Project by Katherine Abbott from Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
When Katy needs a mental break from working on her PhD in sociology, she turns her attention to her other passion--glass beadwork. She uses the medium to create stylish pieces of jewelry and playful beadwork creatures.
Materials:
various Italian glass rods (soda-lime glass)
silver leaf
sterling silver Bali beads
cast clasp
kiln
Steps:
1. To make the mermaid body: Start with a base bead of transparent amethyst, add glass and start to shape into a body (series of heating and marvering using various graphite tools).
2. Add silver foil and melt it into the bead.
3. Create design by adding small chips of a cane (called millefiore) and dragging design out into a starburst. Reshape as needed.
4. Add arms out of clear glass.
5. Flame anneal, put into kiln to anneal overnight.
6. Remove from kiln, remove from mandrel, and clean out bead hole.
7. Make the mermaid head.
8. Make the six accent beads that will also be in the necklace.
9. Anneal beads overnight. Take beads out of kiln and remove from mandrel; clean out bead holes.
10. Using scrap ribbon, create mermaid (attaching head to body).
11. Cut three yards of ribbon in half and loop half through the left arm of the mermaid and half through the right arm of the mermaid.
12. Alternate adding sterling silver Bali beads and lampworked beads. Finish off the necklace by adding the sterling silver cast clasp.
Website: www.abbottglassdesigns.com
