The Continuing Voyages of the Starship Beadscrumptious!



Galactic Beads can be found on Etsy!

Hello, I thought I would take a quick moment to update you on where you can find my handmade lampwork beads and jewellery on the internet!  The idea came about when I realised half of my links on Pinterest no longer worked.  These links are important because they take future customers to the sites where I sell my beads. Then it struck me that I haven't actually published a definitive list of where I can be found on the internet and I can be found in a lot of places ....

This Lampwork Heart represents my Avatar for all of my internet site!

So here we are!  I have already mentioned Pinterest but what is it?  Well, Pinterest is a 'virtual pinboard' where you can pin items that you like from the internet onto boards that you have created.  The great thing about Pinterest is that when you pin an item it also keeps the link.  For instance I love baking and I am always pinning recipies onto my Recipie Board.  When I decide to make something I click on the picture and it take me stright to the site where I found the recipie.  Easy!

Every time I make a new set of lampwork beads or jewellery I always post the item onto my board Beadscrumptious Lampwork Beads and Jewellery with a link to the site where the item can be bought.

Winning Implosion Beads - Beads and Beyond Jewellery Maker of the Year

I have a website Beadscrumptious where you can find out more about me and I have links to nearly all the places where I can be found on the internet.  However, there are always exciting new developments on the web so it doesn't contain all of the places I can be found.  I haven't set up a shop on my website yet because I already sell on Etsy but this will change in the future.  Occasionally, I publish free tutorials on my website.

Enchanted Tree Focal Bead

I have already mentioned that I sell my beads on Etsy!  Etsy is an online handmade marketplace that promotes artisan crafts.  The site is focused on selling handmade or vintage items.  I have had a shop here since December 2011.  It is also a very friendly and supportive place where artisans promote each others work through the power of social media. 

Carnival - Lampwork Glass Button

Following in a similar vein to Etsy is the British equivalent called Folksy! I do also sell here but have a fairly limited selection of my work.  I am not sure if I am going to carry on selling here when I set up my shop on my website but we'll see. 

Calypso - Lampwork Bead Bracelet

Years ago there was always this mis-conception that you could set up a website to sell your work and you would become an instant millionaire overnight.  In reality, this is certainly not the case!  When you set up a website to sell artisan crafts there is a great amount of promotional work to do for your site/work to be noticed.  It takes a lot of dedication! Selling on Etsy and Folksy help to increase exposure but there also sites out there that can help by promoting your work for you.  Of course, there is a fee to be paid but if it helps to generate sales and exposure it is sometimes worth the cost.

I have recently started selling on one of these sites called WOW Thank You! As part of joining WOW Thank you!  I found out about CRAFTFest which is a virtual online craft fair.  I will be participating in the next fair in November and will write a blog about my experience.

Cool Waves

I also sell my beads and jewellery to shops.  One of these is  Kiki's Craft Corner in the Highlands of Scotland!



As seen in Bead Magazine!

 



Flickr can be viewed as an online photograph album!  This is another site where I share all the photographs of my beads.  There is also a Flickr community and you can join groups relevant to your craft, follow fellow artists and essentially network.  It is great!



Protea Implosion Bead

 

Never underestimate the power of social media!  As an artist I use various social media sites to promote my work.  To maintain consistency (and almost branding, I suppose) I always use the same Avatar (Purple Heart above) and my company name Beadscrumptious!

Below is a list of sites where I can be found!  Please click on the buttons/pictures, come over and say Hello!

 

 

 

 

 

You would be most welcome to click on the link below and 'like' my facebook page!

 

Sarah xx

Beadscrumptious.co.ukHyperSmash.com

Shrooms Tutorial!

Introduction

The inspiration for these Shrooms came from sitting opposite a local cartoonist at a craft fair who had made lots of beautiful cards some of which contained little red mushrooms.  I started wondering if it would be possible to make one out of glass and during the quiet moments I started writing out a method.

The next day I sat at my torch and made my first attempt at a little Shroom and have never looked back.  I have made them in many different colours, added dots to the cap, flowers to the stem and have had so much fun just playing around with whimsical ideas.  I haven’t finished yet either..... following on from my Enchanted Tree Beads I want to make a series of Enchanted Shrooms as well. http://beadscrumptious.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/enchanted-tree-beads.html

They make beautiful pendants, earrings and little charms that can be added to bracelets and necklaces.  I hope you have fun with this tutorial.

Supplies

1 Rod Effetre Dark Ivory
1 Rod Effetre White
1 Rod Reichenbach Mystic Red


2mm Mandrel dipped in bead release

Lampwork torch and Oxycon

Kiln

Protective Glasses with didymium lenses

1.  We are going to start by making the stem of the Shroom.  I have chosen Effetre Dark Ivory because I like the way it reacts with the flame giving a very organic look to the Shroom.  Using your chosen colour, make a small  barrel shaped bead.  Don’t worry about making it look too neat and tidy at this stage.

2.  When the bead is the desired size, warm the bead in the flame and then gently roll on a marver. This will elongate the barrel shape slightly.

3.  Choose a colour for the cap of the Shroom.  In this tutorial I have chosen red but you can choose any colour you wish.  Add a barrel of red to one end of the ivory as shown in the picture.  Keep adding enough glass so that it is wider than the Ivory barrel.

4.  Gently warm the red glass in the flame and holding the mandrel at an angle gently marver the tip of the bead.  This is to create the triangular shape of the cap.

5.  Now we want to widen the base of the cap.  It is really up to you how much glass you add and depends entirely on what you want your Shroom to look like.  Experiment!  Using your red glass, add a ring around the base of the cap where it joins with the ivory glass.  Carefully keep heating this area and adding more glass until you are happy with the shape of your Shroom.
 

6.  Once you have the shape of your Shroom, you can then decorate it with dots....flowers...or anything you like...  This is where your individuality and creativity can blossom.  Remember whilst you are decorating your Shroom to keep flashing it in and out of the flame so that it doesn’t crack!

7.  Very carefully heat the tip of a white stringer in the flame until you have a small ball of glass.  Add this to the cap of your Shroom and continue adding as many or a little dots as you choose.

8.   Re-shape your Shroom and tidy up the ends if necessary and pop it into your kiln to anneal.  I hope you have fun with this tutorial and make some very unique Shrooms.  I like to turn mine into fun little pendants but they would also make very pretty charms on bracelets and necklaces.

Sarah xx