Team Beads: March 2023

Working with glass requires a ton of training, practice, and failure. So once a month, the team at Big Eddy Glass Works meets up to learn a new skill, make some items for the shop, or try out a new craft kit we’re getting ready to sell to the public. So this time around I thought I would bring you behind the scenes on a team training night, affectionately known as “Team Beads”.

This time around, the staff had requested learning how to make encased mushroom pendants. These pendants are made using a different type of glass than what we normally make our handmade jewellery out of. These pendants use Borosilicate Glass, which is less sensitive to temperature changes and flames so it is frequently used for laboratory supplies and smoke ware. Working with Borosilicate is very different from the soft glass we normally use. It burns brighter, has a higher melting point, and can actually be put down during the process without cracking once the piece drops below 500 degrees.

We each got to make as many of our mushroom pendants as we could, and although we have some wonky stems, misshapen bubbles, and Ella might have made the smallest mushroom we’ve ever seen. We learned something new and can grow and improve from here.

Keeps your eyes peeled in the shop for some of these funny little mushrooms!