Artfully Meandering: Beginner Work

A beautiful early hit. I don't remember all of the beads, but I think the colored beads were citrine and carnelian. I think. This was one of my first necklaces that I gave to my mom. And she won't part with it. I looked at it with fresh eyes (three years since I've seen it) and "oohed" over it before I realized it was one of mine. That's kind of a nice feeling...to have your mom, who is knowledgeable about jewelry and you, who has progressed in skill, look back on an early piece and still admire it.




This one, not so much. These were the very first lampwork beads I ever bought. They are from Grace Lampwork Beads. I think I was headed on the right track, but missed the station somehow. I love the green, enameled beads with accents of copper. I plan to re-configure this necklace. It's not a complete miss, but with additional understanding and skills, I know how to refine this into a quality piece that I will like much better. The main thing that bugs me is that the "Swarovskis" are fakes. I didn't know the difference at the time. I do now!