Etsy

31/05/2014

Messy Testing - Bubble Bath ltd run

There are 4 new limited run colours from CiM (Artists preview page) that will be available in the UK very soon. I'll be popping up a little preview post about each of them up on my blog over the next few days.

This colour is my favourite of the four, a stunning semi transparent pale lavender opal called Bubble Bath. It is definitely on my shopping list!

Bubble Bath is one of only a handful of colours that I can think of that are just so pretty that they can easily stand alone without further decoration or detail.

In this set of olive shaped Bubble Bath beads you can clearly strands of delicate lace like striations in deeper lavender trailing the surface, a lovely quirk of this gorgeous glass.

Have a super day, Jolene xx


29/05/2014

Messy Teasting - Sandy beach beads

I love making these ocean critter beads, the sandy beach effect is really pretty I think. I make this look by wrapping some of the neutral and beige type CiM glasses with silver leaf and then vapourising it in the flame.

Here is a very quick post and run gallery showing some of the sandy beach effect that I have found so far.

To the left is silver leaf over Vanilla Latte ltd run
Critter beads with silver leaf over CiM Ginger burnished on then vapourised in the flame.
Critter beads with silver leaf over CiM Sand Dollar ltd run burnished on then vapourised in the flame.
And last up Critter beads beads with silver leaf over CiM Butter Pecan ltd run burnished on then vapourised in the flame.

As you can see these neutral bases all produce similar but slightly different look, it's a lovely effect and one that I like a great deal.

Have a super day, Jolene x

My Etsy

14/05/2014

Looking at Bullseye part 7 - Blue Fairy Bullseye Frit Blends

This week I have been playing about with frit. :-D It's been quite a long while since frit called to me but when I saw that Helen Clemons of Blue Fairy Designs has created some beautiful blends in CoE 90 glass I just couldn't resist.

To the left is a set using Helens's Storm Chaser blend over French Vanilla with Transparent Turquoise.

Here I have used Storm Chaser over Powder Blue and Mint Opal. I am afraid the learnt habit of using CoE 96 frit sparingly over CoE 104 glass for years has left its mark on my bead making and there is just the faintest sprinkling of frit over these pretty base colours. The results are very subtle and pretty.
I tried to be a little bit bolder with Berrylicious and added more frit over the base beads this time. It is such a novelty for me knowing that both frit and base are the same CoE! Berrlicious is a super sweet and girly blend of pretty lilacs, purple and pinks. Here it is over Powder Blue and Neo-Lavender Opal.
This blend was a lovely surprise, I hadn't realised when I bought it that there is a touch of pink in this lush green mix. The perfectly named Country Garden is really lovely and looks very pretty over Mint Opal and Neo-Lavender Opal too.
The last Blue Fairy blend that I have to show today is called Sprinkles. I have used it lavishly over a mixed base of French Vanilla and  Neo-Lavender Opal. It looks like there is a party going on on these beads.

You can find these 4 blends and a whole lot more in Helen's glassy supplies shop on Etsy here

Have a lovely evening, Jolene x

08/05/2014

Faux turquoise Scarab bead tutorial in Beads & Beyond magazine this month

I'm really excited because I have just received my copy of Beads & Beyond for June and it has my Faux Turquoise Scarab bead tutorial in there :-D It is out on the shelves to buy already I think.
And my beads came back from Beads & Beyond all dressed up and ready to wear, a lovely extra treat for me.

If you would like to see my range of Faux Gem Scarab beads sets you can see them all here in my Etsy shop :-D

Have a super day, Jolene x

07/05/2014

Mini Mo' May 14 - Tempting Teal and Passionate Purple

I absolutely love working with these sorts of lush blue green colours, CiM Moana, Vetro Dark Teal, Effetre light Turquoise 232 with Lauscha Dark Teal shards.
Tempting teal has a mix of starburst and spiral shards, show on this little collection of heart beads.
A super special floral heart focal showing tempting Teal canes as raised surface decoration.
A pair of trios using bands of Tempting Teal twistie over CiM Thunder Egg.
My second collection for May is another favourite combination of mine, deep purples twinned with bright green. I've used CiM Grape Ape, CiM Lapis, CiM Elphaba and Lauscha Olive shards.
Passionate Purple murrini over CiM Elphaba and CiM Eggplant.
CiM Elphaba and CiM Eggplant again, this time with a pretty Iris flower motif created using some of the Passionate Purple canes.
The last beads I'd like to show today are these gorgeous encased rounds and heart focal that have  Passionate Purple twistie cane cores.

If you would like to join the Mini Mo' club them pop along to my etsy supplies shop for thefull details and prices.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FritNChips

Have a lovely day, Jolene xx

05/05/2014

Mini Mo' April 14 - Sunny day and Rainy day

My first collection for April is sunny is sunny and bright. I've used Vetrofond Banana Cream, CiM Bing, Effetre Rubino Ora.
This super bright focal is made with CiM Alley Cat, Sunny Day shards and some lovely enamel murrini by Lori and Kim.
My next Sunny Day beads feature the murrini form this collection over Vetro Banana Cream, Effetre Baby Pink and CiM Flax. the whole set has been etched for a soft finish.
My last show for Sunny day is this decadent set of raised florals using  the cane to create all of the raised petals and leaves.
What would April be without a nod to April showers! My second collection, Rainy Day, uses CiM Glacier, CiM Electric Avenue, Vetrofond Dark Teal.
First up a collection of hearts, the transparent set uses Rainy Day murrini for a touch of detail.
This cute heart has a lovely little ladybird surrounded by blooms created with canes form the Rainy Day collection.
My last show for Rainy day is this trio of hearts made using Effete Opalino colours and Rainy Day canes (and chops from the ends of canes to create murrini detail).

I hope you are enjoying your bank holiday weekend, Jolene xx


04/05/2014

Looking at Bullseye part 6 - Egyptian Blue, Peiwinkle Special and Pale Sky Blue Transparent

a quick post and run this morning to show you the latest Bullyeye colours I have been playing with.

Periwinkle Special is a sweet baby blue, it is an odd lot and may not be available for long and Pale Sky Blue transparent is a yummy mid blue. The darkest shade in the trio of blues is called Egyptian Blue opal, a really lovely intense electric blue colour and by far my favourite of the three.

Have a lovely day, Jo x