Hi… I’ve been working on gently graduated sets of boro beads - nicely straight sided and smooth mirrored finish surfaces… I feel these are necessary components for a smooth contemporary feel… and I feel this is very possible for lampwork that looks like this. I’m typically not a boro gal… but every now and then I get the bug - and this week I had it.

I’ve held a set back and will assemble another bracelet this evening… and post a picture here for you to see… but I’m in a good place. One big difference working with boro (excuse me, “ONE OF the big differences”… ) is my usual inability to accurately predict the final color - as many of these colors actually change while they’re in the kiln. (That’s not so with the soft glass)… but I find that the more I work with it, the more I get to know what the colors, or combination of colors will do - and I find that very nice. : )

There is now a long list of favorites that I plan to order more of, as sometimes burning that last little nub of glass in your most favorite color, of the moment, can really be hard on the fingers!

In the 20+ years I’ve been making beads, I’ve taught as well… I happily will report to you that there seem to be two kinds of students. 1. The impatient one who insists on applying glass that’s not hot enough to the mandrel - then ends up cracking the release and is upset. 2. The one who’s so full of wonder & joy, and who is also patient to a fault. These are the easy ones - as I also have found this week that patience is a virtue… and Borosilicate melts slowly… I enjoyed the evolution of color and the trial of shaping such a stiff glass.

The payoff was that I’m happily going to do it again soon… smiles - Jill