Friday Pick - Rings & Things Holiday Lampwork Bracelet

In my last Rings & Things goodie package I received some lampwork holiday beads. Here's the bracelet I'm making using them:

I made the simple chain bracelet with gold plated jumprings, then I put the beads on some ball-tipped gold plated headpins from Beadalon (purchased at Michael's) with small gold a beadcap to keep the headpin from slipping through the fairly large hole in these beads. Because they do have a large hole, you could string these beads on cord or even a serpentine chain if you wanted. I put a wrapped loop at the top and then opened the jumpring to hook the loop on to the chain.

Between the lampwork beads are three sets of Christmas light charms that were part of a "Dress It Up" button set by Jesse James beads (also purchased at Michael's) These charms are of a very soft plastic, feels like rubber, and have a great translucence that gives the impression of a glowing bulb when back-lit.

The Rings & Things lampwork beads on this bracelet come from their Christmas Lampwork Beads selection. These beads are made in China. On the Rings & Things page for each item is a description. I really appreciate the transparency and disclosure from Rings & Things - note what they say about these beads right on the product page:

Glass beads made in China, India, and Indonesia are usually not kiln annealed (a controlled cooling process that improves durability). They are slightly more prone to breakage than glass beads made in Europe and the United States, but are priced accordingly.

The ones shown in the photo above are Red Gingerbread Man, Brown Teddy Bear, and Round Snowman Head. Still to be added to the bracelet is an adorable Penguin. The other two beads I received in my goodie package, a Christmas Tree and a Stocking will probably go on another design.

Still trying to figure out what I want to do with the large wood chain and polyester chain I got. Have an idea for the copper chain that I hope to get too soon and share.

Come back tomorrow for Supplier Sales Saturday - the holiday offers out there are pretty good!


Holly fairy picture in my signature, above, came from The Graphics Fairy

FTC compliance, disclosure of material connection: The lampwork beads reviewed above were provided as a promotional consideration by Rings & Things for design and review purposes as part of their Blog Partner program.

Mid-Week Mutterings - Can't Decide...

Before I start with the bead stuff - as the granddaughter, daughter and sister of veterans, and the mother of a soldier on active duty, my honor, respect and prayers to all who have served and the families who stand beside them.

I can't decide if the picture below looks Christmas-y or more like a vegetable medley with cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. I'm finding the results of my design efforts tonight rather unsatisfying.

So here's how this evening's play with the vintage glass from The Beadin' Path went. I stared at the red set of beads. Remembered that I had a little box of what I think of as 'real' green beads I had bought last December and used in Christmas lanyards. Got those out. Strung the middle strand, above, using the red flower and "berries" beads from the vintage glass strand with the green beads.

I thought it was ok, but since there weren't enough for a strand longer than 12 inches, I figured I'd do a multi strand and attach it to something longer - ribbon, chain, wasn't sure then nor now. So I grab the faceted white opaque vintage glass I'd gotten in last month's Bead of the Month package from The Beadin' Path and strung those with the 'pod' beads and some red flower disk spacers - top strand above.

Maybe I should have stopped there, but I decided one more strand. Got out the only opaque red and white beads I thought might work - some diagonally drilled cubes and oval twists. Strung those with the green.

I think there's too much green too close together and that the size of the beads in the bottom strand needs to be bigger to balance out the larger white and red beads of the top strand. It's back to the drawing board. This time I work the pods in with smaller beads and the faceted white beads (which I'm starting to think of as snowballs) on the bottom with red diagonally drilled cubes.

And, nope, again. Sigh.

I'm too tired to try again tonight, but I'll keep working on this. The current thinking is the green and red strand will have to go, but I like it so I'll figure out a way to make it into a longer single strand piece.

Of course none of this is the fault of the beads - both the red set and the white strand are lovely and I enjoy working with beads that have history, which these vintage beads certainly have.

More tomorrow!




FTC compliance disclosure notice of material connections: All items referenced in this post, with the exception of the red vintage glass beads, were personally purchased.