Lampwork Glass Bead Bracelets

Do you know how the feel of a smooth stone between your fingers can soothe you? I find that the feel of lampwork glass beads against my wrist do the same thing...and you can fondle them with your other hand.

I love the tapered shape of lentil beads...they lie nice and flat against the wrist, and go well with other round or oval-shaped beads.

Here are some bracelets that are available on my website. (Edited April 22, 2010: The top blue bracelet is now sold)

Featured Friday Artisan...Beau Monde

Today I am featuring a wonderful jewellery artisan....Beau Monde of Toronto, Ontario.

Her iCraft.ca shop is full of fabulous pieces of handmade jewellery, and I'll show you some, but to see them all you must visit her shop.

Beau Monde's jewellery pieces are created with unusual findings, vintage beads, vintage redux, precious metals, gemstones and Swarovski crystals.

She creates jewellery that is elegant, yet funky, colourful and vibrant with a sense of fun and whimsy.

How about this "Uptown Hippie" necklace?

Or what about these pretty "Lilia" earrings?

Here's what one customer says about Beau Monde:

"Gorgeous earrings, so beautiful!! Excellent quality items, very well created and great customer service from this seller!! "

Browse around her shop...feast your eyes on the fabulous jewellery, and if something strikes your fancy I'm positive you would be happy with your purchase!

Working with Seedbeads.... A Love Reborn

I've rediscovered my love of seedbeads. These tiny little marvels were my introduction to jewellery making when I was a mere 8 year old at summer camp, back in the 1960's when Flower Power ruled. We would make flower bracelets with thread and tie the bracelets on each other's wrists.

Over the years I've come back to seedbeads, first as an embelleshment for the bodice of my wedding gown, which I made with pewter grey satin, overlaid with organza on the bodice.

Then it was beadweaving in the Ukranian Mesh style...this necklace is still one of my favourites:



Lately I've been working with a spiral weave in the form of a rope, and I love the texture and flexibility of this technique.

Here's a necklace I just finished. The spiral weave forms the "chain" of the necklace and I used a bronze and ivory palette for it....tiny little 15/0 delicas and 10/0 metallic bronze seedbeads. The pendant is a bronzite rectangular cabochon set in a bronze-finished polymer clay frame, made by the very talented Nathalie Girard of Canadian Rockies Art.





I've also been combining my lampwork beads with seedbeads, as in this gorgeous aquamarine blue bracelet listed in my Ruby Lane shop.





Tomorrow I'll post a tutorial with instructions to make a spiral rope using the spiral weave pattern...it's so versatile.

Knitting With Wire

Here's a picture of a copper cuff bracelet I made a while ago.

I used 28 gauge copper wire, and tiny steel knitting needles...a little at a time because my fingers got so sore from pulling on the wire to get the tension even. This cuff took me a long time to make!

Because the edges were a little uneven, and to give the cuff more strength, I made copper sheet edging, folded over, and hand-riveted, then formed on my bracelet mandrel.

I then embellished the copper knitting with turquoise seedbeads...overall a pleasing effect I think.

Would I do it again? Hmmmm.....I'll have to consult my fingers, LOL.