! Jill
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jun-2003/10522-bichallenge.jpg

[beachbeads]

I love this type of bead. Here is one from last night, purple, coral, grass green and silver. Sheila
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jun-2003/16202-organic.jpg
Sorry about huge photo! I need a new photo progam!

[Foofaraw]

Everyones entry looks wonderful. I made one last night, it almost killed me just randomly putting stuff and and melting it all together. I made it into a tab, which was my first tab that came out the correct shape. So if nothing else, I learned that I do have the ability to make a tab. I will be posting it tonight. My digital's batteries are low and I need to get some more!

Jenn

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Smedstad]

Believe it or not, my entry (above) has no black at all. Frankly I was surprised at how it turned out which is why I asked people to guess what colors were in it. I too use the intense black quite often to get that webbed effect, but not in this one. I've had no luck at all with the Opalino and stringer method. Mine all come out looking scorched.

The colors I used in the bead.

Dark Ivory base
Avocado
Silvered EDP stringer
dark brown stringer

I am bummed that I can't take better photos. It's much nicer in person. I am looking forward to trying to match it with some accents for the necklace to be.

Debbie

[JavaGirlBT]

Here's mine that I made last night. Dark ivory base, silvered ivory stringer, ink blue, copper green and gold aventurine frit. I can't decide if I like how it came out or if it's just a mess....


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jun-2003/10401-organicfocal.jpg

[Foofaraw]

Here is mine, ivory, silvered stringer, light, med and dark turqouise and a dark brown. In addition to being my first abstract, it is also my first successful tab.

Jenn

[Happy Beader]

Here's one I tried. Can't remember exactly how I did it.


Teresa

[Jacinthe]

Here it is:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/20424-organic.jpg

[AMR GlassWorks]

Originally posted by imLeroysBaby
Is the silvored ivory made out of the silver sheets you can get a Michaels and Hobby Lobby? I am going to Hobby Lobby today, will pick some up if it is. Doesn't Hobby Lobby sell pixie dust as well. I guess these are questions for Anne, she seems to always know what is going on at Hobby Lobby. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Nope! Sorry! The foil you can get at HL is not the same thing, trust me on this!! :rolleyes: I haven't seen the pixie dust there either. I've seen the extra fine glitter but that's not it!!

[imLeroysBaby]

I don't know about HL but when I was doing PMC I found some pixie dust at Michaels. I was just wondering if they might have it at HL. Thanks for the help Anne.

Babysitting my niece today and we are going shopping she is 5 months old so it is how well she decides to act as to what I get done. Haven't been to HL since they first opend. Hope to have some time to look around.

[Emily]

We don't seem to have Hobby Lobbys around here, so I couldn't say for sure, but they might sell Pearl-Ex, which is a brand of colored mica powder like Pixie Dust. Some colors work better than others. The duo blue-green was a disappointment for me. Interference violet was subtle but cool. The metal colors (gold, bronze, silver, copper) seemed to work best.

I'd stay away from glitter. It's probably plastic, which will go cruddy and smell nasty in the flame. Even if there's glitter made from actual metal, it's probably something like aluminum, which will just crud up.

A tip for anyone new at organic beads -- they're an excellent opportunity to play with gravity. After you apply your colors, selectively heat part of the bead, turn it really slowly in the flame until the colors move, or tilt it until the colors travel, then marver to re-shape. Don't be afraid to lose the perfect shape of your bead temporarily -- even Jim Smircich, Mr. Perfect Pucker himself, lets his beads go through a sharp pointy end phase before he tilts the ends back down and restores the pucker.

I've been having fun with organics lately -- I have a little heap of what I'm unofficially calling the "Swamp Thing" series -- but I'm photo-challenged, so no pix.

[Shirley C.]

abstracts, or organics, are my favorite. i have a problem with depth perception so dot placement for me is a real challenge. i don't have to worry about that with abstract stuff.

here's a bead that came out of my kiln this morning. the picture is kind of dark (i put it on the scanner), but you get the idea. this is 2 views of the same bead.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/10433-organic.JPG

[Briatha]

Wow fantastic abstract organics everyone!!
What determines if eye candy is organic?
I love abstracts :D
I've saved many a mistake by making them into an abstract :evil:
These really did start out as an abstract & not a mistake.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/17321-PurpleMadness1.jpg

[lorwolff]

MY VERY FAVORITE!
I love organics. Must be my natural food background LOL.
I hope I am not being to oink oinky..., but these are some of my recent favorites.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstracts.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstract1.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstract2.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstract3.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstract4.JPG
and last but not least
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/21905-abstract5.JPG

[lorwolff]

oops doubled up on last 2. so sorry:confused:

[Lori Peterson]

OK, I'll bite.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Jun-2003/12192-soft062403a.jpg
Everybody's stuff looks really great.

[Lara]

Lorine:

Great beads, are those silver fumed?

Lara

[lorwolff]

Lara, Nope..., I don't really do fuming.
I would like to, but so far I don't think my ventilation is the best, so I am waiting till I get a fan.
I use silver leaf, foil, and gold leaf.
I also love to mess with the oxy / propane balance, and see what reducing does to different colors.

[ValorieCox]

Oh my Lara, what a great weekly challenge you've got going here! Where has the week gone, I'm just looking these over now!

Lara, you know how much I like your organics--great colors and shapes, organic in the truest sense!

Debbie, wow! what is the length of that gorgeous bead? Very impressive shape, and I love that you created it to match a dress! (oh and it looks like you are 'next' to do the challenge!)

Karin, those are beautiful! You did an excellent job of adding in those interesting shapes and colors to the center, while maintaining your base form--very nice!

Mary, You are doing great! Look at your colors and great shapes already! :clap: I sure like that red one! Watch your puckers--you should be able to maintain them on a tab or bi-cone just like you do on your rounds. (PM if you need some tips).

Jill, Ooh, I love those colors and your earthy pattern! No need to do set beads--keep making focals like those, it's luscious!

Sheila, Very nice shape and pattern!

Ellen, Wow, your bead is so elegant! I love those dark rich colors you put together, and look at your perfect shape. It looks like a long one too, very impressive!

Jenn, Great tab shape--so well balanced on all sides! Your color choice is wonderful, it reminds me of a carved piece of turquoise stone.

Teresa, Oh I hope you remember how you made that incredible bead--I could fall right into it--so much depth and complexity--I love this bead!

Sarah, wow, how many weeks has it been, and you are making uniform size beads for set? Very impressive. I really like the cone shaped ones too!

Shirley, Oh I wished you showed beads everyday, I can never get enough of your incredible creations! So much complexity, yet so much restraint--these are fantastic as usual!

Faith, lovely colors in your organics, and very nice form on those tabs!

Loraine, Oh my, those beads in the center photos are amazing, so many details to study, and your colors are fantastic! I better start paying attention, I don't remember seeing your work before--I love it!

Lori, Yum! Reminds me of a hot fudge sundae! You do so well with abstract organics when you venture over to this side, so glad to see you playing with them again! These are luscious!

Valorie

[margaretz]

Here's my set for the challenge this week- I really enjoy doing these, so this week's challenge is a blast!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/10019-bead005.jpg

[Beads-Me!]

I've missed the last couple of challenges but finally had a chance to work on this one! Great organics everyone! The shorter one of mine was a complete surprise. I blew a MishMash bead I was working on so decided to play around with it. I never would have guessed that it would turn out looking like this!! Too bad it's a little off kilter....

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/14950-OrganicWeeklyChallenge.jpg


:cool: Nancy

[margaretz]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/10019-bead004.jpg

Another one for the challenge- :-)

mlz

[LaurieB]

Originally posted by imLeroysBaby
Question? I just love these beads and have been wanting to make one. Is the silvored ivory made out of the silver sheets you can get a Michaels and Hobby Lobby? I am going to Hobby Lobby today, will pick some up if it is. Doesn't Hobby Lobby sell pixie dust as well. I guess these are questions for Anne, she seems to always know what is going on at Hobby Lobby. Ha ha ha ha ha.

Silver leaf needs to be fine silver, so I don't know if craft stores carry that.

BUT, pixie dust is just mica powder and mica powders are used by the embossers. And many crafts stores sell those supplies. Not all the colors work for us, however. (Talk about giving and then taking away) So, you'd have to experiment.

Good luck!

[Smedstad]

Debbie, wow! what is the length of that gorgeous bead? Very impressive shape, and I love that you created it to match a dress! (oh and it looks like you are 'next' to do the challenge!)

Well,

This is the first time I've posted anything in the challenge. I have so little time to actually work on beads. It's such a shame. Anyway, how does one get elected to post the forthcoming challenge? I seem to have been elected. I take it I have to come up with something that hasn't been suggested for a while.

Val, the answer to your question is the bead is about 2.5 inches long. It might be a bit longer but since the bead is at home and I am at work, I can't tell you for certain.

Debbie

[ValorieCox]

Originally posted by Smedstad


Anyway, how does one get elected to post the forthcoming challenge? I seem to have been elected. I take it I have to come up with something that hasn't been suggested for a while.


Yep, come up with something good and challenging! So far, we've been selecting for the following week's challenge, that artist who is the first to show a photo of new work from the current challenge, (or if that person doesn't step forward, then the next in line). Val

[snootyvixen]

Wonderful challenge, wonderful entries!

Not sure if mine qualify as organics - most of them use enamels - but they're kinda outta my box, so I'll just say they're my versions of organics!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/14836-beads62_organic_challenge.jpg

The red based floral at the bottom left, and the dull colored one at the top right are both etched.

The turquoisey colored bead in the center was an experiment - on the marver I laid down a strip of silver foil, then sprinkled some frit (can't remember what color, silver blue?) on top of it. Made my base bead in turuoise, rolled base bead on the silver/frit and burnished in as best I could. Then melted the whole thing in, encased in clear, and .... goodness only knows why ... rolled it lightly in the frit again. Melted that in, and came up with a mess! HAHA! Kinda looks like algae!

Vikki

[DurhamArts]

I will try to include a picture. This is my first go that this manuever, so we will see whether I can figure it out.



Gail from Portland

[LaurieB]

My turn!

We all know about Sharon's "Oh Sh** Flat Fish, right? Well, I was making an aqua and silvered ivory tab with reduced silver and it just got bigger and wonkier. Finally to wrangle it back in, I squashed it, pulled it, gave it fins and eyes and now am calling it an organic fish. After all, what could be more organic than an Oh Sh** Flat Fish?


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/16506-Fshorg.jpg

[bolimasa]

It seems like abstracts should be easy, but I find them kind of hard. I gues it is an art to to pick color combos that that work well to gether and don't get muddy.

Here are mine for this week.. the good, the bad, the weird:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/20440-abstract.jpg

Linda

[Alethia Donathan]

Just out of the kiln. I've been playing around with mixing copper, silver and glass

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Jun-2003/10944-riverrock.jpg
hmmm....not a good photo but you get the idea.

Alethia

[Renee_T]

do I get extra credit if I etched it?

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/11040-DCP_1334.JPG

[BabsW]

I rarely look at the weekly challenge but this time I did at the last minute and happen to have an organic that I made this week. The organic style never intrigued me that much but it can be fun and maybe I'll spend a little more time on them.

I never know if I want to etch or not even though I always like what I see of everyone else's. So I etched this one and blocked the roses. I like it a lot better etched. 40mm X 14mm, coral roses on twistie, which sort of got lost.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/11032-organic_w-roses_6-27-03.JPG

This second picture is of Kinari glass beads. The black, white, and red already have an organic look.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/11032-2_Kinari_beads.JPG

Hey, the new upload feature is great. Thanks WC.

:clap:

Barbara

[toozygoot]

I promised myself I would participate fully in the challenges, but this one is harder than any others. But here's the best of what I have done. I love all the inspiration here and the pics are definitely worth studying.

pat

[dichromary]

Hi everyone. Abstract is my favorite style. Not being familiar with Moretti, instead of opal yellow I picked up silver pink instead. After many iterations of heating and cooling, here is the result:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/22507-dv85.jpg

[Lara]

Great work everyone. I'm so pleased that my suggestion for a theme this week was so well received. I'm on vacation this weekend, so look forward to seeing the new topic on Sunday when I get home. Debbie, put on your thinking cap.

Lara

[blyneth]

Wow. Some of these beads are totally gorgeous! I am a relative newbie, and this is the first picture I've ever posted. I wanted to say thanks to Lara for explaining how she got her effect. I loved the idea of building up a disk with lots of layers of opaques and transparents. And this got me inspired to go to my torch. My final result doesn' t look like a lot of layers! But I liked this one anyway cause I threw in a little aventurine.
Disclaimer: It only looks good from one angle (the other side is mostly opaque ivory), and it's not particularly round!

blyneth

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/15070-layersBead1.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jun-2003/15070-layersBead2.jpg

[Beads-Me!]

Great beads everyone! I had a chance to make a couple more the other day.. The one on the left has a little bit of everything...silver foil, intense black stringer, turquoise, and nile green on dark ivory. The one on the right is a white base with transparent cobalt, ink blue and periwinkle..

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jun-2003/14950-WCOrganicChallenge.jpg

Fun challenge - can't wait to see what tomorrow brings for next week!

:cool: Nancy

[jacki]

This has been a great challenge! I have checked in every day to look at all the pictures. What fun! Great beads everyone :clap:

Organics have always been one of my favorites, now I would like to work on some organic shapes--intentional :D ---frills and cuts and other fun shapes.

Again, REALLY great beads, Fun challenge Lara. !!

This is an old one, but I like the simplicity of the color.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jun-2003/10183-*rb_disc.JPG

and this weeks challange beads

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jun-2003/10183-*organic_metals.JPG

This one is organic in shape as well, and pretty large.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jun-2003/10183-*org_disc.JPG

I found that some of the beads I really liked while making them, turned out too dark. I still like them, but they are too subtle to show up well.
Also found devit to be a problem with some colors, (other than EDP), any suggestions for that???

Jacki

[bolimasa]

Should I be offended?... a co-worker asks me about my challenge beads every week so I pull them upon the internet and show them to her. This week her response to my beads was:

I kind of like the the "bird poop" looking ones.

Oh well, at least I have one person in my life who expresses interest in my hobby, even if she is blatently honest.


Linda

[beadroolin']

Great Beads Everyone! I'm a very new newbie~been at the torch a total of 6 times turning out some major fuglies! These were my best and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out... Well, here goes...

This first one is about the size of a quarter (pics of both sides):

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/17331-organic06262003II.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/17331-organic06262003.JPG

The next two are big honkers...50 cent piece size. I had tried Sludge Plus on the flattened one instead of Foster Fire and the $@@%& turned loose, so I squished it and hoped I'd get it off the mandrel! Back to using my ever faithful Foster Fire! The other one is my first "kind of" bicone and I won't tell you how much time and oxygen these two took! I'm soooooo slow and still manage to burn loads of stuff!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/17331-organicsforwcchallengeII06272003.JPG
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/17331-orgnanicsforwcchallenge06272003.JPG
Hope the posting worked and isn't huge...keeping fingers crossed...:)

[Shirley C.]

Originally posted by bolimasa
Should I be offended?... a co-worker asks me about my challenge beads every week so I pull them upon the internet and show them to her. This week her response to my beads was:

I kind of like the the "bird poop" looking ones.

Oh well, at least I have one person in my life who expresses interest in my hobby, even if she is blatently honest.


Linda

Linda! At least it was organic beads about which she made the comment. I posted the back side of a bead a while back that had flowers on the front. I wouldn't show anyone the front of the bead because my hubby said that the flowers looked like bird poop. What is it about "bird poop", anyhow? :rolleyes: :D

By the way, I don't think your beads look like bird poop.

[Jacinthe]

Originally posted by ValorieCox

Sarah, wow, how many weeks has it been, and you are making uniform size beads for set? Very impressive. I really like the cone shaped ones too!
Valorie

Well I just checked that out today, cause I wanted to contribute to Corina's Challenge for July, and I lit my torch for the first time with my bad regulator on May 16, 2003. So its not even been two months since I started doing this. Does that qualify me still as being a newbie, I wanna participate in the Newbie Exchange... :-)

Hugs from Holland,
Sarah

[Teri.p]

What wonderful beads this week! As much as I admire organics, I didn't think I'd like making them myself. Thanks to this challenge, I learned that I do!!

Teri

Edit: That's a cat hair at the lower left of the tab - not a scratch. ;)

[cankeep]

I'm a little late to get on board with this one...actually I'm usually too late on most of these challanges though I love them! They always make me think a little "outside the box" or prompt me to practice something a little different.
Here's my latest organics

[dark13ootique]

Wow- we have some fantastic organic artists here! Even if you thought you weren't :D I finally got pics of the ones I did this week, and they're both the same design, so they don't look a whole lot different :) I'm late, I know! hehe!!

I thought these looked a lot like azurite- is that the right gem? When they press together lapis and malachite? Anyone know the right name?? help!!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/18889-azurite1.jpg

Azurite Alpha

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2003/18889-azurite2.jpg

Azurite Beta


:D Now to play with the dichro challenge.. will SURELY be a challenge for me, I don't use it much at all!

[papiermoonglass]

Okay so here's a few attempts at organic for me....this was a huge struggle I have to admit. I have a very hard time with what I would like to think organic should look like. Many of the postings here only made me more frustrated as I kept going 'How do they do that, I'm jealous' LOL....oh well I'll keep trying them and maybe sooner or later I'll be happy with one I do....

So here's four beads....

The top one is some copper green stringer with med tourquoise (I think) used to do some twisties, the second one I think would have been my favorite if my tank wasn't nearing empty and spewed crap all in the clear :D that I used to encase the silvered ivory, I may actually try this one again now that I have some GAS. The third one was my first organic, basically I can't even tell you what I did to it, LMAO....the last one was another spin off of the top one......

Thom

[papiermoonglass]

Here's my first try at the organic challenge. This is a tab that I etched....

Amy

[robinj]

Cool Amy! I think the red/white/black bead looks like a couple dancing!

[imLeroysBaby]

Everyone's beads look great. My attempt did not make it. So sorry, my digi camera broke so no pic either. Yes, my brand new digi camera that I have only had for 1 month broke. Going to take it back to Office Depot tomorrow. I hope they are nice. They won't like me when I'm mad. Ha Ha.

[papiermoonglass]

Originally posted by robinj
Cool Amy! I think the red/white/black bead looks like a couple dancing!


Thanks for the compliment Robin! Everyone's beads look so great. This was my first challenge and now I'm hooked :)

Amy

[blyneth]

beadroolin: These are great beads! IMHO. I have been at the torch many more than 6 times and haven't managed anything that cool. Waaaaaait a minute . . . how *long* were you at the torch each time? ;)

blyneth

Originally posted by beadroolin'
Great Beads Everyone! I'm a very new newbie~been at the torch a total of 6 times turning out some major fuglies! These were my best and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out... Well, here goes...

This first one is about the size of a quarter (pics of both sides):

[pics removed -- see above]

The next two are big honkers...50 cent piece size. I had tried Sludge Plus on the flattened one instead of Foster Fire and the $@@%& turned loose, so I squished it and hoped I'd get it off the mandrel! Back to using my ever faithful Foster Fire! The other one is my first "kind of" bicone and I won't tell you how much time and oxygen these two took! I'm soooooo slow and still manage to burn loads of stuff!

[beadroolin']

:) Thanks so much for the compliment Blyneth! Can't tell you how much it meant to hear that. Two of the 6 sessions were loooooooong marathons, but not many beads to show for it...Am I the only one that can spend an hour on a small poked eye bead???...I think that organics just suit my lack of organization~they remind me of the condition of my house. :p Globs of everything all over! Plus, you can always claim they turned out just like you wanted!:evil:
Robbie =)