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

New Silver-Foiled Lampwork Glass Beads

I 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 Pair
Butter Pecan & Silver Blue Swirls Glass Beads - Handmade Lampwork Pair
Butter Pecan, Blues and Greens Glass Beads - Handmade Lampwork Pair

Brilliant Blues

I find that as I follow my creative inspirations I tend to gravitate towards some colour palettes, and forget about others.

I decided to have a look more closely at this habit of mine, so I searched "blue" in my Etsy shop...and I found that 14 of my 57 current listings were blue, or had blue in them.

I made a poster sketch of them because I thought they looked pretty all arranged by colour...I'm hopeless! Be sure to click on the image to enlarge it...my 50 year old eyes had to squint, LOL.

I hope you like them....now...it's off to make some more beads....hmmmm, maybe blue ones???

New Glass Beads for Jewelry Designs

These glass bead pairs are fabulous for earring designs...they are a nice size to use as accents with Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, copper findings, and pearls.

The borosilicate glass lends a mysterious quality to the beads, and is best viewed in natural daylight...they really sparkle!

These are all currently available in my Etsy shop...but don't wait too long, they go quickly!
Blue and Black Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Red and Pink Glass Bead Pair - Borosilicate Lampwork with Microbubbles
Blue and Jade Green Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Blue and Amber Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Blue and Violet Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Beads
Pink and Purple Glass Borosilicate Lampwork Bead Pair

Outrageously Orange

I think it must be because my hair is auburn (well, more grey these days but thank you L'Oreal), my husband's hair is red, and three of our four children have reddish hair, ranging from strawberry blonde to medium auburn.

I LOVE the color orange!!!

I have orange pants, an orange jacket, orange shirts galore...and I'm crazy for orange beads and gemstones!

Here are some of the "oranges" in my Etsy shop...
Lions and Tigers and Bears...Handmade Lampwork Bead Set SRA
Apricot Swirls...Handmade Graduated Lampwork Bead Set of 7 SRA
Red and Orange Glass Bead for Pandora Bracelet
Red, Orange, and Yellow Glass Beads-Borosilicate Lampwork Glass Bead Pair
Orange and Violet Glass Borosilicate Lampwork Focal Bead
Red, Orange, and Yellow Glass Bead Pair - Borosilicate Lampwork
Orange Primrose...Beaded Necklace with Sculptural Lampwork Flower Focal
ON SALE - Orange and Silver-Gemstone and Crystal Beaded Necklace with Carnelian Pendant
Swarovski Fire...Brilliant Beaded Necklace with Faceted Teardrop Focal Pendant

New Glass Beads for Jewelry Designs

These are the latest borosilicate glass bead pairs in my Etsy shop...beautiful and unique glass beads for your jewelry designs.

If you are not a jewelry designer yourself, and would like me to make a pair of earrings for you, just let me know.

(Edited April 22, 2010: the bottom pair is sold)

Pretty Earrings for Spring Fashions

There's nothing I like better than to tie my hair back in a ponytail once Spring and Summer arrive...easy to care for, keeps it out of my face, love it!

That's one reason I like to wear earrings...a little bit of adornment when my hair is back, a little flash of color around my face.

Here are some lampwork glass bead earrings that are available for purchase on my website.
Look under earrings in the left-hand column for these, and other, earring designs!

Digital Scrapbooking....how fun is this????

Well, those of you who know me, know I do not need another hobby/addiction/compulsion...but I have to admit that I'm just a bit "over the top" since I've discovered digital scrapbooking.

Now of course, this is only new to ME....(I tend to be a bit slow picking up on new trends, LOL).

I've done some family photos....but I want to show you some pages I've made for my lampwork beads.


Both of these are currently available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Wordless Wednesday...Beautiful Beadweaving in B&W

time2cre8

BeadazzledofOregon

justforyoubygail

SandFibers

TOONIE TUESDAY...ONE DAY ONLY!!

Woohoo!!

Today is Toonie Tuesday in my iCraft.ca shop!!

I've listed 9 lampwork focal beads, each at $2.00, buy one, buy them all!!

I don't discount my lampwork beads any other time of the year, so stock up today!

Sale is only for Tuesday, June 16....once they're gone, they're gone at this price!

Have fun!

Spring Flower...Pretty Lampwork Bead

This is a pretty flower I made with Odd Lot Orange Sherbet, Butter Cream, and Tangerine Sparkle...swirled together, and with transparent medium teal hand pulled leaves.

The leaves are pulled separately, off-mandrel, and kept warm on a coffee warmer/hot plate so they don't crack. They are then carefully heated in the torch and added one by one to the flower base.

I think the colours in this pretty floral bead are wonderful...like primroses in spring!

A Few Words About Lampworking

I have always loved bright, shiny things and as a child collected all sorts of pretty stones, shells, and beach glass. I still have many of those cherished objects.

Beads have fascinated me for years and I have been embellishing clothing with them for a long time. I made my own wedding dress and beaded the bodice and sleeves in a vine and leaf pattern.

In my professional career as a dentist, I work with my hands every day but found that I needed a creative outlet. Jewelry making was a natural extension of this, requiring a degree of fine motor control and skill. My hobby has happily turned into a small business for me.

I discovered lampworking, also known as flameworking, two years ago, and was hooked after I took my first course. My husband recognized this newfound passion in me and very kindly agreed to build a glass studio for me in our home.

Lampworking involves melting rods of different colored glass in the flame of a very hot (2000 degree) propane/oxygen torch, and winding the molten glass around a stainless steel rod (mandrel) which has been coated in a releasing agent...otherwise the glass will melt to the rod forever. When this happens it is known as a "pot sticker". Glass rods get their color from various metal oxides, much like paint, but the colors don't mix the way paint does...the reaction of the different metals within the glass can give rise to completely different effects at the edges where the colors meet. This can also be affected by the proportion of oxygen in relation to propane...an oxidizing flame or a reducing flame.

Proper ventilation is crucial when working with glass; both the metal oxides and the fine particulate matter can be harmful. Special glasses are required to protect the eyes from the flare of the glass as it melts. Other safety equipment includes proper regulator valves for the controlled flow of propane and oxygen, high volume ventilation hood, fire extinguisher, smoke detector, and carbon monoxide detector.

After the bead is made, a process which can take from a few minutes to over an hour for a single bead, the mandrel and bead are placed in a hot kiln (approximately 1000 degrees) to "soak" for a period of time, then very slowly cooled over a period of many hours, to relieve the stress in the glass. This process is called annealing, and is a critical part of lampworking. Without being annealed the glass will be prone to cracking, shortly after being made or many months in the future. When buying lampwork beads, be sure to ask if the beads have been properly kiln-annealed. Inexpensive, commercial, or mass produced beads often are not, and will be prone to cracking.

Lampworking has given me more freedom and flexibility in my jewelry designing than I ever thought possible....colors, patterns, and shapes can be created for custom designs, as focal pieces, or accents.

As much as I love designing jewelry with my own lampwork beads, I also love to see what other jewelry designers create with the beads I sell as components.

Ruby Lane has so many talented jewelry artisans and adding a "Components" section to the Artisan Jewelry Lane was a wonderful idea. I would encourage everyone to check out this section if you haven't already.

For Valentine's Day!!

Is that LOVE in the air?

It's snowing, there are geese honking overhead, and we have a cozy fire going in the fireplace!

Valentine's Day is coming soon, and for that most romantic of days, I made a hollow lampwork heart bead....now THAT was a labour of love!

I made this hollow beauty with Bullseye Raspberry Creme glass...first as a large round hollow bead, then gently coaxed the sphere into a lovely puffy heart shape. As the hot air inside the glass hollow expands it inflates the heart...just the right amount...like a bubble, if it gets too big or a wall too thin it pops.

Here's where you can find the necklace...it's in my Etsy shop.