Creating my beads takes hours and many steps. I begin by creating lamp worked frits and stringers. These are used to construct the detail of the bead. I combine frits and strings with enamels to both the surface and in between three stacked layers of compatible glass to create a picture. The glass is fired in a kiln until fused and then carefully annealed. The first firing takes several hours.
Once removed from the first firing, the hole and edges of the fused glass bead are shaped and smoothed. I smooth out the hole using a flex shaft and diamond bit. I create the shape of the bead with a diamond or tile saw. These saws leave the edges rough; so I next use various glass grinders to smooth the edges. Glass moves in the first firing so the picture I created is not precise. I add a second layer of enamel on the surface of the bead to enhance depth and design. The bead is fired a second time. The second firing has three purposes: (1) to “fire polish” the edges of the bead until it is smooth, (2) to fire m
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