Adventures in Glass

Shards

2012-01-28T10:08:00.002Z

Shards have always been a bit of a 'thing' for me, but I've finally got the hang of getting them nice and thin - now I want to make them in every colour I possess!

Renaissance

2012-01-28T09:59:00.002Z

It's official - I've been bitten by the seed bead bug! There's something hypnotic about weaving these tiny beads, and seeing a pattern emerge. Best of all, you can do it while watching TV!

Malas

2011-09-18T17:01:00.002+01:00

Mala bracelets with gemstones and sterling silver.

Silver Core System

2011-07-10T18:04:00.002+01:00

Well, it's taken me half a day, but I have a whole new section on my website! It's especially for my silver core bead system, and contains chain maille starter bracelets, custom locks, cored beads and charms. I had a clear out of my Gallery too, and it's all looking a lot neater, I think.

Jessamine Designs

2011-07-01T16:27:00.003+01:00

The super-talented Jessica Humphrey of http://www.jessaminedesigns.co.uk/ has made these fabulous enamel and frit pendants. I have never seen frit used like this before - what a great idea!

Egypt

2011-06-23T08:08:00.003+01:00

I've been watching a lot of Discovery Channel this week! There was a really interesting programme about excavations in Egypt, and it got me thinking................. out came the bead stash, and here we are - five little stacker bracelets with faceted carnelian, turquoise, aragonite, faceted smoky quartz, amethyst and bali sterling silver.

Pebble

2011-06-14T09:11:00.003+01:00

Left to right - Effetre grey rolled in frit and encased; clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased; periwinkle blue rolled in frit and superheated; silver brown with reduced frit, and superheated frit on periwinkle, swirled and encased.

A beach-inspired mix of greyish greens and blues with raku.

Rose Garden

2011-06-12T12:43:00.004+01:00

Left to right - clear glass rolled in frit, wound and encased: Effetre pink, rolled in frit; Effetre cool green rolled in frit, with swirled floral pattern.

A soft and feminine blend of pinks, lavender and green.

Tuffnell Glass

2011-05-27T21:13:00.004+01:00

I'm very excited that the lovely people at Tuffnell Glass www.tuffnellglass.com - will be stocking some of my frit blends.Big thanks to Martin, Teresa and Emma!

Silver Cores

2011-05-19T07:44:00.007+01:00

It's not frit! Just for a change.
I've been playing with my new bead roller from Bev at Pegasus Lampwork Tools. She has the most amazing selection of shapes I have ever seen. Check them out here - http://www.pegasuslampworktools.co.uk/
The silver cores were a bit of a learning curve, but I've decided it's a Zen thing!

Iris

2011-04-24T11:59:00.004+01:00

Left to right - pale blue transparent with melted silver foil, rolled in frit and encased; clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased; Effetre new violet rolled in frit and encased, and CIM heffalump dipped in frit.

A blend of opaque and transparent greens and purples.
Lovely with silver.

Sea Glass

2011-04-19T08:59:00.005+01:00

Left to right - Effetre dark turquoise, rolled in frit; transparent aqua with raked frit; Effetre white encased in aqua,dipped in frit and etched, and clear glass, dipped in frit, wound and encased.

A gentle blend of opaque and transparent frits in pastel aqua shades.

Heathcliff

2011-04-17T12:09:00.006+01:00

Left to right - Effetre violet, rolled in frit; Effetre periwinkle, rolled in frit and encased, and frit over silvered ivory.

A soft moorland blend of blues, pinks and raku. I had a little competition on FritHappens to name this one - and I fell in love with Heathcliff! Thanks Marg! xxx

Sea Breeze

2011-03-31T10:55:00.005+01:00

Left to right - CIM glacier rolled in frit and superheated; Effetre blue opalino with raked frit; Effetre periwinkle with raked frit. clear glass with melted silver foil, rolled in frit, and clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased.

An easy blend of light and airy blues in opaque and transparent frits.

Frit Patchwork

2011-03-29T13:17:00.002+01:00

And this is what happens while you're hanging around waiting for a glass delivery!

Canyon Shadows

2011-03-29T09:04:00.002+01:00

Left to right, Effetre pink with raked frit; opal yellow with raked frit; clear glass with melted silver foil, rolled in frit and encased, and ASK Lilac Ice with raked frit.

A mostly transparent blend of striking colours.

Cottage Garden

2011-03-27T12:13:00.003+01:00

Left to right, Effetre cool green dipped in frit with and without added flower, Effetre white dipped in frit and System 96 opal white rolled in frit twice.

A blend of floral tones in opaque and transparent frit

Rainforest

2011-03-22T16:07:00.003Z

Left to right, Effetre opal yellow and Effetre cool green, dipped in frit.
If the frit is placed in patches rather than rolled evenly, it will spread out from a dense centre to the parts with no colour. It's an effect I like.

An exotic blend of opaque and transparent frits in vibrant colours.

Sweet Peas

2011-03-22T16:02:00.005Z

Clockwise from top, opal white 96 COE glass, rolled twice in frit, Effetre white dipped in frit, and Effetre cool green rolled in frit.

An opaque blend of pastel colours.

Sunset

2011-03-20T13:43:00.003Z

Top to bottom, Sunset frit on Effetre pink, raked and encased. Effetre straw yellow with silver foil melted in, rolled in frit and encased. Effetre periwinkle blue, rolled in frit and raked.

A vibrant blend of transparent frits. A little of this one goes a long way!

Water Music

2011-03-20T13:36:00.005Z

Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased.

Left to right, transparent glass with silver foil melted in, rolled in frit and encased. Effetre light turquoise, rolled in frit and encased. Reichenbach silver brown, rolled in frit and reduced.

A premium blend in subtle aqua and blue with size 0 goldstone accents.

Kingfisher

2011-03-20T13:31:00.005Z

Kingfisher frit on Effetre white, Effetre dark turquoise, raked, and white encased in aqua transparent.

A blend of turquoise , amber and gold in opaque and transparent frits.

Maple

2011-03-14T14:45:00.005Z

Left to right - Opal white 96 COE glass rolled twice in frit, clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased, Reichenbach soft violet rolled in frit and encased and Effetre opal yellow superheated and raked.

A blend of opaque and transparent frit with raku

Robin's Egg

2011-03-14T14:38:00.005Z

Left to right - clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Opal white 96 COE glass, rolled twice, Robin's Egg frit on Kronos, raked and encased, and Effetre white encased in aqua, rolled in frit and swirled.

A soft blend of turquoise and blue in a small sized frit for a speckled effect.

Wisteria

2011-03-08T09:53:00.006Z

Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased.

Clockwise from left - opal white 96 COE glass, dipped in Herb garden frit then rolled in Wisteria. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Cim Heffalump rolled in frit, with flower.

A blend of purple, lavender and soft blue in graduated sizes.

Spice

2011-03-06T13:52:00.003Z

Left to right, Spice frit on opal yellow, encased. Clear glass dipped in frit and encased, and 96 COE opal white rolled twice in frit. Clear glass rolled in frit and wound onto mandrel.

A spicy blend of opaque and transparent frits in honey and cinnamon tones

Lavender

2011-03-04T17:16:00.004Z

Top to bottom - Effetre white rolled in Lavender frit, etched. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Effetre new violet rolled in frit and superheated.

Transparent and opaque lavenders, with the soft greens of an English lavender field.

Waterlily

2011-03-04T17:13:00.003Z

Effetre white, encased in blue transparent and rolled in frit. With watercolour effect flowers.

A Monet-inspired blend of colours, lovely for floral backgrounds, but equally nice alone.

Lilac Tree

2011-03-04T17:08:00.005Z

Lilac Tree frit with watercolour effect flowers.

Clockwise from bottom left - Lilac Tree frit on clear glass, etched. Clear glass with silver foil melted in, rolled in frit. Effetre new violet,rolled in frit and encased. Effetre new violet, rolled in frit.

Fresh spring greens and luscious lilacs in this easy to use frit.

Fuchsia

2011-03-04T17:06:00.004Z

Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Fuchsia frit on 96COE opal white glass.

I wanted a good fuchsia pink, but they're a bit hard to find, so I made my own!

Desert Island

2011-03-04T17:02:00.003Z

Clockwise from bottom left - Desert island frit on Effetre light turquoise, superheated. Effetre light turquoise rolled in frit. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Effetre white, encased in transparent blue and rolled in frit.

Aquas, blues, greens, all the colours of the Caribbean - perfect for beachy beads.

Confetti

2011-03-04T16:59:00.002Z

Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Clear glass with silver foil and frit. Silvered glass with raked frit, encased.

A fuss-free blend of soft and pretty pastels.

Clouds

2011-03-04T16:55:00.005Z

Lentil bead in 96COE opal white, rolled in Clouds frit. Effetre white, rolled in frit and superheated. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased.

All the colours of clouds, from white to thundery purple in an easy to use blend.

Tea Party

2011-03-04T16:51:00.004Z

Effetre white rolled in Tea Party frit, with watercolour effect flowers.

Pinks and greens -what could be more summery?

This blend reminds me of my Granny's china tea cups.

Herb Garden

2011-03-04T16:46:00.003Z

Herb Garden frit on 96 COE opal white. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased.

This is a really useful blend of opaque and transparent greens - a really nice background for florals and nicely dimensional on its own. I use this one a lot!

Coast

2011-03-04T16:32:00.009Z

Coast frit on CIM Glacier, encased with clear. Clear glass dipped in frit, wound and encased. Work this one cool to preserve the gold sparkle.

I've been using my own frit blends for a while now, and some people have asked if they are available, so I've decided to share! Supplies will be limited to start with, but hopefully there will be more, and lots of new blends too.

This one is called Coast, and is a pretty earthy blend with a hint of gold sparkle.

Forever Autumn

2008-08-01T18:06:00.002+01:00

So - I wanted to make myself a necklace. It was supposed to be the sky, from dusk through to dawn. Trouble was, I didn't have a clasp that looked right, except for this leaf, so now it's an autumn thing!

Kim's Bracelet

2008-07-22T21:59:00.003+01:00

More eyecandy!I love what Kim did with these watercolour beads. And she has a brand new website - www.twisledesigns.com.
I just love it when my beads get all grown up!!

I'm So Lucky!

2008-07-08T13:39:00.003+01:00

Can you believe the colours in this bead??
It arrived in the mail this morning, together with a beautiful bag, printed with pictures of my beads, from my lovely friend, Mary.She is too clever by half, LOL!!
Check out her website -www.flamingobeads.co.uk - she's a star!

Flower Garden

2008-06-06T14:11:00.003+01:00

Oh, I'm a bad blogger!! I've been Missing in Action 'cos I've been working out how to make flowers that look like they've been painted. I'm getting there, but it's addictive - just one more set - or I wonder what they'd look like in this colour - I need therapy!!

Chelsea

2008-05-22T08:37:00.003+01:00

I love Chelsea flower show, so I've been glued to the box this week. I did find time to make some flowery beads, however - and this bangle and earrings.

Nia's Necklace

2008-05-02T15:48:00.003+01:00

We lampworkers are a lucky bunch. All we have to do is make some beads, and then wait for them to turn into something like this! I love it!! It makes my day to see them take on a life of their own, and become something I could never have imagined.

Amazon

2008-04-27T21:32:00.002+01:00

Another bangle! My daughter's been here for the weekend, and Impressionist left with her. I'm highly honoured - she's very picky about her jewellery. It did look gorgeous on her.

Bangles

2008-04-20T10:50:00.003+01:00

It's official! I'm the world's slowest jewellery maker! First I have to think about making something, then I have to work up the courage to order all the bits ( what if it doesn't work, and I've wasted all that money??) then I have to make a mock-up in cheap materials just to check, then work up the courage to cut and bend the expensive wires ( what if I make a mistake and waste....etc etc) and then I have to think about it a bit more. Then sometimes I actually make something!!

Asymmetry

2008-04-06T20:05:00.003+01:00

I find it really difficult not to have an even number of things, or a repeating pattern - so this is a bit of a change for me.It's a simple JPL bracelet with little silver nuggets and a silvered glass focal.

Nostalgia

2008-04-04T18:20:00.003+01:00

Every now and then, I think about all the beads I've made, and what they grew up to be! I loved these beads when I made them, and I really love what Jo did with them. And I kind of miss them now they're gone!

Monet's Garden

2008-04-02T13:47:00.002+01:00

I seem to be having Monet on the brain lately - this little set of beads developed when I was looking for something else! I really like the way they've turned out, and I think the idea will work in other colours too, so plenty to think about and experiment with.
Nothing else is happening in cloudy Wales - although there are a million forget-me-nots in the garden, looking Spring-like.

Monet

2008-03-30T20:21:00.003+01:00

I've made these beads a few times, so last week I decided to make a set for me to play with. I used some bali silver and some Kyanite rondelles with them.
Finally got some beads made today, after three days off! I was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms.

Holiday

2008-03-26T10:57:00.002Z

Well, a little holiday from making orders!I love making earrings, and these ones were fun. Some lampwork discs with bali silver, that I call Midnight in Moscow because they remind me of onion dome buildings, and a pair of twist cut flourite beads that are really well matched - they were the only two in the strand that were perfectly matched for colour, so they had to be earrings really.
Tomorrow I'm going to see Jean Michel Jarre in concert - a blast from my past! Woohoo - old hippy alert!

Happy Easter, Blogbunnies!

2008-03-22T19:21:00.002Z

Plum Passion

2008-03-20T14:40:00.005Z

It's nasty out there! Cold, windy and miserable - not a good day to make beads! And so, in best Blue Peter tradition - here's one I made earlier.
I love making chain maille, and this delicate Jens Pind weave makes a perfect chain for some little lampwork beads. Thanks to my friends, George, designedbygeorge and Lynne, The Dragonfly Company for all the good advice - let's just say I'm not the quickest learner!!

Lotus

2008-03-19T11:14:00.001Z

It's taken me ages to get these lotus beads down! I'm pleased with them now, though.
I've kept it simple with a sterling beadcap and a fairly dramatic pair of earwires, but the beads are the stars!