Miss Tanzania, 1981

I'm continuing with Tanzania and with glass.  Not bottle glass yet.  I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with my green bottle beads and I want to get the bugs out of Miss Tanzania in glass before I break a beer bottle for her.  I just happen to have some (gluten free!) beer in the refrig in her perfect color!

First:  I must introduce--the original--Miss Tanzania, 1981:

                                                                  

She is a wooden sculpture--4 feet tall that we purchased in Tanzania in September.  So named because, when we were admiring her the salesman told us that she was an antique.  When I asked how old she was, he replied that she was about 30 years old.  What does that make me?  Anyway...for some time now I wanted to see if I could make her in glass--somewhat smaller and just head and shoulders.

Here is my first attempt:

 Of course, she's still on the mandrel because of a telltale crack in the middle of her back.  You already know about my cracking troubles.  This time it's due to the height of the bead.  It's still difficult for me to keep larger beads evenly heated in the flame. Though he didn't work in glass that I know of, now I know why Van Gogh cut off his ear!  This bead--at about 2.5 inches tall is almost twice as tall as my birdies.    I did manage to pierce her ears though.  You wouldn't expect me to let her go naked, would you?