Wonky Beads

When I first started making beads, I learned a new word. Wonky. I had never heard that word before, but a new online lampwork friend had used it to describe her imperfect beads. Wonky. It's a funny word. I had been calling my beads "lopsided," because at the time that's what most of them were. But I soon started to use the word "wonky" as well. Needless to say, I've made lots of wonky beads. Sometimes the eyes are melted in too much, or I've messed with the bead so much that it doesn't resemble what I was trying to make. What do you think happens to those beads? Well, I can tell you, throwing them out is not an option. First of all, the majority of my beads have faces. Could you look a turtle in the eyes as you're tossing him in the trash? I didn't think so. Second of all, there are four little hands waiting for those wonky beads to come out of the kiln. My daughters will happily give those deformed little critters a home. And if they've split in half? They just sticky-tac them back together.

My younger daughter's collection is hanging out on my son's fingerboard ramp.

These lucky beads are going for a whirlybird ride (thanks to a lot of sticky tac)

And here's my little collection of wonky beads that sit on this ledge in my kitchen. Most of them are cracked, and the poor owl lost his foot in a tragic sink accident.