This time, I am back to the East Coast's Atlantic winter seascape off of Nantucket, where cold, fierce winds move against the land & lighthouse in gales & howling moans.  I think of the icy water, polishing the day, polishing the sand and the beach glass for the summer people & their walks along the beach, in search of the ever elusive beachglass.  But mostly, I think of those lighthouses, alone , steeped in history, always on watch, always a nautical profile in the distance.

 

'Nantucket Lighthouse' is not named for any particular eastern seaboard lighthouse. Rather, it is named mostly for Nantucket, the sea-worn glass & shells on a winter beach, the classic Nantucket Lightship baskets and the keeper of the lighthouse, as represented by a sterling pair of binoculars, always at the ready when something looks amiss in the dark curls of water on the horizon. 

 

'Nantucket 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 sea bead with color of a teal sea, both transparent & milky, rising and falling against a beautiful dune.  She drew swirls of glass taupe colored sand, a raised seashell and dark 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.  These are some of her etched (meaning, like beach glass) seashell, sculptural beads.  Working with any of Catherine's sea-themed beads is like a stroll along the tideline.  I happen to know that she lives inland, far from the sea, and like I, craves the ocean all year round.   I have used two of her seashell beads here, all lampwork couched in sterling Bali twisted rings.  The final lampwork of the piece are by yet another German glass artist named Karen who calls herself, 'the bead fairy of Germany.' These are complex transparent-on-light teal & taupe, bumpy beads and work with the rest of the lampwork perfectly.  'Nantucket Lighthouse' is a stroll on a winter beach! 

 

The balance of my composition is awash in aquamarine stones, making this piece an especially high-end piece of glass jewelry art.  It was just one of those aquamarine nights, when way past midnight, I finally sat down to work, compose or 'write' in beads.  It is my favorite time of day when everything gets dreamy.

 

In any case, you will find all shapes and sizes and colors of Aquamarine stone -  moss colored rondelles, icy blue, sea-blue, sky-blue, Swiss Topaz blue.   Companions to these and the lampwork include:

 

* Silver colored roses by published clay artist, D. Jean Vainio

 

Other beads and stones inlcude:

* Baltic amber along with sterling droplets by the Hilltribe artisans

* Faceted pale blue Chalcedony briolettes

* Faceted Green Cubic Zirconia in teardrop shapes of AAA quality

* Gorgeous Chrysoprase nuggets in a turquoise shade

* Swarovski Crystal in a variety of shapes & sizes

* A gorgeous lighthouse charm

* A pair of sterling binoculars

* An anchor/ship's wheel sterling charm

* A Sterling woven basket for the Nantucket Lightship basket tradition

* A wee sterling sand-dollar charm

 

'Nantucket Lighthouse' is completed with a perfect Bali silver nautical rope toggle clasp and measures @ 9.5" in length and can be resized at no additional fees.  Should you require a size 7.5 or smaller & any beads have to be 'sacrificed,' I will create a pair of matching earrings of them for you at no charge.  I am confident this piece can be resized without compromising the overall design.

Several weekends back we went to Carmel on a quick day trip. There is *something* about Carmel, a beautiful other worldliness which begins as you drive down Ocean Avenue. The colorful locals, the hanging flower baskets, the old pine trees, the posh shops including my favorite - the Coach bag shop (has a wonderful clearance section) and finally ending at the world's most beautiful village beach, especially at sunset. It is like entering a different world, set so apart from the common reality and it is nice to step into that world, if only for an hour or two which is why Carmel is the muse behind this piece, yet again.

 

'Carmel Beach' is comprised of three top-flight glass bead artists.  The three large, round blue & orange swirl bumpy beads are by renowned Australian artist, Nellie Mae.  When she entered the US market, she was little known and her bead prices were pricey, but nowhere near what she is able to fetch for them today.  I was very fortunate to collect 5 or 6 sets of her work.  Also, after a year or so of creating lampwork sets of beads, she has all but abandoned that style and is now almost exclusively making  Pandora lampwork beads, fetching up to $40 or more for one bead. It is no mistake, however, since her work is so original and mesmerizing.  You won't find lampwork beads like the ones she creates.  As I used to say of Nellie Mae's work, you start to work with them and soon the beads are telling the story and not the other way around.  These three lampwork beads by her are the rolling sea, the generous curl of waves and the color of sunset on Carmel Beach on a clear, sultry evening.  She uses shades of blue, turquoise with curls of bronze sparkles and then sensual whisps of orange and cream.  The very depth of the colors beneath the glass is intriguing.  You can look on forever and deeper and deeper.

 

The companion/accenting beads are by two artists whose work I adore and work with most every week.  Melanie of GlassValley made the bumpy and swirl blue (with a hint of encased green) beads.  Stefanie of the studio, A Shot of Glass, creates her signature hibiscus in a custom order for me of light and ice blue on clear.  Heather of BeadIntrigue creates her gorgeous, 3D petaled flowers and D. Jean Vainio makes her esteemed clay roses in a sheer and gold trim combination.  Truly LUXE.

 

Tumbled into this oceanic, sunset composition are the following beads and stones:

 * Stunning, faceted, ice-blue aquarmarine brioletes

* Clear, faceted quartz rondelles

* Elegant furnace beads by esteemed glass artist, Penrose in a variety of shade of blue/teal

* Swarovski cystal rondelles, bicones  & cubes

* Two gold vermeil (22K gold over 937 sterling silver) from Thailands Hilltribe artisans

* Sterling coil wrap beads by Thailand's Hilltribe artisans

* Bali silver daisy spacers

* A magnificent sterling sea turtle charm

* A handsome sterling sand-dollar charm

* Hilltribe sterling silver droplet beads

 

'Carmel Beach' is finished with an ornate, sterling, filigree toggle clasp and measures 8.5 inches in length.  The length can be adjusted at no additional charge.

 

'Carmel Beach' is the piece for Autumn parties on decks overlooking the sea; or for cozy indoor parties in muted candle light and the revelry of conversation of the summer times spent on the sea.  This is a piece for a walk through an Art Museum or for a walk in the park.  It is a piece for anytime you long for that beauty and mystery of the ocean and simply being in her presence. Price: $425

 

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, of which I am doing a few different design versions. Bold, but stunning. The theme is hot pink moonstone with dramatic blue fire flash, white freshwater pearls & clear crystal & lolite and lots & lots of sterling silver. The blue fire of the moonstone is absolutely fetching and the crowded chunky gems make for a tour de force of a time piece.

We have all heard of 'Father Time," well this is "Butterfly Time," a purely whimsical, sassy, edgy design meant to shock, surprise and make you smile. But it is also a watch! A bracelet-watch, hence the theme of time. No one else will have one quite like it. And butterflies are in fashion - in fabrics and accessories are all the rage just now.

'Butterfly Time' is designed around the solid, abstract sterling silver beads of Thailand's Hilltribe artisans. Their silver is .999% pure, versus the normal .925 purity. These are abstract in shape and solid, pure sterling (but not heavy to wear). The sterling butterflies are also by these artists, as are the two waterwheel beads. Gorgeous step-cut, clear, clear crystal nuggets add depth and shimmer along with lustrous freshwater coin pearls which glimmer and glow. Luxe & luminous iolite teardrop faceted briolettes add some real glam to the design along with the pink heart briolettes in two shades. Small spots of Swarovski crystals punctuate the piece ever so subtly along with 2 Swarovski butterflies and two pink/white hand-torched lampwork beads by Florence trained glass artist, Glass Jungle (his work is very hard to find anymore, alas).

The watch-face is Geneva Quartz and comes with a spare battery. 'Butterfly Time' design is mod, original and glam all at once. You won't find another like it.

"Butterfly Time" measures a generous 8.5 inches in length for the draped look, however it can be resized at no additional charge to about 7.5 inches in length.