Will I ever get back to shed/studio/shed?

So, it has been a long time since I have been in the shed/studio/shed making beads and I have to say I am slightly nervous about switching on that torch again.  I have been incredibly busy over the last year and had to put the beads on hold … but I have really missed disappearing out to my shed and making a few glassy creations.  

I sat down with my daughter the other evening and we sat at the kitchen table making earrings together and it set off so many ideas … oh the beads I could make …. I spent the weekend out in shed/studio/shed cleaning out all the spiders and preparing my work space ready for action.

The first bead I will make is one of my signature implosion beads and then who knows where the inspiration will take me.  Should I set to work with a colour scheme in mind or just go with the flow?  I don't know …. I shall melt the glass, let it flow and see what happens.  One thing I do know is that it will be great to get back out there!

Sarah xx

www.beadsrumptious.com

www.hypersmash.com

What to look for when purchasing lampwork beads ... part 1

I am a very conscientious lampwork artist.  I take a great deal of pride in my work and have always sought to make the highest quality beads.  I am a perfectionist and I will not sell any beads that I am not 100% happy with.  Each and every bead represents a piece of art that cannot be replicated or copied.  It is a moment of time trapped within the glass.

I thought I would share some examples of what makes a good quality lampwork bead. Whether you are a new lampwork artist learning your craft or someone that is looking to purchase a set of lampwork beads I hope to give you a few tips on what makes a good bead.

Take a close look at the bead holes in the picture above.  You can see that the entrance to the bead hole is smooth and rounded.  There are no jagged edges, no loose pieces of glass .... everything is smooth.  Now, this is a personal preference .... but my lampwork beads always have a smooth glass transition to the bead hole.  If I am selling my lampwork beads then I want them to be of the highest quality possible with no jagged edges or rough splinters of glass.

There are also practical reasons for this.  As you know I also make jewellery using my lampwork beads.  It is important to have a smooth transition to the bead hole ..... you don't want to have rough edges around the bead holes because the jagged pieces of glass will snap off and end up in your jewellery designs and if the edges are too rough they will eventually rub against your stringing material and wear it away.  The answer ..... to create a beautiful dimple around the bead hole with rounded edges and no sharp pieces of glass protruding from the bead.  I am preparing a tutorial on how to achieve this .... if you are new to lampwork.

Whilst still concentrating on the area around the bead hole .... another thing to look for or try to achieve if you are a lampwork artist is to completely encase the bead in clear glass.  Now, next time you are looking through a batch of lampwork beads take a good look at the internal glass surrounding the bead the hole.  Depending on the design (of course) there should be a lovely clean covering of glass right to the bead hole.  You don't want to see a murky line where the colours within the glass have bled into one another.   

Again, this is a personal preference but I prefer to encase beads fully in clear glass right up to the bead hole, as you can see in the photograph above.  It is a difficult skill to master and you can learn a great deal from tutorials and fellow artists but I think you need to find your way of doing it.  We are all different and what works for one person may not be easy for another.  It gives a lovely finish to the lampwork beads and adds a certain amount of depth.

I work very hard to make the most beautiful lampwork beads that I can.  I tend to focus more on the internal details within the beads rather than external designs and I am constantly striving to push the boundaries and make the most intricate beads that I can. It has taken a few years but I have now developed my own signature and style of lampwork beads and this is very important.  If you are a lampwork artist you need to find your speciality and develop this to make it your own.  Don't try to copy someone else's designs and sell them because you are cheating them and yourself.  Be unique, be different and be true to yourself.

I am afraid all of the lampwork beads featured in this blog have been sold.  If you would like to see more of my work then please visit my shop on Etsy - Beadscrumptious

Sarah xx

www.beadscrumptious.co.uk

www.hypersmash.com

Different? ..... it's ok!

I have loads of beads tucked away in my bead box waiting to be converted into delicious pairs of earrings.  It won't surprise you to know that when I paired the beads together the only common factors were the colours I used within the beads.  I can't help it .... I get bored making the same beads all the time .... and it makes the earrings a little bit more interesting.  Also ..... I can't help feeling a little bit rebellious making earrings that don't match exactly!  

I wasn't entirely sure how people would react to earrings that weren't exactly the same so I tested the designs out on friends and family.  The response was very positive and whenever I wear my earrings I always receive lovely compliments ..... encouraged ..... I have continued to make more.  

I always make beads the same size and keep the base colour the same with accent beads that either enhance or compliment both the base and design colour.  The design, I like to vary and play around with ..... in most cases ........

This pair of earrings was based on a red, white and blue theme ...... a bit of fun .... and why not?

All of my earrings are available to purchase from my shop on WOW Thank you! Click on one of the photographs and a link will take you straight there.

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

Lavender Moss

Hello, I have been lost in the beautiful British summer over the last couple of weeks.  I did have a bad spell of not being able to make a single round bead, my creativity had vanished somewhere in the ether and I can't help it .... once that sun comes out I just can't focus! It must be the excitement of actually having good weather .... I know I harp on and on about the weather but really it has been truely depressing over the last 12 months ...... well until now!

My laptop was also on it's last legs so my very wonderful husband (he reads these) and he is the most amazing husband in the whole wide world ... bought me a very nice shiny new one.  It is great! It starts straight away.  Usually I can make breakfast, hoover the house, put on a few loads of washing, make five sets of beads and then the password request will appear.  Not now though .... this machine is instant.  I must admit, it takes a while for me to get used to new technology (unlike my kids) and I have taken ages to transfer my work across (... might also be due to watching The Returned at the same time... totally addictive) but I am finally ready to go.

I have been very good at promoting my shop on Etsy and to be honest I am wondering if it might be more sensible to concentrate on having one shop. I currently have a shop on Etsy, Folksy and WOW Thank You.  Folksy is basically a British version of Etsy and my original thinking was to advertise myself in both places and spread the word about Beadscrumptious Beads around the globe ... a little.  What I am not good at is promoting my work on Folksy.  So, I thought I would rectify this today and post about this pretty set of lampwork beads.

This set of beads was made using a very pale green coloured glass.  It is a very subtle and calming colour so I needed a contrasting glass that was rich, vibrant and "in your face" to balance things out.  The colour I chose was CIM Lapis, one of my favourite coloured glass and beautiful to work with.  The contrast between the two colours is very striking so I was careful to keep the design's simple.  By doing this I have managed to keep the calming influence of the pale green glass.  A great deal of thought goes into these beads you know ........ 

Since writing this post I have decided to close my shop on Folksy for the time being but you can purchase my lampwork beads from my shop on Etsy.  If you click on one of the photographs a link will take you straight there.

Sarah xx

www.beadscrumptious.co.uk

www.hypersmash.com

Static : A lampwork Bead Set by Beadscrumptious

I can't believe that I didn't get around to writing a blog post about these beads before they had sold on Etsy.   So, I am going to write one now.  I will reflect on this lovely set of lampwork beads that are making their way to a new home.

This set of beads are an example of my signature implosion beads and actually started out as an experiment to see what would happen if ...... and these beads were the result.  They also marked a change in my implosion designs where I started to really define myself in the lampwork world as having designs that I had developed.  People will and do try to copy my designs but hey, that is life! These things happen when you start to promote yourself.  Should you lock yourself away to keep all of your work top secret or should you embrace the fact that your work is inspiring other artists?  I am forever the optimist! .... although it is disheartening when you see very similar beads to your own being sold much cheaper .... I take a great deal of pride in my work and make high quality beads to a very high standard (blog post coming soon).

I am spending the next couple of weeks developing these beads further.  I am going to try different colour combinations and a few new techniques to see what happens.  What will my end result be and will any of the beads I make be worthy of writing about? .... we will see!  I also have to make a large batch of similar beads for a commission.  I say similar because I find it very difficult (actually impossible) to make the same bead twice but that is another blog post entirely!

I am really looking forward to seeing what the lovely lady who bought these beads is going to make with them.  It always makes me feel like a proud parent to see my lampwork beads incorporated into some amazing jewellery designs.  That is also another blog post to come very soon .....

If you click on any of the photographs a link will take you straight to my shop on Etsy where you can find some more examples of my lampwork beads to feed your imagination and hopefully inspire your jewellery designs.

Sarah xx

www.beadscrumptious.co.uk

www.hypersmash.com

A simple way to wear lampwork beads!

You have seen a beautiful set of lampwork beads and don't know what to do with them.  Well, here is a very simple solution to your problem ..... pop them onto a sterling silver chain and you have a very quick and simple item of jewellery.  The great thing about this is that you can change the beads very easily to match different items of clothing within your wardrobe.  This is something that I do very often.  

I quite like the simplicity and versatility of this.  I can wear one bead, a set of beads, mix and match them with other sets of lampwork beads and create statement peices of jewellery that I know I will be complimented on and that no-one else is wearing.

You could purchase some sterling silver rondell or round beads to place in between each lampwork bead to bring out the designs within the beads.  This creates a very effective look as well.  I love using sterling silver with lampwork beads and keeping things simple because it compliments the designs within the lampwork beads. 

Photo by Vicki Ritherdon

When you are purchasing your silver chain just make sure that the end is smaller that 2.5mm and rectangular in shape.  I do have sterling silver chains available should you wish to make yourself a statement piece of jewellery.  All you need to do is contact me. 

If you would like to see more beads that you could place onto a sterling silver chain .... please visit my shop on Etsy by clicking on this link -  Beadscrumptious

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

Creme Caramel

 

I also sell my beads on Folksy which is essentially a British version of Etsy.  It is an online craft store where artisans sell their handmade items.  The great thing about both of these online stores is that you can be assured (most of the time) that you are purchasing items that have been individually handmade by very handworking artists.  I say most of the time because as always there are the odd few that slip through the net attempting to sell wholesale items. 

 

This set of beads is called Crème Caramel. When I took these beads out of the kiln I was really pleased. The internal swirls of avocado and chocolate all encased within a light amber coloured glass that reflects the light beautifully.  I have blogged about these beads before but decided that they needed some more publicity ..... they are lovely!

 

This photograph shows the swirls beautifully.  I originally intended for these to be an autumnal set of beads but there is definitely a summery feel about them too.  Perhaps it is the richness of colour produced by the chocolate swirling through the amber glass. 

 

 

Beads have always held a fascination for people and have been used for many different things.  My beads are no exception.  A selection of my beads are sold in Kiki's Craft Store in Scotland.  Here they are purchased mainly for decorating textiles.  I sell to jewellery designers, hobbyists, collectors, all kinds of people and I always ask for photographs of their final pieces of work (blog post coming soon) because I am really interested to know what they have made with my beads.

 

Of course, you don't have to do very much with my beads to enjoy their attractive allure.  All you need is a silver chain.  Pop the beads onto the chain and you have an instant piece of pretty jewellery.  The great thing about this is that you can take the beads on and off and match them to your outfit or mix and match the beads with other bead sets.  There is a great deal of potential ....

This set of beads would definitely suit being placed on a sterling silver chain.  Sometimes the simplicity of a design can be all the more stunning! 

All of my lampwork beads are handmade by me in my studio in Somerset. I am a professional lampwork artist and make all of my bead to a very high standard. All of my beads are kiln annealed to ensure long lasting strength and durability and all of my beads are thoroughly cleaned to remove all traces of bead release.

 

I have included 7 beads in the set. They range in size from 14mm by 9mm beads to 15mm by 10mm beads. The bead hole is 2.5mm.

 

All of my lampwork beads are securely packaged in a gift box. I pack them very carefully because a great deal of work goes into creating these little treasures

 

This set of beads is available to purchase from my shop on Folksy.  I ship worldwide.  If you click on the photograph a link will take you straight there.

 

Sarah xx

www.beadscrumptious.co.uk

www.hypersmash.com



 

Pretty Flowers!



I have been very busy over the last couple of weeks but I did manage to spend some time in my studio making this set of beads.  I have been making floral beads for years now and over the last six months I have been experimenting with different flower petal designs.  I want to make the petals more realistic (if that is possible) and this is part of the journey to achieving this.  I do have an obsession with flowers and have far too many photographs clogging up the home computer .... but that is another story!

 



I spent a great deal of time developing the central core of these beads to increase the depth. This is a comment that is regularly made about my lampwork beads.  There is a lot of depth to my beads and each time you look at them you see something different.  I only wish I could capture this within a photograph!   My lampwork beads are made from multiple layers that have all been completely encased in a layer of clear glass.  The encasing layers add to the depth because they magnify and distort the underlying layers.  I always ensure that the encasing layers completely cover the beads all the way to the bead hole.  My customers can be assured of high quality beads with no messy layers where the colours have bled into one another. ..... I am very fussy about this!

This bead set is available to purchase from my shop on Etsy.  If you click on a photograph, a link will take you straight there.

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

Emerald City!

I write blog posts about each individual bead set to help promote my lampwork beads (obviously) but also to help keep a record of the beads I have made and the inspiration behind each set of beads.  It is also great when the beads have sold because they will be immortalised within this blog.  I can peruse at my leisure and remember the beads I have made, look at how my style has improved and changed and remember the moments that led to the development of each individual bead. 

 

 

I can't really make the same set of beads again because each bead is an individual entity but I can look back when I have one of those moments when the creativity won't flow and sometimes gain inspiration from a set of beads that I have already made.  This is what happened with this set of beads.  I was sat in my shed listening to the musical "Wicked" and looking through my bead when my hand suddenly rested upon a rod of Emerald glass.  Why not try this style of beads in Emerald?

 

It is a gorgeous colour.  Such a deep intense green, I will definitely be using this colour again.  This style of beads is a welcome release really to the precision of making implosion beads.  I have a few more lampwork bead sets like this to share with you but now that summer is coming I can sense a change in my style .....

 

This bead set is available to purchase in my shop on Etsy.  If you click on a photograph a link will take you straight there.

 

Sarah xx

www.beadscrumptious.co.uk

www.hypersmash.com