Clear sky breaking through the storm clouds...new earrings

We'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 a bit of white showing through.

Accented with Swarovski Aquamarine crystals and sterling silver earwires.

Available for purchase on my website.

A 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 jewellery design. Here's an example:

I'm trying to use up some of my glass stash (could take several lifetimes!) so I made these scrollwork beads with a Lauscha Lavender glass that I only have a couple of rods left.

Torn between listing them for sale to other jewellery designers and making them into earrings for sale to jewellery customers I decided on the latter.

Oh the vagaries of photography and lighting! The bottom photo is more accurate on my monitor...more of a blue-lavender than a pink-lavender. The Swarovski crystals are Tanzanite, and they have .925 sterling silver earwires.

Available on my website for $15.

New Boro Beads....It's Been A While

Borosilicate 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) without cracking.

Coloured borosilicate glass yields beautiful, ethereal hues and is a very different palette when compared to soda glass, where most of the time WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get).

Here are some new boro beads I have listed in my Etsy shop:

 Deep & Hazy Blue

 Dark Amber Purple & Hazy Violet

 After Midnight

Deep Purple & Hazy Blue

Boro beads are wonderful design elements in jewellery...here's a bracelet using shades of violet with copper.

Violet & Copper Bracelet

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Lampwork Glass Hearts for Valentine's Day

Well, 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 love at my torch bench. These are currently available in my Etsy shop.
Tie A Ribbon Around My Heart...Lampwork Puffy Heart Focal Bead
Red Passion...Handmade Lampwork Puffy Heart Focal Bead
Pink Paradise...Handmade Lampwork Puffy Heart Focal Bead

I'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!

Lampwork Beads with Fine Silver Foil

Butter Pecan, Purples and GreensButter Pecan & Chestnut BrownsButter Pecan & Montana Blue

These 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, creating fine lines of pure silver between the colours.

These are available in my Etsy shop...