Tuesday 5 January 2010

Remember these?

Lampwork Glass BeadsMy 'Plume' beads. These are the beads that I've been trying to recreate on and off for over two years now. I've finally rediscovered how I made them ..... but is that a good thing?

These are fickle. And fussy. I think the reason I couldn't quite recall how I made them was because my mind had blanked out their annoying aspects!

Sure, they're pretty and effective and all that but my goodness, one bit of glass out of place or just using the wrong colour glass means the whole bead is doomed.

Recreating this design has been both an interesting and frustrating exercise but don't expect sets of these beads for sale. Why? Because for every decent one there are about eight failed attempts and that is NOT a good beadmaking ratio.

And this is why, lovely customers, I don't do commissions or remakes. Sometimes you just can't go back and simply remake something. I've spent two days on this design and those three beads up there are all I have to show for it. Time to draw a line under the Plume beads, methinks .....

13 comments:

  1. Oh sweet memories of those beauties - they are simply scrummy but do look a pain to make.
    Glad you kicked the design into touch in the end even if you aren't going to make sets of them.

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  2. While they are beautiful, I certainly know what you mean about trying recreate something...can be a pain.

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  3. I know what you mean, sometimes things just don't want to be re-done and it's best to call it quits. They are very beautiful though....

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  4. They are rather lovely though, I can see why you wanted to try and recreate them.

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  5. Oh wow i love your beads! My english is not so good sorry, but to say how fantastic i find your beads, its enough :-). I like to make the beads from the tutorial "Roly Poly Bead" that i had bougth from you.

    Greetings form Salzburg - Austria

    Roswitha

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  6. i bet that all of your rejected ones are brilliant as well!! you are such a perfectionist :) they are lovely x

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  7. Customers never understand when I say it may be difficult to reproduce matching beads to make a bracelet to match a necklace for example, even if it's something I made only a few months ago. (And oftentimes I just don't want to anyway!) I recently had to replace a pair of earrings that got lost in the christmas post on a range that I'd already decided not to do any more of. I would really have preferred to just refund the money.

    PS Maybe you should do a tutorial on the plume beads if you're not going to make any more yourself?!

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  8. Woweee Laura they are simply stunning. I can only imagine the time and thought that has gone into making these beauties. Even though they cannot be bought, it is nevertheless so good to see your artistic talent. Just amazing.

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  9. ... before you forget again! (nag, nag, nag!) :-)

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  10. Sue - nope, there won't be a tutorial. There are so many pernickerty things about making these that I would never be able to include them all and then I would be answering a constant stream of questions.

    These beads are just no more.

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  11. oh.. but they are so beautiful....
    m

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