Bird Nest Necklaces and Etched Metal

Etched, stamped and cold connected metal pieces with a bit of lampworked glass beads and wire wrap.

i WisH...

I wish I had more time to play...

What type of stone is this?

Made this one a while ago. My first attempt at seed beading. It's an etched lampwork bead, but looks very stone like. The necklace is kumihimo hand braided cotton.

Boro Implosion Glass Pendants

Santa delivered some borosilicate glass. This is my first attempt at melting borosilicate and using an off mandrel pendant technique. It could rapidly become a new obsession for me.

Turquoise Key Focal Bead

Turquoise Rain Lampwork Focal Bead

Raven Lampwork Bead Necklace and Earrings

 

I found this ceramic pendant at Bead Haven (great selection of beads in this store) in Las Vegas. I had this necklace designed in my mind for some time and it finally manifested this week. I added a polymer clay backing to the ceramic and filled the back of the pendant in with some copper coil wire wrapping. The lampwork glass beads were made using a classic four graphite bead roller tool from CGBeads. 

The raven is considered a bird of creation,  without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness. Native North American tribes saw the raven as the bringer of light. The southwestern tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni) believe that the raven flew out from the dark womb of the cosmos, and with it brought the light of the sun. 

Fibula Pins and Lampwork Beads

The cooler temperatures have inspired the creation of some "fibula" pins using copper and lampwork beads. The center heart design courtesy of a wire wrap tutorial by "Jewlie Beads" (Julie Sigmund). I'm not much for following exact directions, so the heart has my own spin on the pin. 

Devardi Glass- It's stiff, but sweet colors!

I had the opportunity to play with some new glass stash this past week. The top photo features focal beads made entirely with Devardi Glass. It's a glass that was introduced to the lampwork community this past year. It is a stiff glass and requires a little bit cooler flame than the glass from Italy. The colors are great, especially the tranparent pinks, purples and the medium opaque brown looks just like milk chocolate. The middle and lower photos show a mix of Devardi medium opaque brown and Moretti Sky Blue. If you have a challenge with stringer control, this glass is stiff and easier to work than the softer glasses. It's a little less spendy than some glass, so great to practice with for beginners or those trying to experiment with

Painted Desert Lampwork Beads

It's been hot this summer, but I did manage to get in a few hours of torch time last week. I call this batch "Painted Desert" I like the black and white combined with color. Watch for these in the future in additional hues. 

Garden Inspired Paper Doll

I've been on a paper doll fairy kick for the last month or so. Something so fun about making these little ladies. The inspiration for this one came from planting ocotillo seedlings in the garden. It's a late evening affair these past few  weeks. Too hot during the daylight hours for me to even think about working outside or torching lampwork beads. Enjoy.

Work Accessories - Cool Tools For The Ladies

I was growing weary of the "man" tool belts and decided to take things into my own hands. Here's what became of a well worn pair of bib overalls last week. A gal needs a fashionable place to store all her work and garden tools.