Lampwork Tutorials- How To Make Bubbles in Glass

My video demos 4 different lampwork tutorials that I use to make bubbles in glass.

Each one creates a different effect in your bead.

Each of these bubble lampwork tutorials has been picked up from my exploring glass from different areas of glass making.

When I lived in Georgia, I would go up to Ashville’s Mountain Glass and take classes from borosilicate glass makers. They taught lampworking but their background was in borosilicate glass which uses different techniques.

Many of these guys learned how to work with glass and made a living through the avenue of scientific glass blowing. They had 9-5 jobs making glass products like flasks, bottles and perfectly designed specialty glass equipment that sold to laboratories and other scientific outlets.

But at night they made water pipes/bongs to make extra money, being it was in the 80′s and marijuana was being explored.

Today, making water pipes has elevated to an art form, with it’s own collector base to support it.

Gorgeous Water Pipe above.

Frog Bubbles Lampwork Tutorial

The first of my lampwork tutorials uses a FROG or Kenzan, that you can buy from an florist outlet. Just Google them.

When you purchase one, make sure the base is metal because some bases are covered in a green plastic to blend with the flower’s stem. Fire Hazard for us lampworkers!

USING A FROG…

Using a ‘frog’ really can open up new exploration for your bead making.

Tip…If you like perfection and flawless space bubbles, try using the frog on one side of the bead so you don’t disfigure the bead as much as when you apply the holes over the entire bead.

***One thing I want to point out in my demo…notice how my glass sticks to the frog for a second. That’s because the frog was still hot. I needed to let the frog cool more before I pierced the molten glass again with the spikes.

The same goes for the tungsten pick. If it starts sticking to the glass, just cool it by submerging it in some water.

Watch the demo here…

I learned tons from those boro guys in my early training that I have incorporated into my glass lampworking techniques.

Explore these 4 bubble lampwork tutorials. Be creative.

What new ways can you use the techniques that no one else has tried?
What other everyday objects can you use to create bubbles in a bead?
Try using some different elements such as dichroic glass, silver glass, silver leaf, frits, powders and baking powder with these techniques
What if you created bubbles close to the surface of the bead… what surface texture could you create with that technique?

Think outside the Box with each of these lampwork tutorials!

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Enjoyed these Bubble lampwork tutorials???….I appreciate a Thumb’s Up! Thanks! :)

Happy Torching!

Patsy :)

click on the SEA WORLD for a closer look!