Beading at Pennsic
Sep. 2nd, 2005 07:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
norsegirlI brought my lampworking stuff on the road. I first pulled it out under a picnic shelter at Avacal Inlands war to finish my thralldom graduation present. In the end I had 50 beads to give to Wernar. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of them. I'm hoping maybe I'll have a chance to take a shot later since it turned out to be a pretty good set.
The surprise at this site was that even on relatively still days there is still enough of a breeze to move the flame and redirect the heat. This made working very difficult, but I managed it.
Then it was back to Ontario where I set up in my parents' garage. I then learned that the ambient temperature can have a HUGE affect on the work. The glass heated a lot faster, the glass was molten for longer and the beads took a long time to cool.
I finally arrived at Pennsic and first I set the stuff up so I could try to teach my apprentice sister. That's when I realized that the sunlight was so bright that I couldn't see the flame. Which isn't a problem for me since I know where I'm supposed to be working and all that, but makes it hard to teach. Odette got to try it again early evening, but then the ambient light is really too little to see anything but the flame. Finding a compromise was tough.
The course was in a tent, so the lighting wasn't much of a problem there, and the walls sucessfully cut the breeze, though the heat (being over 90 degrees) did make working at all on anything really hard. The class itself was rather unsuccessful as it was in land grab week and wasn't advertised in the site book as I got it in too late. I only got one walk-in and my apprentice sister. However, it was nice that Odette got some quality time on the torch and I hope she enjoyed it. Unfortunately I left my brand new safety glasses at the bead night, or dropped them out of my belt on the way there or back.
I did a few more nights of work, but with the combination of too much ambient heat (burnt a LOT of beads) and the breezes, I wasn't pleased with most of my results. However, I was particularly pleased with this bead that I made for Heather:
First attempt at heaps of stacked dots:
Unfortunately, it was lost at some point in the week. I don't know if Heather had it or if I did, I have no idea if it's in my stuff or lost somewhere in the grass at Pennsic. Fortunately I got a pic of it the night before it was lost.
I also finished the beads for the fighting laurels' prize tourney but didn't remember to take a picture of them. Not a big deal as I wasn't terribly impressed with them in the end. The set started so well, but got totally derailed by working at Pennsic.
On the bright side, I did attend an advanced bead-making class, at which I learned some new techniques that I can't wait to try. I'd be in my room working on it now but my husband is out so I have to watch the hounds. Maybe when he gets home...
The surprise at this site was that even on relatively still days there is still enough of a breeze to move the flame and redirect the heat. This made working very difficult, but I managed it.
Then it was back to Ontario where I set up in my parents' garage. I then learned that the ambient temperature can have a HUGE affect on the work. The glass heated a lot faster, the glass was molten for longer and the beads took a long time to cool.
I finally arrived at Pennsic and first I set the stuff up so I could try to teach my apprentice sister. That's when I realized that the sunlight was so bright that I couldn't see the flame. Which isn't a problem for me since I know where I'm supposed to be working and all that, but makes it hard to teach. Odette got to try it again early evening, but then the ambient light is really too little to see anything but the flame. Finding a compromise was tough.
The course was in a tent, so the lighting wasn't much of a problem there, and the walls sucessfully cut the breeze, though the heat (being over 90 degrees) did make working at all on anything really hard. The class itself was rather unsuccessful as it was in land grab week and wasn't advertised in the site book as I got it in too late. I only got one walk-in and my apprentice sister. However, it was nice that Odette got some quality time on the torch and I hope she enjoyed it. Unfortunately I left my brand new safety glasses at the bead night, or dropped them out of my belt on the way there or back.
I did a few more nights of work, but with the combination of too much ambient heat (burnt a LOT of beads) and the breezes, I wasn't pleased with most of my results. However, I was particularly pleased with this bead that I made for Heather:
First attempt at heaps of stacked dots:
Unfortunately, it was lost at some point in the week. I don't know if Heather had it or if I did, I have no idea if it's in my stuff or lost somewhere in the grass at Pennsic. Fortunately I got a pic of it the night before it was lost.
I also finished the beads for the fighting laurels' prize tourney but didn't remember to take a picture of them. Not a big deal as I wasn't terribly impressed with them in the end. The set started so well, but got totally derailed by working at Pennsic.
On the bright side, I did attend an advanced bead-making class, at which I learned some new techniques that I can't wait to try. I'd be in my room working on it now but my husband is out so I have to watch the hounds. Maybe when he gets home...
