How Long Does it Take to Make a Bead?

How long does it take to make a bead?
This is a question I am asked often when I am selling my work at a show. It is difficult to answer simply. It depends on the style and the amount of detail in a particular bead.

However, at a recent show I had a customer, who has just begun to learn the process of lampworking. She called her husband over and explained in detail how I make one of my bejeweled beads.

She and I began talking and she brought up the point of how people often ask how long it takes to make a bead. She informed me that this is the wrong question to ask. The question should be, "How many YEARS did it take to get to the point that you can make this bead?"

I have been thinking about that statement and have come to realize how absolutely right on topic this statement is. I have been lampworking for more than 5 years now. It took me four years to develop the stringer control necessary to place so many dots in just the right spot to create the bejeweled beads that I consider good enough to sell. I continue to work on my stringer control because I love to draw on beads, as in my OM beads, enameled hearts, or my butterfly beads. Some days the control is better than others, so the skill is still developing.

My Fire Diva friend, Lauren of Maybeads wrote a blog which inspired me to write my story. Stop by Lauren's blog to see some of her very first beads.

My Etsy shop

Beads of Courage In Space

An exciting opportunity presented itself ... to have a bead travel into space. Myself and a fellow Fire Diva, Lauren of Maybeads entered this challenge. A contest and fundraiser offered by the organization Beads of Courage.

Beads of Courage are given to children battling certain diseases. As the children reach a milestone in their treatment, they are allowed to choose a bead to mark their success. The Beads in Space Contest was an opportunity for bead artists to submit three beads of their creation for a chance to fly into space. The beads will fly out on a space shuttle, along with the astronauts, in May 2010.

Now this was a contest. Due to space and weight restrictions not all beads submitted would be able to make it into space. The beads were juried according to a point system and the beads with the highest score were chosen to go into space. The beads with the highest scores were placed on a scale until the weight limitation was met.

Unfortunately my bead submissions were not chosen. Although disappointing this is quite alright, my beads will still go to the children.

My three beads submitted.

Lauren of Maybeads three submissions.

CONGRATULATIONS are due to Lauren...ONE of her beads is going into space!!!! Her most adorable space dog was chosen as one of the beads. CONGRATULATIONS LAUREN.