Katiequiggle
22-04-2009, 07:52 AM
I've had a fabulous weekend, well actually it was Friday and Saturday but that was ok because I needed the Sunday to recover.
It was the Towcester Flame Off which to anyone who isn't a lampworker means diddly squat but let me tell you it was fab. At the Flame Off as well as all my regular suppliers of silver, glass, bead making tools etc. there were work benches full of torches and equipment to try out. I had a ball! There were also some brilliant demonstrations by some glass artists that I can only dream of being half as good as one day. As a totally self taught lampworker I had some valuable 'Oh wow, thats how you do that' moments, and picked up some easier ways of doing things that I'd been making hard work of. I also met about 100 fellow lampworkers from the forum we use, we all work Frit badges with out screen names on and there was never a dull moment meeting people who have become on line friends over the last year. It would be a bit like meeting everyone from MZ all on one day.
At the end of the two days we had a bead swap where we all put a wrapped up bead into the bag and when they were all collected we all got to pull one out. I got a fabulous woodland wizard bead,
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/Katiequiggle/n547703972_2321718_4090638.jpg
He's fabulous.
Loads of us were staying in a couple of local hotels and we met up at one of them for dinner and drinks which I hear went on till 3am, my friend and I left them to it around 12am as we'd been up since 5am for the journey there.
I think the highlight of the weekend must have been meeting two people who were just getting into lampwork who were actually wearing MY beads. Beads they had brought from my site and made into jeweller and they thought they were good enough to be wearing to a lampwork event. How cool is that. You just can not believe what a buzz you get when you see a stranger wearing your beads.
I spent far too much money on glass and silver and other bits and spent the whole and evening yesterday in the shed making and trying out my new goodies.
Can't wait for next years Flame Off now it was fabulous.
It was the Towcester Flame Off which to anyone who isn't a lampworker means diddly squat but let me tell you it was fab. At the Flame Off as well as all my regular suppliers of silver, glass, bead making tools etc. there were work benches full of torches and equipment to try out. I had a ball! There were also some brilliant demonstrations by some glass artists that I can only dream of being half as good as one day. As a totally self taught lampworker I had some valuable 'Oh wow, thats how you do that' moments, and picked up some easier ways of doing things that I'd been making hard work of. I also met about 100 fellow lampworkers from the forum we use, we all work Frit badges with out screen names on and there was never a dull moment meeting people who have become on line friends over the last year. It would be a bit like meeting everyone from MZ all on one day.
At the end of the two days we had a bead swap where we all put a wrapped up bead into the bag and when they were all collected we all got to pull one out. I got a fabulous woodland wizard bead,
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/Katiequiggle/n547703972_2321718_4090638.jpg
He's fabulous.
Loads of us were staying in a couple of local hotels and we met up at one of them for dinner and drinks which I hear went on till 3am, my friend and I left them to it around 12am as we'd been up since 5am for the journey there.
I think the highlight of the weekend must have been meeting two people who were just getting into lampwork who were actually wearing MY beads. Beads they had brought from my site and made into jeweller and they thought they were good enough to be wearing to a lampwork event. How cool is that. You just can not believe what a buzz you get when you see a stranger wearing your beads.
I spent far too much money on glass and silver and other bits and spent the whole and evening yesterday in the shed making and trying out my new goodies.
Can't wait for next years Flame Off now it was fabulous.