Here are the photos I promised from the bead course. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of people working on beads or lit torches. That part is left to your imagination!
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- Enameling & Glass Studio
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- Working Area
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- Glass rods, ready to use
This is the enameling & glass studio, rustic on the outside and packed on the inside. There are eight student stations with a touch in front of each. The crock pot in the center of the table is used to keep small beads warm until they can be annealed in a kiln. Large beads go directly into the kiln.
After the beads are formed on the mandrels, they are placed in the annealing kiln, which is kept at 950F until full and then allowed to slowly cool overnight. In the morning, the kiln is opened and the beads removed like a bouquet of blooms. Beads are removed from the mandrels, cleaned and made into jewelry or just admired.
Final showing before leaving for home.