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!) 😉
This time last week my family and I were at the happiest place on earth – Disneyland! And, as commanded by every ‘cast’ member we encountered there, we truly had a *magical day* the entire time we were there. For us Disneyland is the perfect stay-cation getaway in SoCal! 😀
Here’s a quick peek at the view from our hotel room (notice Mickey in the shrubbery toward the bottom of the photo):
And here’s a picture of a Disney-cat! There are dozens of cats that live on the DL property year round.This little guy was just a kitten and curled up next to us by the pool one night. Such a cutie!
When I got home it was time to get back to work (never easy after a vacation) but inspiration struck and I came up with these new beads: 😀
I have decided to challenge myself to develop new designs by trying new techniques and learning new skills in 2012.
This journey begins with embedding three dimensional objects in glass as in this organic floral bead. This style bead is created in several parts which are then carefully assembled to make the final piece.
I had to first create a special pulled cane for the flower’s stamen. I then used the cane to create the flower bud. There is also a small implosion in this bead at the base of the flower so that needed to be made separately as well.
Then the base bead was made and shaped to allow room for the floral elements. Once formed, the flower was applied to the base and embedded inside lots of molten crystal clear glass to make it look as though it is suspended in mid air.
It is a lot of work and takes quite a while to put all these elements together – and although the process is a challenge it is so much fun! I will definitely be making more of this style bead 😀
CCGlassArt 