Janky Beginnings

Gotta start somewhere right!

My boyfriend and I went in on a flameworking studio in our home just a few months ago after this amazing experience we had on one of our date nights at this hotshop in Chicago called Ignite. We were just looking for something fun to do together honestly. Little did we know that an amazing adventure would be waiting for us afterward. After looking it up randomly on Google...boom, class was booked. Little did we realize that after it was over we'd go into withdrawal. It was then we decided to jump in head first and go for it.

I'd like to share my first pieces after some encouragement to post from friends. Please note, I realize these suck :twitch: but we all gotta start somewhere.

Thanks in advance for looking! :blowkiss:

Jank Collection #1
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One of my first attempts at implosions
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This was made when I was SO PISSED and felt I needed something that represented my work...
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This fought me the entire time. Almost threw across the room and cried lol but held back, made a fricking loop and threw in kiln instead.
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This is wonk, my first pipe. So jank it needed a jank screen to go with it lol
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Another jank attempt, but not as bad as above haha
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You should post some of your newer stuff too. :)

Everyone starts somewhere. I have been at it 10 years or so, and I still have my first piece that I ever made sitting on my bench to remind me where I came from.

You're doing better than a lot of people's first attempts. Keep it up. You'll be surprised where you are in a year.

Though I certainly do not have the first thing I ever made (I'm not very sentimental)
I do remember the hanky beginnings
One thing to keep in mind: it's okay to have things not go so well. Don't throw things in your shop, people can get hurt that way! I've had people working next to me get frustrated and smash something and I get hit in the face with hot glass! Or a hot piece of glass lands on something flammable.
But things look good, you're doing fine, keep it up, post more pics.

Nice start! I'm starting to get my spoon shaping down and I started in January. I do at the min a spoon a day. Make this your progression thread. Post anything you make. Everyone here is really cool and helpful. They will give you all kinds of advice.

Thanks everyone! I need to take some pictures to post more....here are at least a couple of my first pendants though. :guyonfire

This would actually be my first attempt at an implosion...
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First attempt at pushing color into clear and trying to make it blossom
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Second attempt heh
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p.s. I've never thrown anything while people around, yet lol JK :D

Last two pieces I've made which I'm SUPER proud of. My first attempt at a Murrine and my second attempt at making something other than dots implode.

I found some tutorial on how to make an eye murrine in a book I have, didn't have the same colors but could still make it using what we have in our shop. I was going for a reptilian look. Used black rod, exp green Frit, key lime Frit, yellow and green Rod, and adventurine Frit. It was like frickin Christmas when I cut it open! Didn't think I'd like making these but damn it's fun as hell!

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Since I was only practicing and didn't think to actually clean the glass before starting :bangHead: ...so there's a ton of bubbles, that's besides the bubbles I created when making it too lol. Anyway, my first attempt cracked in a few itty bitty pieces, this one didn't YIPPEE!!

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I'm definitely loving solid work WAY more at this point.

Thanks for all the support y'all!!

Those are great. I'm new also and hitting at least one piece every night. Keep at it, it gets better the more you do!

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to update this thread with some of my recent work. I have so much to learn but feel I'm progressing. Love this melting stuff 

Some hands I melted
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A perfume bottle I made after watching Suellen Fowler webinar
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Some recent pipes I made
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I like Turtles
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A collage of things
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Thanks for looking 落

Looking good!
The hands are fantastic!

Looking good, substantial progress no doubt.

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Originally Posted by Jimi The Don

Looking good!
The hands are fantastic!

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Thank you! Had a couple of the hands, specifically the fists, in an art show which was pretty cool.

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Originally Posted by snoopdog6502

Looking good, substantial progress no doubt.

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Thanks, I've been trying to learn as much as I can but there is a lifetime to go lol

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Originally Posted by snowkittenmeow

Thanks, I've been trying to learn as much as I can but there is a lifetime to go lol

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Im coming up on 3 years and im still a noob. My new jank looks better then my old jank. :)

i think its been 5 years for me, and i still see things that "new" people make that i think is better than my stuff.

Amazing progress, impressive!.. As long as there are things left to learn we will all be newbies for life

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Originally Posted by Shattered Dreams

i think its been 5 years for me, and i still see things that "new" people make that i think is better than my stuff.

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Omg sometimes I see some people come in and whip out the coolest stuff instantly or strike gold with some new process they didn't realize was badass. I like the learning process, lol, I have no choice heh

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Originally Posted by Michael

Amazing progress, impressive!.. As long as there are things left to learn we will all be newbies for life

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Thanks for the kind words! #newbs4life

Some of the new hands I made this past weekend. Three new prototypes, calling them 'my Precious'. :D
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Awesome hands!