Christmas Earrings and Pendants

Here are my Christmas beads for this year. I am enjoying making the snowballs, each is just a little different and they really catch the light and sparkle.

November 21st Scappoose Dance Team Competition

I will be a vendor at the Scappoose High School Dance Team Competition. I will be featuring earrings and cell phone charms crafted with my hand-torched beads designed in school colors. I can custom make any color combinations!

SUSHI!

Ok- I had too much fun making these. The yellow is my daughter's favorite-tamago. The reddish would be one of my favorites-tuna. I think I will be making some California Rolls next!

Bracelets

I have fun doing a series of beads on a color scheme. Sometimes I just string them on stretchy beading cord with a few spacers or swarovski crystals between them.

Pendants

Here are some pendants. I have fun making focal beads for pendants. I don't have to worry about making a match like with earring pairs.

Halloween Beads

Here are some designs for Halloween.

What is lampworking?

Lampworking is a style of glassworking. I begin with glass rods made by Bullseye Glass located in Portland. I melt the rods in a flame from my oxygen/propane torch. When the glass becomes molten, like thick honey, I wrap it around steel mandrels. Then I shape them in the flame of the torch. Sometimes I think it feels like melting a marshmallow in a campfire. Then when the bead is just right, I put it in a digitally controlled kiln that anneals them overnight. Annealing is the process of slowly cooling glass that has been worked with so that it will be durable. In the morning I check my creations...it is always fun to see how they look.