Shimmering, Sparkling, Glittering, Handmade Artisan Glass Beads

I suppose with all the rain, cloudy skies, and gloomy weather we’ve been having off and on lately, (not that I’m complaining because we desperately need the rain), I guess I needed a little brightness in my life.

But not just a little glow or shine, I’m talking out-of-control shimmer and sparkle like you would not believe!

Ok, I admit it – I LOVE all things sparkly. So when the idea popped into my head to combine the sparkliest elements I had to work with (glitter and dichroic glass), it was only a matter of time before I made it happen.

The result is my new Mirrorball series! And while these look nice in photos, wait till you get them in direct sunlight – WOW! Sunglasses are recommended…haha 😀

I also have some of my encased murrini beads available this week, and even snuck a little more dichroic glass into them as well. What can I say, I was on a roll! 😉

All beads are available now on Etsy:

a collage of lampwork handmade artisan glass beads

The Obsession Returns – Encased Murrini Beads

Just when I thought I’d gotten tired of making these little gems, the obsession has struck again!

I usually like to make at least one or two of these types of beads to test new murrini and see how they look under encasement. The other day I was on a roll and made several – I still really enjoy making these beads! They are so challenging and in many ways they have a mind of their own, so the final result is always a bit of a surprise for me.

This week I have 5 new encased murrini beads, and 1 bubble crown bead. This bubble crown bead came out a little bigger than the ones I made before, it has 6 bubbles on top instead of 4, as well as an intricate swirled core of striped glass and shimmering dichroic. 😀

All beads are currently available on Etsy:

Avalon Reef - encased murrini bead necklace
Avalon Reef – encased murrini bead necklace
Cambria Reef - encased murrini bead necklace
Cambria Reef – encased murrini bead necklace
Carnival - glass bead pendant
Carnival – glass bead pendant
Great Barrier Reef - encased murrini bead necklace
Great Barrier Reef – encased murrini bead necklace
Pink Peony Reef - encased murrini bead necklace
Pink Peony Reef – encased murrini bead necklace
Wailua Reef - encased murrini bead necklace
Wailua Reef – encased murrini bead necklace

Crazy For Dots – Lampwork Glass Beads

When not consumed with making encased murrini beads over the past year, I’ve been working to perfect my pulled dot beads. Thanks to a new tutorial I recently purchased I have ‘connected the dots’ (ha! :D), had a light bulb moment, and at last this technique finally clicked for me. Now, I have a new obsession… 😉

On Etsy:

BEACHCOMBER - assorted bead collection
BEACHCOMBER – assorted bead collection
BEACHCOMBER - large round focal bead
BEACHCOMBER – large round focal bead
CUPCAKE - large round focal bead
CUPCAKE – large round focal bead
MERMAID'S GROTTO - large round focal bead
MERMAID’S GROTTO – large round focal bead
MINI CUPCAKE - round focal bead
MINI CUPCAKE – round focal bead
PETIT FOUR - round focal bead
PETIT FOUR – round focal bead

Encased Murrini Bead Pendants

I am loving these interchangeable bead pendants 😀 The are perfect for showcasing handmade lampwork by taking a bead from beautiful to wow! The best part is that you can mix and match your own beads on them to create a number of different looks just from one pendant.

This week I’ve added a couple new encasing murrini beads to Etsy, pairing two of them with an interchangeable bead pendant, along with one loose focal bead (which could be added to a bead pendant!) 😉

ARCTIC REEF - bead pendant
ARCTIC REEF – bead pendant
CANCUN REEF - bead pendant
CANCUN REEF – bead pendant
ABYSS - focal bead
ABYSS – focal bead