O-oh, another TWO bite the dust....

Most of you know that I love all things glass. You will also know that I joined the FRIT HAPPENS forum because of it, and I regularly drool over the lovely lamp worked beads that are shown on there by some very talented people.

I fuse glass, which involves cutting it up whilst it's cold, sticking it in a kiln, letting it do its "thing" then getting it back out 12 hours or so later with either an "oooh-aaahhh, haven't the kiln faeries been kind today" or "damn, that didn't work".

Lamp-working involves working with molten glass in a flame (they used to use oil lamps with bellows back in the olden days), so much more instant, although often still at the mercy of those pesky kiln faeries. I'd never done this, but a lot off the forum will know that I have wanted to have a go for a long time. They also tell me that once I start, that will be it, no turning back (one fuser started it as a way of making additions for her fused pieces, now hooked!)

Yesterday, one of the ladies from the glass forum had an open studio day, and it was a fabulous opportunity to meet some of the members that I have spoken to online for around two years.

And I got an opportunity to play with glass in the torch. And yes, I liked it!

However, not only did *I* like it, Ashley had a go too.... oooops, he's hooked! In fact, I think he's probably more excited about having another go than I am! (well, that probably isn't strictly true, it is just that I know that I have to hold off for a bit until Uni is out the way, I haven't got space for a torch right now, so it's something I have to put on the back burner for a while.... if I can!)

From what I saw, Ashley made a fab first bead, we have to wait til they're annealed and sent over to us to see how they turned out.

I will post pics as soon as I can!