Improve the quality and appearance of your beads, extend the variety of the beads you can make and explore some new techniques.

You will be shown how to adjust the size of dots, as well as how to place them in a more regular fashion. You will improve cylindrical shapes and explore shaping longer beads, together with using presses to help shape your beads. You will be shown different methods of encasing and gain an understanding of how the glass responds to the heat.

You will be incorporating various elements and techniques, such as floral decorations and complex twisties under encasing, as well as the possibilities of using dichroic glass and metal inclusions. This will lead to a wider range of bead styles opening up as your skills base is widened. You can then choose which additional techniques you wish to pursue from the many further possibilities.

By the end of the course, you will have gained confidence in your ability to make beads of a more consistent nature, explored new techniques and made many different beads to use in your own unique jewellery.

Techniques covered: • Dots – even placement, even size • Floral decorations using dots • Improving encasing skills • Encasing larger beads • Stringers as a tool • Cylinders – improving ends and shape • Tips and tricks for stringer designs (optional) • Twisted stringers, three or more colours, latticini (optional) • Metal inclusions (optional) • Using dichroic glass (optional) • Using murrini (optional) • Using press tools (optional) • Hollow beads (optional)

There will also be time for any other items requested by individual students, and time to pursue your own ideas.

Included

General materials and glass used by the group as a whole

What students need to bring

• Comfortable natural fibre clothing, e.g. cotton, or bring something cotton to cover clothes and arms. An apron or old cotton shirt can help protect against burning little holes.
• Please wear closed shoes, no bare feet or flip flops.
• Please bring something to tie or clip back long hair.
• Reading glasses if you need them
• A notepad and pen
• 1 glass jam jar
• Flame-worker's didymium or AUR-92 tinted glass safety glasses if already owned – glasses supplied by West Dean are available to use.

Available to buy

Available from shop: A good variety of general art and craft materials

Additional information

Please note: finished work will be fired overnight and the final pieces will be held until they can be collected by you. Pieces from the last firing can be posted or can be collected later the following afternoon. Your work will be kept for collection for six months. If you wish to have your work posted it will be done by recorded delivery at your own risk. Please ensure that your contact details are up to date as we will post to the address that we have on our system.

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no open toes or sandals).

Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included)
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential

Daily timetable
Course teaching 9.15am - 5pm (lunch included)
Dinner: from 6.30pm (included for residential students)
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed

Departure day
Course teaching: 9.15am - 3pm (lunch included)
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am

Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required

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