Animal Beads

At the end of October, I posted a picture of my first pig bead. Since then, I've been impatiently waiting for my copy of Jim Kervin's book" The Wild and Wonderful World of Sharon Peters and her Silly Sculptural Shapes". I'd orderd it from Arrow Springs with another book but when the order arrived, Jim's Book wasn't in it. Anyway, now that I have it I've been inspired to work on some sculptural shapes, especially as someone ordered a pig shaped bead from me. I've now made another two so that she can choose which one she wants and here are their pictures.Piggy EvolvesPiggy Evolves
I must have picked up a dark purple rod instead of a black one for the pupils in the eyes. Both rods look exactly the same when cool. I'd just come back from looking at another car crash outside the house.There's been one on average at least once a week since the mini-roundabout was painted in the road outside my drive in 1989. It replaced a perfectly acceptable T junction at which accidents very rarely occurred. As my adrenalin was now flowing, I pressed on and made another piggy,Alert PigAlert Pig
followed by the Moo Cow'
Animal Beads: Moo CowAnimal Beads: Moo Cow
I discovered I'd put one of her coat splodges too near her eye so I'll have to bear that in mind for future cow Beads. I woke early this morning because I was worried that these three beads might crack whilst cooling in their tub of vermiculite but they were OK and are now annealing in the kiln along with a shelf full of other beads.
I have 2 cats now cooling in the vermiculite made this morning and will post pictures when they are annealed.
Two of the beads made yesterday are
Orange CrossOrange Cross

and Orange V beadOrange V bead
I like to experiment and found tutorials for these two shapes on the Wet Canvas Site Glass Forum.
The orange cross has got a thermal shock crack down the middle so I'm going to experiment to see if I can remelt both halves of the bead without it exploding from heat shock. I may try putting it in the kiln and heating to 530 deg cent. Taking out of the kiln and transporting it to the torch in fiber blanket to keep the heat in, then reheating in the torch. Keep your fingers crossed. Usually if a bead has a heat crack, I wait till I have a goodly amount and then turn the halves into cabochons.

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kat's picture

I've just realised what was

I've just realised what was so familiar looking about the pig beads you posted. The first one is definitely one of the 'Pigs in Space' muppets!