Charmed Bracelets

Juicy Orange Lampwork Heart

Lampworked beads are handmade by melting rods of glass with a torch and then forming the molten glass into beads.

This heart has a sweet flower-and-leaf design on a translucent heart of orange glass.   

The heart is about 19 mm in size and was handmade in California by a company called Grace Lampwork.

I used sterling silver wire to attach the heart to a jump ring with a wrapped loop. Then I threaded a yard of brown grosgrain ribbon through the ring, and added a high-quality cultured pearl on another jump ring.

The ribbon is long enough to tie a bow at the back of your neck. It's also long enough that you can adjust the length of the necklace to suit whatever you are wearing.

If you find the ribbon is too long, cut it with a very sharp pair of scissors. 

The necklace is one of a kind, of course. 

Price: $85, which includes postage, insurance, and so on. To order: 

I would love to make lampwork beads myself, but I don't think I have the necessary hand-eye coordination, plus, I'm afraid of the torch.

If you feel like trying your hand, here are some instructions, from the Beadworx site:

How to Make a Lampwork Bead

Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.

@ Jeanne Sather 2011.  

 

Glass Hearts: a Variation

Here's a variation on the necklaces I've been making with lampwork glass hearts and velvet ribbons. 

The hearts are about 19 mm in size and each one is handmade individually in California by a company called Grace Lampwork.

The heart in the photo has swirls of purple, blue, and white, and is more abstract than most of the hearts I have for sale. 

I used sterling silver wire to make a wrapped loop for the heart, and attached that to a jump ring. Then I threaded navy blue velvet ribbon through the ring, and added a high quality cultured pearl on another jump ring. 

I have some earrings made with the same pearls and jump rings: Precious Pearl Earrings

This necklace is a gift for a friend, but I have all the components to make one more. Price: $85. 

Photo: @ Monica Strasen 2011. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2011.

Glass Hearts and Flowers

You could search a long time before you'd find glass hearts as beautiful as these.

The hearts are about 19 mm in size and each one is handmade individually in California of Italian and German glass by a company called Grace Lampwork.

I have five hearts of four different designs. (Actually, I have many more, Not all have been photographed, however.) I bought two of the black ones, which were my favorites until I handled the orange one at the top or the more feminine pink and blue heart at the top left. The fifth one at the bottom right doesn't photograph as well as it looks, because the peridot glass is translucent with pink and white flowers and light green leaves ... but maybe that one is my favorite....

Th I strung the pink and blue heart at the upper left on pale green ribbon. The ribbon looks much yellower in the photo that is actually is. 

The black, white, and pink heart I strung on classic black velvet ribbon.

When you order a heart, please specify whether you want it on the black velvet ribbon, or if you would like me to find a different color for you. I'm starting to lay in quite a stock of ribbons, vintage and modern, so I have a number of choices. 

Price $80, which includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. mailing addresses.

When you order, please specify which heart you want and also what kind of ribbon you would like.

The orange heart is no longer available, as I have donated it to the raffle to help Erick DeForest pay for his cancer care and living expenses. 

If that one's your favorite, you can bid on it at this site once it is posted (we're waiting on the photo to post it).

Erick's Fundraiser 

Or you can buy one of mine:

For more choices, see: Hearts and More Hearts

Questions? E-mail me: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

 Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.

 

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

Very Special Vintage Beads: The Earrings

Here are the earrings I made with the vintage orange millefiores.

The rare beads are 10 mm in size, made of intensely orange glass, with tiny flowers in blue, yellow, and red created using the ancient  millefiori technique. The one-inch hoops are sterling silver, as are the findings. 

I have only one pair of these left.

 Price: $28. The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

For more about these beads: Very Special Beads From Japan

Photo: @ Monica Strasen 2010.

Design and text: @ Jeanne Sather 2010.