Implosion Bead Update!

Blue Floral Implosion Bead

The floral implosion bead is my signature bead.   I had been developing them for years and in 2010 I plucked up the courage to enter a set in the Beads and Beyond magazine jewellery maker of year competition.   I didn't expect to hear anything back and had completely forgotton all about it when I reiceved an e-mail asking me to attend an Artisan Show where my beads would be displayed.  WOW! I was over the moon.  So was my husband.  He took a day off work to take me to Worstershire and we spent the day together looking at my beads .... of course ..... and learning some new crafts!

 

My husband is incredibly supportive (I know he reads these....) and I had to drag him away from the polymer clay stall.  He had the very lovely Penny Vingoe from Clayaround demonstrating how to make a simple polymer clay cane.  He was completely hooked and came away with loads of packets of premo sculpy to make our daughter lots of pretty jewellery.  He did make some too ... well lots really .... lots of multi coloured hearts! Ahhhhh!  ........ then I pinched the rest of the clay and used it all up to make more beads ......

 

Anyway back to the implosion beads ....... Here is the winning set of beads.  I use this photograph for a lot of my promotional work and I will never sell this set of beads!  They marked a big turning point in my lampwork art. 

 

Floral Implosion Beads

These are very difficult beads to make.  They require a lot of heat control, an enormous amount of patience (many do not survive and crack halfway through the process) and confidence.  I am one of those people that loves to learn and enjoys a challenge, however big that challenge may be.  The trickier it is, the more interested I become.

 

Hydrangea Beads

If you hadn't already guessed I love my flowers.  My garden used to be a beautiful paradise full of pretty flowers where I would spend many hours sat reading books or gardening.  Then we decided to re-build the house and for the last few years my garden has been neglected and I really miss it. 

 

Hydrangea's are one of my favourite flowers because they hold very dear memories of playing in my Grandad's garden.  He had two huge Hydrangea bushes.  One was pink and one was blue and during the summer months they were full of beautiful flowers ..... well for a few days .... until my sister, cousins and I used all the flowers as our wedding bouquets.  My Grandad was always so patient with us even though we completely destroyed his beautiful plant.  I'll save the story about the black tulip for another day .......

 

I had to make a set of Hydrangea Beads in memory of my Grandad's beautiful plants.  These beads are now living in Canada with a very lovely lady.




Protea

 

 

The Protea implosion bead was a challenge set by one of my Cousins (a Hydrangea pincher who is now a Horticulturalist).  She had taken a photograph of a Protea flower whilst she was working in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in South Africa.  I had a good look at the photograph and decided to try and make an implosion bead as close to the flower as possible.  It is a work in progress. 

 

All of my Protea beads and the Blue Implosion bead at the start of the post are now on their way to a wonderful lady in Amercia Kimberly Idalski, who is going to create some very beautiful jewellery with them.  I will be writing about Kimberly in another blog later on but just quickly ... she makes the most beautiful jewellery from polymer clay.  Here is a link to her shop Kimi's Jewelry and Crafts.

 



Commission



This bead (as featured in my article for Bead Magazine) was made with a particular person in mind.  I was asked to commission a bead for a person who was very introverted and shy.  Although this person was very shy in public underneath it all he was very complex, interesting and highly intelligent. 

 

I am constantly thinking of new ideas, designs, implosions and ways in which to use the implosions.  Just recently I made a lampwork heart focal bead that was built up around a simple red and black implosion.  I have another one waiting to be photographed that I will be make into a piece of jewellery.

 

The Queen of Hearts

 


The future holds endless possibilities for these beads and I will continue to explore every option available to me and push the boundaries of lampwork bead making.

 

I am afraid all of the beads featured in this blog have been sold.  If you are interested in my work please come and join me here on my blog or join me on my facebook page.  I always post my beads there as soon as they are listed.

Sarah xx
www.beadscrumptious.co.uk
www.hypersmash.com