Not Your Regular "Fly By Night" ~ Ho, Ho, Ho!

Who knew that Santa traded in his old school sleigh and is now riding in his new chocolate ice cream cone airplane with a peppermint propeller?

You can see more views- and the side ones are better to see the cone part- in this listing.

Do you ever make beads just to see if you can do them or to entertain yourself? I do. If a sculptural bead design is logistically hard to make- like having an "x" and a "y" axis, (like a "t" shape), then that is fun for me to try.

I have to build out the part that isn't supported by my 1/16th slim mandrel. Meanwhile, I think about making the shape, how to keep the entire bead warm and what order in which to form it it.

I also think about how I'm going to "get" to some of the places. For example the red plane wings. Those started as elongated dots. I needed to put the glass into its position, but not press it yet, (pressing makes it more susceptible to getting cold, because it's thinner), and I still needed to finish Santa's body. So if I made his arms, could I have room for my tools to press the wings?
Just for the record, I mashed the wings and then added Santa's right arm, which had to be placed before his beard, which had to be added before his.... you see what I mean. The order of placement is a strategic one that has to be thought out. Who knew this right brained beadmaker could be logical too?

Is this a way you think when you're making beads? Do you think of the order of the pattern or the shape in a logical way, or design your beads on the fly? (I do that too sometimes). Tell us about it.

And don't forget, beads like this are fun for holiday decorations too. This one would be so cute on a Christmas tree.