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As you probably are aware, I've been trying braiding for the last few weeks and wanted to try braiding with wire. This bracelet is made from 16 strands of 0.6 mm gold plated wire with the ends of the wire coiled to provide a decorative finish. I found the wire difficult to work with mainly because of it's tendency to kink so the braid is a little uneven but it's something I might try again, perhaps with a slightly thinner wire.

I mentioned,in my post on Kumihimo braiding, that I was going to try different types of threads to see how they came out with fairly basic 8 thread braids.The picture shows the results,

Another lady figure about 16 cm high. She also stands up on her own. Her arms need some work but I'll get there in the end.

Whew! An updated an fully working site. and after only 4 hours of work. It's the fastest complete upgrade I've ever managed on Drupal. I guess that's it for another year then...

There was an article in the August 2009 Bead and Button magazine about Japanese Kumihimo braiding. I was intrigued and bought the kit from G J Beads. The article showed a braid which was worked with beads and this is my attempt. I'm hoping that the braids will provide an alternative to using chain, jump rings or suede for lampwork focals.

I'm trying to hone my skills using borosilicate glass for off mandrel sculptural work. I made a duck the other day but inadvertently picked up a non-boro rod in the process. Result, multiple cracks in the body. I've now reworked the duck and this is the result.

Only three more weeks to go before my sculptural glass course near Bristol with Julie Anne Dent.

Another sculptural bead. I made it using scraps of cathedral stained glass, hence the restricted palette of colours. The blue thing on it's back is a loop for hanging, added as an afterthought. I was trying a duck but its head fell off, have to reheat and rework it and see how it goes.

Here's my latest "bead" although it doesn't much look like one.

It's again in borosilicate glass. Some people think it reminds them of the film "Day of the Triffids" while others think of "Little shop of horrors".I hope it gives you a laugh anyway or at least a smile.

I'm trying something new with posting multiple images at once so bear with me since the spider image is repeated.
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Continuing the Halloween theme, I've been trying a spider or two. This ones in borosilicate glass rather than the more usual "soft" glass. Pyrex is a boro type glass as is all laboratory glassware including the test tubes etc used in school labs.