Jelly Bracelets

Kat Newman from Kathryn Newman Jewellery has made some jelly bracelets using my tutorial Jelly Bracelet Tutorial

She's done a really good job. Why not pop over to her Etsy store and have a look http://www.etsy.com/listing/122120027/jelly-bracelet-with-handmade-lampwork?

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Linda

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A milestone reached

It's taken me a while but I have finally reached a milestone on Facebook. 100 page likes (well it's actually 101 now). Facebook page. I have decided to celebrate this milestone by doing a little giveaway. I'm hoping to get it organised for this weekend. I think a little bead soup of beads which I can make into a necklace for those of you who aren't beadmakers.

I'm going to include a brand new bead/clasp design that I haven't released yet but have been working on over the last couple of weeks.

Here's a little sneak preview of one of the beads I am offering.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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My first treasury Hearts and Flowers.

I was recently accepted as a member of the Craft Pimp team. Being part of a team is a great way to promote your work as we all promote each others wares. One of the ways we do this is to create treasuries.

 

This is the first one I have ever done. I hope you like it and some of the products of the Craft Pimp team.

 

'Hearts and Flowers' by Earthshinebeads

What could be better than a selection of handmade gifts perfect for Valentines Day.

Orange Heart Fused Glas... WINIBI $7.50	Copper and Lampwork Fib... abyjem $13.00	Fuschia peach mixup - h... FlamingEck $10.00
Flower Garden Bracelet ... StudioJeweller... $32.00	handmade lampwork glass... Lampworkbeadsb... $5.00	Porcelain pendant, reve... KilnFiredArt $16.00
Felted Rose Brooch Clasibags $5.00	Tropical garden tea ros... BuzzwordBeads $120.00	Beadweaving Tutorial No... nemeton $4.00
Valentine Crochet Heart... JessikiReeve $9.00	Needle Felted Teddy Bea... MiaPuPe $23.00	Artisan Earrings, Glass... ElksongJewelry $26.00
Quilled Valentine card ... PaperDaisyCard... $5.25	Wooden Heart Bunting &q... HandmadeByHigh... $14.00	Vintage Button Bouquet ... iheartbuttonsu... $400.00
Handmade Ceramic Textur... Bohulleybeads $3.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Linda

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The Birth of Venus (Boticelli)

I am so excited as this year I will be attending the annual event known as 'The Gathering' which is held this year Rochester which is in the state of New York, USA.

The ISGB who host the event have a competition of which the theme for this year is 'Renaisance'. I had a mind to enter and did some research and came up with this lovely image of Boticelli's The Birth of Venus.

I've not done much in the way of sculptural work before but I like a challenge and these are my efforts.

My first was the one on the left. I was really pleased with the hair colour. The one in the middle with the long legs was my last attempt. As you can see her legs got too cold and cracked.

Unfortunately one of the conditions on the competition is that you have to make 75 of these beads if you win, something I decided I wouldn't be able to do and so gave up.

The first one is now available for sale, click on the image to buy.

Thanks for looking.

Linda

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Shop update

Just added a few more items to my shop.

My poppie field beads are proving to be very popular, this one is slightly different in that the poppies have been left raised. I mix my own enamel glass for the flowers and etch the bead for a satin finish. The poppies stay shiny which gives a lovely effect.

I sold a bead similar to this one so thought I would replace it. It requires a steady hand to outline those little flowers. Each flower has a sparkly cubic zirconia for a bit of zing!

These spacer donut beads are made using a CIM Plum Unique glass. It comes out in different shades depending on how you work it in the flame. Hence the differnence which I like.

and finally I sold out of these little spacers made of Effetre Sage Green 019 so here are some replacements.

As usual click on the photo to be taken to the beads for sale.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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7th Bead Soup Blog Party

I'm so excited, I've signed up for the annual 7th Bead Soup Blog Party.

To see what it's all about read this blog posting: http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-bead-soup-blog-party.html

Of course I will keep you posted on here and am already planning what I am going to send.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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Shop Update

I've just updated my shop with a few of my latest makes.

Please click on pictures to be taken to the relavant listing.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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Competition Piece

Back in September of last year was The Big Bead Show. I entered a necklace that I made, it didn't come anywhere and I've just realised that I never did a blog about it.

This is it:

I seem to remember I called it 'Urban Chic'.

It was made using some of the first big hole beads that I made and that awful Iris Orange glass that I don't have much success with. The necklace is actually 3 seperate pieces that I picked up at a charity shop - don't you just love recycling jewellery!

It's so not like the jewellery that I usually wear but I just love it!

Thanks for looking.

Linda

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Lorelei's giveaway

One of the blogs I follow is Lorelie's Blog, it is full of inspiring ideas and a great read.

She's having a 7 day giveaway, that's right, you read right. So head on over to her blog and share away for a chance to win goodies by Pam Ferrari of Ferrari Original Beads and Marsha Neal Studios

http://lorelei1141.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/7-days-of-giveaways-day-one.html?showComment=1358779343323

I've been making jewellery and improving my photos.

Because it is so cold in my conservatory at the moment, instead of torching I decided to have a play with my beads and make some jewellery some of which I have been promising to do for a long time.

First up, some time ago I made this bead which went so nice with this silk ribbon from Diane at Sowzere

The focal bead is made using Double Helix Clio, goldstone and my own enamel murrini made during my class with Astrid Riedal at Diana Easts studio in Leicester.

This is the necklace I made

I teamed it together with some copper including some copper rings by Faith Bowman of Abyjem, some seed beads and glass chips together with some more of my lampwork beads. It so reminds me of the hot pinks and oranges of India, saris and spices etc.

It's available for sale in my Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/121058496/handmade-lampwork-copper-and-silk

Next up another necklace.

Back in July of last year I bought a clasp from Melinda Orr, I had a project in mind but never got round to it, so when I saw this ceramic component from Teresa Hully of Bo Hulley Beads I knew just what to do with it.

 

Coupled together with some Vintaj brass, a selection of my own lampwork beads and another silk ribbon from Sowzere and this is the result. I live on an Island and this piece is so evocative of the colours of the sea.

 

Link to purchase: https://www.etsy.com/listing/121059004/handmade-lampwork-brass-and-silk?ref=v1_other_2

 

Finally a bracelet

The colours in this bracelet are inspired by another ceramic bead from Bo Hulley Beads. I pulled some lampwork beads in jade green, olive, mint, tourquoise and green from my collection and patinated a floral clasp to match.  Some more Vintaj brass completed the look.

 

Link to purchase: https://www.etsy.com/listing/121059442/handmade-lampwork-brass-and-ceramic

 

Now what do you think of my photos?

 

I purchased a photography tutorial by Brit Hammer after seeing a blog post on Daily Art Muse on how Bronwen Heilman was improving her photography skills, something I desperately want to do especially when it comes to jewellery.

 

I have a reasonable knowledge of how my SLR camera works but don't seem to be able to get consistant results. Sometimes I can take pretty good pictures just with my compact.

 

I didn't really learn how to take better photos of my beads as such but it did make me look at my jewellery as 'art' and to think of my photos in a completely different way.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Linda

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AJE Earring Challenge Reveal Wks 1 and 2

It's time for the big reveal, although my blog readers will have already seen my week 1 pair of earrings, here they are again.

They have been made using my own lampwork earrings and I even made my own sterling silver earrwires!

I've been working on trying to take some better pictures so hopefully you will see some improvement as time goes on.

Week 2 saw me playing with some Vintaj brass and lampwork rings which were made using a 10mm mandrel. (I can't claim the rings were an orriginal idea by me but shown to me by Helen Gorrick of Helen G Beads)

Aren't they sweet, I applied the patina to the little swallows so that they matched the rings.

They are available for sale in my Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/listing/120262848/a-pair-of-handmade-lampwork-earrings and if you fancy making a pair of your own I have some of the glass rings for sale too

Light Violet

https://www.etsy.com/listing/119470381/set-2-handmade-lampwork-glass-rings 

Amber 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120262267/set-2-handmade-lampwork-glass-rings

Light Tourquoise

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120262378/set-2-handmade-lampwork-glass-rings

They can be made to order so if you would like them in a different colour, let me know.

Please visit the other artists taking part in the challenge by clicking on the links below.

What you can do with a little inspiration.

Just before Christmas I had a look around art exhibition at The New Rembrant Gallery.

One of the artists was Pat Clarke and her work was lovely. Unfortunately she doesn't have an online presence so I can't show you any of her works. I was inspired by part of one of her paintings and I got chatting to Pat, told her that I make glass beads and asked her if it was ok to take a picture. She said go ahead and this is the picture I took.

Can you see why I thought this would make a lovely bead?

This is my attempt. I am really pleased with it as my stringer work needs a lot of practice.

I used CIM Peace and Reichenbach Deep Black. I would have used Effetre White but I didn't have enough.
In the same sitting I made this which I am also really pleased with. I have to say it was tricky to photograph.

It has been etched for a soft finish. Glasses used are all Effetre 106 Clear,  Transparent Light Teal 026, Transparent Dark Grey 088 and white dots and stringer detail.

These are made with Effetre Light Grey 084 and below are made with Reichenbach Mystic Grey. Both sets and the focal bead are now available for sale in my Etsy store. Click on pictures to buy.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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Reichenbach Multi and Dark Multi

I can't believe 5 days have passed since I did my last blog post. Where does the time go? I started the year with such good intentions too.

So, I actually made these a while ago but I thought you might like to see them.

I was really pleased with the colours I got out of this glass. You wouldn't think it was possible to see the rods.

This is multi

and this in dark multi.

They are available to purchase from various sources but as I cheekily took these pictures from Bead Bug Frit here is a link to her Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeadbugFrit?ref=seller_info_count

These three are up for sale in my Etsy store now.

Thanks for looking
Linda
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