Dies

Maybe not quite fancy but I`m happy enough to be able to make cube without mandrel :)

Encased flowers

Here I am beginning to be more satisfied with the look of flowers when they are encased with clear.

I was just enjoying my new accomplishment with encasing :)

Beads

Now I`m hooked to play with colors and make complicated twists. And still trying to perfect my handiness to encase. That`s all what I have been doing lately at the torch..

Penguins

Adult and baby

I`m learning to encase properly

This really takes a time. Wish I could have some master to learn from but maybe it`s just good that I`m going through all this process myself. These beads are just product of learning. However, today I guess I found a way to encase nicely. But I will see how it goes in next days.

Size comparison

I had a problem to find something international to put aside the glass figures so the one would see true measurements. Till eventually my cat offered to be a model :)

The white dot on a cats head is bead release witch i should clean...

Baltic snowman

Here i made Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian :)))

Evolution of cat

1. Batman.       2. "Indriķis."       3. Adam.       4. Eve.

Autumn

Oktoberfest is over but anyway...

These has a hole like a beads but I also managed to make without hole

The glass has arrived!

I doubt it`s normal but I had a butterflies in my stomach in the day I knew that courier will come with my glass! :)
Besides shopping glass has become really exciting, I cough myself thinking: "ohhh, wish I could try this type!... oh, and this one.. and this!!!"
I never thought I will be in love with glass! :) Tho I loved it always :)
Besides all other lovely glass, I purchased hand made Silver Black and famous Vetrofond clear. Also some Borosilicate glass. I already have a plan where to use Boro but that joyful work is left for the day when I won`t feel so happy. With this tactic I ensure that every day is wonderful, hehe.
I also got a bunch of stringers! I love stringers! :)

New shapes

Heart shape

Bullet

It`s the angry mandrel going through the hole of bead. I`m planning to play around with this technique and maybe make some more diverse flowers.

Vase

These I like to make. I feel like a real master when I`m shaping these vases, hehe. I`m not sure where to use them but brown one looks like a tiny cute pottery vase :)

Latvian autumn

About this creation I`m particularly proud :)
I have made pumpkins, chestnuts and diverse fall leaves. All that is lampwork.
I must say, I love glass sculptures and I would like to head that way. Just beads seems a bit boring but sculptures as beads are something worth to learn, I think. Sure I have a long way to go and no boundaries of knowledge to obtain. But it`s fun! :)

Hanging on summer and flowers

When I look at my flowers I just even more admire the work what Kim Miles puts in her work!

These are fun to make! I just can`t quite imagine the jewelry out of such a type of flowers...

But leaves can be ready earrings. Just have to improve my color mixing skills.

Re-creation

 The Flow magazine has posted pictures of historical bead re-creations from different places in the world. These types of beads have been found in Latvia 10th - 12th century.

I like braclets

Here are some jewelry I have made.

A bit of a work..

These encased stripes are the most difficult thing I have made so far. Fish scale is more about patience

I`m completely self taught in lamworks. So there is no other choice as to dig the net for the patterns. Thanks god there are people who share their skills and ideas. I really do appreciate it because I live in country where are too much damaged persons by soviet time. And I`m used to see greedy and envy ones.
So thanks to all of you who see the joy in sharing.

Here is "modern art" style :)

That`s how it started

A year has nearly passed since I was collecting and making jewelry out of beads I bought from a local hobby shop, when I was living in Norway. Then one day I came across lampworking, at the first moment I saw it I could not get my mind of it, I just had to try!
It took me some time to get away all the dust from my wallet, and to squeeze out just enough money to buy a "beginner's kit". Now it was play time! ...or, not quite yet... To put the torch together sounded pretty simple to begin with, I almost thought IKEA had a finger into play, but I can ensure that was not the case. Afterall I managed to make it burn hot! :)
Even this was the simplest of equipment money can buy I gave it my best, and probably several hundreds of freaks came wandering down my mandrel...

I began with troll beads `cause these are my favorites

Now back in Latvia, my home ,my country. I thought about dedicating myself even more into the art of flamework, so I ordered a more professional torch so that I could evolve my skills further. And this time of course it was harder to make the assemble of the parts and no teacher or supervisor to guide me. But luckily I got it all to fit and I was good to go.

 Four months have now passed and I am very pleased with my new Bobcat-torch, and I feel I am making progress. I even made my own workshop now, and orders are staring to come in.

Encased flowers seemed worth the while to learn

Anyhow, I want to thank you for reading my blog and I hope you will join me in my progress as I will challenge myself in the artist of flamework :)

Sanita