I remember the first time I tried to make an implosion bead back in 2007. I was sat in the porch at a workmate using my trusty Hot Head torch and it was freezing outside. The Postman came and handed me the mail whilst I was making a bead ... probably thinking..."What on earth is that crazy woman doing?".
I hadn't been making beads for very long but typically I wanted to run before I could walk. I had seen pictures of these beads, researched how to make them and was desperate to have a go. I did and this was the result....
It was a bit elongated, not really what I was hoping for but all in all not bad for a first attempt! I was nearly there...I just needed to practice.
Not long after making this bead I had my third child so any thoughts of implosion beads were quickly replaced with thoughts of getting a good nights sleep and changing nappies.
Time passed .... then one day I had the urge to make a dragon on a bead. I spent a good hour deciding on colours and preparing elaborate stringers but no matter how hard I tried it wouldn't work. My dragon ended up looking like a blob on the bead ..... nasty! So, I had all these stringers and no dragon bead! Then like a lightning bolt I was struck by an idea ..... why not try an implosion bead with the left over stringer?
I did and the rest is history as they say .... also I knew Beads & Beyond Magazine were holding a competition and I wanted to enter but couldn't think of a suitable entry .... until now!
I spent the whole summer practicing my technique and have a whole summer's worth of beads as proof! Every morning I would open the kiln and analyse the beads ..... the internal structure, the colours, encasing ... what I needed to do to improve the beads.
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| The result - one of the winning set of beads! |
Inspired mainly by flowers I continue to improve my technique and have so many ideas for more implosion beads. But I know in order to get the results I want I need to practice .... practice .... practice .... and eventually I will get there!
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| Hydrangea Beads By Sarah Bunney http://www.etsy.com/listing/90544656/hydrangea-handmade-lampwork-implosion?ref=v1_other_1 |
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