From the kiln...

February has been cold, that deep dry cold that we get in Michigan. Chapped skin, cold feet, and a chilly studio. Actually, my studio has been too cold to bare on most days. Even the space heater can't keep up. In the last couple of weeks the temperature has been high enough to torch once.

Just to have the chance to play with glass I put some "bad beads" in the kiln to slump. Wonky beads make great cabs. I'm pleased with the raw results.

I still have some cleaning to do. I will shape with the grinder and take off any bead release that was hiding in the hole. The purple one in the bottom corner cracked in the kiln. I have plans for the pair!

This bead cracked around the hole taking it off the mandrel. I'm thinking about cutting the smaller end off and rounding it for a circular cab that will have the darker swirl at one end and the ivory at the other.

This is one of the better shaped cabs to come directly from the kiln. This bead was made of Bullseye glass and pressed in a lentil mold. It was misshaped and had a small fracture. Now it is a beautiful cab...almost ready for use.

This one has an interesting crack. I really don't know enough about glass at this point to diagnose, but I think I may have mixed glass. There might be some Bullseye glass mixed with Morretti. I made this bead quite a while ago and at that time was experimenting with using Bullyseye glass in the torch. No matter... it will make a nice fish tank decoration.

Last Sunday, when it was actually warm enough to torch I made a couple of hearts and some smaller beads that I plan to use in a bracelet. Everything needs to be cleaned, and I have time for that today since it is too cold to work back in the studio much longer. As much as I love winter, I am really looking forward to warmer temperatures.