I know that once in a while you will feel the need to send an email to PRAISE something you have seen/read on my site. Here is a list of those involved in the presentation of this website and other publications and tools. Click on the name of the person you want to send an email to!
One little note about my "buy now" button system: paypal keeps track of inventory, which means each frog can only be purchased once.
Unfortunately the system has a major flaw: until I manually remove the button after the item has sold, you won't know whether something is still available until you actually CLICK on the button. THEN it will tell you if the item is sold out. Until I figure out a way to change that, I can only apologize for the inconvenience.
Shipping for all beads/beadsets is $ 3.00 (including international orders), unless stated otherwise....
I accept Paypal, personal checks and handdelivered cash.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, January 16th
Once in a while I get this urge to make nothing but black and white beads - often times to get my creative juices going again after a little slump, or the consciously change gear after being stuck in a certain style of beads for too long. For me, black and white beads are the beadmakers equivalent to a "palate cleanser", like eating sorbet in the middle of a gourmet dinner. And then I get stuck in the black and white mood, because it opens up so many design possibilities, it's mind blowing.
And it's also mindblowing how much time you can spend on a single little bead - some of the beads in the sets below took me over 20 minutes - per bead. Which would make for some REALLY expensive bead sets if the "$ 1.00 per minute" beadpricing rule would apply. But what I realized when I "sank" into these beads that sometimes you just make things because they are so much fun, even though you might not get the "financial reward" that the time spent would warrant. I hope that for those of you who get one of these strands you can FEEL the amount of concentration and fun that went into the creation of the beads. I have 6 strands, and all the beads are different. I tried to pick the ones that went best with each other....Athough there might have been a little different amount of time in the sets, I priced them all at $ 100 (for 10 beads), basically for the convenience of NOT having to spend the time on thinking how much time I spent on the beads....simple as that. Each strand should be more than enough for a bracelet...
I also didn't spend much time on fancy naming - all the strands are part of my BLACK AND WHITE SYMPHONY....
The average size of all the beads is 10mm x 12-3 mm
# 1 - Black and White Symphony 1 4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
# 2 - Black and White Symphony 2 4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
# 3 - Black and White Symphony 3 4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
# 4 - Black and White Symphony 4 4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
# 5 - Black and White Symphony 5 4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
# 6 - Black and White Symphony 6
4.5 inch long strand, $ 100
The following two strands have 22m wide, 9mm thick lentils. 7 lentils should be enough for a nice bracelet, if you add a clasp and maybe a little bit of silver. Some of the nicest black&white lentils I have ever made....
# 7 - Black and White Sonata 1
6 inch long strand, $ 140
# 8 - Black and White Sonata 2
6 inch long strand, $ 140
---------------------------------------------------------- Friday, December 16th Today I have a few bracelets and earrings for sale (a couple of frogs as well...), but before I get to that, here is Dr. Scooters new tutorial. As mentioned in my newsletter, this 16-page e-tutorial is $ 10.00 and all the money will be donated to the Auburn Animal Shelter in Scooter's name: (the cover of this tutorial is NOT blue, I just added the color to make it stand out more on this webpage. The original cover has a white background...)
# 1 - Rainbow Bridge Bracelet
If you DON'T make beads yourself, but you like the idea of having a special "Rainbow Bridge Bracelet" either to remember that special friend you lost in the past, or you just like the LOOK of this bracelet, I made a few for sale. I have been wearing mine for a while now, and although this is not great "beadmaking artistry", I think I have never received as many compliments on a bracelet as on this. Basically, everybody who sees it wants one. So, if you are still looking for that perfect present for a dear friend (such as yourself), you can either make one yourself, or get one of mine.
I have three bracelets that were made with the same style of beads, but the actual bracelet inside is different:
# A is strung on one of the rubber tubing bracelets I bought in Murano. The bracelet itself is 8 inches long, but because it is full of beads it ends up being a little shorter. There is a clasp "hidden", but because of the amount of beads, it's very difficult to actually open and close the bracelet - I just roll mine over my hand (the rubber gives a little) and it fits my small/medium wrist perfectly
# B is strung on a silver plated "Pandora-bracelet" - this bracelet is NOT authentic, just to let you know. It's nice though - at 8.25 inches this is the largest of the 3 bracelets.
# C is strung on a braided leather "Pandora-bracelet", this one is authentic as far a I know. The leather bracelet is 7.5 inches long and will fit a smaller wrist.
If NONE of these bracelets would fit you, you can always restring it, either on a longer Pandora/Troll/Whateveriagi bracelet, or as described in the tutorial, you can string the beads on wire, chain or cord...
The price for ANY of these bracelets is $ 200, of you are interested in me making one for you, please email me.
If you like to coordinate your jewelry, here are some earrings (silver plated) to go with the bracelets above. You can just wear them with the dichroic beads, or you can add your own favorite Pandora beads, just remove the lower part from the lobster clasp and switch out the beads.... The "one-bead-earrings" are $ 25, the pair with two beads per earring are $ 40.
SOLD
# 3 - Groundhog Pandora-style Bracelet
I started this bracelet because I wanted to explore the different options of the new "Pandora-step-shaper", when it comes to making large hole beads with different layers of glass. Well, I kind of got carried away, as I always do with this style of beads, but I had never made them with large holes before, because it's a whole lot more difficult to make beads of similar size... I hope I don't sound arrogant or "bragging" here, but I think this bracelet is a little (humble) masterpiece. I'm very tempted to keep it, but after all, I make beads for a living, so, unfortunately some of them I have to sell. There are 21 beads in this bracelet, some have surface decoriation, some are encased - I strung them on the Italian Rubber bracelet, but could send them on one of the silver plated "Pandora Bracelets" instead, whichever one you prefer The bracelet fits a medium sized wrist....$ 300
# 4 - Gentle Touch
This bracelet has something of an "innocent" look to it, if that's an expression that can be used for a bracelet. Green and blue are "dancing" together - the beads are held in the center of the rubber bracelet by little black rubber stopper beads. Of course, you could take the whole thing apart and mix them in with your "regular" Pandora beads....$ 75
Thanks so much for looking - and Merry Christmas to you! ---------------------------------------------------- Monday, October 28th It's getting colder and colder here, and while I am more of a summer girl, I AM looking forward to some snow, if we shall be given some THIS year. Last year was a total bust. Speaking of last year, the first set today, "Big Blizzard", is actually a set I made last year, and I liked it so much that I kept it in order to turn it into a necklace for myself. Obviously, that never happened, so I decided to offer it for sale this year, knowing that in the hands of a talented jewelry designer it can be one heck of a gorgeous piece of winter-jewelry. And since not everybody is a "necklace-person", I made a very similar set with much smaller beads, for a fun and airy (two-strand) bracelet....
one word about the pictures: I had the hardest time finding a decent way to show the translucency of the beads - a white background made them literally disappear, so did a grey one. I settled on a black background, although it totally doesn't show the airy quality of the beads.....but it's the best I could do.
Before I write about each set individually, I wanted to show you a comparison picture, to show you how the two sizes relate to each other...
If you are interested in some matching frog charms to either one of these sets, CLICK HERE
# 1 - The Big Blizzard A beautiful strand of beads in clear, white and silver dichroic, which seems to be floating in the air, like snowflakes falling from the sky (yeah, whatever...). 4 etched orrbs, 4 hollow beads, 6 smallish round beads on silver dichroic, (10mmx13mm) plus 8 etched clear spacers, total length of the strand is 11 inches. $ 200
# 2 - Little Blizzard More or less the same as above, but everything is smaller, even the hollow beads (it's great fun making hollow beads that small, give it a try! I used CIM clear stringer, the stringer makes it easier to get a thin "wall", and CIM clear is much stiffer than Effetre, so it doesn't collaps as easily...). Again, I used only white, clear, and silver dichroic, there are 27 handmade beads in this set (including the spacers), this strand is also 11 inches long, so you could turn it into either 2 different looking bracelets, or one awesome double-strand bracelet, $ 175
# 3 - Time to renew your lipstick!
I'm still having a lot of fun with the watch-fob concept - and I know that not everybody is wild about frogs, so I have ONE (for the time being) watch-key-fob with "just beads", in a really bright red (transparent red lined with white)... so, if red is your color, this might be a fun little present to yourself. $ 50
# 4 - Reef Quark
The last bead for today is something quite different - a REEF QUARK. Once in a while I get the question why I named this type of bead "quark". Not too long ago, the atom was considered the smallest particle in physics and chemistry. NOW we know that there are lots of even smaller "sub-atomic" particles - and as MY quarks show, there is still a lot of stuff going on inside these particles....we just have to look a little closer. That's part of the "special-ness" of these beads - you have to take the time to look inside and see what's there, and discover new little things each time you look. They are not "wow" at first glance...nobody will stop you on the street and grab your bead and says "ohmygod - this is incredible"....like some other beads out there....This is more the kind of bead for someone who believes that "what's inside counts".... And just gazing inside might take you away for a tiny while, maybe taking you back to that last tropical vacation...where you just floated over the reef, trying to ignore the fogging up of the mask....or the sun burning down on your shoulders.... For now, I only have the little clownfish to inhabit my reefs, if you have been with my a while, you remember the 2-day disaster THAT created. The bad news is that it will be a while before I attempt another fish murrini - the good news is, I have about 3 feet of clownfish murrini left...
The bead here is big enough to be called a "focal", but small enough to wear comfortably as a pendant. It is 22 mm high and 25 mm wide. $ 125
SOLD
------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, October 3rd
Today I have just two sets to offer, both of which I hope to sell soon, because I am tempted to keep them for myself....;-), oh, and then a couple of focals to got with the sets.
# 1 - Fossil to go I have made about 4 sets of squeezed fossil beads over the years, and I did keep one of them for myself (so I guess this one should be easier to let go...). Each bead has a lot going on - the opposite side of each bead looks different, I didn't take a picture because I think you'll get the idea. Really fun beads that you'll never get tired looking at, if you find yourself stranded in line somewhere without a phone or ipad. I added some silver beads and freshwater pearls, so all you need to add is a clasp and your fossil bracelet is "good to go". I forgot to measure the strand before tying it together, but I think it's about 7.5 inches long. 6 squeezed beads and one accent bead, $ 185
# 2 - Long flat fossil focal
2 inches long, $ 70
For the perfect outfit with your fossil bracelet,
# 3 - Dornroeschen (German for Sleeping Beauty) The same shape as the fossil beads above, but these beads have a completely different feel to them. Very feminine and warm, the combination of Rubino Oro, goldstone and opal yellow is always spectacular. Matched with pink freshwater pearls and Bali Spacers, 6 beads and one accent bead, 7.5 inch long strand, $ 180
(SOLD)
# 4 - Dornroeschen matching focal
long squeezed bead, 1 3/4 inch long. $ 40
# 5 - Angry Bird - another matching focal
This one was the result of some fooling around, and it DOES look like an angry "cyclops" bird, with a beak, feathers and a big gleaming eye on top of it's head. 1 1/4 inch high, $ 35
-------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, September 21st
TODAY ALL SETS SHIP FOR FREE! I am still having fun looking at the pictures you sent me for the "Pick-your-favorite" contest, and one style in particular was of great inspiration to me: the "Winged Things"...flat orrbs with a solid core and transparent wings. They take a little while to make, but the result is really spectacular, if I may say so. But judge for yourself: # 1 - Dancing on Red Square
A fun set with a large variety of detailed black and white designs, framed by dark red stringer. The "wings" are made with clear glass, which reflects the design underneath and adds a lot of dimension. Lots of beads to play with, this would make a great stylish bracelet or necklace...8 beads, 11 red spacers, 8 inch long strand, $ 200
Topkapi Encore sets
Ah, how could I have forgotten "Topkapi", until 4 people chose this as their favorite...I LOVE these beads (and I also made a set for myself..). The core of each bead is wrapped in Palladium leaf, which creates a texture and Peacock colors that can't be achieved with anything but Palladium, which unfortunately is very expensive, but well worth it. The pictures actually show that Peacock magic quite well. Each bead has pale colored wings that pick up nuances in the Palladium, the fine intense black stringer decoration add the right touch of "Sophistication" and the little "bezel set" jewel is the icing on the bead cake... These beads are not cheap, given the time and the material cost, but they are really breathtaking...okay, i'm bragging, sorry.
# 2 - Topkapi Encore in Lavender The little "jewels" are only on ONE SIDE of each bead, to make the beads more comfortable to wear as a bracelet (which is what I turned MY strand into). The opposite side has exactly the same design, just without the jewel. I took pictures of both sides. 7 beads and 8 metallic spacers (the two outer beads are matching, in case you want to make some earrings to go with the bracelet). 7 inch long strand, $ 175
Backside of the same strand:
# 3 - Topkapi Encore in Very pale blue
Same description as above, only for this set I used a very very pale blue for the wings. The whole effect is a bit "cooler", which might work better for a paler skin color. 7 beads, commercial beads as spacers, 6.5 inch long strand, $ 170
(SOLD)
Backside of the same strand:
# 4 - Into Outer Space - Winged Medley
The last strand for today is one that I probably should keep for myself, because I know for sure that I can never make one excatly the same. In this type of design there is a lot of experimentation, who-knows-what-will-happen and dumb luck. The result is a little "wilder" than the Topkapi style, which is all about control and symmetry and design. This one is a bit of whatever mixed with "that looked good before, if I remember right" and "ohmygod-I-can't-wait-to-open-the-kiln". It this kind of randomness fits your personality, you will love this set! By the way - the two outer beads are "misfits" from the Topkapi series, the jewels turned slightly golden instead of lavender or blue. I added them to the set, because they fit, but I didn't CHARGE for these two beads! The backside of the beads is very similar, just a bit different... There are 7 beads in the strand, plus six spacers, 6.5 inch long strand, $ 115
----------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, September 10th
# 1 - Late Summer Rain
This "Mega-strand" was inspired by a set of "historical" beads that several people picked as their favorite. If you're the Jeans kind-of-girl, this might be for you. The beads are all blue and green, but the in the ones on the left BLUE is the dominant color, while on the right GREEN is the dominant color...they "pivot" (if that's the right word) around the twister disk in the center....and each frog is showing the matching color as well. 31 beads, 13 inch long strand, $ 225 with free shipping.
(SOLD)
Tuesday, September 6th
Still fishing....
I had a few requests for some more fish, this time I aimed for "fat and happy"....the hole in these fish goes through the head, like in the first batch....so it can be worn on a short chain.
# 1 - Fat Fish Ferdinand
35 mm long, $ 38
# 2 - Fat Fish Fidelio
38 mm long, $ 38
# 3 - Fat Fish Frank 38 mm long, $ 38
If you like fish, AND frogs, make sure to hope over to the frog page~! But also check out the next sets of beads...if you need a vacation, you might find something to help your imagination...
# 4 - Caribbean Dive Bubbles
Have you ever seen those cool gigantic "bubble" helmets? here is a picture, in case you have no idea what I'm talking about:
Since personally I can't scube dive because of some inner ear problems, so I hope some day I'll be able to find a spot where they offer these helmets, so I can experience the world below the snorkeling level.....
This set was definitely inspired by that longing - the world deep underwated in a tiny bubble...each bead has a "slice" of transparent aqua in the core, then a "bottom of the ocean" half on one side, with sponges, urchins and other "stationary" creatures, while the other side has "swimming" things, mostly clownfish murrini and a jellyfish. On the outside of the bubbles are barnacles, starfish, an octopus arm and seashells. I spent some time finding the right "in between beads", and I came up with faceted beads and pieces of real coral. I have never made any beads like these and I'm really tickled. I have to say though that these beads are SUBTLE - you have to take some time and look inside to discover the beauty of these beads, they are not "WOW" at a superficial glance.
6 lampwork beads (12 mm high and 16 mm wide/long), the entire strand with coral and spacer beads is 7 1/4 inch long, if you're not much into designing jewelry, all you would need is a clasp.....$ 160 (INCLUDING FREE SHIPPING)
# 5 - Deep Forest Bubbles
While the Caribbean Bubble set is bright and fun and full of "stuff", this little set is simple, serene and "Mysterious". Golden green bubbles with metallic "belts" would make a beautiful elegant bracelet, with a variety of possibilities depending on the spacers you combine these beads with. Each bubble is 9mm high and 11 mm wide, the entire strand is 4 1/2 inch long, 13 beads for $ 50. (the beads are SMALLER than shown!!)
------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday, August 25th
I am having so much fun with the fish, but knowing myself, that will eventually pass and I'll never make another fish in my life. So, if you feel fishy, now is the time... Today's batch is what I would call "BAIT FISH", because the whole goes through the length of the body, the way the fish would look when hooked. Here is a picture in comparison with the other fish, both to show you how the hole goes and that they are quite a bit smaller. All of todays fish have dichroic and eyes on BOTH sides.... As you can see, the new fish are quite a bit smaller, but they take just as much time as the bigger ones, because of the decoration on both sides. Still, I kept the price lower, just because.... All of the fish are $ 28, but if you buy two or more, they are $ 25 each....(I will refund the difference). One last note: the dichroic is A LOT more brilliant than it appears in the pictures.
# 1 - Sad-fish 26mm long, $ 28
# 2 - Dumb-fish 23 mm long, $ 28
# 3 - I-lost-my-dentures-fish This guy is a twin to the dumb-fish above, they would make a great pair of earrings! 23 mm long, $ 28
# 4 - Get-out-of-my-way-fish you don't want to meet this guy while you're swimming.. 27 mm long, $ 28
# 5 - Fighting-fish 28 mm long, $ 28
# 6 - Morning-sickness-fish pregnant and ready to throw up. 28 mm long, $ 28
# 7 - Scared-of-the-water-fish 25 mm long, $ 28
------------------------------------------------------------ Sunday, August 21st
The fish beads I offered on Monday turned out to be very popular (as well as the Mini-mouse frog), so I made a few more. Hope there is something you like. I am out of the snake chain, so today the fish are ONLY for the bead...which of course reflects in the price.
# 1 - The first fish
This is literally the first "hanging" fish I ever made, he is quite bold in the colors, and wore him until a couple of days ago, when I made a rainbow fish I liked a little bit better....between 1 1/4 inch and 1 1/2 inch long. $ 32
# 2 - The Measle Fish
A rare fish found in the depth of Lake Dolloff... Almost 1 3/4 inch long, skinny little bugger. $ 32
# 3 - The plotting Fish
This guy looks like he as something weird on his mind...if you have him hanging around your neck, watch out! Delicate...almost 1 1/2 inches long. $ 32
# 4 - The clueless fish
If anybody can get lost in the ocean, this guy can. Where is the underwater GPS? 1 1/2 inch long, $ 35
# 5 - The Thinker Fish
This guy knows his stuff! if you ever find yourself in need of a good idea, touch him and see if some of his genius will transfer to you. Over 1 1/2 inch long, $ 33
# 6 - The Angry Fish
Oh my, you don't want to cross this guy. He'll take your finger off in a heart beat. Good to have as an ally though, at times. A little over 1 1/4 inch long. $ 33
# 7 - Mr. Sweetlips Fish
You just want to kiss this guy...based on aqua, 1 1/2 inch long, $ 35
# 8 - The Gentleman Fish
This guy is nothing but sweet, polite and tender. For those moments when you just need someone to be nice to you...A little less than 1 1/2 inch long. $ 35
# 9 - The perfect Fish
This is probably the "best" fish I have made to date....well balanced body, delicate but sturdy fins, the eye just right....he didn't take me any longer than the others, but I am still asking a little more to make up for the parting pain ;-) 1 1/2 inch long, $ 40
# 10 - Glitzy Quirk Sale
A month or so ago I had a bunch of big 1.4 inch medallion focals for sale, and this one didn't sell. Whenever a bead doesn't sell (either mine or someone else's, on their website or on Etsy), there are (in my opinion) two possibilities: either the bead is not particularly pretty, or it's pretty but too expensive. In THIS case I find the bead VERY pretty, so, it must have been too expensive, so I changed the price from $ 55 to $ 30.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, August 15th
Something new in my beady Universe: GONE FISHIN' There are a variety of possible styles when it comes to making fish beads - some of them are incredibly detailed and delicate, and thus impossible to wear. While I love big fancy focals, personally I hardly ever wear them, especially in the summer, when anything heavy or long around my neck seems to be in the way. This is why I chose the "choker-fish" style: all you need is a chain, and then you can wait for people to compliment you on your necklace without having to wonder whether they are looking at your cleavage instead..... All of my fish are "one-sided" fish: I only decorated one side because the other sides lies flat against your skin and decoration (especially the dichroic) would only add unnecessary bulk. The fins are fully defined, but made for comfort and safety - even if you should drop the bead.
I tried to make the fish somewhat adorable, without being cutesy, so you will not find any red lips on my fish...
ALL FISH BEADS INCLUDE A BEAUTIFUL STERLING SILVER SNAKE CHAIN, PLEASE SPECIFY LENGTH WHEN YOU ORDER.
# 1 - Fidalgo Fish
40 mm long, base color is "CM Great Bluedini". $ 40
# 2 - Rupert the Rainbow Trout
Brilliant Colors on a base of grass green, I love this guy! 1 1/2 inch long, $ 40
# 3 - Fernando Fish
Rich and vibrant colors with this patterned dichroic on top of ink blue. 1 1/2 inch long, $ 40
# 4 - Flying Fish
This guy looks a little frazzled, I think he landed a bit hard on his first attempt at flying...silver dichroic on top of dark green. 1 1/2 inches long, $ 40
# 5 - Bernhard the Blue Flying Fish
Sweet! He is also 1 1/2 inch long, patterned dichroic on medium blue. $ 40
(SOLD)
# 6 - Medium Adventure Quark
In the pictures this bead looks huge, but it is actually a fairly small quark (3/4 inch wide), but it has a lot going on inside, many different encased elements and bright contrasting colors. It's easy to get lost inside this kind of bead - it certainly happens to me when I make it. $ 50
# 7 - Preferably Pink
I originally made this focal to put a frog on top, but the flowers turned out so nicely that I just kept it this way. The shape also turned out perfectly (again, I used the Monster Shaper...can't live without it...). The bead is 1 1/8th inch tall, $ 42
# 8 - Aqua on the glow
Another bead that I did not to cover up with a frog, the aqua encased silver is just a beautiful background for the lavender and purple blossoms, and the black stamen just create the right amount of "drama"...$ 46
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, August 8th
# 1 - "Towanda-Candy"
My first offer this week is a huge strand of black and white beads with rich red accents...there are 25 beads in this strand, including the rubber Duckie (which in reality has no relation to the Towanda strand, I just thought it would be a cute addition). The beads are definitely on the small, delicate side, they would work great for maybe a two-strand bracelet...$ 185
(SOLD)
# 3 - A spider in Butchard Garden
Another flat 1.4 inch Medallion (my new favorite tool for focals!) in my "classic" Butchard Garden theme, in black, white, green dichroic and peppy pink. $ 58
# 4 - Tidepool Nightmares
Ah, did I say "Butchard Garden" was classic? The Tidepool design is just a classic to me, and it's always fun to make, although it takes forever to apply all the different elements, but when you press it, it's always a surprise what it ends up looking like. I love that part, well, most of the time. I was definitely pleased with this 1.4 inch flat medallion, hope so will you. $ 60
# 5 - Turtle in the Tidepool
Just fun...another 1.4 inch flat medallion, with raised barnacles and tiny metallic accent dots (probably hinting at an old ship hidden under the silt....) $ 60
(SOLD)
# 6 - James Bond Quark
I shouldn't have called these beads "Quarks", but "Corina in Wonderland", because that's what I always feel like, entering the rabbit hole of color and pattern and shape. Never a dull quark! This one is olive shaped (shaken, not stirred!), 1 inch tall and $ 70
These pictures show 4 different views of the same bead.
# 7 - Slightly larger James Bond Quark
Same as above, just a wee bit taller, in those darn American measurements I can never figure out. So, it's 1 inch and then like an 8th more... very pretty olive shape and colorful detail. $ 75
(SOLD) ----------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, July 16th
"A cool summer nights dream"
Just one strand today, some of my "old favorites" in more muted colors of ink blue and pale emerald green, with accents of ivory and copper green, strung with sparkly faceted hematite. 20 beads plus frog charm, 11 inch long strand, $ 175
Tuesday, July 13th
"Happy Beads - Don't WORRY"
Two weeks ago I made this bracelet for myself, and unlike some of my other "beady jewelry", I have been actually wearing it every day, and even nights, because it's so comfortable that it's easy to forget about... But not only is this bracelet so comfortable to wear, but it really makes me happy to look at and "fondle". I wrote a bit about this idea of "worry beads" in my newsletter, so I can just go to a) showing you the bracelet and b) showing you the beads I have for sale.
This is just one of way stringing a bracelet, I always like using a few "larger hole" beads and having them "float" over tiny sterling beads. It just makes such a nice sound....but I am sure that YOU can come up with an even greater design, my jewelry making skills are pretty basic.
Below are three strands of the same beads I used for my own bracelet, they are basically the same, but in the strand above (strand 1) the majority of the beads is slightly larger, the center one (strand 2) is "average" (10-11mm wide and 12-13mm high), the bottom strand (strand 3) is more on the petite side. I have FIVE sets total (okay, I admit, I had a lot of fun making these!), one each of strand 1 and strand 3, 3 of the "regular" size of strand 2 - each strand contains 10 beads plus one tiny frog charm, whose toes are a little more melted in, to survive all the banging on tables and keyboards etc... Each strand is $ 125, which includes worldwide FREE shipping. If you are interested, please make sure to pick the right size..
Tuesday, July 6th
"It's about time..."
Keyholders with large hole beads and watch pendants - never be late again! (the beads will also fit Pandora or Troll bracelets, in case you get tired of always being the first to arrive....) (All frogs come with a lifetime guarantee against wear and tear!)
# 1 - The Rainbow rider will be on time
SOLD
# 2 - Time for a little summer rain
SOLD
# 3 - Time flies in the garden
SOLD
# 4 - For old times sake
SOLD # 5 - The effects of time can be harsh (it might be eating at you, so relax!)
SOLD
# 6 - Just a second
SOLD
# 7 - Minute by minute
SOLD
# 8 - No time for the Blues
SOLD
# 9 - Time is hopping away
SOLD
# 10 - On top of the hour
SOLD
----------------------------------------------------------- Monday, June 13th
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
It's been a long time since I've made any of my "classic colorful" beadsets, I got certainly carried away a bit. For one day only I will offer ALL of the 66 beads I made in the last week in one gigantic expensive strand. If nobody purchases this mega-strand, I'll break it up into 7 or 8 smaller strands, so, if you're interested in one of those, check back tomorrow. IF someone would like to have this really fun strand (it is 27 inches long and could be turned into lots of bracelets or maybe just ONE breathtaking necklace...) - Priority Shipping is included in the price of $ 600 (if you would like to see a larger image, please email me!)
Some of my favorite "old" bead-styles revisited. You can never go wrong with black and white, the "Classics". The sets below only differ in amount of beads and diversity of designs, ALL of the beads are around 1/2 inch high and a little less (or more) wide.
The Classics ONE
Eight beads, 3.5 inch long strand, $ 75
The Classics TWO
10 beads, 4 1/4 inch long strand. SOLD
The Classics THREE
10 beads, 4 1/4 inches, $ 85
The Classics FOUR
This is the strand almost identical to the beads I used in my favorite "Carrie" Bracelet I showed in my newsletter. 12 beads, 4 3/4 inch long strand, SOLD
And finally the "ultimate" classic, I set of Groundhog Beads (in case you missed it, there is a FREE download on how to make these beads on the front page of my website). I don't make these very often, due to the time involved in getting one decent strand (10 hours!), but when I do, I am always super pleased with the result. Beadmaking at it's "purest", if I may say so. No fancy glass, no fancy tools, just dots, lines, gravity, and a lot of focus. I am always happy when these find a home where these things are appreciated. These are called "Groundhog Beads 2010" because I only make one set per year these days....at least I THINK I do. 16 beads, 7 3/4 inch long strand (these are meant to be worn as they are, with small hilltribe beads inbetween, all you need is softflex wire and a clasp, or Stretch Magic). SOLD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first bead is actually for sale, but more than that, it's a test to see how much time it takes to create a buy now button...
# 1 - The Mega Quark Egg
4 pictures are worth more than lots of words - the bead is 1 1/2 inches long, and the slightly yellow tint is only in the picture (yes, I tried the white balance thing...but this is the best I could do, and it's not really good, o well). $ 125
# 2 - Mega Quark Lentil
Usually encased designs don't look so good pressed, because the encased elements squish down and distort. The thick lentil makes it possible to create a flatter shape (which is usually more comfortable to wear, unless you have ample cleavage...) AND maintain the depth and the detail. The diameter of this focal is 1 1/8th inch, $ 85.
# 3 - A Quark in the hand is better than...
The last quark today, and this one is special because - I don't know, do we need a reason for things to be special? If so, we can always make one up that makes sense to US. A small bead, perfect to showcase on a short chain. 3/4 inch wide, $55
New Beads - Monday, 8th of February
The first 4 strand are all "Chadwick style" (small bracelet beads with a variety of raised stringer decoration) - if those are "not your thing", scroll right down, there are other beads below.....
# 1 - "Little Red Ridinghood"
Really cute strand of Chadwick beads, encased white with superfine metallic stringer decoration and tomato red (slightly different from the red hue in the picture) spacers, 7 beads, 9 spacers, 5 inch long strand, $ 70 (SOLD)
# 2 - More Princess Diaries
For someone who love a romantic look - the base beads are an apricot-pink, encased and decorated with gold stringer (the stringer lines are a little wider to make full use of the gold color....), 5 beads, 6 matching Czech crystals, 4 inch long strand, $ 55
# 3 - Encore at Cirque De Soleil
Need a little lift this February? This strand might do the trick - 7 slightly larger (12-13mm x 15-16mm) beads in super-vibrant purple dichroic with stringer in two blended shades of orange. 4 inch long, $ 75
# 4 - It's a fine line
I really love this strand - mostly because I am proud of the stringer control in this one. I had one inch left of this mysterious batch of "Intensive black", which turned metallic without any apparent reason. I used this last inch on "Litte red ridinghood" and this set, now I'm out and doubt I'll ever find more of it, so, it's a little special. Base is purple dichroic, 10 beads, cool black "effect" spacers, 6 inch long strand, $ 100 (SOLD)
# 6 - "Pinky Panther", aka Ghost of Pink Beads past
I just found this in my beadbox - can't even remember when I made it, but it's sweet and pretty - lots of quarky detail on a small scale. 15 mm x 20 mm, $ 20 ("have-no-idea-where-this-came-from-discount") (SOLD)
# 7 - Water-No-Lilies
This is a really lovely bead, with lavendar flowers floating over aqua with specs of green dichroic. Very "airy", if that's an expression that can be used for glass. 1 inch wide, $ 45 (SOLD)
# 8 - Sixty and into Pinks
This is one of the lentils I should in my little pile-up about the Custom Order with 60-Murrini for the 60s Birthday of a friend of a friend....blabla.... This 1 1/4 inch high and 1 inch thick encased pink lentil quark would typically be $ 75-85, but this one has a strange flaw that you can't SEE, you have to FEEL it. The clear encasing layer is slightly uneven....I think after spending about an hour putting all the stuff inside of the bead I Just spaced out when it came to flame polishing the surface. Sh....t happens, right? Still, this flaw is really not a big deal, (and IF you should buy it and decide that it bothers you, you always know that you can return it....)...... $ 40
# 9 - Pinkish Panther - Hidden 60
Really beautiful pink Quark with a 60 Murrini somewhere in there, slightly Oval shape, 1 1/8th inch tall (colors much prettier in person!) $ 65 (SOLD)
# 10 - Peekaboo
Someone always watches over you, hope this bead will remind you of that. 1 1/4 inch dark silver plum bead with goldstone swirls (on both sides), $ 30 (SOLD)
# 11 - How does the water drain in Australia ?
Simply elegant - 1 1/8th inch Medallion, Palladium foil on black with silver plum spiral. $ 18 (SOLD)
# 12 - Highway to Heaven ONE
1 1/8 inch Medallion, black with Palladium foil, can be worn as a simple pendant on a short silver chain. (Backside is about 50 % Palladium foil. $ 20
# 13 - Highway to Heaven TWO
Same as above, but this one would look better as a pendant with the hole vertically. $ 20 (SOLD)
# 14 - From Paris with Love, ONE
If you are getting ready for springtime and love, this 1 1/8th inch medallion might get you in the mood. Backside has a touch of dichroic. $ 32
# 15 - From Paris with Love, TWO
1 1/8th inch medallion, $ 30
# 16 - From Paris with Love, THREE
1 1/8th inch medallion, partially etched, (again, my camera got a little overboard, the green is not THIS green), $ 30
# 17 - Tavern on the Green
WOW - I love this bead! If nobody wants it, I won't cry....I picked the title a) because it was the first thing on my mind when I held it in my hand. The "Tavern on the Green" was the very fist "fancy" restaurant I had a reservation in when I came to the States 14 years ago, and it's kind of said to see it disappear. Hopefully this bead will outlast any fancy restaurant you have ever been to - 1 1/2 inch diameter Medallion, $ 75
# 18 - Eureka
Does turning glass into Gold qualify as successful Alchemy? I sure hope so. In this case, the material cost (Double Helix Triton and Ether....$ 80/60 for a pound of GLASS) make it feel like you're turning gold into gold. Technically simple beads (wind, encase, press) but the resulting color and shine is amazing. This is more "look" than creativity and technique, but sometimes that's just okay. 5 medallions (1 1/8th inch), 6 1/2 inch long strand - this size bead works PERFECTLY for a bracelet, and 5 is the number you'll need for most wrist sizes....$ 125
# 19 - Fairy Wings, ONE
I was so enamored by the combination of Swirled Fossil Glass, random shapes of silver plum shards and silver plum stringer and dots to follow the lines of the "beadmakers Jasper" that I made over 15 beads in this design. Since nobody needs all that many beads for a project I sorted them into sets of five, perfect for bracelets and long and short necklaces. These beads will be great for any "waiting situation", because you can discover all kinds of things in the fossil base beads. Each medallion is 1 1/8th inch in diameter, the strands are 6 inches long. $ 110
I am really excited to "unveil" my new bead design, I have worked on these beads for almost two weeks now, and one of the reasons I made so many is because with each new bead I thought "Oh, I LOVE this one, I will have to keep this for myself, so I better make another one for sale...". Well, I DID keep one for myself, and I gave some to local friends, I have lot's left for you! So, what's up with the eye and the hand? Of course, they are universal symbols for something - and I did some research and decided not to write at length what they are symbols for - because there are so many different versions, depending on religion or belief system, so, chose which one suits you best. If you're not into symbols to begin with, you can still just enjoy the design as such. As you will see below, each eye looks exactly the same (kind of like a porcelain doll eye): an amber colored iris murrini on a white almond shaped "eyeball", framed with Goldstone "eye-liner". Eventually I will make murrini in different colors, with non-glitzy eye-liner, but for now I thought this design was just perfect. So, if you still have your eye pendant in 20 years from now, you might remember that it was made in the "golden phase" of Corina-vision. Or so.
Some more basics, so I don't have to repeat them for each pendant: The diameter of each flat orrb shaped bead is 3/4 inch. I turned them into ready-to-wear pendants using Sterling Silver head pins and oval jumprings. If you need a chain, I can include one (16 or 18 inch 1mm snake chain) for $ 5.00 extra.
The "base price" is $ 50, but some are a little more (either based on the type of glass used, like silvered glass, the addition of dichroic or just a complex design underneath). Some are a little less, if I thought the eye wasn't quite as perfect as I wanted it to be. I tend to be very critical about my work, so, if I find it's not "totally perfect", it will still be totally acceptable for someone else.
As for the names, I used what I call "0-Association", meaning, the FIRST thing that came into my mind when looking at the bead. So, no deep meaning, just that....
# 1 - Firestorm, $ 52 (SOLD)
# 2 - Open Water (one), $ 60 (SOLD)
# 3 - Creamy Dreams, $ 50 (SOLD)
(This is the style of bead that I kept for myself, I have two more, very similar, but not turned into a pendant, since I ran out of head pins. they would be $ 45 each)
# 4 - Garden Fairy, $ 60 (SOLD)
# 5 - Unafraid, $ 50 (SOLD)
# 6 - Flirty, $ 65 (pink quark base) (SOLD)
# 7 - Wispy Thoughts, $ 50 (SOLD)
# 8 - Fireworks, $ 58 (SOLD)
# 9 - Dune, $ 45 (SOLD)
# 10 - The Fire within, $ 60 (green gold shimmer) (SOLD)
(I have two more beads like this, I was so fascinated by the color/design of the base bead that I FORGOT to make the hand. Also, they are not turned into pendants, so they are $ 45 each)
Shaded purple flowers with black stamen on a light aqua background, with hints of green dichroic, green vines and tiny white blossoms. At 2 ++ inches one of the biggest encased florals I have ever made, really beautiful. $ 95 (SOLD)
# 2 - Roundabout Gardendelight
The same design elements as the bicone above, but the larger flowers are on two different layers, which gives the bead even more depth. A perfectly shaped round bead, 1 inch in diameter, $ 75
# 3 - Stringing the Flowers along
For those of you who prefer bracelet beads (or a string of beads for a necklace), here is the same flower scheme on a much smaller scale, but with all the details seen above, including the dichroic and the stamen. One of the largest difference between these beads and earlier small encased flowers is an additional layer of clear between the vines and the blossoms, which allows me to poke them deeper and give more dimension. 6 beads and commercial glass spacers, each bead is about 1/2 inch wide (slightly higher), the entire strand measures 4 1/2 inches, $ 175 (SOLD) # 4 - Pink Panther Attack
Oh, I had so much fun with these (thus I ended up with 2 sets) - these are a variation on my favorite "Quark theme"- all in pink, with very faint lines of black and white. It's much harder to come up with murrini and cane if you limit the colors you can use, but it's also a rewarding challenge. And of course to people who like pink, this is "All you can eat", so to speak. The beads in the first set are slightly smaller (1/2 inch in diameter), there are 5 beads in the set, paired with bright pink freshwater pearls, for a total length of 3 3/4 inches, $ 200 (SOLD)
# 5 - Pink Panther grand attack
Same comments as above, just slightly larger beads, and strung with different stuff (I love those swarovski crystal roundelles, they instantly add bunches of "value" to a set, as do the 6mm pink bicones). Are they still usable for a bracelet? Absolutely. The total length of this set is 4 1/2 inches, $ 210 (SOLD) # 6 - Victorias Secret
A gigantic set of chadwick beads (slighly larger than earlier beads, 11-12 mm wide), and they should actually be called "Lezlie's Secret", because I used the little trick my friend Lezlie Winemaker shared with me, to add a different hue to the purple dichroic. The color doesn't show very well in this picture, it's purple/pink with a strong touch of gold. The strand of 11 beads plus etched black commercial spacers is 6 1/2 inches long, if you like to add "stuff" between your lampwork beads, you could probably get 2 bracelets or a bracelet and matching necklace out of these. $ 150 (SOLD)
# 7 - "Ode to Joy"
Here is the set I wrote about yesterday, so I don't have to say much, other than that I (again) strung these guys wrong (and I was looking at my printout of the notes when I put this strand together, maybe I am musically dislexic, because I did the same thing with the original set.) The original (lost) strand was $ 250, since I spent so much more time on this one I am asking $ 275 - and the package will go out with insurance!) Total lenght of the strand is perfect bracelet size: 6 1/2 inches, all you need is a clasp...(SOLD, to the ORIGINAL customer, love that!)
# 8 - Costa Rica Dreams
This is by far my favorite set of late, speaking of growing, I think I did a little bit of that. And I could write a blog twice as long as that I did yesterday about failure and perfection. You should see the pile of naturebooks and internet printouts scattered around my work bench, I even did some "schematic drawings" of butterfly wings. The whole thing took me 3 days (only a few hours of successful torching, the rest was planning and cursing), so when it came down to figuring out how much to charge for these beads, I realized that no amount of money would buy me something that I would enjoy half as much as these beads (maybe a ticket to Austin...but thank god, I can still afford that) - so, no wonder, I decided just to keep these beads for myself for the time being. And that made me feel really good, because I always hope that other people will love my beads enough to spend (sometimes a lot of) money for them, and how can I expect that from others if I wouldn't be willing to do so myself? So, I just because my biggest fan (sorry Linda!) - and I'm sure my dear friend Jaquie down-under would cheer me on with "good onyamate!"
# 9 - Trust me on this one
This might be a strange name for a bead - but as you can see, there is no picture, because I didn't manage to take one that would really show the bead. The base of the slightly ovalish focal (which is 3/4 inch long and wide) is clear, with lots of tiny air-bubbles. I made it as a test for using a "Pin-frog" (from Michaels, Floral section) to created bubbles. The pins aren't as close together as I would like, but I still got my bubbles. The surface is decorated with green vines and tiny (!) raised roses and f4-petal blossoms. The whole bead has a feel of "Dornroeschen" (the princess who fell asleep for 100 years, don't know the English name), very delicate and romantic. Sight unseen, $ 20 (SOLD)
Not everybody needs a bunch of beads to be creative with - the following beads have large holes that would fit Pandora or Troll of whatever else there is bracelets or necklaces, but of course, they could also be strung on silver chain, leather cord, or just treated like any other bead. IF you like the idea of an interchangeable flexible bracelet, but don't have one yet, I have a special offer:
A brandnew, authentic Pandora bracelet (8 inches), for $ 25. The retail price for these is $ 50 (in stores and on-line), I got lucky and found a good deal, so I bought 10. YOU get a good deal, and I make a little extra money, so, I think everybody will be happy. Here is a picture of the bracelet, it comes with the "pandora clip clasp" - still wrapped and all. I have tested all the beads below, they fit perfectly.
# 10 - Pink Phantasy
4 Bright fuchsia millefiori on a green background with striped green vine. $ 25 (SOLD)
# 11 - Shimmering waterlilies
Abstract waterlilies on a background of Tritone, which has this really amazing mysterious mother-of-pearl blue shimmer. $ 20 each, or $ 50 for all three (saves and packing)...(3 SOLD)
# 12 - Jellyfish at 1000 fathoms
This is the big-hole version of one of my "classics" from PTF - I still love the look, although it all ends up to be much more difficult to make on the big mandrel...This one has a tiny CZ embedded - like a star in the sky. Stars at 1000 fathoms? The beauty of making beads, they don't have to make sense at all. Just dreaming... maybe this bead will remind you of that. $ 18.00 (SOLD)
# 13 - Green Dichroic
I couldn't come up with a better name for these, they just are what they are. I am totally addicted to dichroic (particularly the green, although there is nothing green in my wardrobe) - but this stuff just glows. Sometimes it's okay for a beadmaker to just let the glass speak, and we can shut up for a while. 2 matching beads (which of course could be used in earrings) for $ 25 (together) (SOLD)
# 14 - The lone Pink Panther
The last bead for today is the largest one of the beads I made while in the Pink Panther mood. The hole is larger than that of the bracelet beads, but not as large as the Pandora beads. I still have some sterling snake chain left (16 or 18 inches), so I will include one with this small focal. $ 50 (SOLD)
One more on the way - and lots of frogs! -------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, August 10th
I always wanted to make beads that could be worn by themselves on a short silver chain - so, that's what I have today. ALL beads shown below come WITH THE CHAIN included! The chains are either 16 inches long or 18 inches long, sterling silver snake chain with lobster clasp. Please let me know which one you want!
# 1 - "Tickled Pink"
4 pretty pink Italian Millefiori on green, encased in sparkling clear. 1/2 inch wide, $ 20 with chain.(SOLD)
# 2 - "Blooming Love
3 wispy flowers with pink stamen on a base of green with hints of green dichroic. 1/2 inch wide, $ 20 with chain.(SOLD)
# 3 - "Dainty Groundhog"
This bead would be a perfect accent for someone who likes things small and elegant. 9 mm wide, $ 15 with chain (SOLD).
# 4 - "Fairy Simplicity"
This bead is a lot prettier in person, the picture somehow didn't capture the golden-mother-of-pearl shimmer inside. Be pleasantly suprised - 11mm wide, gently barrel-shaped, $ 13 with chain(SOLD) .
# 5 - "Golden Kompass"
This bead kind of named itself, no idea why. Really beautiful shimmer. 9mm wide, $ 15(SOLD)
# 6 - "Eco Quark"
Why eco? Because of the beautiful green millefiori. I have tons of bags with milli-assortment, but so far I have only found TWO of this particular color and design. So, if you get this, you've got something really rare - for what that's worth. A little over 1/2 inch wide, $ 50 with chain (SOLD)
-------------------------------------------------------- Monday, July 20th
# 1 - The Aquarium is no inspiration
A flat focal of my popular "Dead Fish Society", 55mm long and 21 mm wide, the rest you can see in the picture...$ 45 (SOLD)
# 2 - Oups, I stepped on the turtle
This one was definitely a "blooper" (blurper?), I meant to just flatten the initial bicone with the bead-squeeze, but I didn't realize that I had a lentil press in my hand for the top-part. At this point I had already spent 40 minutes on this bead and I had no intention to give up, especially since I was already in love with the little turtle. So, I covered the center indentation by putting a juicy starfish on top. Kind of cool. Still, since it's not a bead that was meant to look this way, it's only 50% of what I would have charged regularly. 2 1/4 long, skinny, $ 25 (SOLD)
# 3 - Mini-Quark Bonanza I made a set of bracelet quarks for my Oregonian friend Sherri (who bought one of my very first big quark focals, and always wanted a matching bracelet). Every bead I made always seemed a bit too big for her tiny wrist, so, like eating candy, I made another one. And another one. So, obviously I ended up with "quarks to spare" - and here they are. I am basically selling one quark at a time (for $ 45), but if someone wants them all, I would also sell them as a set (for $ 250, which is a $ 20 discount)....each bead could be worn as a small pendant - they certainly stand "on their own". The average size is slightly wider than 1/2 inch and a little higher. I added a picture of the strand on top of my wrist to give you an idea how they might work as a bracelet. (SOLD)
# 4 - Quark Barrel
This bead I kind of made for myself, I was looking for something I could wear as a short necklace all the time. So, I came up with this barrel with a fairly large hole to string over a silver chain - only to discover that I didn't have any silver chain. I browsed on ebay, and ended up ordering a "bulk" of 16 and 18 inch Sterling Chains for a ridiculously low price - from China. From previous experience with ordering stuff directly from China, it's going to take at least 3 weeks for them to get here - and I can make another bead for myself in that time.... So, someone else who already has a chain hopefully will enjoy this cool bead, which is 15mm wide (meaning, for the life of me I couldn't tell you how many 100s of a part of an inch that is) and 3/4 inch high. $ 55 (SOLD)
# 5 - Sheri's Find
This is a "classic" style for my bracelet beads, mixed up with some super-matching Chadwick beads - once in a while Sheri looks through my bead boxes and finds things that I had totally forgotten about - either I wanted to keep them for myself, or they sold and nobody ever claimed them - and Sheri has a knack of putting strands together, better then me, I kid you not. This set is really cute, TINY beads (way less then 1/2 inch high), bright fuchsia and greeeeeeeeeeen with calming black, 16 beads for $ 100 (SOLD)
That's all I have today, hope you enjoyed looking! oh, and a couple of frogs on the frog page!
Today I have about 5 or 6 sets/beads and some frogs, I announced these for 6 pm, and I don't think I have EVER been able to make it on time, but I am starting to add them now, at 5:15, so if you come her at 6 there will be at least SOMETHING to look at.
# 1 - "A Capella"
Black and white has always been my favorite (non-) color combination to work with, there are no fancy glass effects or other tricks, b&w probably shows "pure beadmaking skill" more than anything else. I was planning on making 2 or 3 small sets, but after I lined them all up I couldn't get myself to break them apart, so, I will go something I rarely do: I offer one really big and expensive set. There should be enough beads for at least two (or three) bracelets and one earring pair. There are 24 beads, the total length of the strand is 12 inches, $ 275 (SOLD)
# 2 - "Cirque de Soleil" Chadwick Beads I never get tired of coming up with new color combinations for my long-running "Chadwick Bead" series. The base is dichroic in a stunning fuchsia color (created with a little trick I learned from my friend Leslie Winemaker from Canada), and the stringer decoration and dots are a bright orange. I actually spent 1 entire hour pulling stringer in orange to find the color I wanted. I found 11 (!) different shades of orange on my glass shelves, and orange is one of those colors that don't necessarily look the same in stringers as they do in rod form. Anyway, the result is super bright and cheerful, perfect for a bracelet that will "pick you up" when your day isn't going all that well. 8 beads and 9 spacers, 5 inch long strand, $ 100(SOLD).
# 3 - "Fairies Fortune"
Once in a while I go to one of the many Indian Casinos in the area, and my favorite 1-cent slot machine is the "Fairies Fortune". I actually usually win a little bit on this machine - one of the figures on screen is a frog with a horn - and the overall color scheme of the wheels is green and gold. I should make myself a bracelet with this kind of bead and see whether it's a good luck charm. Even if you don't gamble, I promise that these beads will remind you of a treasure hard to find. The base beads are green-gold, and the stringer decoration is gold. One reason there are mostly linear designs and no dot designs is that DH Aurae just doesn't look at that good in "many-dot-designs". This might be one of my favorite Chadwick bead color-combinations. You'll see why when you hold them in person. 9 beads and commercial matt gold spacers, 5 inches long, $ 110.(SOLD)
# 4 - Fairies Fortune Mini-lentils The beads in this set really show off the amazing "glow" of the gold green color (which is not really a specific "glass", it's a trick), and sometimes less is more as far as design is concerned. These 1/2 inch/diameter lentils are just encased, that's it - and more would be in the way. There are 10 beads in the strand which should be plenty for some fancy design, strung with brass nuggets, 6 inch long strand, $ 75 (SOLD)
# 5 - "A River Wild" pendulum
A golden band winding around a base of shimmering blue - I turned it into a pendulum with a silver chain, but I think it would also look gorgeous as a pendant. Over 1 1/2 inch long, $ 50 (SOLD)
# 6 - Giant Quark Medallion Pressing something that is encased is always a surprise - you never quite know what will look how, and sometimes you wish you had just left it the way it was. This one I like a lot - lots of bright colors on a base of purple, with pink and green snippets of dichroic. This is the first time I used my gigantic Orrb mold - and I REALLY like this shape, it's hard not just wanting to fondle it. The bead is 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 3/4 inch thick, way cool! $ 125 (SOLD)
# 7 - "Pink Panther" I am really fond of this little set, because I wasn't all that fond of the beads (which I made about a year ago and I always planned to make more for a larger set) I played a lot with them, I etched them for that "velvet-smooth" look, and then when I added the bright pink freshwater pearls it all came together, and the silver tassel was just the proverbial "icing on the cake". This set of 5 squeezed black and white beads plus one little round will make the perfect bracelet! The strand without tassel measures 5 1/2 inches, $ 80 (SOLD)
more beads next Monday...thanks for looking
------------------------------------------------------------ Coming today, Easter Sunday 2009: a huge variety of 1-inch lentil shaped "focalinis".
I am going to add all the pictures and names first, and then I'll add some short descriptions and prices.
The first picture shows what I consider the FRONT of the bead, the second one shows the back. Again, each bead is 1 inch in diameter, so the pictures are enlarged to show detail.
# 1 - A feather in your cap
A rare batch of intense black (yes, hard to believe, it turned into metallic shades) on black, with a silver lined dot, $ 32 (SOLD)
# 2 - Something star-fishy
no comment necessary, $ 40 (SOLD)
# 3 - Fire Lily
Fuchsia lily on sparkling green, not as orange as in the picture, $ 32 (SOLD)
# 4 - Summer Whirlwind
Dramatic modern designs in cheerful green $ 40 (SOLD)
# 5 - Wee Warrior
Ready to take on the world? This little fellow announces your attitude. $ 38 (SOLD)
# 6 - Ready to jump
If you like the positive spirit of the "frog" as a symbol for good luck and prosperity in many cultures, you will enjoy wearing this little guy. $ 40 (SOLD)
# 7 - Felkner Shibori
A classic "effect" discovered by Donna Felkner, simple but stunning. $ 25 (SOLD)
# 8 - Cleopatra
Captures the beauty of DH Aura and chrystal clear, golden glow inside and out. $ 32 (SOLD)
# 9 - Belly dancer
One of my personal favorite bracelets was made in this design, with goldstone accent stripes and light brown wings that magnify the underlying design. $ 35 (SOLD)
# 10 - Spring Messengers
Sweet lavender flowers on a sprinkled green base with inclusions of glowing dichroic. $ 30 (SOLD)
# 11 - Tidepool Tragedy
Another "classic", lots of detail on a small scale. Whoever is eating those poor fish? $ 40 (SOLD)
# 12 - Butchard Garden
I never get tired of this design - hopefully you won't either. $ 33 (SOLD)
# 13 - King of the Pond
Just spectacular colors, one of those "almost want to keep this one"...well, I can always make another one for me, RIGHT?! $ 50 (SOLD)
# 14 - King Tut
Raked lines in Psyche on Black, fun. $ 28 (SOLD)
# 15 - Who stepped on the quark?
It's always difficult to smash 3-dimensional encased designs, so I was a little worried that I would "destroy" all the time and attention put into this bead, but luckily, it worked, and it was well worth the effort. $ 45 (SOLD)
# 16 - Batique
A unique effect based on the interaction between silver blue and copper green, with an "earthy" feel. $ 25 (SOLD)
# 17 - Sunny Delight
Another "modern" design in bright colors, like a miniature painting you can wear. $ 40 (SOLD)
# 18 - Northern Lights
For those who like the "cool", more organic look, but with the depth of an encased bead. Tritone, encased in light lavender, to add an extra color-dimension...(In a rut in your own beadmaking? Try and change just ONE element of your favorite design...) $ 35 (SOLD)
# 19 - Peacock Trails
This bead is a little smaller than the other ones, palladium leaf on black, which creates that fascinating peacock glow. $ 20 (SOLD)
# 20 - Mary Poppin's Hat
I think it's time for spring to finally to get here, because my beads are starting to grow flowers...not my garden. $30 (SOLD)
# 21 - Space Odyssey
Mysterious things going on inside this bead, you almost have to see this in person. Beautiful. $ 35 (SOLD)
# 22 - Derwish in Bronze
Dark silver plum swirls on black, simple but elegant. "Office-wear". $ 28 (SOLD)
# 23 - Flood in the Flowerbed
Another one of those encased designs that has limited "smashability", but again, it worked. Purple/lavender flowers on a moss green background, inspiration taken from our yard, after 2 days of solid rain. They call that EASTER? $ 32 (SOLD)
# 24 - Raven Wings
Another bead with that "secret" bizarre intense black, nice contrast between the feminine swirls and the graphic lines. $ 30 (SOLD)
# 25 - Ammonite
just simple, because I think there are people who like that. like me. Sometimes. $ 15 (SOLD)
# 26 - Food for thought
Nothing simple about this bead, I spent a lot of time thinking about an appropriate name. Then I had dinner. Food for thought. $ 40 (SOLD)
# 27 - Basic Beauty I always have fun with black and white, this time, the colors were calling me louder, so there is only one. $ 22 (SOLD)
# 28 - Margarita on the rocks
This is a "quirk" style beads with lots of green/teal dichroic in the core and semi-raised decoration on one side only. Very "fresh"looking, $ 32 (SOLD)
# 29 - Bruno Turtle-taub
This fun fossil type bead is named after one of the characters in "Sex and the City". I know that his name was not Bruno, but can't think of it. Any idea? $ 38 (SOLD)
# 30 - Somewhere in the Universe
This bead is based on the gorgeous "Barley" effect between cobalt, rubino and silver. With a few added touches for interest. Definitely out of this world. $ 35 (SOLD)
if you would like to order a matching bracelet set for any of the above focalinis, email me, and you might catch me in the right mood....
---------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, April 8th,
(Sorry for the delay, I'm having some internet connection problems tonight). Just in time before Easter, 3 little "theme-beads" you might enjoy. Since there is not much time for them to travel in be there before Sunday, each one will be shipped Priority Mail - which is included in the price. Happy Easter!
# 1 - The truth about the Easter-bunny
Of course - we all know that there IS no such thing as an Easter bunny, what we have been admiring for centuries is actually a frog in costume. The truth is finally revealed! I make only one of these every year, so, you might look at him as a "collectible", 1 inch tall, measured from the bottom of the lily bead to the tip of his sturdy ears, the base bead is 1/2 inch high, $ 50 (SOLD)
# 2 - "I am so tired of having people looking for my eggs!"
I love this little fellow - when I took him out of the kiln I immediately thought "gee, he looks miffed" - and what could the Easter Bunny be miffed about? 1 1/4 inch high (including the ears, it sounds much bigger, he is a dainty fellow), $ 35 (SOLD)
# 3 - Loren-wanna-be-bunny
I was somewhat aiming for that famous Loren Stump "Ojime-mouse" look. Of course, this is light-eggs away from Loren's genius, but it's adorable in it's own way. 1/2 inch high, $ 35 (SOLD)
Sorry it took me so long to get these up, who would have thought fish-tanks were that much work... and then I don't have all that many beads either - I am getting back to the torch tomorrow, and will stay away from anything that has to do with fish-beads for a few days. Anyway, here is what I have for now:
# 1 - The princess diaries
A small, "Chadwick-style" set of Aura over encased Aura, really feminine and elegant looking, I don't know whether anybody uses gold findings for making bracelets - these sure would look excellent with gold. 6 beads with matt-gold colored glass spacers, 3 1/2 inch long strand, $ 50 (SOLD)
# 2 - The Crown Jewels
A matching focal for the "Princess Diaries" - I had a little trouble with the lighting, the bead is much more translucent then it appears in the picture. The color is much more similar to the smaller beads above. The bead is 1 1/4 inch tall and slightly slimmer, $ 35 (SOLD)
# 3 - Spring is in the air (aka: Wishful Thinking) I don't think I have listed a strand this big since my ebay-days, since I usually try to offer smaller, more affordable strands, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to split these beads up. It was almost like thinking about separating a family or something like that. I know, sounds like a stupid thing to say about beads, but then again, when you spend a lot of time making them, they almost feel like "kids".... So, there are 18 kids in this family, including a frog, with lots of new "petal" designs that take forever to make but are well worth the effort. 7 1/2 inches long strand in fuchsia, pink and green, $ 200 (SOLD)
