More Glass and one for Button Wednesday

Last week I had my second lampwork lesson and here are the results. Helen is an excellent tutor, As well as making lampwork beads and tutoring she makes wedding tiaras and jewellery, do have a look at her website here
One of the things I enjoyed doing in the first lesson was dipping the hot bead into frit (tiny coloured pieces of glass )and melting it onto the surface of the bead. This time I made swirls by prodding the hot fritted bead with a stringer and twizzling it. A stringer is like a thick wire but made of glass. Please see earlier post here.
I used the same colours to make a button. I found this very difficult to do. A mandrel with two prongs is used and the molten glass has to be positioned carefully, too near the end and the holes will close over and too far from the end and the button might not come off the mandrel when finished. It got really out of shape and the holes got nearer and nearer to the edge of the button. Helen got it back into shape for me. The side that I have photographed had frit sprinkled on. The other side which could be dipped has more frit and some of it has developed a silvery effect. I will make something special for the button probably either a journal cover or a bag.
The heart has 22k gold on clear cobalt glass and was fun to do.
The pink bead on the right is has murrine melted onto the surface. These are little slices from a glass cane that like Brighton rock has the pattern running along its length. Millefiori is glass decorated in this way. In Italian mille means a thousand and fiori means flowers. I used just 3 on the bead. I love the effect. Helen gave me some spacer beads to match.

and here is my button for Button Wednesday! More buttons here

I will photograph the other side of the button when the sun comes out.

voila!