40 Dots Only Bead Challenge

Heather Trimlett put out a 40 bead challenge where you choose two colors and make 40 beads only using dots.  At first I it wouldn't be that hard, I love doing dot beads but after the first 20 it got tough.  My beads are strung onto the leather in the order I completed them starting in the center.  I started with some of the basics and moved on quickly to masking dot techniques that I had never tried but had seen others do an loved the look.  As time went on I had to wrack my brain for ideas because it turns out that 40 beads are a lot to do with the same technique being limited to only two colors, I used CIM Phoenix and Moretti Dark Red Purple.  I loved the fact that the Phoenix turned different shades depending on how long it spent in the torch but in the end I think it may have been cheating a bit :).

Making these beads was truly a worth while learning experience and I'm glad that I spent the time to complete the project.  I plan on keeping this strand as inspiration for future beads, they are just to pretty to separate.  I may make a necklace just so that I can enjoy them outside my studio.

Please check out Heather's page explaining the challenge and her Pinterest where she plans to post the results of the challenge.  Quite a few of my beadie friends are planning to take the challenge so I hope to post photos of their work soon.

If you are a lampworker I suggest that you take this challenge and push your limits.

All 40 dot beads  Not For Sale

40 dot bead challenge

40 dot bead challenge

40 dot bead challenge

Added Later:  after all the work on these beads my friend (I think she is my friend LOL)  Jamey pointed out that the instructions said they had to be melted in.  Honestly I don't have any problems making all melted in dots.  My problem lies with leaving all the dots up and the same size not half melted in and half still standing.  Making 40 different all melted in dots would be almost impossible since I ran out of ideas for melted in dots long before I ever came close to 20.  So I throw out this challenge to you can you make 40 totally different beads with all the dots melted in.  Not 20 and then switch the base color and do them again but 40 totally different ones?