Skip to main content

Creamy Olive Bauble


Another week. Where'd it go?

While I should have been finishing a couple other swaps for some of my friends, I instead found myself doing the above necklace.

I made the lampwork bead over a year ago. And if you're a lampwork bead artist, you KNOW that this bead is quite imperfect and not at all the level of quality of good beads. But I like its imperfections, which make it somewhat unique. I certainly don't think I could reproduce it!

It is made with soft glass and sterling silver. While forming, I decided to play around (I was having a time of it trying to make a round bead!). Why not add some sterling silver wire around it - it couldn't get much worse! I didn't have any fine silver wire on hand - which is preferred with lampwork since with fine silver, you don't have to worry about black firescale. I thought to myself. I said, "Self. This is a practice bead."

I wrapped the wire (too tight, I should add), and it immediately beaded up and tarnished. I thought...Yikes. Practice, NO!...Disaster, YES.

Oh, dear. How can I fix this?...I know...Let's flatten it!

So...off I go to get the lentil shaped mold, which, by the way, is tricky considering that you are dealing with molten, moving glass at over 1500 Degrees F!

In my scurry (soft glass can crack and sputter all over the place if it cools too quickly), I pounced it in the mold and SQUEEZED

Too hard I should add

And it spilled out the sides of the mold, forming the line around the edges (that you can see)!

Do you ever have art days like that?

So, after it cured..The perfectionist that I am, stuck it in a bag with other bead remnants...and one year (or more?!) later I found it!

As an artist, I have learned that if you revisit something you have done maybe a little later (one year...a bit extreme, but I've been BUSY), you may see something with a different set of eyes, and with those eyes, you might not see that wart.

Last night, new eyes.

So, I cleaned what firescale I could off the surface...And, huh, wouldn't you know...

I actually liked the oxidized pebbles that were left.

So,I braided verigraded ribbon to make the necklace chain to give more "weight" than leather cord and more color/less shine than a silver chain.

And threw it together using some leftover extra twisted jump rings I had made from an another necklace, extra daisy separator beads (I always have those on hand), and an olive colored Swarovski crystal.

So, there you have it.

However...tomorrow...if I don't finish my swap for Vivian, she's gonna rip me a new one!

No playing around.

In the meantime, I shall walk in Diva fashion donning this bauble whilst pretending to not feel overwhelmed.

Cheers!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Warm Little Sweetness

I must admit that I have become quite fond of making little bitty sweaters.   It all started on a recent trek to India traveling for business. I needed to carry just enough yarn to keep my busy bee hands occupied during the evenings in my hotel room. There are just so many hats a person can make, right?  Anyway, having limited quantities of yarn, I decided to give a small sweater a go.  This is the first one I created. I had just the perfect little buttons to add! (It really is amazing what one might find in their cosmetic bag) I love it.  This sweater is also featured on the Pinque Peacock blog   since I used her buttons.  (Go visit and see the buttons up close) This makes the sweater a really one of a kind project! This next one is perfect for a little preemie.  It's so tiny, but features a great big snowflake! Close up of the snowflake…. I also sewed on one of the StampinUp! Frosted Finishes Embellishments.  I think it finished it off nice

Precious Boy

A quiet, misty morning walk in late March 2012. This little precious boy puts a smile on my face every time I look at him. I mean, really, who wouldn't smile like there's no tomorrow at this little guy?  I love him.  Every. Little. Thing. He almost (ALMOST) competes with my husband. My sweet husband with a similar expression.  What do YOU think?

Pour Vous

I finally took the opportunity to put together a couple little gifts this afternoon while my husband was once again slaving for the man on a Saturday afternoon. This is a little bag that holds a necklace I made for my daughter. For once I can honestly say that this was NOT difficult to create. Here's a close-up. Next up is the photo of the address label. I just LOVE decorating the OUTSIDE too. It just makes opening up the surprise package all that more exciting.