Black and White Lampwork Necklace

Who doesn't love black and white? Stark, graphic - dramatic! It is one of my favorite combinations to work with AND to wear!

This necklace was designed around 3 black and white lampwork glass beads, handmade by a talented Etsy glass artisan. I added sterling silver beadcaps, onyx rounds and chips, small white howlite rounds, and black seed beads, resulting in a simple, yet elegant, adjustable length necklace which goes well with so many different looks!

And it's available on Etsy! (This necklace is now on sale - listed price is 35% off!)

Blue Lampwork Cube Earrings

I really like the unexpected shape of these handmade lampwork cubes - you see lots of round, oval, lentil-shaped, etc. lampworks, but not so any cubes! And the colors - love!

I paired them with some Swarovski crystal dangles to make these whimsical earrings.

Teal and Cream Lampwork Earrings

The lampwork artist who created these cool beads called them "amoeba", which I can certainly see, thinking back to my college biology! I love the colors! I added some sterling silver and some Swarovski crystals, and wound up with a beautiful pair of earrings, available on Etsy!

Turquoise and Chocolate Brown Lampwork Earrings

A friend of mine made these cute turquoise and chocolate brown lampwork cubes - don't you just love the shape, and the dots?

They were perfect for a quick pair of earrings!

These fun, casual earrings are available in my Etsy shop.

A Golden Spiral

This handwoven spiral rope was created with gold freshwater pearls and various sizes of gold-colored seed beads, inspired by the gorgeous golden large-holed lampwork focal bead.

I purchased this bead over 5 years ago, and I wish I knew who made it, because I want more! I have no idea where I got it, and could kick myself - the colors are fabulous, but the shape is what I really love - it's like the artisan twisted the molten glass to get this lovely shape. If you think you recognize this bead, or even better, if you think you can make some, let me know!!

Beautiful Artwork at the JuxtaCenter

The Juxtacenter in St. Petersburg is home to the salon where we attended the Torch Fired Enamel Workshop last Sunday.

We were surrounded by so much beautiful artwork, in so many different media.

Paintings, of which "Bagel Knees" is one of many:

Lampwork:

Woven baskets:

And sculpture:

Sorry this shot of a striking metal piece is blurry - I just couldn't get my arms to hold still:

And this is a sculpture that was directly across the room from my workstation during the workshop. I thought I had been looking at a big piece of coral, since I have coral, shells, and rocks on display at my house, so it seemed perfectly normal to me. But remember, I am legally blind, so I was caught of guard after class when I went for a closer look, and saw this:

And isn't that a cool table?



And speaking of Torch-Fired Enamel, I have been busy this week searching for and obtaining all the items I need to create my own colorful enamelled beads. I acquired my MAPP cylinder and C-clamp yesterday, as well as a few metal beads to sample in the flame. They may work, they may melt. Their composition is described as "metal" on their tags, so only the flame will tell!

I'm waiting for the metal tins I ordered for the enamel to arrive - they were an online order. And I want MORE BEADS!! I need a reliable source for iron or copper beads, at a reasonable price - anybody have any tips?