Spring Abstracts

playing with frits and powders again

I tend to make abstracts during the warm months, because I need the heavy duty ventilation to cope with the dust. I made these during a brief break in the winter cold, to celebrate the coming of spring: a shop owner had asked for abstracts, but wanted something simpler than my typical designs which really are suited for beads 14mm and up. Besides new plant growth I was interested in using colors from my `neglected' tray---white, tan, brown---and the blue goldstone, also in the same mini-muffin tin.

These were the result.

I was particularly interested in capturing the ridges with the white thompson enamel (yet another cute little Jennifer Geldard trick); this meant I had to pay attention and make nicely shaped beads, so the troughs would be even. The other parameter is that I have a lot of 1--2'' effetre clear ends (though obviously I used some pinkish glass as well) each of which, attached to punty, equalled roughly one bead. Great way to use 'em up.

this is a closeup.

Though there's nothing particularly earth-shattering here, I'm really quite happy with these simple little beads. Effetre, thompson enamels, blue goldstone, on 1/16'' mandrels. February or March 2005, approximately 10--14mm hole to hole.