James is both a teacher and an accomplished beadmaker. He has also designed and developed some of the tools that have changed the way many people now make beads.
James explains the necessity of maintaining proper heat in the workpiece, and shows his way to use 'Insurance Heat'. In James' words, "Don't buy cheap insurance!"
In addition to these videos, you can see more of James' work in Jim Kervin's book, "The Classic Bead Shapes of Jim Smircich and his Amazing Control of Heat".
So, let's check out his videos, and remember to 'stay on center'.
Smircich Makes Beads!
Volume 1
Copyright 2003
Approx. 112 minutes.
$45.00
In this video James Smircich tutors as he works. He clearly describes what he is doing while he is doing it. You will see and hear James explain the principles behind his method. He gives insights into heat and gravity control, design ideas and much more. He produces fine long beads with a few effortless moves while explaining just how you can achieve the same results. James covers design effects such as Black Lace, Anise White Effect, the Apple Core shape, fuming, and clear casing. He presents a bead he calls a pillow bead. This is a hollow bead that is pressed into a tablet and then reheated to enhance it by using the expanding internal air to 'puff' the flat surfaces into curves. You will also see James comb a bead with a stringer and hear why this approach is better than using a metal pick.
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| Smircich Makes Beads, Vol. 1 | $45.00 |
Smircich Makes Beads!
Volume 2
Copyright 2005
Approx. 108 minutes.
$45.00
In volume 2, James continues where he left off in volume 1. Here, he makes a Leopard Spot 'Lace' Bead, a Vessel Form in Flo-Blue, a Cut Tablet Bead, a Tool Formed Bead, a Melon Bead, a Fingerprint Stringer Bead, a Disc Pendent, and a Goddess Pendent.
James then continues with 'Snippets and Exercises', where he demonstrates and explains a single technique. These include The Button, Starting a Long Bead, Practice, the Frozen Drip of Hot Glass, and Pulling a Stringer.
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| Smircich Makes Beads, Vol. 2 | $45.00 |
Smircich: Let this be a Lesson to You!
Copyright 2006
2 Hours of Instruction
30 minutes of Extra Tutorials
$45.00
James does something different this time. This is in more of a lesson format, where James verbalizes his internal dialogue. You can hear what he's thinking, and learn how to adjust things 'on the fly'. He gives examples making a Pendant, Disk, Cased Stringers, a Vase, and the Spin Top.
James also includes 30 minutes of extra tutorial material, with JPEG photos of the step-by-step processes used in the lessons.
| Description | Price |
|---|---|
| Smircich: Let this be a Lesson to You! | $45.00 |