tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48976424187789972662024-02-19T16:09:04.747-05:00Brilliant BeadsHandmade Lampwork Beads & Beaded Jewelry
by Gillian SoskinGillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-9540732015039034802019-03-17T14:20:00.000-04:002019-03-17T14:20:09.137-04:00Our Trip to SpainCanadian winters are notorious for being long and cold...and this year's has been no different.
We decided to get away over March Break and sunny Spain sounded perfect!
We rented a little countryside cottage southwest of Antequera and it was a little piece of paradise...
Warm, sunny days...great food, hiking, all in this gorgeous setting! ...now I must learn more Spanish!Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-60447127582017492952019-03-02T16:43:00.000-05:002019-03-02T16:43:37.204-05:00Clear sky breaking through the storm clouds...new earringsWe've had a lot of ups and downs with our weather this winter. Dull, gray days and freezing drizzle.
Finally the brilliant blue sky will break through the clouds and the temperature will plummet.
I certainly prefer the sunny weather even if I have to bundle up. I can't wait for Spring to arrive.
I made these lampwork beads with this thought in mind...
Blue opal on a gray background...with aGillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-84358616335261677092019-03-01T10:34:00.001-05:002019-03-02T16:44:25.267-05:0017 Equations That Changed The World...A Knitted Tale
Here's a progress pic for my #doubleknitcowl.
As a #mathnerd this pattern called to me and itβs been a fun knit! Here's the reverse...
It's a pattern called "17 Equations Mobius Scarf" by Erica B.
Of course I am reading the book too!π
ββββοΈ#ravelry#wollmeise #handknitting #handdyedyarn#lovemath
FYI I dyed the light pink yarn with avocado Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-87789811179706887722019-02-27T07:51:00.000-05:002019-02-27T08:00:22.197-05:00Pretty Necklaces for Throat Cancer Survivors
As a jewelery designer and dentist who's primary focus is Head & Neck Cancer patients, I recognize that there is a need for people who have had a laryngectomy, or who have a tracheostomy stoma, to be able to have a decorative covering for their stoma.
These vintage filigree stampings are available in a variety of shapes and styles, all measuring between 1 1/8" and 2 1/8" in diameter. Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-13709710951718989302019-02-24T06:53:00.000-05:002019-02-24T06:53:27.247-05:00Dreaming of SummerHere in Southern Canada we are still firmly in the grips of winter. Lots of snow, wind, and frequent bouts of freezing rain.
As you can see there's still lots of opportunity for fun with family during the winter!
However, sometimes one's thoughts do turn in anticipation to those hot summer days. When that happens I head down to the torch...it's warm!
I tried to conjure up a pair of beads Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-70860286187551264292019-02-20T07:45:00.000-05:002019-02-20T07:45:00.269-05:00My First Double Width ClothI have such a large stash of yarn (yes, this picture is not a yarn store...just mine) that it will take me a couple of lifetimes to get through it all!
Weaving is a great way to use up stash...and I'm making my first "yardage" out of Wollmeise Lace-Garn.
This setup allows me to weave cloth which is double the width you see above. There is a fold on the left side and two layers on the right Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-82903912324813549932019-02-18T10:43:00.000-05:002019-02-18T10:43:33.055-05:00A Tale of Two Loves...More Time Please!Well, I have been away from this blog for far too long! As you all know, life moves in fast forward as one gets older, and that is definitely been the case with me!
Trying to slow it down at work, I have been working 4 days one week and 3 days the next, and LOVING it!! It gives me more time for hobbies, and of course I've taken more on.
I am always so torn between lampwork beadmaking and Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0London, ON, Canada42.9849233 -81.245276842.6130008 -81.8907238 43.356845799999995 -80.5998298tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-56418844631287501352013-03-31T08:58:00.000-04:002013-03-31T09:05:51.196-04:00New Boro Beads....It's Been A WhileBorosilicate glass, aka boro, is so different to work with compared to "soft" glass, or soda glass. Most glass beads are made with glass from manufacturers like Effetre (Italian), Lauscha (German), or Bullseye (American).
Borosilicate, or Pyrex, glass, was developed by Corning and is the glass that "Corningware" used to be made from...it can go from cold (refrigerator) to hot (oven) Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-47937500539955242142013-03-15T19:39:00.000-04:002013-03-15T19:39:04.480-04:00Sunshine on a Clear Day...Handspun YarnI've just finished plying my new handspun yarn...I plied the single novelty yarn that I made on my blending board with a Saffron merino top. It's about 111 yards.
I have it measured and tied up, now to set the twist, let it dry and find a pattern that will show it off.
Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-44435970440703009312013-03-03T12:54:00.000-05:002013-03-03T12:54:25.496-05:00My New Fiber Blending Board & Inspiration From Art
I received my new fiber blending board last week and finally had some time yesterday to experiment with it. For those of you who may not know a blending board is a piece of carding cloth with many, many "teeth" and it's used to blend different colours and fibres to make rolags which can then be spun into yarn.
I took my inspiration for my colour palette from a wonderful print that I Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-72032956967166099532013-02-17T21:38:00.002-05:002013-02-17T21:42:08.305-05:00Button, Button, Who's Got The Button??Well, with my new fibre addiction I decided to start making glass lampwork buttons again. I've made them over the years, but I have so many beautiful colours of roving and yarn now I just had to see what I could come up with to coordinate with them.
So I started making buttons to match...
Brown, Copper, and Beige Handmade Lampwork Glass Button
Spring Garden Handmade Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-66285070536200550092013-02-15T19:56:00.000-05:002013-02-15T19:56:06.466-05:00Discovering the Joy of FibreI've done a bit of needlefelting over the past couple of years, mostly round beads to incorporate into jewellery, and so I've accumulated a stash of small balls of brightly coloured roving (combed sheep's wool).
Just before Christmas I purchased a drop spindle to try spinning some of this roving into yarn. My family and I went on a fabulous trip to Peru over the holidays and the Andean Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-9034728576166666292013-02-11T17:23:00.000-05:002013-02-11T17:23:10.777-05:00Love is in the Air....Valentine's DayI have to admit that I always forget about Valentine's Day until the last minute. It's not that I don't want to do something special for my wonderful husband, but we do loving little things all year long for each other.
For example, I'm really not "gaga" over chocolate or roses, I'm much more of a practical gal. I make my own jewellery so he doesn't buy it for me. A new, Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-79191510064847814682013-02-08T19:51:00.000-05:002013-02-08T19:51:53.414-05:00I'm a Little Batty I ThinkI don't do a lot of sculptural lampwork but when a customer asked me to make some "ghoulish" beads for a Goth friend of hers I thought I'd give it a try.
Here's a set which is destined to be a necklace, maybe with a pair of earrings.
The bat is designed to hang upside down (like bats do) from her red toes...and the black spacers have raised red dots that are "blood droplets".
Now, I know it's Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-43309995975454954872013-02-05T08:24:00.000-05:002013-02-05T08:24:17.418-05:00Big Hole Beads...The Trend ContinuesThe fashion trend using glass beads with large holes continues....wear them on European-style bracelets and necklaces, put them on a thick leather cord, string them one at a time or in groups on an existing chain you own, mix and match and change things up to suit your mood or your outfit today!
The holes on these big hole beads measure 4.2mm in diameter so they are very versatile and even slideGillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-48241019570093909042013-01-29T08:34:00.000-05:002013-01-29T08:34:11.879-05:00Trend Alert: Chan Luu Style Wraparound BraceletsI'm seeing these double-wrap bracelets everywhere and decided to make some up and see how they look on the wrist.
Well, I LOVE them! Of course I've now purchased 15 different colours of cording to coordinate with the beads I'm using, and I'm making lampwork bead toggle closures for them. So much fun to make! The beads need to have large enough holes to accommodate at least two Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-13309564715762178222013-01-24T07:53:00.000-05:002013-01-24T07:53:16.419-05:00Kumihimo...The Japanese Art of BraidingI've always been fascinated by braiding and plaiting. Recently I discovered kumihimo...the Japanese art of braiding. Long ago, samurai warriors would use this technique with silk cord to braid armour to protect themselves in battle.
The addition of beads to the braid is challenging but the end result is lovely. I've been using up my seedbead stash with some kumihimo bracelets Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-92078420494895196392013-01-13T11:34:00.000-05:002013-01-13T11:35:35.029-05:00Trip to the Galapagos IslandsWhat an amazing trip we just returned from...Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands (they're part of Ecuador). It's hard to imagine that such a pristine place still exists on the face of our planet Earth, but it does.
Here are some of the 2500 pictures we took on our trip...
Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-72841541503455506312010-12-23T08:54:00.006-05:002010-12-23T09:04:21.211-05:00Lampwork Glass Hearts for Valentine's DayWell, we're right in the thick of the Christmas season, but as a lampwork bead artisan and jewellery designer it's always necessary to be thinking ahead. I've been making glass hearts for Valentine's Day designs, and I'd like to show you some of them.They make wonderful pendants for necklaces, paired with some Swarovski crystals for added sparkle.Each heart is unique...they are hand-shaped with Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-66057500032349985822010-12-22T11:19:00.006-05:002010-12-22T11:27:48.899-05:00New Silver-Foiled Lampwork Glass BeadsI ran out of fine silver foil last week, but my supplier came through for me, and I'm stocked up again!I made more of the silver-foiled beads, and quite a few of them have sold already (thanks everyone)...here are three pairs that are still for sale in my Etsy shop.Butter Pecan, Browns, and Blues Glass Beads - Handmade Lampwork PairButter Pecan & Silver Blue Swirls Glass Beads - Handmade Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-28434922933830189292010-12-12T13:07:00.005-05:002010-12-13T08:21:41.250-05:00I'm Featured in this Beautiful Treasury!Look at all these beautiful works of glassy art!Thank you so much JewelsbyJasmin, for including my "Aurora" lampwork focal bead in this beautiful Etsy treasury!Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-78230302795258344232010-12-05T17:46:00.005-05:002010-12-05T17:58:25.700-05:00Thinking of Spring...Do you blame me?Purples, Aquas, and Greens Glass Beads - Handmade Lampwork Set of 5 BeadsYesterday there was no snow on the ground...this started this morning, and has continued all day! We're supposed to get 30cm (12") every 12 hours for another day and a half!!I live in London, Ontario....nestled in the middle of three of the Great Lakes (read inland seas): Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. We get "Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-48060194441085820862010-12-04T16:57:00.006-05:002010-12-04T17:08:18.384-05:00Lampwork Beads with Fine Silver FoilButter Pecan, Purples and GreensButter Pecan & Chestnut BrownsButter Pecan & Montana BlueThese pretty beads were all made with a technique whereby you make a base bead...here using a lovely glass called Butter Pecan, then wrap each bead with pure silver foil and roll in a blend of small pieces of coloured glass, called frit.The frit melts into the silver foil, pushing the silver aside, Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-66053693888169994352010-11-28T20:33:00.008-05:002010-11-28T20:56:00.334-05:00CyberMonday Sale...50% off Pandora Sized BeadsWell, Black Friday has passed...and CyberMonday is soon upon us.<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshowGillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897642418778997266.post-67857571066457922212010-06-20T18:14:00.006-04:002010-06-20T18:23:37.034-04:00New Glass Beads for Jewelry DesignsIt's been a busy month with committee work and other employment-related things taking precedent, so I have been "itching" to get to the torch more often. Isn't it funny how when you can't do something as much as you would like to...you crave it even more.Here are some new pairs of borosilicate glass beads now listed in my Etsy shop....Light Green and Blue Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Gillianbeadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07970244167565929812noreply@blogger.com0