The Uh-Oh Bead

These beads may not be the best example to use for this topic. I can't say I particularly like them even... Yes, they are that metallic but... just not right for me.

But I did have one of those forehead slapping moments when I made them! I love beads that teach me a lesson!

This was a lesson in production work...something I don't do very well but...in this economy, if I get an order, I can't really afford to turn it down. I was making about a thousand 37 letter beads for a group. The work was repetitive and tedious. And they were pressed beads.

As it always happens with my brain...sometimes I zone out and put too much glass on the mandrel. While sometimes I can fix that...volume control is a mad skill to have! Sometimes the bead over presses the mold on the mandrel and it's time for a water bath. OR is it???

I realized that the largest round mold I have was just bigger than my square press. So... what could I make with ivory and black? I had a metallic black stringer on my table and I used these as my experiment beads. As luck would have it, once I figured out what to do with an over-pressed bead...I only had three uh-ohs!

And while I'm not in love with these, I AM in love with the idea. I know I will never sit down to do production work again without thinking of what to do with the mistake beads. Most pressed beads begin with a fairly basic color. Keep a jar of similar frit or an interesting stringer, a larger mold or press nearby and even the uh-oh beads can be keepers!

What do you do with your uh-ohs???