NEW – Gazing Ball Lampwork Bead Pendants

I am very excited to announce my latest bead design – gazing ball pendants!

Modeled after the beautiful Italian glass garden decorations by the same name, each ready-to-wear pendant in the series includes a round, handmade lampwork glass art bead with no visible hole! The spherical bead is smooth all the way around. 😀

I am having a blast making these pendants and have many more designs in mind. I hope you enjoy them!

Golden Pond – gazing ball pendant
Water Lily – gazing ball pendant
Laguna Pier – gazing ball pendant
Snakeskin – gazing ball pendant

New Lampwork Bead Designs

After a little hiatus I am back with some new designs! I think most artists get a form of ‘writer’s block’ now and again, and I’m no different. Occasionally the ideas stop coming so the choice becomes whether to revisit previous designs or to just take a break and allow time for something new to take root.

For me, it was worth taking time off because a few new ideas came to mind which gives me a fresh perspective and a renewed motivation to get back to the torch.

This week’s beads include a couple of my new ideas…with more to come soon! 😀

Meteor Rocks - lampwork bead set
Meteor Rocks – lampwork bead set
Oceania - lampwork bead focal
Oceania – lampwork bead focal
Mystic Heart - lampwork bead focal
Mystic Heart – lampwork bead focal

Earthy Organic Beads

These beads take me back to my lampworking roots when I made organic style beads all the time. Organic beads have a much more free-form approach when it comes to design. Instead of being very precise with placement of each element you allow the colors, special reactions and flow of glass to dictate your next move. This style of lampworking is so much fun to do because there are lots of unique surprises throughout the creative process. 😀

SIERRA – Assorted Bead Collection
SIERRA – Organic Bead Focal

Lavender Flowers in Settings of Silver & Gold

Just when we thought Spring was on its way, we got hit with another cold front. We were so enjoying the mid-80’s temperatures when the weather turned and now we’re back in the 50’s with rain in the forecast. I realize we Californian’s are weather-wimps and are spoiled by lots of great weather most the year – so I am not complaining….too much ;-D

Here is another floral focal and round bead set. I do not see myself tiring of this design anytime soon. Flowers have always made me happy 🙂

Crocus lentil focal bead
Crocus round bead set

Whimsical Glass Beads

Something I haven’t done in a long time is really let loose and follow my whim while making beads. In recent years I have strived for a lot of precision and intricate detail that requires careful, painstaking application – but I didn’t always make beads that way.

In the beginning, when I was simply exploring the possibilities of glass and experimenting with lots of different colors and techniques to find out what glass was capable of, I made a lot of beads like these.

It’s been refreshing to revisit these classic bead designs and colors. There is such freedom in allowing the glass to take you where it wants to go – instead of the other way around.

Winter Whimsy – lampwork bead collection