For Sale: Lampworking Starter Kit $100 + shipping

Lampworking (Glass Bead Making) Supplies - NEVER USED!

$148 value. Yours for $100 + shipping (if applicable - see below)

Kit includes the following:

(see below for photos & full description)

NOTE: items will *not* be sold individually

1. Torch head
2. Protective eyewear
3. Bead Release (aka "sludge")
4. Dip 'N Etch mattifying solution
5. Bead reamer and shoulder smoother
6. 31 stainless steel mandrels
7. 3-pc mounting bracket
8. 15 glass rods (assorted colors)
9. Fiber blankets

Background Story:

I took a lampworking (glass bead making) class at Forest Heart Studios eons ago, in 1997. It was fun, but I had a toddler at home, was preparing for the birth of my second child, etc. and just never got around to doing anything with my newly purchased supplies (I bought them at Forest Heart Studios). I packaged them safely with the thought of returning to it one day.

Fast forward nearly five years and a thousand miles. Apparently lampworking classes is a 'pregnancy craving' for me because, sure enough, while pregnant with my third child, I decided to take a refresher class at Stone & Paper Art Center.

I enjoyed the classes, but I just haven't gotten comfortable working with an open flame. I've decided to dust off my never-used supplies in hopes of selling them (to fund my next artistic endeavor - glass pendant making. I figure I may do better with a soldering iron than a torch.).

Photos & Descriptions:

Torch Head - approx. retail value $40

This torch head is for use with MAPP Gas 1-pound disposable canister (available at most big box home improvement stores). Box was sealed until 6/6/08 when I opened it to photograph this item.

The second photo is of the torch head once I broke the seal on the box.


This is a closer view of the torch head. You can see that it is perfectly clean, unused.

Protective Eyewear - approx. retail value $40

Okay, so you won't be winning any fashion awards wearing these, but your eyes will be protected both from debris, and the light of the torch, thanks to the special tinting. Although the flame is small, don't underestimate the impact of its long term effects on your vision. These glasses are OSHA-compliant and never used.


Dip 'N Etch liquid & Bead Release Powder - approx. retail value $17 & $4, respectively.


Dip ‘N Etch liquid gives glass beads a beautiful matte finish. 6 oz. bottle, never used. Approx. retail price $17.

Bead release pink powder, when mixed with water, is used to coat mandrels to make beads easier to remove. Sometimes referred to as "sludge." Approx. retail price $4.

NOTE: These items were purchased in 1997 and never used. However, I do not know the shelf-life for these items. They have been stored in a dark, dry, temperature-controlled environment.

Reamer/Smoother Set - approx. retail value $5 - $10 for the pair

The top item is a 'shoulder smoother' used to sand burrs from the edge of the finished bead hole. The bottom item is a bead reamer used to further smooth in the inside of the bead hole. Best used while the bead is wet.

Mandrels, set of 31 - approx. retail value $7

Stainless steel mandrels in three sizes: 15 very narrow, 6 medium, and 10 wider width

I believe these to be 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8", respectively based on the Forest Heart Studios' supply list.

Note: judging by the raw ends on some, I believe these were custom cut lengths. However, this does not affect the functionality at all.

Mounting Brackets, 3 piece set - approx. retail value $7

C-Clamp, L-bracket and other do-hickey are used together to securely mount the MAPP gas torch to your work table to allow for hands-free operation. (You'll need one hand for the mandrel, the other for the glass rod.)

Glass Cane (Rods), quantity 15 - approx. retail value $15 total

The four rods in the top of the photo measure 9”. Although I’m not 100% certain, but I believe these are Moretti COE 104 canes.

The remaining 11 rods measure 13" long and I believe, COE 90 canes.

Here's a better photo, along with the names I assigned each color.

NOTE: OP = opaque TR= Transparent
(from left to right):

1. dark red (OP)
2. French blue (OP)
3. bright red (OP)
4. dark blue (OP)
5. sky blue (TR)
6. light blue (TR)
7. dark purple (OP?)
8. teal (TR)
9. medium amethyst purple (TR)
10. navy blue (TR)
11. light green (OP)
12. light teal (OP)
13. white (OP)
14. clear (TR)
15. black (OP)

Fiber Blankets, set of 2, unused - approx. retail value $8 (not pictured)

I hesitated about adding the fiber blankets to this kit, because I couldn't recall what type of fiber they are. Each one measures approx. 8 x 12 inches, and is approximately 1 - 1.5 inches thick. You do not what to handle these with bare hands. When you're finished making and heating your bead, you tuck the bead (still on the mandrel) in between these fiber blankets so they cool gradually and consistently.

Timing is important. If you place the bead between the blankets too soon, while the glass is still molten, the fibers may stick. If you wait too long and glass cools too much, the bead can crack. Experiment with your timing.

Approximate retail value of the entire set: $148

Asking Price: * $100 + $20 shipping

*Note: Items will be shipped within the 48 contiguous states via Fedex Ground for $20 . Credit card payments accepted via PayPal. If sold locally, shipping costs will not apply. Items will not be sold individually.

If you're interested - or have any questions - leave a comment.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...

• Are you familiar with the delightful children's book by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond called If You Give A Mouse a Cookie? It's one of my youngest son's favorites (mine too). The basic premise is if you give a mouse a cookie, then he'll want a glass of milk, and if you give him a glass of milk, then..... it goes on and on. There are other books in the series: If You Give a Pig Pancakes, If You Take a Mouse to School. If you click the picture above, it'll link you to Barnes & Noble.com where you can learn more.

• So where am I going with this? That whole Mouse-Cookie think seems to parallel my life these days. A friend had noticed that I went a period of time without listing new items in my Etsy shop and I tried to explain why.

• With apologies to Ms. Numeroff and Ms. Bond, here's what happened.

• If you ask a question on the Etsy forum regarding fonts, Lisa is going to be interested.
• If Lisa reads the thread, she'll discover that there is a website called What the Font? where you can upload a scanned image of text and the site will attempt to identify the font.
• If Lisa visits What the Font, she'll see the web ad for sites from which you can download free fonts.
• If Lisa downloads free fonts, chances are she'll develop a fascination with one in particular and think, gee, this would look good on my Etsy banner.
• If Lisa decides to re-do her Etsy banner, she'll want to add photos of her jewelry, too, so it's back to the Etsy forum.
• If Lisa asks a question on the Etsy forum about how to stitch photos together, she'll receive answers with several different options.
• If Lisa cannot figure out how to do with one of her three photo editing programs already installed on her computer, she'll have to install a fourth.
• So she'll install GIMP, which someone mentioned on the Etry forum.
• If Lisa installs GIMP, she'll spend hours and hours resizing photos, learning about "layers" and developing a new Etsy banner. All because of a free font.
• Once Lisa creates and uploads a new Etsy banner, she'll decide that her blog needs a new banner. So she'll create one for that (see above - pretty, isn't it?)
• And if Lisa make a new blog banner, then she'll want one for her webpage, too.
• If Lisa makes a new banner for her webpage, she'll discover it doesn't coordinate well with the template she selected. So she'll have to pick a new template for her web page.

• That about covers a week. Such is the joy of adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

• Did I mention that all of this was all because of a free font?

(For some reason, Blogger is not appreciating my hard paragraph breaks, hence the bulleted text.)

Why I Do What I Do

I make beaded jewelry. My interest in this medium started in 2005 when a neighbor gave me a gift which included a gift certificate to a day spa and a beautiful beaded bracelet. She apparently thought I did something nice for her but for the life of me I cannot recall what it might be. I don’t remember doing anything out of the ordinary. I was enthralled by the bracelet and she explained that she made it.

Wow. I’ve seen these things, and I guess knew someone made them, but I never put two and two together. I expressed interest in learning how to do it and she was most gracious: She had a first-class setup in her bedroom. An armoire full of beads, tools, findings.

Not much prior to receiving my gift, I had ordered a sterling claddagh bracelet on eBay – with free sizing. Since I was paying a set rate for the bracelet and having it made smaller so it would fit my wrist, I told the seller that I wanted the extra claddagh link. My neighbor and I decided to use this link as a centerpiece.

In one afternoon, she taught me how to string beads on beading wire, how to select components (crystals, spacers, findings) and how to wire-wrap a bead to the claddagh link to make a dangling pendant.

My husband often talks about his “runner’s high.” I have to tell you, there is a “jeweler’s high.” And I found it!

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