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'Peer Gynt, II'   For Ellen
'Peer Gynt, II'   For Ellen
'Peer Gynt, II'   For Ellen
#99112. 'Peer Gynt, II' For Ellen
I am so happy to introduce this piece. It is called 'Peer Gynt's Secret.'  It incorporates the lampwork beads of several artists, the three most prominent being a vastly talented German glass artist named Gabrielle (focal lampwork, custom ordered) along with work by Catherine Steele (red strawberry sculptural beads), River Oak Acre beads (light aqua filligina rounds), Heather of Bead Intrigue (green leaves, white/yelllow petaled flowers), Serena Smith (yellow/orange blend petaled flowers & red tulips) and Betty Hanssen (bright blue small rounds) and an unknown lampworker (green foil lampwork).
 
As I worked with the cornucopia of handcrafted art glass in beads, I kept thinking of Norway and specifically, the colorful, folkloric designs of Norwegian sweaters, especially Dale of Norway designs which incorporate so many local, traditional patterns which have endured for centuries, identifying a village or an area such as Telemark.  Tho' I am a California girl, born & bred, I sometimes wish I lived in an icy climate, if only to wear the colorful woolens of Norway.
 
If I could have done it, I'd have named this piece, 'Norwegian Sweater,' but that was not exactly exciting enough and so my mind wandered to my many, many trips to Norway and the celebrated music of Edvard Grieg and the works of playwright, Henrik Ibsen.  When I look at the colorful, meadow-like beads from Gabrielle, the play 'Peer Gynt' came to mind and I found myself remembering days wandering in Gudbrandsdalen, an area in Norway where much of the play takes place on a mythic level of reality with the powerful, cunning Troll King and his daughter.  Gudbrandsdalen is a place that looks like this bracelet in late Springtime when it is abloom in wild flowers, with cold mountain streams carrying mountain run-off down to the fjords.  So there it is, 'Peer Gynt's Secret.' (Sorry for being so long-winded.  My deep, enduring love of Norway does that to me).
 
Like the other pieces I have designed using her work, Gabrielle's complex lampwork beads is where my inspiration begins.  These large oblong lampwork beads are nothing short of spectacular as art pieces in and by themselves.  To surround them with corresponding and companion colors only adds to their splendor and highlights their intensity.  These beads look like paintings of a folkloric meadow in Gudbrandsdalen, alive with wild flowers, the approaching long summer nights of light, the stars twinkling in the light blue sky of night, the deep blue streams and rivers, fierce & noisy with ice-melt. 
 
Further, I am reminded of some of the fine Scandinavian glasswerks (glassworks) - especially the colorful glass fun of Orefors.  Whenever I am in the Copenhagen airport waiting to connect to Oslo, I am always pulled like a magnet into the Orefors store, if only for a quick look-see.

 In this midst of rich composition, you will also find the following beads & stones:
 
* Faceted Icy blue Aquamarine rondelles capped in daisy spacers
* Furnace beads by David Christensen in two shades
* Freshwater pearls capped in bright Bali silver petal beadcaps
* Delicate Sleeping Beauty Turquoise teardrops
* Swarovski faceted cubes in blue
* Swarovski butterfly beads in Siam red
* Swarovski bicones variety of colors & sizes
* Thai Hilltribe silver large wildflower charm
* Two Thai Hilltribe silver small wildflower charm
 

Like others of my designs using Gabrielle's lampwork as a focal point, 'Peer Gynt's Secret' is an art-piece, perhaps more so than most lampwork designs.  It would be beautiful on one's wrist, or in a glass case with spot lighting.  The piece, while having an appearance of great weight and substance, is actually fairly light-weight on the wrist.
 
Now exactly what is 'Peer Gynt's Secret?'  That is for you to discover, as you wear this art piece into the starry, starry time of a good night.
Price:$425.00
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'Nantucket Lightship Basket, V'
'Nantucket Lightship Basket, V'
'Nantucket Lightship Basket, V'
#54444. 'Nantucket Lightship Basket, V'
I have been so enchanted by the heritage of these baskets and have taken great joy in composing bracelets to match the fantasy of a traditional Nantucket Lightship basket. Like the others I designed (all one-of-a-kind) with this muse, this one is *the* sentimental charm bracelet for summers spent, like annual winds, on the island. It is a cornicopia of some of the most talented lampwork bead artists with whom I have had the pleasure to work.  By far, my all-time favorite set of lampwork beads are this set by Catherine Steele - the tidepool encased under thick glass.  These beads are as if alive under glass ~ a real-time, moving, living tidepool complete with anenomes and swirls of turquoise waters on light sand. The companion lampwork is a set of dreamy boro organic beads in a teal-turquoise shade and a night-sky blue, freckled with gold dust. Like Catherine's beads, these are also encased under a thick layer of glass which lend themselves to the feeling of staring into deep waters. I absolutely love the ensemble of the two sets - at once rich, textured and very sophisticated.  Accenting the entire piece are the most glorious sterling charms I could imagine ~ an Adirondack chair, a woven basket and a fine lighthouse and cabin from vintage days.  Although I don't haunt Nantucket each year, I do go north to my own island - Savary - in British Columbia and have done so, since I was 4 years old. So I understand island life and have always thought of myself as an island girl, even when I am 1000 miles south in the suburbs of California.  And I am very fortunate to have been asked by an esteemed Martha's Vineyard art gallery, Carlin Eliot Fine Arts, to showcase my work in her gallery. I am her single jewelry designer and my work is displayed in a gorgeous French antique Provencal standing case purchased just for my collection.


In composing 'Nantucket Lightship Basket,' I created my design in colors around the lampwork beads using semi-precious gemstones,  sterling Bali beads and other  beads. You will find:
 
* Luminous, faceted ice-blue aquamarine rondelles
* Faceted large teal teardrop quartz beads
* Stunning faceted quartz rondelles
* Turquoise briolettes from the famous Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona
* AAA quality Cubic Zirconia faceted teardrop beads in clear
* Variety of Swarovski crystals including faceted cubes in ice blue
* Freshwater button pearls in a rich cream shade of peach
* Quality cane/furnace beads by the esteemed glass artist, Penrose
* Lampwork steel-blue organic, ribbed rounds by the same top-flight artist of the boro set
* Lampwork encased teal discs by the same top-flight artist of the boro set
* Sterling daisy spacers, tube beads and twisted ring beads
* A wee sterling sand-dollar charm hangs at the bar end of the toggle clasp
 
'Nantucket Lightship Basket' is completed with a nautical-style round toggle clasp made by the Bali silver artisans and measures just over 8 inches.  Resizing is possible at no additional charge.
 
'Nantucket Lightship Basket' is a gallery piece, void of my usual lampwork flowers and unnecessary chaos.  It is pure in its design and is only about the powerful beauty of the sea under wind & sail, sunny days, sun slipping below the horizen and about the magical starry skies under a full moon.  It is a bracelet to celebrate the tropical sea, the North Sea, the Antarctic sea and all oceans inbetween.

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'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...'
'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...'
'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...'
#5888. 'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...'
If I were an avid sports fan, it would be soccer (and baseball) and yesterday's World Cup win for Spain had me strangely giddy.  I took to the internet, searching webcams in Madrid's central plaza del Armas or whereever the party was going on in Spain, feeling all the way across the time zones, the joy in the air.  Finally, as the evening moved along, I did what always cures a bout of giddiness and I sat down at my beading table.  Having been so very, very lucky to have visited Southern Africa (Zimbabwe) in the early 90's, and including time spent on safari, I knew something of the colors and richness of Africa.  I began to design my celebration piece for Spain and winning in South Africa, fulfilling Nelson Mandela's dream of the World Cup in his beloved country.  And so it is, 'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...'
 
As a bit of a departure from my usual busy chaotic designs, this one is more simple and is a showcase piece.  Made almost entirely of top-flight artisan lampwork studio beads, you will find only a spare Swarovski or two in the splendor and some regal, faceted rich purple amethyst rondelles.  Otherwise, it is a design comprised of some of the most glorious design work in torched glass beadwork.
 
The 'pillow' shaped beads are by Catherine Steele.  She named them 'Colors of Africa' those many years ago when I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of them.  They are at once the stripes of zebra, gazelle; the mane of lion, the earth-colored textiles of the proud Masai Mara people, the turquoise shade of the Zambezi river, the thunderous falls of Victoria Falls and the dense, deep grass of the Okovango Delta.  Her work could not be any more brilliant.
 
Companions are 24K gold coated carmel tubular beads by another premier artist.  These are the deep spots of the leopard or the handsome pattern of the giraffe.  Other lampwork are golden, transparent rounds by Betty Hanssen, ringed in  silver.  And ice-cube-like encased teal organic square slices, looking like they are about to melt along with round slices or discs of carmel & gold, accented with Bali vermeil (24K gold over .999 sterling) daisy spacers and beads.  Esteemed furnace bead maker David Christensen lends the orange cubes along with lavender Swarovski faceted cubes.  An elegant vermeil toggle completes, 'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming....'  one of the more elegant, spare pieces I have ever designed.  A piece to be worn to an gallery opening or with a couture black dress.  A piece to celebrate and to celebrate once more.  Being alive!
 
'Viva Espana! Africa Dreaming...' measures 8 inches and can be adjusted at no additional charge.

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'Tudor Rose'
'Tudor Rose'
'Tudor Rose'
#22780. 'Tudor Rose'
 
I'm back to beading-on-a-tangent again, pulling out my more avant gard lampwork beads & going to town.  Once again, it w as a package arriving from abroad which had me swooning at my bead table, spending hours going through my bead library, free-associating with other artists' beads & pulling together ideas until a muse hit me like a too, too beautiful comet. These are truly some of the most intriguing and elegant lampwork beads I have owned.  Coated in 24K gold, the focal and companion disc beads are as if from another century.
 
So often it is the work of the lampwork artists with whom I collaborate which serve as my muse. Some beads really send me...and I am driven, as if by a powerful, poetic wind, to sit down at the bead table and bring all the forces to bear on a bracelet design that is simply meant to be.  The focal of 'Tudor Rose' is one of those beads and pulled me back to the time of the Tudors of England. In this past month of May I have been thinking  about the Tudors, looking up their fashion, their estates & lineage, the busy court of King Henry VIII and reviewing the story of each of his wives.  As always, it is the engaging Anne Boleyn which captured my attention as I went searching online to read again, her poignant final letter to Henry VIII before she was beheaded on Tower Green.  I learned about her first, true love, Percy, and how he was banished from court after he asked for her hand in marriage just when the already married King Henry VIII was besotted by her and scheming to make her his own.  I learned that Anne Boleyn is supposed to still haunt The Tower of London, as well as Brightling Manor in Norfolk, on the anniversary of her beheading.  The entire story is so compelling and I admit to being not a little frightened, even in mid-day, as I read account after account. Although I have not yet seen any of the 'Tudors' series currently in season 4 on Showtime, I am nonetheless sucked into the majesty and intrigue of this period in history.  I even found an amazing dress shop online, able to replicate the various costumes from portraits from the period and even of the television series' costumes.  I had to sharply remind myself that a dress like this would get little use except on Halloween!  
 
In any case, 'Tudor Rose' honors Queen Anne who was known for her fashion, her style, her gift of conversation (spoke 5 different languages), her dance, music and her charity.  She was also, surprisingly, very devout to the Catholic church, in that time, under cloak, as it was considered blasphemy.
 
I have used some of my favorite lampwork artist's beads in 'Tudor's Rose' - including Melanie Carey of her studio Glass Valley. I have used two encased, taupe beads with pink rosebuds, green leaves and gentle pink dots. Clear glass encases a taupe core which makes these beads stand-outs and especially fetching with an antique look.  Further, they are couched in large, ornate vermeil gold beadcaps which are so 'Tudor' in detail and beauty.
 
Heather Davis' two magnificent & detailed pink lampwork tulips punctuate the rosebuds of Melanie's work.  Two pink & green rosebuds by Serena in a dainty size hang on each side of the regal focal bead, bathed in 24K gold glass. Along with this focal are four gold glass disc beads (part of the set) as well as two gold bumpy rounds by a German artist known as 'the bead fairy,' in Germany.  Finally, D. Jean Vainio, published clay artist, creates her lush transparent, luminous gold and cream roses which hang as charms in this glorious tapestry of beads.
 
Other beads & stones used in 'Tudor Rose' include:
* Freshwater pearls capped in vermeil beadcaps
* Luminous iolite faceted briolettes (gemstone of the Vikings)
* AAA quality faceted cubic zirconia in olive green
* Faceted clear quartz rondelles
* Swarovski faceted cubes & rondelles in Antique Rose
* Two ornate cylinder vermeil  beads
* Vermeil spacer beads and daisy spacers
* Vermeil Hilltribe puffy heart charm
 
'Tudor Rose' is completed with an ornate vermeil  toggle clasp and measures just 8 inches in length.  This can be resized without an additional fee and without compromising the overall design.
 
As Anne Boleyn was a tour de force in life and at court and the devoted, proud mother of the great queen, Elizabeth I, so too is this design, a rare jewel, thanks to the magnificent talent of so many gifted glass artists living in the 21st century.

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'Nantucket Cottage Rose' or Indian Summer
'Nantucket Cottage Rose' or Indian Summer
'Nantucket Cottage Rose' or Indian Summer
#99222. 'Nantucket Cottage Rose' or Indian Summer
Just now we are living in day after day of rain in Northern California.  Record breaking rain considering it is May and normally the first days of heat-wave.  Rain which is making the sun worshipers a wee bit batty.  Thankfully, I love the rain. However, in spite of the lovely, rainy days here in Northern California, I am just starting to think of coming days of summer and early Fall and the vibrant colors that go with it, anticipating our change of seasons, however subtle.  As I continue to learn more about the Atlantic Seaboard and Nantucket, in particular, I learn of the myriad other seasons which accompany our normal 4 seasons.  One is known as, 'Indian Summer,' and while we have the same here in California, in October, I imagine the golden colors of the voluptuous cottage gardens by the sea.

I am a gardener at heart and would spend hours out of doors working the soil and tending to my plants and trees. If only I could! I relish the ability to go into my garden to pick my own bunch of roses for the house or to give as a gift. Needless to say, I adore working with rose themed lampwork, reminding me of the sparkling dew on the lush, fragrant roses in the early, early morning when I sneak out to take it all in; the beauty and solitude before kids and dogs and cats send the day flying.  

The muse behind 'Nantucket Cottage Rose' are the exquisite lampwork beads by Heather Davis of Blissfulgarden beads. Her beads are always a treat to work with and she has, in the past, been regarded somewhat as the 'royalty' of lampworkers. I combined two sets of lampwork beads in this bracelet. One is of Heather's classic rose chintz lentils - her 'signature' roses, done exquisitely in an elegant matted effect.  On a base of soft yellow, Heather swirls orange and rust roses together with a touch of olive green leaves.  As perfect companion lampwork, I used four bumpy round beads by equally talented Melanie Carey of her studio, Glass Valley. Melanie's work is always carefully and perfectly done and there is only one word for this set.  Regal. Some of the patterns remind me of Tudor England in all of its golden opulence at court.

In composing 'Nantucket Cottage Rose,' I kept the companion colors contained to those in the focal lampwork ~ shades of yellow and gold; faceted clear, light yellow and the rich lustre of pearl, mixed with the bright shine of sterling silver.
 
 Other lampwork artisan beads you will find here include:
 * Wet, bright orange & yellow rosebuds by Serena 
*  Elaborate roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
 
To complete the wondrous composition that is "Nantucket Cottage Rose," I used the following stones  & beads:
* Yellow and Orange Chalcedony faceted briolettes
* Transparent yellow hued abstract cut large quartz
* Swarovski  faceted cubes, bicone and rondelle shape
* Swarovski crystal pearls capped in striking sterling beadcaps
* Ornate Bali Silver lentil beadcaps
* Karen Hilltribe sterling lotus flower beads
* Karen Hilltribe sterling autumn rose charm in large & small sizes
* Karen Hilltribe tube beads; Bali silver daisy spacers
* A handsome lighthouse sterling charm
 
  'Nantucket Cottage Rose' is completed with a round, sterling, ornate Bali toggle clasp and measures about 8 inches in length. This can be re-sized at no additional charge.
 
"Nantucket Cottage Rose" has a vintage look & feel; the ultimate feminine bracelet, luminous and modern. It would be a beautiful accent in the day or nighttime, in casual or elegant attire. Most of all, however, the art is the thing - and 'Nantucket Cottage Rose' is loaded with shapes, colors, textures and a breathtaking beauty in glass and stone.  Dare-to-wear-Art!

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Price:$375.00
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'Summertime'
'Summertime'
'Summertime'
#5777. 'Summertime'
Recently, I was paging through a fashion magazine and saw the headline that *the* color for 2010 is orange and shades thereof!  With the most glorious sculptural hibiscus lampwork flowers in hand (made especially for me), I was ready to slip into the spirit of summertime.  The wonderful tune, 'Summertime,' by George Gershwin kept me company ~  as I pulled out all the stops to make this the quintessential summer bracelet for the upcoming season.  As such, this design is a small departure from my usual design model.  I lucked upon some stunning sterling chain, large, oval loops done in thick, substantial, polished sterling.  It sparked a design in me that was spare, elegant, clean, classic and chunky. Bold, but stunning and at once  festive, flirty and chic! 
 
Three esteemed glass artists make up 'Summertime."  The demure, mango-orange beads with pink rosebuds are done by Melanie Carey of her esteemed studio, Glass Valley and are joined by gorgeous, encased lampwork barrel shaped beads by Stefanie of AShotofGlass, as are the wet, orange Hibiscus flowers, her signature design.  Finally, I added five of the flirty  polka-dot slices by Heather of studio, BeadIntrigue.  Something about polka dots seem so vintage and remind me of a line in a poem about girls in their white summer dresses with polka dot bows in their hair. Something wholesome and yet a necessary style for those hot summer days, the comforting sound of sprinklers and the quiet warmth of evening time and the serenade of crickets at dusk.
 
In keeping with a 'chunky' and edgy design, I added luminous freshwater coin pearls in creamrose white along with regal, faceted & cut quartz stones in abstract shapes.  I  punctuated my design with Siam red Swarovski butterflies. Perhaps most compelling about this design are the handcrafted bright sterling charms.  Thailand's Hilltribe artisans lend their pure (.999 vs. .925) bright sterling round slices along with a gorgeous hibiscus charm. A single, small heart by Cathy Dailey is just the right accent for the piece.  Cathy uses the old wax molding technique in her sterling silver work, making each piece full of character & personality.
 
A stylish, solid Bali silver toggle clasp completes 'Summertime' which measures a tad over 8.5 inches in length and drapes beautifully on the wrist. It can be resized down to @ 7.5 and sized up to 9.5 inches in length. And as a little treat for my readers, I leave you with this haunting and lovely tune by Mr. Gershwin:
 
'Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Oh, Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky'
 
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'Happy Buddha'
'Happy Buddha'
'Happy Buddha'
#24341. 'Happy Buddha'
'Happy Buddha' reminds me of the time, many years ago, when I went to hear His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, speak at the Greek Theatre on the campus of U.C. Berkeley, my alma mater.  The Greek Theatre was packed to the gills and after hearing the Dalai Lama speak, I thought to skip the Tibetan dance performance and get ahead of the crowds, flocking out of the Greek and into the day's commute hour.  As I stood on the sidewalk just outside the Greek, waiting to cross the street to cut through campus, someone yelled, 'there he is!' As if in slow motion, I looked up and came face-to-face with His Holiness, who was hanging out of his limo window, smiling and looking right into my eyes. I said, 'well, hello there!' as if he was a long, lost neighbor.  After the limo had passed by, bystanders rushed up to me, exclaiming, 'boy you were sure at the right place, at the right time.'  It was a moment etched in time that I shall never forget.  And I remember that morning dressing so carefully in a long, cream lace dress, oiling my skin and announcing to the office that I had dressed up to see His Holiness.  Co-workers scoffed, 'Julie!  He will never see you, the Greek is going to be packed with 100,000 people!'  Guess they were wrong and the fates had different plans.
 
In any case, 'Happy Buddha' reminds me of just that moment frozen in time and the warmth and humility of the holy man living his words, walking his talk.  Truly a feeling of peace and joy radiated from the slow-moving long, black limo and the happy, smiling face of a sacred man, greeting me on a Berkeley sidewalk, one summer's day.
 
So..the beads.  These are some of the stunning sculptural beads of Catherine Steele called, "Koi Pond.'  She rarely makes them anymore and I was very fortunate to luck into a set of them.  When I sat down to create a piece around these beads, I honestly had no idea I was going to go for broke and make such a fun, colorful blend of colors around the otherwise serene scene of the beads.  At the end of my work, however, I was so happy and thrilled with the final result.  It is just perfect (bragging aside..) and I could not be any happier.
 
Companion lampwork beads include:
 
* Clear-on-white encased & scrolled barrel shaped & bumping clear lampwork beads by Stefanie of a Shot of Glass. Elegant.
*  Yellow/orange blend 3D daisies & rosebud lampwork beads by published lampwork artist, Serena of SJDS
* Green sculpted clay roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
* Lampwork spacers in light aqua and green by a spacer-only artist 
 
Other beads and semi-precious gemstones include:
* Aquamarine rondelles
* Swarovski bicones, cubes & green rounds capped in handmade sterling beadcaps by C. Dailey (like lilypads) using the old wax handcast technique
*Thai Hilltribe sterling lotus flower beads
* Sterling Pagoda temple charm
* Sterling Buddha charm
 
'Happy Buddha' is finished with a gorgeous Bali silver toggle clasp and measures just over 8.5 inches.  It can be resized at no additional charge.
 
This piece, 'Happy Buddha' is one of those showpieces and makes a statement about life:
 
'The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.' (Buddha)

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Price:$445.00
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'Rose Garden'
'Rose Garden'
'Rose Garden'
#24243. 'Rose Garden'
Recently we watched the HBO film called, 'Grey Gardens,' about the fascinating, eccentric Beale women of the East Hampton's estate of the same name.  The film was so compelling, that I did a lot of Googling and learned what I could about the property, past and present.  I learned that the original owner was a well known horticulturist and she planted a walled garden in the colors of grey, all hardy dune plants, capable of withstanding winds, rain and hurricanes coming off of the Atlantic.  The film and the photos were so, so grey that it got me thinking about plush, colorful, pungent rose gardens of the world, including my own, where, count 'em, 25 rose bushes are about to burst into full bloom any day.  So...I was in the mood for a rose garden.  Hence, the design and  the namesake, 'Rose Garden.'
 
'Rose Garden' incorporates lampwork glass studio beads from 5 different artists.  The focal, lentil set is by esteemed Heather Davis, of Blissfulgarden beads.  These are her signature design; perfect swirling florals with dainty, petaled posies on top of a solid colored lentil.  Glorious work!  Equally glorious are the transparent, light amethyst floral rounds by Melanie Carey of her studio, Glass Valley.  These are like small gems, the transparency adds such depth and richness along with her perfectly rendered purple blooms.  Other lampwork in the design include:

* Sweet baby pink rosebuds by Serena of SJDS
* Etched (like beach glass) baby pink 3D flowers by Heather of BeadIntrigue
*Sculpted cream roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
 
Finally, the last beads and stones include:
* Swarovski bicones, rondelles and faceted cubes
* Cubic Zirconia faceted teardrops (AAA quality)
* Faceted amythest rondelles and teardrops
* Luminous faceted iolite heart briolettes, stone of the Vikings
* Freshwater pearls capped in ornate Bali silver beadcaps
* Thai Hilltribe small tube beads, white sterling rosebuds (3 of them)
* Ornate Bali silver lentil beadcaps
* Daisy spacers
 
'Rose Garden' is finished with a delightful sterling Hilltribe floral clasp and measures @ 8 inches in length.  It can be resized  at no additional charge.
 
A pretty and delicate bracelet, 'Rose Garden' has a Victorian flare and is old-fashioned and wholesome.  A bracelet to dress up an ensemble or to wear as an everyday glass garden.

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'Daisy Mae'
'Daisy Mae'
'Daisy Mae'
#44661. 'Daisy Mae'
A gardener at heart, mind and soul...my muse for 'Daisy Mae' is entirely a small stretch of my garden devoted to strawberries, sweet peas, tomatoes (in 4 varieties) and squash...all surrounded by generous, big, white Shasta Daisies.  It is this patch of garden next to our young apple tree (in full, bountiful bloom just now), that inspired 'Daisy Mae.'
 
This design is another small departure from my usual design model.  A totally loaded 'luxe' piece, 'Daisy Mae' includes gorgeous sterling metal work by a fabulous artist who uses the old wax technique in making her metal art.  The daisy shaped toggle clasp and the matching daisy 'connector' at the bracelet's center are solid sterling, handcrafted original art and lend so much character to the piece along with the rouge peace sign charm.  It is around this whimsical sterling metal work that I designed the balance of 'Daisy Mae.'
 
As a luxe piece, 'Daisy Mae' brings together 5 various artists.  The feminine, soft blue & white lampwork round beads are done by Melanie Carey of her studio, Glass Valley; the Lazy Susan styled 3D lampwork daisies and white bumpy rounds are by Heather of BeadIntrigue.  Published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio creates the floppy white clay daisies, on of my favorites among her collection and the charming Swiss blue, white daisy lentils are by artist, Melanie Egan.  Bright yellow tulips are by Serena and add just that sparkle to the overall design.
 
Aside from the silverwork and lampwork, you will find the following other stones, beads & findings:
 
* Aquamarine faceted rondelles
* Light, transparent Green amethyst faceted briolettes
* Luminous white iolite, stone of the Vikings
* Sleeping Beauty Turqouise briolettes from the renowned mine of the same name
* Hydrothermal faceted blue cubes
* Green furnace beads by esteemed glass artist, D. Christensen
* Freshwater pearls capped in bright Bali silver
*Bali silver lentil beadcaps, twisted rings & daisy spacers
* Swarovski cubes, bicones, rondelles, a flower & large clear abstract shapes couched in sterling leaf bales

 
'Daisy Mae' is one of those happy, spring and summertime designs.  It is the sort of piece that makes a person smile, just looking at it and would be the 'go everywhere' bracelet for the upcoming season, whether at a ballgame or an evening out on the town, it is summertime chic and a piece of richly detailed wearable art!
 
'Daisy Mae' measures 8.5 inches in length.  Because of the sterling daisy connector at its center, 'Daisy Mae' cannot be resized without significantly losing some of the design and lampwork.  However, 8.5" is the most common 'average' length among my clients. 

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Price:Was $495.00 Sale! $375.00
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'Mermaids' Garden'
'Mermaids' Garden'
'Mermaids' Garden'
#5433. 'Mermaids' Garden'
As summer approaches and my soul beckons me seaward, I decided to sit down and create a piece of perfect beach joy.  From hunting beach-glass to sandbucket days and tidepooling, marveling at the odd creatures and plants just inches under the low tide, to watching the winds pick up at sunset as the sun casts a golden light on the wayward dunes at the point before collecting her color and dipping below the horizon for another dark night.
 
'Mermaids' Garden' is a dash of giant color and chaos of the sea; everything together in a nautical, oceanic cornicopia which is meant to be the sea of any ocean, every ocean - from Puget Sound to the Bahamas and north to Nantucket.  This is the quintessential 'Mermaids' Garden.'
 
This particular focal lampwork bead of Gabrielle's is a total and complete wonder and is one in a small set I was fortunate to buy.  A finished composition in and of itself, this bead is a glass painting;  a beach & island landscape with complex glass bumps looking like mystical portals, anenomes, sand dollars, shells, dunes, a tide alive with wind and weather. And beyond, is the sea and her vast mystery which has pulled many sailors and mermaids to her as if in a trance; always seeking the beauty & repose one can only hope to experience if only in moments in this mortal lifetime.
 
 I selected the always extraordinary lampwork beads of Catherine Steele as companions to the focal point of this design. You will find etched (like beach-glass) seashells in light blue & frosted mint green. As commanding as the central bead in this bracelet, however, are two stunning, encased beads by Catherine.  Under thick, clear glass are blue & shimmering green pods, like a quiet coral reef under still waters. These encased wonders are done in an orb shape and work so magnificently with the whole effect of 'Mermaids' Garden.'
 
Other lampwork used in 'Mermaids' Garden,' include:
* Wet turquoise/teal tulips by Serena
* Etched (like beach glass) teal and light blue 3D flowers by Heather of BeadIntrigue
* Transparent green leaves also by Heather
* Furnace glass beads by esteemed artist, D. Christensen
* Light aqua lampwork beads by yet another artist (spacers only)
 
Finally, the last beads and stones include:
* Faceted, rough-cut ice blue aquamarine rondelles
* Faceted moss aquamarine rondelles
* Swarovski bicones, rondelles and faceted cubes
* Sleeping Beauty Turquoise faceted teardrops
* Faceted bluefire moonstone teardrops
* Thai Hilltribe small tube beads
* Daisy spacers
 *A sterling  scallop shell, starfish charm by the Hilltribe artisans
* Sterling charms: Sand-bucket & shovel, schooner, mermaid & sand-dollar
 
'Mermaids' Garden' is finished with a square shaped Bali silver toggle clasp and measures @ 8 inches in length.  It can be resized to about 7.25 inches or, of course, lengthened.  This is at no additional charge to you.
 
This is the perfect memory keeper of any time anywhere spent by the sea, taking in her breathtaking drama as well as her serene moments of repose and her complete and wondrous joy at being alive!

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Price:Was $475.00 Sale! $385.00
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'Northern Lights'
'Northern Lights'
'Northern Lights'
#2376. 'Northern Lights'
I am always actively searching for new, cutting-edge & original glass bead artists.  So many produce copy-cat beads and it has become fairly easily for me to spot someone with a ticking imagination. I am after that one-of-a-kind set; beads that are edgy, interesting and have their own story to tell.  Needless to say, one of my favorite borosilicate bead artists is Marie of studio, StoneyMarieDesigns.  While not new to me, Marie's work is always extraordinary; always interesting and complex; beads that show a process behind the torch, not just a person following a bead receipe or filling a glass mold.

 
This set is a case in point. Marie does not often make the lentil shape of boro beads & I count myself very lucky to have bought these a few years back.  Two of the lentils have a rich burgundy-red base, with swirls of earth-tone colors, like the famous marbled papers crafted in Florence, Italy.  The central lentil bead is encased - that is, a thick clear layer of glass, over a core of taupe, purple, blue and shades of red.  This particular bead has a shimmering blue-fire effect at some angles, as if it were blue-fire moonstone. Yet, when you view the bead from above and to the side, you can see a clear, empty orb of glass encasing the color inside. Really an amazing focal bead. The swirling colors and depth of these boro beads, taken altogether, look alive and very much like the energy & presentation of aurora borealis on a clear, Northern night in Canada, Alaska or beyond, in Northern Norway or Siberia. Mistress of the Northern Lights is an exquisite handmade vermeil gold angel.  She is created by metal artist Cathy Dailey who uses 24K gold over .999 sterling silver to craft her rogue, vogue metal work. This angel captured my imagination as I pulled my 'Northern Lights' design together in my mind's eye.
 
Companions to the boro lentil set of beads are two narrow lampwork beads by the esteemed and published artist, the name of whom I have forgotten.  Her bead work was published in 'Bead Magazine' a few years ago and I am lucky to have a small collection of her beads. The two I use here are burgundy colored and wrapped in silver, making them especially edgy & interesting.  Two of Serena's signature red tulip beads complete the theme in reds/burgundy - all of which is so stunning against the rich gold.  Sheer gold translucent rose beads by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio perfectly punctuate the feminine style of 'Northern Lights.'
 
"Northern Lights" is completed with the following semi-precious stones & crystals.  They include:
 
* Stunning clear & red faceted cubic zirconia teardrop beads (looking like royal jewels!)
* Transparent faceted quartz rondelles
* Smooth garnet teardrops
* Luminous iolite faceted briolettes,nautical navigational stone of the Vikings
* Swarovski cubes, bicones in a variety of colors
* Hilltribe sterling puffy heart charms
* Bali Vermeil beads, daisy spacers & scroll 'lantern' beads

 
 'Northern Lights' is completed with an ornate Bali vermeil toggle &  measures 8.5 inches.  This can be resized at no additional charge. 
 
As I have said of  a few other recent designs (most already sold), this is a piece which belongs as much in a gallery display case with a spot-light, as it does worn as art, thanks to the beautiful glasswork of StoneyMarieDesigns' glass artistry.

Note:  Vermeil gold is much more than plated gold.  It is 24K gold over very pure sterling silver, usually .999 purity.

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'Sante Fe Trail' or 'Wild, Wild West'
'Sante Fe Trail' or 'Wild, Wild West'
'Sante Fe Trail' or 'Wild, Wild West'
#44576. 'Sante Fe Trail' or 'Wild, Wild West'
'The Sante Fe Trail' is named for the muse that burst forth from a stunning, sterling  stagecoach charm I have had in my library for some time.  I was sorting through charms & findings the other day and happened upon it and remembered that I had long wanted to make a piece celebrating the Southwest and its history and current spiritual allure.  At the time I bought the stagecoach charm, I also got companion tee-pee and buffalo charms, as well as a campfire charm (one can't help but think, just now, of the old film, 'Blazing Saddles').
 
The Sante Fe Trail was a 1200 mile transportation route between Missouri and Sante Fe, NM and was first used in 1821. It included landscape of arid plains, desert & mountains. Littered with rattlesnakes & little shelter, wagon-trains and stagecoaches were prime targets for the Comanche and Apache native american tribes who did not tolerate trespassers very well.  Railroad travel eventually replaced The Sante Fe Trail whose remaining portions today are part of the National Historical Registry.
 
In any case, the gorgeous lampwork bead set I have used could not be more perfect for this theme, as it is done in signature shades known to be quentisential Southwest.   Done by a studio glass artist known as Black Crow Beads, this set is the Sante Fe sunset, the dry and dusty horizon, the hills awash in pink light as the sun rises over the gentle morning.  They are the colors of red clay soil, reptilian skin or the shapes of tortoise shells.  It is really a magnificent set, especially woven into this storyline and in combination with several other lampwork artists, as follows:
 
* Colorful & complex 3D petaled flowers by superb lampwork artist, Betty Hanssen
* Mint green lampwork cubes by GlassJungle (Florence trained glass artist)
* A single aqua and transparent green 3D flower by Serena and looking like a radiant desert flower
* Transparent light aqua spacers by a strictly lampwork spacer artist 
 
The piece is made equally beautiful by the collection of top-grade and quality semi-precious gemstones I have used:
 
* Sleeping Beauty Turquoise faceted briolettes (Sleeping Beauty Mined Turquoise is some of the finest, most sacred)
* Chunky faceted steel blue iolite (nautical navigation stone of the Vikings)
* Baltic Amber and Hilltribe free-form sterling droplet beads
* Moss green aquamarine rondelles caped by daisy spacers
* Swarovski crystal cubes, rondelles, bicones, etc. in their new crystal shade
* Sterling silver tee-pee, coach wagon, campfire, buffalo
 
A small, sturdy Bali silver toggle clasp completes, 'The Sante Fe Trail' which measures @ 8.5 inches in length and can be resized at no additional charge.

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Price:Was $425.00 Sale! $310.00
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'Nantucket Vintage Garden'
'Nantucket Vintage Garden'
'Nantucket Vintage Garden'
#99111. 'Nantucket Vintage Garden'
I'm back to beading-on-a-tangent again, pulling out my more avant gard lampwork beads & going to town.  Once again, it was a package arriving from Germany which had me swooning at my bead table, spending hours going through my bead library, free-associating with other artists' beads & pulling together ideas until a muse hit me like a too, too beautiful comet.  Always, I long for the sea, and beading helps me get there, even when I am 40 miles inland from the great, open Pacific and her glorious expanse and freedom. 
 
This particular focal lampwork bead of Gabrielle's is a total and complete wonder.  A finished composition in and of itself, it is a beach & island landscape with complex glass bumps looking like mystic portals, anenomes, sand dollars, shells, dunes, a tide alive with wind and weather. And beyond, is the sea and her vast mystery which has pulled many sailors and mermaids to her as if in a trance; always seeking the beauty & repose one can hope to experience, if only in moments, in this mortal lifetime.
 
As I selected the perfect encased floral lampwork beads of Deanna Chase in sea-themed colors: aqua/green and violet/green, I moved over and over again to a fantasy of a vintage Nantucket cottage, set out of the busy byways, near the dunes, with a view of the sea and old enough to include a lush, prosperous & vintage seaside garden.  It is why I couched Deanna's florals in ornate, Victorian looking Bali silver beadcaps and why there is a sterling cottage in the midst of the  seaside, aqua garden.  I also thought of a gaggle of geese flying at just  the same time each day over the cottage, and included a pair of sterling geese and why there is a carved shell butterfly from New Zealand and finally a handcrafted sterling peace sign by Cathy Dailey.
 
Other lampwork used in 'Nantucket Garden,' include:
* Royal purple tulips by Serena
* Etched (like beach glass) teal 3D flowers by Heather of BeadIntrigue
* Transparent green leaves also by Heather
* Aqua swirl filigree rounds by River Oak Acre Beads
* Aqua roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
 
Finally, the last beads and stones include:
* Faceted, rough-cut ice blue aquamarine rondelles
* Faceted moss aquamarine rondelles
* Swarovski bicones, rondelles, Violet Cubes, creamrose pearls
* Thai Hilltribe beadcaps & small tube beads
* Daisy spacers
 *A white sterling  scallop shell charm by the Hilltribe artisans
* Sterling charms: Cottage, Geese in flight, Peace Sign
 
'Nantucket Garden' is finished with a square shaped Bali silver toggle clasp and measures @ 9 inches in length.  It can be resized to about 7.25 inches or, of course, lengthened.  This is at no additional charge to you.
 
One of the most magnificent pieces I have had the pleasure to create, using the work of top-flight glass artists here and abroad, 'Nantucket Garden' is by far the most expensive piece I have worked on..and I think the result is a lovely success.  I'm usually immune to swooning too long for my own work...but this is one of those pieces that even has me feeling just a tad bit giddy.   It belongs as much under a gallery spot-light as it does, setting off a couture outfit.  And, as always, this is a one-of-a-kind design.  You will never find another like it.  Though a day may come when I produce multiples, right now it is just not the way I like to work.
 
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'The English Rose'
'The English Rose'
'The English Rose'
'The English Rose'
 
This design is a small departure from my usual design model.  I lucked upon some stunning sterling chain, large, oval loops done in thick, substantial, polished sterling.  It sparked a design in me that was spare, elegant, clean, classic and chunky. Bold, but stunning.  The theme is the approaching spring (in the western hemisphere, at any rate) and, as always, the explosion of roses in  my garden. As such, this is a piece done in icy pink, warm pink, medieval pink with lots of stunning clear and lots of sterling silver.
 
Whenever I think of beautiful gardens, particularly rose gardens, my mind wanders to England where everyone seems to own and  tend a fantasy garden, filled with lush, healthy, fragrant & generous roses.  The ice pink colors in the piece remind me of Princess Diana's special rose bush, dedicated to her following her untimely death.  I planted a bare-root Princess Diana variety one February and the fragrance is divine and the color, so delicate and feminine.
 
Two esteemed glass artists make up 'English Rose.'  The gorgeous, ice-pink tulips are done by Heather Davis.  While she has her signature florals (equally superb), her tulips have captured my imagination and I can't own enough of them!  These ice-pink tulips arrived just days ago and the design cooked and stewed in my mind for a few days until bingo...I knew what I wanted to do.  Combining them with Melanie Carey's always precise and feminine lampwork floral rounds was just the ticket.  While some beads in the set are strictly her rosebuds-on-pink, others are a delicate patchwork-on-taupe which reminds me of medieval castle windows and their fused metal work & stained glass.
 
In keeping with a 'chunky' and edgy design, I added luminous freshwater coin pearls in creamrose white along with regal, faceted & cut quartz stones in abstract shapes.  I  punctuated my design with small, pink freshwater pearls and AAA top-quality pink cubic zirconia teardrops.  Swarovski abstract pink & clear shapes done in a larger-than-normal size, completes 'English Rose' along with a small Swarovski butterfly, a bold hammered white silver heart charm by the Hilltribe artisans as well as a beautiful white sterling rosebud charm, also by the Karen Hilltribe artisans.  An ornate, Victorian styled Bali silver toggle clasp completes 'English Rose,' which measure @ 8.5 inches in length and can be resized to about 9.5 inches in length or shortened to a length of your choice (as chain is taken away and not added).
 
'English Rose' is the quintessential Springtime, feminine yet modern bracelet.  It is at once elegant, fun & edgy and with all the chunky sterling sparkling like mad, looks very uptown and tres, tres chic.

 
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'The Wine Country'
'The Wine Country'
'The Wine Country'
#6123. 'The Wine Country'
'The Wine Country' is named for the many wine countries around the world - not just our beloved Napa & Sonoma Valley Wineries here in Northern California.  Whether you are in Tuscany, in France, in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand or in California...there is always a wine country to be had; a day of heightened life experience, roaming and wandering at leisure and modestly sipping a thousand tastes while enjoying a sumptuous countryside, steeped in natural beauty and often rather fabulous history.
 
So...with that said, imagine my sheer delight when another set of Gabrielle's magnificent lampwork beads arrived from Germany! They were not her signature sea-beach themed beads, but rather European country garden-esq in design.  Colorful, always playful and reminding me of the miles and miles of vineyards I passed on a bicycle one fine October whilst bicycling in Provence.  "The Wine Country' began with Gabrielle's beads and expanded from there.
 
Next, I reached out to Catherine Steele's always detailed and perfect grape harvest lentils - a bunch of purple grapes on taupe, cascading down the center with scrolls as vines and olive colored leaves.  Finally, the lightening rod.  The focal bead which can only be described as mystical and surrealistic, as if it crashed down to earth from the very galaxy itself.  An orb in shape, this is a rich, encased bead with bubbles of sea-foam, greens and taupe under a thick layer of glass and drizzled with actual sterling silver.  I have capped this masterpiece in Bali silver beadcaps, which are reminiscent of both the bead and of grapevines.  The chemistry of these three distinct lampwork beads (sets) is sublime and yet again, a piece de resistance in glass art, especially when one considers the top-flight bead artists and their masterpieces-in-glass.
 
Companion lampwork beads also included in 'The Wine Country,' are:
* 3D petaled flowers by Serena
* Royal purple tulips by Serena (exquisite)
* Sheer purple and cream roses by published clay artist D. Jean Vainio
 
Stones & beads include:
* Citron nuggests
* Chunky faceted amethyst 
* Amethyst rondelles
* Cubic zirconia AAA quality faceted teardrops in golden champagne
* Faceted purple Chalcedony briolettes
* Freshwater pearls
* Swarovski cubes & bicones
* Sterling silver Bali sterling lentil caps & daisy spacers
* Sterling silver grape bunch charm
* Sterling silver adirondack chair
* Sterling silver grape basket
 
 A square, scroll Bali silver toggle clasp completes 'The Wine Country,' which measures @ 8.5" in length and can be resized easily & at no additional charge.
 
'The Wine Country' is one of those designs that is a memory-seeker and once found, a keeper, as in 'keepsake' bracelet, reminding one of days spent in Chianti or at Chateuneuf du Pape or in Burgundy or at Mondavi, listening to a concert in the vineyards under the night sky or at the Hess Winery, wandering in the resident art gallery or at the historic Shramsberg Champagnery where Robert Louis Stevenson used to come and stay to help ease his weak lungs.
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'Southern Rose'
'Southern Rose'
'Southern Rose'
#19745. 'Southern Rose'
 Just now we are living in day after day of rain in Northern California.  Record breaking rain.  Rain which is making the sun worshipers a wee bit batty.  Thankfully, I love the rain. However, in spite of the lovely, stormy days here in Northern California, I am just starting to think of the Spring and the soft-petaled colors that go with it and beginning to design spring and seaside pieces, anticipating our change of seasons, however subtle.

I am a gardener at heart and would spend hours out of doors working the soil and tending to my plants and trees. If only I could! I relish the ability to go into my garden to pick my own bunch of roses for the house or to give as a gift. Needless to say, I adore working with rose themed lampwork and especially those with a transparent glow to them, reminding me of the sparkling dew on the lush, fragrant roses in the early, early morning when I sneak out to take it all in; the beauty and solitude before kids and dogs and cats send the day flying.


The muse behind 'Southern Rose' are the exquisite lampwork beads by Heather Davis of Blissfulgarden beads. Her beads are always a treat to work with and she is regarded somewhat as the 'royalty' of lampworkers. I combined two of Heather's bead sets in this piece - her signature floral chintz roses done exquisitely with an encased technique.  She swirls transparent baby pink glass over a light, soft yellow core,  with a layer of transparent glass over the top, something I have never seen in her signature sets.  The effect is a rich, wet, watery depth.  As companions, I used two of her ice pink tulips sculptural  beads; a design of which I have yet to come across from any other glass artist. I start to hyperventilate when Heather offers her glass tulips for sale.  They are beyond divine, especially her transparent, glassy pink petaled beads. The overall effect is so feminine and hopeful as the days grow longer and Spring approach day-by-day, through the dense grey of waning winter chill.

In composing 'Southern Rose,' I kept the companion colors contained to those in the focal lampwork ~ shades of pink, faceted clear, light yellow and the rich lustre of pearl, mixed with the bright shine of sterling silver.
 
 Other lampwork artisan beads you will find here include:
 * Wet, bright pink rosebuds by Serena 
*  Transparent pale yellow 3D petaled flowers by Heather
* Elaborate roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
 
To complete the wondrous composition that is "Southern Rose," I used the following stones  & beads:
* Faceted AAA quality cubic zirconia teardrops
* High lustre AAA quality Iolite briolettes

* Pink & Lilac Chalcedony faceted briolettes

* Smooth white Chalcedony teardrops
* Clear, smooth, lilac amethyst teardrops
* Blue-fire flash moonstone rondelles
* Swarovski crystals in bicone, rondelles, cubes and round shapes
* Swarovski crystal pearls capped in bright sterling daisy beadcaps

* Ornate Bali Silver lentil beadcaps
* Karen Hilltribe sterling puffy heart charm
* Karen Hilltribe bright sterling rosebud charm


  'Southern Rose' is completed with a sterling, ornate Bali toggle clasp and measures about 8.5 inches in length. This can be resized at no additional charge.
 
"Southern Rose" has a vintage look & feel; the ultimate feminine bracelet which would be a beautiful accent in the day or nighttime, in casual or elegant attire. Most of all, however, the art is the thing - and 'Southern Rose' is loaded with shapes, colors, textures and a breathtaking beauty in glass.  Dare-to-wear-Art!


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'Love & Peace & Paris...'
'Love & Peace & Paris...'
'Love & Peace & Paris...'
#66611. 'Love & Peace & Paris...'
"Love & Peace & Paris.." is meant to be a Valentine's Day piece.  That is how it started in my mind as these thin, winter days move toward that vintage, magical day of whimsy, the big color of red & the short, sweet worded sentiments.  As such, I was so happy to luck into a new silver artist who uses the old fashioned wax method to make rouge & interesting silver charms.  I have included a rough-hewn & abstract heart  and a peace sign among the other charms of silver - the Eiffel Tower & Hilltribe puffy heart.
 
The centerpoint of 'Love & Peace & Paris' is a stunning lampwork bead by an Australian lampwork artist known as 'Nellie Mae.'  No longer making lampwork beads sets (concentrating instead on pandora-styled beads), her work has a huge following. This large 'pillow' focal bead has swirls of fuchsia and orange, punctuated with encased bronze sparkles  - all encased under a thick layer of clear glass.  A black & white stripe winds around the bead like the River Seine; the swirls inside are like cosmic mystery & the infinity of the universe & even, of love.
 
Companion lampwork beads to Nellie Mae's work are by Melissa Willette.  Her beads often remind me of the marbled colorful paper available in Florence, Italy.  Perfect swirls & loops of pink and cranberry with a thick gloss makes each of these beads 'pop' alongside the focal bead. To complete 'Love & Peace & Paris..', you will find the following additional beads:
 
* Whimsical 3D pink/black polka dot flowers by BeadIntrigue
* Sheer black & white rose by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
* Blue Fire Fuchsia moonstone nuggets with daisy spacers
* Luminous freshwater pearls in square and button shapes
* Step-cut faceted triad quartz crystals
* Chunky faceted clear briolettes
* Swarovski crystals in the shapes: purple velvet cubes, Siam red butterflies,  Clear AB rondelles, etc.
* Thai Hilltribe sterling droplets
* AAA quality cubic zirconia teardrops in champagne
* Pink druzy faceted briolettes (very fine)
 
'Love & Peace & Paris..' is completed with an ornate, square Bali silver toggle and measures 8.5 inches in length.  Resizing is possible at no additional fees.
 
Now about Paris...I was there in 1989 during the days of the second great California earthquake in the SF Bay Area.  A good time to be away...
 
During those days in Paris after having bicycled in Provence for a full week, climbing steep hills to medieval hilltowns, stopping for a picnic at the broken ruins of the Pope's grand palace, overlooking the famous vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape, eating at Michelin star-rated restaurants after a full day of working out, biking past Van Gogh's insane asylum in St. Remy, saying a cheerful, 'Bonjour!' to old men sitting on benches, stopping at Roman amphitheatres & bridges (Pont du Gard) & busy, colorful village squares...it was bliss.  Returning to Paris was a time to roam..early Fall, the mistral winds settling upon gravestones of the famous at Per-Lechaise cemetery - Chopin, Gertrude Stein, Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. And then, of course, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre and the Louvre & taking photos of people taking photos of Mona Lisa.  So...Paris.  'Love & Peace & Paris.'  Happy Valentine's Day.  Must go back...to Paris...
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'The Garden District  New Orleans'
'The Garden District  New Orleans'
'The Garden District  New Orleans'
#07643. 'The Garden District New Orleans'
Though I have only been in New Orleans one time and just prior to Mardi Gras, I enjoyed the energetic, lively preparations, the feathered masks and the wild charge of energy in the air.  I enjoyed the jazz downtown and the outdoor cafes and the architecture and most especially the famous Garden District and her Antebellum mansions, loaded with history and tall tales the likes of which Anne Rice has captured so many times in her novels (her husband, the late Stan Rice, was a poetry teacher of mine in high school where he came from SF State for Poetry Workshops called 'Poetry in the Schools' ~ when California still valued and had funds for interesting education. At that time during the 70's, Anne was just a grieving mother tapping on her typewriter in the attic, having lost their wee daughter, Michele aka Mouse, to leukemia. It would be years before her time of fame & fortune).
 
I have been in Florence, Italy during Carnivale at the end of February and basked in the unusual, sultry nights, wandering in the streets on my own, at dusk, the lanes crowded with costumed Italians drunk on love and tradition.  It was heady, heady stuff - to wander along with the Italians in such an ancient city during such a loaded festival.  I was only 27 and I shall never forget the feeling of sheer abandon which surrounded me and which I observed with intense curiousity and appreciation.
 
In creating 'The Garden District ~ New Orleans' I am remembering Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Anne Rice and her childhood, growing up in New Orleans and then writing about it in her myriad  novels.  As such, 'Garden District' is wild with colors. It is as if the abandon I witnessed in Florence during Carnivale is expressed in this bracelet and is also the reason I used the word, 'garden' in its title.  It includes the colors of so many flowers and trees and plants in a beautiful garden in New Orleans or anywhere, like a dreamy sea garden.  
 
For bright & colorful, I once more look to Kimberly Lynn of Kimbeads to set the tone.  Lots of folks make colorful beads, but Kim makes colorful & abstract, edgy colorful beads.  Not so obvious, always unexpected and interesting in their design.  Once more I combined them with the etched lime/turquoise beads of an artist known simply as, 'Agate'  & two deleriously gorgeous transparent green/turquoise/aqua beads of Candice Mattheson.  The rest of the composition is made with these other lampwork artists & beads, stones and charms:
 
* a pair of bright yellow tulip beads by Serena of SJDS Designs
* green lampwork leaves by BeadIntrigue
* 3D petaled flowers by Serena of SJDS Designs
* Sculpted clay roses by D. Jean Vainio
* Freshwater button pearls in white
* Cobalt faceted quartz briolettes
* Furnace beads by Penrose in aqua and blue
* Thai Karen Hilltribe sterling abstract droplet beads
* Exquisite Sleeping Beauty turquoise chips from the esteemed Arizona mine of the same name
* Aqua quartz rondelles
* Clear, faceted quartz rondelles
* Swiss Blue Hydrothermal quartz faceted 3D cubes
* Swarovski crystals in a variety of shapes, sizes & colors
* A handsome New Orleans Riverboat sterling charms
* Ornate Bali silver beadcaps
*A Bourbon Street lamppost charm
* A New Orleans Street Car sterling charm, the likes of which have run through the Garden District since the 19th century.
 
'The Garden District ~ New Orleans' is finished with a marvelous filigree round ornate sterling toggle clasp and measures approximately 8.5" in length & can be resized at no additional charge.
 
This is the perfect Mardi Gras bracelet as colorful as so much Mardi Gras confetti and beads.  It can be dressed up or dressed down ~ an every day bracelet filled with color & art & perfect, blissful whimsy and abandon. 
 
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'The Lighthouse'
'The Lighthouse'
'The Lighthouse'
#33146. 'The Lighthouse'
I have been beading-on-a-tangent recently, pulling out my more avent gard lampwork beads & going to town.  Always, always I long for the sea and beading helps me get there, even when I am 40 miles inland from the great, open Pacific and her glorious expanse and freedom.  It was time for another sea piece.  And yesterday my latest treasure beads from Gabrielle Sarvayge came from Germany. Christmas had arrived at last, just a few days late. I introduced the postman as 'Santa Claus' to my aged mother and dashed off to open the package.  Bliss.  It was time to go back to the sea...
 
'The Lighthouse' is named for California's own Pigeon Point Lighthouse in  Pescadero ('the place to fish' in Spanish) which is a small, old coastal town south of San Francisco.  Built in 1872, Pigeon Pt. Lighthouse is one of the tallest on the West Coast and very closely resembles the sterling charm used in the bracelet.  And while Pescadero has a state park/beach, it should be noted that no beach fires are permitted.  However, I love a good bonfire, especially on a cold, dark winter's night & have included a wonderful sterling charm of same.  I have also used a vintage looking lantern the lighthouse keeper may have used to patrol the grounds before bedding down for the night in his lonely lighthouse post.
 
'The Lighthouse' uses the magnificent focal bead from this set by Gabriele Sarvayge, an esteemed glass artist from Germany.  Her beads often fetch $50 per bead as her work is gaining more and more recognition among artists.  The bead I use of Gabriele's is a winter sea bead with the color of milky glacial water of winter, mixed with ice at the shoreline.  Having been in Alaska and Antarctica and Northern Norway and up close to glacial water, it is just this shade of blue.  Cold & milky.  Gabriele's bead has swirls of taupe colored sand, a raised seashell and clear bumps on the surface making, for a very complex, interesting & very beautiful bead, like a watercolor painting.
 
Lampwork companions to the focal beads are my all-time favorite sea-themed bead design by Catherine Steele.  I will never, ever tire of these beads.  Working with them is like a stroll along the tideline, gazing into the shallow tide.  I have used two of them here, couched in sterling ornate Bali silver beadcaps.  The filigree  & bumpy round lampwork beads are by River Acre Beads and are done in the same milky shades of light blue & turquoise/aqua.  The composition of these lampwork beads together is breathtaking in their beauty.
 
Other lampwork beads include the following:
* 3D petaled flowers by Serena of glass studio, SJDS
*3D petaled flowers & teal polka dot discs by Heather of BeadIntrigue
* Teal & aqua roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio
 
Other beads and stones inlcude:
* Faceted quartz pillows and rondelles in clear and light aqua
* Renowned Sleeping Beauty Turquoise from the famous Arizona mine
* Thai Hilltribe sterling droplet beads & a sterling seashell bead
* Swarovski Crystal in a variety of shapes & sizes including faceted cubes
 
'The Lighthouse' is completed with a perfect Bali silver toggle clasp and measures @ 8" in length and can be resized at no additional fees.

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Price:$415.00
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'Dreaming of Italy'
'Dreaming of Italy'
'Dreaming of Italy'
#7523. 'Dreaming of Italy'
As a former chronic world traveler, now mother of two and staying at home most of the time, I am often bitten badly by the travel bug.  Thankfully, I have a memory unlike anyone I have ever met and my vast library of trips and adventures keeps me well pleased, as I remember so fantastically, the places I have been & the people I have met.  As such, and for some reason, I have Siena on my mind.  Siena, Italia.  It is true that I have also been thinking about St. Catherine of Siena a lot, though I am not Catholic.  I really love the saints and I am fascinated by St. Catherine considering I saw her head in a church in Siena all those years ago.
 
Anyway...I digress.  The other thing about Siena is the Duomo - the cathedral - which is made of perfect squares of black and white marble.  There are other medieval buildings in Siena also made in black and white squares like this - I thought it was a common medieval period of architecture in Italy, however in looking it up just now, I find out that black & white were the symbolic colors of Siena (Civic Coat of Arms) and derived from the black and white horses of the legendary city founders, Senius and Aschius.
 
But back to the Duomo.  As far as cathedrals go, the Duomo is mind-bending and earth-shattering in its beauty.  More beautiful still is that I stayed at a somewhat modest hotel called The Duomo which was situated in back of the cathedral.  On my small deck, high up, I had a perfect view of the Duomo and her black & white cubes and ancient, medieval architecture. More fantastic still is that Duomo now had a webcam attached to its roof!  Except that it is 'down' tonight! Darn.
 
So for days, I have been designing this black & white bracelet in my mind.  The focal set of beads are elegant clear glass lentils over a white core, splashed with black.  Bumps and a single scrolling line of white and faint blue curl around each bead in a modern, edgy effect.  These are the work of OCD Lampwork and artist Tracey Nelson.  I have also used the work of Heather from her studio called BeadIntrigue.  She is the artist behind the small white bumpy lampwork rounds and the clear-over-white core, polka dot slices, as well as the etched white with black polka dot rounds done in miniature. Adding to the artisan collection of studio beads are clay roses in black and white by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio.
Rather hidden in this confusion of black and white are two superb white tulip lampwork beads by Serena of  the studio, SJDS Designs.
 
To complicate the black & white chaos even more, you will find the following additional beads:

* Elegant faceted black onyx briolettes
* Blue Fire Moonstone rondelles with daisy spacers
* Clear quartz rondelles & chunky briolettes
* Luminous freshwater square shaped pearls
* Tiny freshwater rice shaped pearls
* Swarovski glass pearls capped in white sterling silver beadcaps from the Karen Hilltribe in Thailand
* Swarovski crystals in a variety of shapes, in the color of black and white
 
'Dreaming of Italy' is finished not with a sterling charm of the cathedral of which I have been speaking, but with a charm of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, another jewel of Tuscany.  Except for a sterling bunch of grapes (Tuscany is famous for its fine wines), I did not have many Italian-themed charms to use.  But the Leaning Tower will do since it, too, is dramatic enough and has that luminous flare of exuberant expression the Italians are known and loved for 'round the world.
 
'Dreaming of Italy' is completed with a square Bali silver toggle and measures 8.5 inches in length.  Resizing is possible at no additional fees.

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Price:Was $210.00 Sale! $175.00
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