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WeirdWondrous β Harvest moon bead
Published: 2011-07-06 19:32:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 1029; Favourites: 33; Downloads: 12
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Description
Trying to make hollow beads, attempt #1. Not doing so well, but the crescent moon air bubble looks really nice!
Effetre glass, straw yellow.
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Comments: 10
To me it looks like the sun and the moon together. Well done!
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Oh.. you're right! It was a happy accident, I ment to make a bauble filled with air but failed, ending up with this bead.
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Still, it looks cool
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There's a trick to making hollow glass beads:
First, make two small doughnut-shaped spacer beads about half an inch apart from each other on a single mandrel. Then wind molten glass spirals, one on top of each spacer (one spacer and then the other) up and towards each other until the two spirals meet in the middle - creating a hollow space underneath. Finally, slowly heat the wound hollow bead until all of the windings melt together and become smooth.
That's the easiest way to make them, and starting with spacers ensures that the hollow bead's holes are nicely puckered.
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Yes! I managed to get to it on my second attempt, but I did not dare melting it down properly, afraid I'd ruin it. So I kept the semi-wobbly bead as a little reference.
Up and onwards! Now I need to get the hang of heating the two discs evenly.. I have learned how to make pretty discs now and can soon start playing with implosion beads, but managing two of them.... Not yet. XD
The spacer is a good idea. I'll start working with that and then advance to true hollows.
..The blobby one I made had a spacer, now when I think of it.
I am most grateful for any hints and pointers!
/S
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As you know, once you get past that fear of ruining the bead, it's so much easier! 
But I know exactly how it feels. I've ruined many a bead pushing my luck (so to speak) when attempting the more complicated glass techniques. Interestingly enough though, even many of those ruined beads were eventually adopted by people who liked them enough to want to wear them.
So apparently there's really no such thing as a ruined bead - unless it cracks. But even then, you can crush it into frit and make more beads with it!
As always, fun fun!
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Glaset var mycket ljusare innan jag arbetade med det. PΓ€rlan blev inte som jag tΓ€nkt, men de har en tendens att bli fina Γ€ndΓ₯!
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