Showing posts with label handmade glass beads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade glass beads. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Exploring Handmade ~ Holiday Shopping Event ~ Day 1



Hello and Welcome to Day 1 of the
 Exploring Handmade Online Holiday Shopping Event!!

Are you ready to Occupy Wall Street (from the comfort of your home in your slippers)?
Are you ready to send a BOLD message to Congress, Corporate America and the 99%?
Are you ready to support Artisans and Small Businesses to send that message?
Excellent!!
So I guess that means you're also ready to find some really great gifts for yourself and your loved ones, huh?
Alright then let's go....
I'm very happy to see you here and hope you'll enjoy following along this 13 day event. I didn't have time to put out all my fancy decorations so please excuse the accommodations... I've been spending my time searching for handcrafts and artisans to introduce you to ;) Every day I'll show you a handcraft or two and some of the artisans that lovingly create items using that particular craft.

There are soooooo many benefits to buying handcrafted items direct from the artisans who make them. I discuss them in an article I wrote called "Why Buy Handmade Jewelry" ...... it ended up being about a whole lot more than jewelry ;) Artisans care about you and give a special touch to your items. We also give you custom one-on-one service and many ways to work with us. You'll notice most artisans are on facebook and twitter... we want to talk to you and share with you. Come join the fun and we'll show you just how amazing personalized service can be!

We're all pinching pennies and gift-giving budgets for sure aren't what they used to be. But the people you'll meet during this event make gorgeous things... truly special things... things that, even if they are the only gift you give or receive, will fill your holiday with meaning and love.... from our homes to yours.

So, take advantage of this opportunity... Do your shopping for your loved ones AND don't forget to use the Amazon Universal Wish List to help your loved ones shop for you! If you're not familiar with it, please read my previous post so you can use this useful tool.

I'd appreciate it if you would share this event with your family, friends and fans so they can enjoy it too :)

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous Holiday Season!

Thank you for coming by!
and
Thank you to everyone who is taking part in and promoting this event!

♥ Debi


Today I'd like to introduce you to Lampwork Glass Artists. These women take great pride in melting glass and making beads and other items, often one-of-a-kind items. It's a time-consuming, detail-oriented craft... and, of course, uing a torch means it's a bit dangerous too! These ladies are pros and they produce some of the most beautiful beads you'll find.

First let's meet Nikki from Bastille Bleu Lampwork...
My name is Kimberly Nicole (aka Nikki) and I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and full-time lampwork glass artist! I make all my glass beads in my studio in Milwaukee, WI. All my beads are made with great care, time, skill, and attention to detail. I take pride in my work so that you can take pride in designing and wearing it!

To put it bluntly.... I am addicted to melting glass and making glass beads. I can't imagine doing anything else! It's my BLISS!

I create colorful, wearable art glass, custom lampwork jewelry, and personalized stamped metal jewelry & charms for every style and budget! I'm also a registered member of Self Representing Artists (member SRA #R67), Self Representing Artist Jewelry Designers (SRAJD #2852), and a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB #P7942), Lampwork Etc forum, and Etsy's Wisconsin Street Team (WIST Team).

Nikki makes beads...


and beautiful jewelry too...


Here are some of the places you can find Nikki and her work...
Nikki also offers a Newsletter you can sign up for to keep up with her work!

♥
Now let's meet Jere from Good Hope Creations...
My name is Jere Watson. I'm a lampwork glass artist and I specialize in big hole beads. I am starting to offer handmade beads for jewelry artists done on 1/16 mandrel. I also offer a fun line of "smashed trash" which is recycled fused glass.



Here are some of the places you can find Jere and her work...

♥

And we have Amber from That Bead Girl...
I am a lampworker of 12 years, and during the holidays I focus on creating glass bead functional artwork! Some of the gifts available during this season are glass topped wine stoppers, canape sets, serving ware, compact mirrors, purse hangers and more. I also create glass pendants and changeable rings.







Here are some of the places you can find Amber and her work...
Amber also offers a Newsletter you can sign up for to keep up with her work!

♥

We also have Gillian from Brilliant Beads...
My name is Gillian Soskin. I am a dentist by day...a lampwork glass bead maker and jewelry artist by night, and evenings, and weekends, and well yes, very early in the mornings too! I love glass beads! I just love working with glass and am primarily inspired by the natural world around me. All my lampwork glass beads are lovingly handmade by me, Gillian Soskin, in my home glass studio in London, Ontario, Canada.

I also make glass beads to design my own hand made jewelry and some of it can be seen on my website www.brilliantbeads.net; custom orders are welcome! I am a self-representing glass artist (SRA # S107) which means that my beads are individually made, by me, and not mass produced.

Gillian also makes both beads and jewelry...




Here are some of the places you can find Gillian and her work...

♥

And last but not least, Karen of Fire n Sand Glass Art...
I'm Karen Klomparens. I'm a self representing artist, which means I design, create, and market my glass art. I'm a member of Glass Artists of West Michigan, Etsy Glass Artists, Bead Art Originals, Fire Divas, and Dipwads. I sell handmade lampwork glass beads, charm beads, fused glass art, dichroic jewelry and oak bead displays.

Blue Speckled Blown Glass Vessel Pendant, Fire-n-Sand Lampwork

Raised Floral Set (13) , Fire-n-Sand Lampwork, SRA

Here are some of the places you can find Karen and her work...
Karen also offers a Newsletter you can sign up for to keep up with her work!

And, as an added bonus... If you look in Karen's Etsy Shop, you'll also find these awesome ski hats she makes!
WINTER BLUE Downhill Slope Fleece Ski Hat Unisex Genie Style  Rainbow Animal Print Downhill Slope Fleece Ski Hat Unisex Genie Style


♥
I hope you enjoyed the first day of our journey. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow!


Posted by at 19 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Why I Love Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads

I mentioned my addiction to lampwork glass beads the other day...well what an addiction it is! I don't dare tell you how many tackle boxes full of them are in my bead closet! These beads are handmade by glass artists and each one is a special little work of art. I absolutely love them and use them all the time, especially when I'm designing one-of-a-kind pieces. They're lovingly handmade one at a time by winding molten glass around a metal mandrel to form a bead and then decorating it. There are so many different glass types, glass colors, embellishement methods, etc. that the possibilities seem to be endless. I love looking to see all the newest ones, but then of course looking leads to buying...and buying...and buying. See how I ended up filling those boxes?!? It's so easy!

Well, I've been wanting to share information about these beads and the artists who create them and I've finally gotten around to it! I put up a page about Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads on my website. And I've started extending invitations to some of my favorite glass artists to come over and put up a page telling us about themselves and their work. I thought that would make things more interesting. Check 'em out! I think you'll enjoy them.

Two glass artists already have pages up...
Susan Elliot of Doodletart Glass who makes some of the most gorgeous hibiscus beads you'll ever find...



and
Kimberly Nicole of Bastille Bleu Lampwork whose beads are just beautiful and so much fun to work with...



I love hibiscus, flags and hearts so I can't even tell you how hard it was for me not to keep these for myself! I didn't though...I actually used these beads in a couple of my Jewelry for Charity pieces. That heart of Susan's was used in my Valentine Hearts for Haiti piece to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake via Yele Haiti...
Valentine Hearts for Haiti OOAK Handmade Sterling & Lampwork Bracelet

and Nikki's awesome flag beads (from the set pictured above and another set she made) were used in my Fourth of July Fireworks in Honor of Those Who Serve piece to raise money for Soldiers' Angels...
Fourth of July Fireworks Red White Blue Flag & Sterling Bracelet OOAK

 I try to put their beautiful beads to good use! They spark my creativity that's for sure :) Thanks ladies!!

~ Debi
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)