Making Ceramic Beads with Wire Loops

When I find the time to be in the studio and work with my porcelain or chocolate stoneware clay with the intention of making beads, I put on some good music, pull out my tools and sit and hope for no interruptions (which has been quite difficult this summer with kids and a basement room renovation).

Right now I am working on some bead stock for D7 Studio and Thornburg Bead Studio for their bead shows, and Staci Louise for her class at Bead Fest Philly.

I would really love to get some up intop my Etsy shop too...

These are small textured cones I love to make, that are perfect for earrings.

I first roll out my clay, then form a cone shape, which is then textured. 

Once I work through that batch, I insert the small Nichrome wire loop that I have pre-made.

I use memory wire cutters to cut this very hard wire, and my triple step concave jaw pliers to create the "loop".

As I am making these teeny U-shaped loops - which are first cut to 3/4" (19mm) in length, then bent in half, I try to bend the ends of the wire to almost touch itself.

The wire I use is Nichrome Wire, which can withstand the high temperatures (2230 degrees F) that I fire my beads to.

I feel that when you are working with ceramic clay (or polymer clay, paper clay, and other mediums that do not fuse the metal wire to the bead such as silver wire and silver clay fuse to make one piece) it is important to have this bit of wire to cover up - see the gap in the clay where the wire was inserted in the photo below:

That clay is then immediately smoothed over with a rubber tipped detail tool to capture the ends of the wire down into the clay, where it will not wiggle loose or come right out (as it could if it were just a straight U-shape).

It is just one of those teeny extra steps that a bead maker should take to ensure that the bead is of high quality for the jewelry designer and eventual wearer of the bead.

In the photo above you can see some of the shapes of the loops as they are when first formed.

I will make the edges almost touch before putting it into the bead.

And for those people that prefer holes to wire loops, some of the shapes can be skewered by bamboo or other teeny tools.

I make sure to poke it through both sides and tap the edges down to make sure there are no pointy clay pieces that will be annoying later down the line.

They are all put into little bowls, are dried and then fired to Cone 04 or about 2000 degrees F (the bisque firing - they do not fuse together at this stage, so they can be stacked like this) to make them more durable to then paint with ceramic glaze.

The image above is the finished glaze firing load fired to cone 5 or about 2230 degrees F.

Every piece has to suspend individually as to not touch in the firing or else they will fuse together.

And when they are out, I pair them up with their mates (just the way I work - I like to work with the intention of making sets).

If they end up coming out of the glaze firing as a set, that is how I sell them.

Sometimes individuals come out too - but not too often.

One thing I really enjoy about a fresh load of glazed ceramic beads is having them all there so I can pull out other artist beads from my stash and match them up.

I am actually thinking of selling these matched sets - just simply because it is not that easy to color match through online shopping.

This will satisfy my need to shop for artist beads AND allow others to shop with confidence for beads in the same color family...

My Friend Nikki of Thornburg Bead Studio shared this image of her flower beads and my ceramic beads that she quick whipped up with a few jump rings and ear wires!

The design possibilities of using beads with loops is amazing!

Have you tried them yet?

Can I Show You My Roots?

For my first Love My Art Jewelry blog post I thought I would introduce myself a little bit and tell you about my roots. No, not my hair silly, my creative roots (smile). The former is between me and Rhonda at the salon.

While I've always been a creative soul into drawing, painting, and writing, it was 'round about 2002 when I discovered fire and glass. I had spent some time chatting with a glassblower at a local studio and decided to sign up for a class. I'm not sure what motivated me to do that - maybe it was the fire, the danger, the allure of light shining through pretty colors, but regardless, it reeled me in hard.

I took the introductory class, but life got in the way and I was never able to finish the last project (a mug with handles). But I did make the cute purple pumpkin above, and it's the only surviving souvenir I have from the class.

Intrigued by this magical liquid solid (apparently the debate is still out on which it is), I took a fused glass class next, and it was fun, but it just didn't let me get as personal with the glass as I would like. Someone at the class told me about a glass beadmaking class (it's called "lampwork") being taught by Jackie Marr, so I signed up. It would be a couple of hours spent learning about the Mapp gas fueled hot head torch and beginning bead making techniques, and was presumably something that I could do at home if I liked it.

It was just me and about 50 others in a darkened room and I was terrified that I would either blow myself up (it was pressurized gas, after all, plus fire, which has to be dangerous, right?) or light myself on fire. With great care and no preconceived notions of what glass beads should look like, I produced these beauties (drum roll, please):

My first beads. These are about 1/2 inch long.

Aren't they amazing? Seriously, it's a wonder I didn't run straight back to the glass blowing studio (a.k.a. "hot shop") and pick up where I left off. But I loved these homely orbs and on a whim decided to buy the kit we used that night in the class and continue practicing in my garage at home. With great care and concern for safety, mind you. I strung these first beads on some wire and now carry them with me in my purse, to remind myself of my roots.

For months I would sit at a table in the middle of the garage (lest a tiny shard of hot glass should fly across the room and ignite something), with the lights turned out so I could see the flame and learn how to work with it. I used the little 1lb cylinders of Mapp gas and my Hot Head torch, which clamped to the table. I read everything I could get my hands on about bead making, and bought Corina Tetinger's book Passing the Flame, which contained lots of great information as well as projects.

Each tiny creation was loved as only a mother could, and they made their way into crude pieces of jewelry that I either wore myself or gave away as gifts. After buying a kiln I decided that I could possibly sell my beads (a kiln is essential to anneal the beads, which ensures that they won't break), and sold a few of them on eBay, mostly as orphans.

I persevered with my Hot Head, lurking on the Wet Canvas Technical Glass forums learning about how to hook up bulk fuel to my torch to get a hotter flame to allow me to make larger beads, despite the stern warnings from a few safety conscious members. It would be several years before I built up enough confidence (and skill) to take intermediate classes where I would stretch myself and become truly comfortable with the medium. Eventually I gave up my beloved Hot Head in favor of a Minor burner which mixes propane and oxygen to make a hotter flame.

Gravity beads, circa 2009. These are 2 inches tall and about 3/4 inch across. Photo by David Orr.

Now I don't get anxious when I melt glass; in fact, it relaxes me. My beads have gotten much more complex and refined, and I've enjoyed learning from a number of masters in the field. There is so much to learn, and so many different ways to interpret this material. Though humans have made glass beads for thousands of years, the art of lampwork is enjoying a renaissance of sorts right now, and information and tools are plentiful. It's a very exciting time to be involved in it.

Aside from a PMC class I took so that I could make my own clasps, the jewelry making part of my art has been self taught. I'm sure that years from now I'll look at some of my jewelry designs and they will seem as awkward as my first beads do. Though they were my passion as a kid, I don't do much with seed beads these days mostly because they're so tiny and I just don't have the patience for intricate bead weaving techniques.

But metal, there's something that's been calling my name lately, no doubt because of the wonderful work I've come to know from artists such as Cyndie Smith and Maire Dodd. They both have very organic designs that appeal to me. I have come to know and collaborate with Cyndie over the last few years through the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers) exhibit challenges and she has kindly given me some instruction and tools. If you're interested in these collaborations the first one is here and the most recent is here. I've also had great fun doing a few creative exchanges with Mary Jane this year, and hope to combine creative forces with her as well in the future. While I myself don't have the patience for seed beads I feel fortunate to have met Rachel Nelson Smith a couple of years ago, and we've collaborated as well. It's so much fun working with creative people who know no limits, and see the world through such different lenses.

Encased ornate gravity bead, circa 2009. This one is about 2.5 inches tall and about 3/4 inch across.
Photo by David Orr.

So that's it, my roots in a very large nutshell. In the future I'll share some of my ongoing work as it progresses. Thanks for inviting me into the group!