Studio Time: A collection of my best work

Attached is a body of work in lamp work glass beads and polymer clay beads from 2009 - 2017. 

My beads are simple and basic and I make a lot of my own beads into jewelry. I describe my style as organic and textural. I don't do a lot of focal beads. I create a lot of basic beads that are the foundation of most pieces of jewelry.

Patterned Beads - Lampwork Glass

Dots and reactive

Giraffe

Giraffe

Dots

Quirky Dalmation dots with Red

Simple dots

Textural nuggets and basic rounds

Swirls Beads

I created a technique for creating messy swirls of color. I mix opaque, opalescent, and translucent colors. Sometimes I do a simple mix of 2 colors up to 4-5 colors.

Polymer Clay

These are carved polymer clay beads that were a breakthrough design for me that allowed me to combine my glass with polymer.

Most of these beads are made with polymer clay and alcohol inks.

Studio Time: A Personal Breakthrough in Polymer Clay

I've had limited access to making lamp work beads since 2009. For a brief period, I had home studio in a home I owned in 2011, but then I had to move for work and I've been renting since then. I left off with making swirl beads. This is one of my absolute favorite pieces I made. 

This week, I told someone, "I've been stuck in polymer clay while still dreaming of glass." Glass will never get out of my system and I'm anxious to get back to glass. But this week, I crossed that barrier or bridge into the land of polymer making something that segues from where I left off in glass and bridges seamlessly into polymer. But, this is something unique to polymer clay and can only be done in clay. Well, technically I could see how it could be done in glass, but this something easier done in clay.

As part of the texture and patina series, I made a series of rust beads in the new strata style. I made another set for a custom order in ocean-y colors with a little bit of purple. I love carving back and revealing the colors beneath and creating a textural nugget. Yeah. I found my voice in clay. Finally. It took several years and lots of false starts. I can see these beads complementing my glass beads eventually.

Another exploration is with the translucent beads with a layer of metallic leaf. These cover bright color and subdue the brights into a a beautiful opalescent color reminiscent of glass.

Strung up into 26" necklace.

Finally, ocean-y beads that are polymer version of the glass beads at the top of this post. Very happy with where I landed.

Studio Time: Watching Out

Thought it was time to post some eye candy. I made a watch to match the necklace I made without the orange beads. I thought the navy and dove gray would be more neutral and go with more things. Now I just need to replace the battery in the watch face!

Studio Time: Watches

I'm in the process of experimenting with watches. I'm a little wary of the inexpensive watch faces I purchased, so I made myself some watches for testing. I think they're quite pretty and I hope the watch face lasts. I also made the connecting loop for each watch. I think I'm addicted to handmade loops and toggles now. It took me a while to master the formation of the loop so it didn't look wonky.

The first one is a copper watch with copper byzantine chain maille, dyed cultured pearls, dyed turquoise roundels, Swarovski crystal, copper, and carnelian.


This a silver plated watch face with Argentium silver in a barrel weave.

Studio Time: Everything is Frizzled

I have had an entire week of frizzlement. The weather is frizzled (rainy and gloomy). I'm frizzled (migraines and just blehs). My camera is frizzled. This perfect storm of blehs and frizzles has led to the blog silence...

Actually, my camera is deep-fried frizzled. It's something I'm finding is happening with all of my US electronics. US is 120v and it's 220v here in HK. I have been using a converter for my camera battery and it was working for a while and now it's not anymore. My camera recharged just fine when I was in the US, but I've returned and now it's not cooperating. I've missed photographing two of my friends weddings. (But the digital age has allowed me to still have access to their pictures.) I've been trying to photograph my latest batch of jewelry and I haven't even been able to get one or two photos.

Finally, I have an alternate camera. I just need to get used to it. I don't like it as much as my other camera, but it's good enough.


So...just to keep things interesting here is some eye-candy. I need to take better pictures before I upload to my shop. If you're interested in any of the pieces, just email me. I'll upload to my shop later this week after I have some better photos.

Barrel Weave Earrings with Swarovski Crystal - $28

Super-fine delicate chain maille weave in 22-guage wire. The rings and the posts are in Argentium silver (more tarnish-resistant). Approximately 1" in length.





Barrel Weave Bracelet with Swarovski Crystal - $49

Super-fine delicate chain maille weave in 22-guage wire. The rings are in Argentium silver (more tarnish-resistant). Currently sized at 7.5" but can re-sized to fit your wrist. (Really! It's no problem...I enjoyed customizing the fit.)



Double Ring Chain Maille Earrings with Siam Swarovski Crystal - $28


Super-fine delicate chain maille weave in 22-guage wire. The rings and the posts are in Argentium silver (more tarnish-resistant). Approximately 1" in length.



Fine Silver Organic Heart Charm - $8

Thank you for hanging in there and coming to visit me!