Setting up the studio

I've been stitching seed beads into all sorts of pretty, delicate creations for just over two years now, and I love it. But at the back of my mind was a little thought, brought on by over-exposure to magazines and craft shows. You've all seen them, those pretty spreads in your favourite beading magazine with detailed instructions about how to make fantastic glass beads with swirls, flowers, embedded silver and all sorts of deliciousness. It's the sort of thing that you secretly (or not so secretly) want to try, while at the same time thinking 'I could never do that!'.

I did a lot of research online (and I mean a LOT) and discovered that you can safely make glass beads in your own home, and it's not too expensive to get yourself started. On the other hand, I really didn't want to invest in the relevant kit before I'd had a lesson and made sure that it was something I was going to enjoy! So back in September I took a class with the lovely Keiara (bykeiara.blogspot.com) and was well and truly bitten by the bug: lampwork.

While driving myself back from Folkestone, I plotted, planned and generally schemed about how to get myself set up to make these glossy lovelies at home. My research had revealed that Tuffnell Glass (www.tuffnellglass.com) sell a beadmaking kit with a Hot Head torch - nice and basic for baby beadmakers! - glass, mandrels, safety glass and all the other bits and pieces that you could want. I also picked up a fibre blanket for cooling my beads, and a bench clamp to fix my torch to. Needless to say, I was HUGELY excited when my package arrived, but I had to hold myself back until I tracked down the vital missing ingredient, MAPP gas. If you're interested, most plumbers' merchants stock this stuff, and it ranges in price from £8 to £13 a bottle, depending on where you are and whether they apply VAT before or after they put a price sticker on the bottle.

It took a little while, but yesterday I finally screwed my bench clamp to an old Ikea computer desk (this really is a basic operation), set up the torch and started to play with fire.



It's not the most exotic studio, and I have to remember to pull the curtains right out of the way, but it's safe and secure, and - most importantly - it works!