Shape, Shape and Shape!
Maybe I am preaching to the choir, however...There are many new bead makers out there using presses as a short cut to make beads. It's my belief and one that I teach in my classes, the three most common words you will hear me say is, "Shape, Shape, Shape!" A lampworker must be able to create all the shapes by hand using only gravity and a marver.
I recommend that a new student that is going to set up a work space to purchase a pound of ivory and a pound of clear and do nothing but shape and encase. NO Designs!! just SHAPE!!
I am old school in that I come from a jewelry fabrication background. When I apprentised it was two years before I used a torch!
If you are going to be serious about making beads, shaping is everything! It teaches you heat control. Where to be in the flame. And the different types of torch settings ie: high oxidizing vs. low oxidizing.
Char!
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