What Difference a Day Makes (Fresh From the Flames)

Ever have "one of those days"? I just couldn't seem to get the glass to do what I wanted it to yesterday.
Case in point:
Far left is the start of a medium blue Fleur de Lis. Can you see the bubbles? I'm gonna hafta admit that I started this just as "So You Think You Can Dance" was getting going. By the time I had enough glass wound on to get my base I noticed bubbles everywhere. *piffle*
So I started again. That would be the second blue bead. Next thing I know I've put too much glass for a FDL so I just crunched it and decorated.
Now the clear hollow in the center. Remember yesterday's clear hollow? It came out so absolutely perfect. And it practically made itself. I couldn't stop admiring it when I was cleaning it. Well, I used Precision Diamond Clear for that one. This one is from a batch of Effetre I have that's really pretty clean. But it kept falling in on itself and just never would puff up completely. I'd sure like to hear what anyone else has experienced with this.
Second from the right is that start of an amber hollow. About the third or fourth winding the release broke on the left side. I tried to rescue the left side by turning it into a ruffled disc but it's not a keeper either. *double piffle* The next try with the amber hollow came out just fine.
Notice the empty mandrel in the center? Well, that was my last attempt at bead creation last night and as I was warming the glass and the mandrel, the release started to crack. At that point I decided I was swimming against the tide. And since I'm not a spawning salmon, I wrapped it up. Never one to give up completely I'll be back playing with fire in just a little while. Wish me luck and creativity.
Come see me and my latest baubles at the Arts Market of New Orleans - Saturday, July 25, 2009, 10am to 4pm in Palmer Park corner of S Carrollton and S Claiborne.
Till later - Flame On!