Looking at Bullseye part 5 - Powder Blue Opal, Turquoise Opaque Opal, Aqua Blue Tint Transparent, Light Aquamarine Blue, Emerald Transparent

This week I've been looking at some more Bullyeye glass colours, bluey turquoisey greens.

To the left a mini string of hearts, from right to left there is Aqua Blue Tint Transparent, Light Aquamarine Blue and Turquoise opaque Opal.

The heart trio to the right have been made with Bullseye Light Aquamarine Blue and decorated with fine stringer and dots (Stiff Black Opal and French Vanilla). This glass is so beautiful and clear that I'll definitely be buying it again.

As you can see from the picture here,Turquoise Opaque Opal suffers a great deal from that dirty  looking grey surface patina often seen with Effetre and Vetro Turquoise. There is no benefit in choosing it over the Italian 104's for self coloured beads as a result.

A 5 minute soak in limescale remover (followed by a very thorough soapy scrub) and you get to see the real beauty of Turquoise Opaque Opal.

This large two tone heart is Emerald Transparent at the top and Aqua Blue Tint Transparent at the bottom. Both are stunning colours. I do so love the clarity of these Bullseye transparent colours and both will make it on to a future shopping list.

Last to show today is Powder Blue Opal, a very pretty colour indeed. The French Vanilla dots are not easy to see over this pale baby blue and there seems to have been a reaction (? needs more testing to be sure) between this and the  dots of Turquoise Opaque Opal.

These are all fab colours that work together beautifully. Have a great day Jolene x

Looking at Bullseye part 4 partial encasing, Dusty Lilac Opal

To the left are beads made with Dusty Lilac Opal and Striking Pink. This kind of partial encasing over an opal / moonstone / alabaster / opalino type of glass is a trick I have never managed to pull off without some sign of cracking with CoE 104 glass, possibly because of the big difference in stiffness of the opal colour and the transparent encasing glass. I'm really happy to be able to do this kind if two tone bead making with Bullseye!

Here is the same idea again but using Dusty Lilac Opal and Coral Orange tint. It is such a simple technique but oh so pretty.


Jolene x

Frit N Chips lampwork supplies Kitzbitz Art Beads

Mini Mo' March 14 - Sunrise and twilight

My first collection for March is called Sunrise, it is a bright mix of Effetre Apricot, CiM Phoenix, CiM Clockwork, Vetro Banana Cream odd

This first focal shows how the canes look when they are used to create raised floral decoration.

My next picture shows how the canes and murrini can be melted in flat to create lots of color and detail on the surface of a bead.

Last to show for Sunrise is a large pressed tab using the multicoloured shards for detail/

My next collection for March is called twilight. I've used CiM Lapis, Vetro Periwinkle and Effetre New Violet.

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The first beads Id like to show used the Twilight canes over CiM Alley Cat.

Another very detailed set, this time over CiM Dirty Martini. Ive used the canes, murrini and also chips from the ends of the canes to create starbursts.

Last to show, another sculptural floral bead using all of the pretty blue and violet canes from the Twilight collection.

If you would like to join the Mini Mo' Club then you can via my Etsy supplies shop. I offer 3, 6, 9 or 12 month long subscriptions. Please check out my shop link for more info Frit N Chips lampwork supplies.

Have a lovely day, Jolene x

Mini Mo' Feb '14 - Skelly and Skully

I'm having another little catch up on my Mini Mo' blogging, my first collection for February has some cool skull murrini and the other complimenting glasswork is a mix of black and ivory with some super red/coral shards.

This first set uses the ivory canes and some chips from the ends of the same canes to create tiny starburst murrini.

This next bead is a cheeky tiny goddess sporting a skull tattoo on her bottom.

Last to show you is this striking set of tab beads created using the ivory canes from my Skelly Mini Mo'.

My second collection has sweet sugary girly skull murrini and a fab mix of purple and pinks throughout the coordinating glasswork.

This cheeky little lady has a Scully tattoo. I have lots of ideas on how to use these two fun skull murrini chips so more to come on these at some point.

Below is a large coin shaped focal created using canes from the Scully collection. The canes have been wrapped around a core of Effetre 006 and then encased before the bead was pressed.

It is possible to join the Mini Mo' Club via Etsy for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month long subscriptions. Please check out my shop link for more info.

Frit N Chips lampwork supplies.

Have a lovely week, Jolene x

Looking at Bullseye part 3, etching Fuchsia and Pink Opal and Clear

So Bullseye and etching....not the easiest thing in the world to achieve with dip'n'etch, which takes a very long time to have any effect on Bullyeye at all (30 mins at least) and when it has the results are just not pretty. My advice is just don't go there!!

Above are some Bullseye Fuchsia hearts, The centre heart has been wrapped around its shoulders with Pink Opal and Clear. Fuchsia is a very rich pink but very similar I think to Light Striking Pink. I'd need to put beads made with both colours side by side to see if the difference is discernible at all.

These pretty pink beads are were made with rods called Pink Opal & Clear, they are deliciously swirly.

There are the same beads etched, not as bad looking as the Fuchsia I think but still not as pretty as before etching. So two things learnt, one, don't etch Bullseye glass beads and two, make a test bead....don't rush in headlong and etch two whole sets in one go!

Jolene x

Faith Bowman - Jewelry Designers Open Market trunk show weekend

My fab and talented Silversmith buddy Faith Bowman is also having trunk show this weekend in the Artisans Open Market's sister group

Jewelry Designers Open market

Her work is beautiful, I love how she dresses up my beads and cabs and makes them look totally fabulous.

Faiths show finishes at 10pm BST/4pm CST so you still have some time today to pop along and have a look at her beautiful wearable art.


 
In the meantime I will leave you with a little gallery of some of the goodies she has available right now, total gorgeousness.

A huge thank you to Faith for letting me show her work and use her photos

Have a super day, Jolene xx

Looking at bullseye, part 2, Erbium Pink Transparent, Light Peach Cream Opal, Pale Amethyst Transparent and Sugar Plum

I am such a smitten kitten with the Bullyeye pinks so far that when I reordered I added a rod each of some of other colours to try. Mostly Purples this time but also Erbium Pink Transparent which is here on the left - so pale and pretty.

 This is Sugar Plum, I'm in love!

Next to show is Light Peach Cream Opal, it is soft and pretty and I like it but don't love it. After all of the punchy vivid Bully pinks that I've played with over the last few days I'm finding it a little plain.

Pale Amethyst Transparent, too early to tell for me on this on as I have only made this one little heart pair. I love how glossy all of the Bullseye  transparent colours are, yum!

have a great day, Jolene xx

Charity Auctions By Keiara

Keiara Darling raises cash for small UK Charities by auctioning beautiful handmade jewellery and textiles on her Facebook page. Every month she features a different charity and raises awareness, for April she is working to help a great charity called Once, we were Soldiers.


Once, we were Soldiers was set up by Andy Spiers to provide support to homeless ex-forces personnel in the UK. You can read more about Once, we were Soldiers and their mission to support homeless veterans in the UK here on their website http://owwsoldiers.co.uk/our-mission

For now I will just leave you with some more eye candy, jewellery made with artisan British lampwork beads and her stunning crochet items. I'd like to say a big thank you to Keiara for letting me use her wonderful photographs here on my blog.

To support Keiara and her wonderful fund raising activities please visit her page xx Jolene
https://www.facebook.com/lovebykeiara

Messy testing - Flax and Jellyfish ltd run

Today I want to show you some beads made with CiM Flax ltd run and CiM Jellyfish Ltd run. Flax is a rich looking pale yellow transparent glass. To the left is a tiny goddess bead made with Flax, the colour is very subtle and pretty. Below is a set showing what flax looks like when etched. The focal and one of the sets of pairs are etched Flax. The yellow colour is much more apparent when etched and puts me in mind of lemon flavour boiled sweeties. I have teamed the etched Flax hearts up with Vetrofond Banana Cream and Effetre Pale Pink 260.

This next goddess was made with CiM Jellyfish, which is ever such a pretty pale lavender colour.

Below are a lovely set of hearts made with CiM Heffalump, one of my favourites, teamed up with a pair of etched Jellyfish hearts. I found that Jellyfish was difficult to etch evenly even though my Dip and Etch solution is brand new. I had to pop them back in the solution for  second go to take away the last patches of shine but the effort was well worth it.

Both of these pretty colours are currently available in the UK.



Have a great weekend, Jolene x My Etsy and My eBay 

Looking at Bullseye Pinks part 1 Striking Light Pink, Clear and Salmon Opal, Coral Orange Tint, Cranberry Sapphirine, Neo-Lavender, Petal Pink Opal, Salmon Pink Opal

This is not going to be a very wordy post as I am itching to get back out to the shed and melt more pink (and purple) glass. I've been playing about with bullseye glass over the past couple of days an using CoE 90 glass is new to me so I thought I would do a quick blog post and show what the colours look like.

I am more than just a little bit in love! The string above is made up of CiM Jellyfish (Coe 104) Bullseye Cranberry Sapphirine, Coral Orange Tint  and Striking Light Pink.

This colour is divine! Cranberry Sapphirine Transparent. It is not fussy in the slightest and strikes like a dream!

 Some heart trios made with Petal Pink Opal and Coral orange tint transparent.

 More Petal Pink Opal, this time paired with Salmon Pink Opal

This glass is stunning! Clear and Salmon Opal.

Last to show is this glorious glossy pastel purple, Neo-Lavender opal.

I brought all of this glass by the rod from www.glassstudiosupplies.co.uk
The service was fast and the glass beautifully wrapped in oodles of bubble wrap. Brilliant.

Have a super day, Jolene xx