Experimental Beads

PolychromeBeads · #1 2010-03-31, 8:15pm

What percentage of your experimental beads ever see the light of day? I get the feeling that an awful lot of mine are utter rubbish, and that I so rarely hit on anything worth doing again.

Aimee

Judith Billig · #2 2010-03-31, 9:07pm

I think only around 1/4 to 1/3 of what I'm testing is either worth repeating on a bigger scale (as sets) or fall in the category "mmm, I could be onto something ... let's see where this leads".

And yes, there's an awful lot of bead poop and huh? and WTF? beads coming out of my kiln.

StOrM · #3 2010-03-31, 9:17pm

i think most like 80% is experimental beads.....lol...i still consider myself a newbie....once in a while i come out with a nice bead and try to re-create it....i find myself doing more focal beads than bead sets....but i get board doing the same thing over and over.

one hot beader · #4 2010-03-31, 9:19pm

Any bead that is not actually damaged or cracked goes into my bead bowl on my market stall.

I sell them for $9 on a cord.

Even the one's I hate or think are just not all that special.

It surprises me how often people pick them rather than the one's I know/think are better.

People just love sorting through them to find the one they like.

dragonfly designs 56 · #5 2010-03-31, 9:33pm

are you kidding, 99.9 percent of mine are crap, but dont look too awful in jewelry. I am getting a little better though, 12 hours a day at the torch is pretty heartbreaking for a full day of shitty beads...keeps me out of trouble though

sixbabygirls · #6 2010-03-31, 9:56pm

now i don't feel like so bad i only like maybe 2 out of 10

PolychromeBeads · #7 2010-03-31, 10:51pm

Hahaha! I like that Judith - "WTF beads"! I can definitely use that. Yeah, some days I can really churn out the cr@p...

Aimee

SuzyQ · #8 2010-04-01, 3:45am

Oh I have a lot. You should see some of my murrini experiments

I keep them in a bowl until it's full and send them off to Beads of Courage.

Carolyn M · #9 2010-04-01, 5:30am

I do my experimentals a little differently now. Instead of making a whole set of crap beads I make a few experimentals at the start of the sessions and out them in the fibre blanket to cool. After about 30 minutes I take them out and see which ones are worth making into sets. The experimentals are batch annealed the next day and I haven't lost one yet. The non-repeatables go in my bead bowl and are sold at shows and studio tours for $25.00 per teeny bag. They pretty much all sell

SuzyQ · #10 2010-04-01, 5:33am

I'm liking the idea of an experimentals bowl.

blong2001 · #11 2010-04-01, 5:49am

My GD likes to take my bad beads and throw them in the living room. Then her mom will pick them up and tell her not to do that again. The process then repeats itself. Quite funny and worth seeing the bad ones come out of the kiln-better than worrying that it was wasted work!

RSimmons · #12 2010-04-01, 6:02am

I gather up the experimentals and send them to BoC. The kids often like beads that we see as completely wonky.

Robert

Lisi · #13 2010-04-01, 7:12am

My beads are pretty simple in design and colors so it's hard to make them look bad, but I'll have you know that when I get the time to start really doing something different, like for example, here's a short list:

Focals in rounds, tabs, barrels, tubes, pressed and non-pressed

Encased anything, like florals, stripes, triangles, poked bubbles

Beads with raised decoration, stringer, dots, petals, etc..etc..

Pressed beads! (hey, I do have presses collecting dust here)

I'm sure I will have plenty of crystallized cat turds to show...(wasn't that one of Karin's gems??)

No seriously, I do make some bad beads that don't see the outside world. Like diarrhea colored Multicolored Dark, Chalcedony, and other gross experiments. Those glass colors that seem to love almost everyone else don't love me.

glass obsessed · #14 2010-04-01, 7:12am

I use my "experimental" beads (of which I have lots and lots) as a partial thank you to the neighbor kids when they help me in my garden. The kids just love to get "pretty stones" so they are always asking me if I need help in the garden. What a great deal for me and my inflexible back!

But I also really like Robert's way of sending them to BoC what a nice thing to do.

chrissij · #15 2010-04-01, 7:20am

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzyQ

Oh I have a lot. You should see some of my murrini experiments

I keep trying to spread my wings with all the multi-colored murrini that I purchased from Renee, and I've yet to fail at making a totally color combatability fugly.

I have a heap o' experimental uglies trying to come up with good silver glass combos for the SE6 exchange. HEAP. OH.

shinytrinkets · #16 2010-04-01, 8:19am

80% of mine are rejects too. Once in a while I'll go through the bead bowl and find experiments worth trying again.

Pat · #17 2010-04-01, 8:27am

I hear you Aimee on having alot of off days lately. I have not had a nice looking SC bead yet. They are all overstriking even when they looked so good going in the kiln. However my element in my BeeHive kiln was hanging out from UPS throwing it around and probably did alot of the damage. It's dishearting to say the least.

anxious1 · #18 2010-04-01, 9:29am

I am rather anal about it and I will do a test bead at the start of each session and make notes on color/method etc and then pop in the kiln and if the bead is worth repeating then I will do so. The rest of my session is spent on beads that I did the day/week before and replicate if I like the way they look.

All of my experiments that are cr@p go to BoC after my bead bowl is full which is about every 6 months or so.

Pat · #19 2010-04-01, 10:45am

Michele, I give to BOC but never thought about all the odds laying around. Do you just put them in a box with bubble wrap?

AKDesigns · #20 2010-04-01, 11:00am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat

Michele, I give to BOC but never thought about all the odds laying around. Do you just put them in a box with bubble wrap?

I didn't even know they took "regular" beads. I thought it was just the butterflies and hearts. I'd be happy to send them my collection, just need an addy.

SuzyQ · #21 2010-04-01, 11:02am

How to donate to BOC

http://lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152032

AKDesigns · #22 2010-04-01, 11:04am

"Please do not use exposed reduction glass or exposed metallic surfaces."

That may pretty much leave me out.

Elizabeth Beads · #23 2010-04-01, 11:05am

I make more keepers than tossers, which isn't to say they all sell, let's say my bead making to bead selling ratio is on the high side.

If they crack, scorch or turn to mud, they go into the lake at the end of our street.

It they are technically OK, no sharp ends, but just don't make the cut for my trays, they go in the BOC bowl (along with the beads I make intentionally for BOC).

I love this idea:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carolyn M

... The non-repeatables go in my bead bowl and are sold at shows and studio tours for $25.00 per teeny bag. They pretty much all sell

So you fill a bowl and put out some organza bags and say $25 for all that fit?

I'd love to move some of my inventory that way. If I've had it for a year, it's time for a new home.

mtarara · #24 2010-04-01, 12:09pm

OOPS!! I had no idea about not using exposed reduction glass or exposed metallic surfaces!! I wonder why??!! I have to eliminate a bunch I was going to donate.
Mary T.

Pat · #25 2010-04-01, 8:35pm

Oh just send them and let them separate if they don't want to use them.

Carolyn M · #26 2010-04-01, 9:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by erose

I make more keepers than tossers, which isn't to say they all sell, let's say my bead making to bead selling ratio is on the high side.

If they crack, scorch or turn to mud, they go into the lake at the end of our street.

It they are technically OK, no sharp ends, but just don't make the cut for my trays, they go in the BOC bowl (along with the beads I make intentionally for BOC).

I love this idea:

So you fill a bowl and put out some organza bags and say $25 for all that fit?

I'd love to move some of my inventory that way. If I've had it for a year, it's time for a new home.

Yes, and it's pretty funny watching people stuff those little bags!

Elizabeth Beads · #27 2010-04-01, 9:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carolyn M

Yes, and it's pretty funny watching people stuff those little bags!

What size bag? 3x4?

I make honking big beads so the "experimentals" tend to be on the large size. The smaller bags would hold maybe 1 bead. Lol!

demcc2 · #28 2010-04-02, 2:34am

Hey Judith! The

is my signature bead line!

It was happening so frequently that I just went with it

Duane

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarus Beads

I think only around 1/4 to 1/3 of what I'm testing is either worth repeating on a bigger scale (as sets) or fall in the category "mmm, I could be onto something ... let's see where this leads".

And yes, there's an awful lot of bead poop and huh? and WTF? beads coming out of my kiln.

beadsoncypress · #29 2010-04-02, 3:09am

If mine are remotely usable, I put them in a "Free for Kids" tray...and I keep some thin ribbons and make them a quickie necklace......also gets the parents to look at my stuff while the sort through the beads!

Elizabeth Beads · #30 2010-04-02, 6:53am

Quote:

Originally Posted by beadsoncypress

If mine are remotely usable, I put them in a "Free for Kids" tray...and I keep some thin ribbons and make them a quickie necklace......also gets the parents to look at my stuff while the sort through the beads!

Another cool idea!