So, did I follow through?

Kind of.

I intended to spend 2 hours at Fiamma today, but spent 4 instead. It was a nice afternoon and I felt really productive.

I started with a few donut beads with some dots to get me in the groove. Then I went straight for the hollows. I tried twice and failed twice. The first time I went too big and too spread out. The second time I ruined the bead release. I'll keep trying at each open rental until I sort it out.

For the heart beads, I messed up two - I'm struggling with knowing how much glass will fit in the brass mold. I did get one done and put a leaf on it with a grass green stringer. I think I had the leaf perfect but then went in again to add to it - I think I messed it up. We'll see.

Regarding the set - I made 2 donuts on clear with the chili pepper frit. I deviated from the plan by making 2 clear donuts as well instead of 4 frit donuts. On the tube bead for this set I didn't make the swirls. However, later I made a similar tube with the same frit and made 2 really nice swirls and added some silver wire. I'm excited to see this bead. However, I used a 1/8th inch mandrel for the swirl bead and none of the others (all 3/32nds), so I'll need to make spacer beads to go with it next time.

I made a few other beads for funsies (including a bicone with 4 colors and silver wire) and that was it. I felt really good about today.

I also picked up beads from 2 weeks ago. I was really happy with these beads that form a cute little ladybug:

Tomorrow I Squish Glass (but this time with a plan)

So far when I've gone to smush glass I haven't gone in with a plan. I've been experimenting with techniques and made some similar beads but never intentionally. Tomorrow this will change. I've got four plans and potentially 12 beads in mind. I want to build my first 5-bead set - I'm great at donuts so the real experiment will be with the frit. Tubes and swirls are both new skills (I first learned them last weekend) so I'm not expecting perfection. I've tried hollow beads in the past, but I watched a video recently that used a tool to keep the discs thin and I will try that. I've tried the hearts before too, but never with the leaf, swirl, or frit - and I'm still working on getting the size right.

While I love my box of random beads, I'm excited and ready to start putting together sets. I'm not sure I'll ever make jewelry from them, more likely I'll sell or gift the beads for others to make jewelry with, but I want to get started. My mom is an Uber driver and a passenger recently told her to make her craft 100 times. Soon after, I heard about a parable from a Facebook reel about planning time vs. repetition - and repetition creating a better product in the end (here's the parable and the book it came from that is now on my TBR). So here it goes - I've got a plan and I'll report back on how well I stick to it and how they come out. Next weekend I'll do the same until my "quantity leads to quality."

(2/24/23)

First Post: I LOVE MELTING GLASS!

I made these beads. I have been a flameworker for 41 days now. I've never experienced a craft like this. There are so many things that I love:

• It's meditative - shaping a bead in the flame is like staring into a campfire. My brain is quiet.
• In all the other parts it uses my whole brain - you start with a plan and so far that plan has almost always gone wrong and I've had to change the plan mid-bead. I love the design and problem solving aspects that happen throughout the process.
• The possibilities are endless. So far I've just been experimenting and could continue experimenting forever.
• Beads are tiny and if you mess up and can't fix it you've lost less than 10 minutes of your life and learned a lesson.
• I've been stabbed and burnt and am not deterred.
• Melting and squishing glass is incredibly satisfying. Full stop.

The plan is to use this blog to track my journey, set some goals, follow through with those goals, and to someday be able to look back at how far I've come. I feel like I'm at the beginning of a relationship - I'm excited and giddy and very much looking forward to my next date but also seeing who I become as a result of this relationship.

(2/23/23)