The extra large focal cat bead was an experiment. I wanted to duplicate a tiger bead off mandrel. It was a rather challenging feat! Tigger’s head is a thing of wonder! There are seven layer of glass in there! Made off mandrel and kept warm until the body was ready. The body is a fat barrel bead… all those layers got a bit too fat to fast so Tigger needs to go on a glass diet! The base bead is stunning with much to see inside. Then I added the details of his body features and applied that off mandrel head.
Base bead is 34 mm hole to hole and 43.4 mm tall including the ears. The base bead is 17.4 mm wide; the head is 20 mm wide. Discounted price because it’s a prototype. $22.95
I’m really enjoying making tiger beads for a friend’s book project and there will be more coming! Here’s my favorite so far!
I got a moody new glass rod called “calico” and all I could think to make with it was a cat… pretty cute, huh??? 34 mm hole to hole (including ears) x 30 mm wide $22.50
I have just been mesmerized with Eye Beads lately. I wrote all about my obsession with them on my glass bead blog. You can read the entire article on eye beads here. But here’s the part I adore about Eye Beads:
“Eye beads are meant to offer protection. Think of the third eye in Indian culture. The eye bead for protection is also really popular in Greece, Armenia and in Egypt. I’ve always been fascinated with Egyptian eyes and looked at lots of Egyptian artwork to come up with the background colors for that bead above. I also researched Egyptian symbolism to figure out what to put on the back.
I found out that a squared off version of a swirl… an image prevalent in all human art since the caveman era … stands for home. What a better thing to offer protection over than home!”
So, the obsession continues… I’ve had several requests for blue backgrounds with gold accents – a common color in Egyptian art. But… blue and yellow don’t really play well in glass. There’s always a weird green halo that my own eye really dislikes.
Both beads were made free hand in a loose eye shape. I covered both with a variety of blue glasses, both opaque and transparent. Each was wrapped with goldstone and feathered. Then I built the eye with murrini from my friend and very talented glass artist, Janel Dudley.
About the First Bead: Traditional dark eyelid, the goldstone does not sparkle much on this one. There is an Egyptian symbol for “home” on the back in goldenrod stringer. 28 mm hole to hole x 24 mm wide. $55.00
About the 2nd Bead: I really like the goldstone in this bead…it really sparkles! It was the first one I’ve made with a lighter colored (ivory) eye lid and the first time I attempted to place “eyeliner” UNDER the lid. The back side is plain with only the goldstone feathering showing. 29 mm hole to hold x 23 mm wide. $55.00
Allow me to kvetch for a moment about cameras and the color blue. Most cameras never get it right. This glass bead is a cobalt blue… like the signature in the picture. I made this focal for a piece of jewelry for the Art Bead Scene’s July ’10 contest and never found the time or inspiration to make the jewelry. C’est la vie! 35 mm hole to hole x 30 mm wide. 22.95
Shibori is form of Japanese dying – Kind of like our tye – dye but usually quite elegant. this glass bead reminds me of shibori. It is colorful and elegant. It is a long barrel focal made from a temperamental pink glass. If you know you’re going to make something mad, you might as well try to have a little fun with it, right? So, I deliberately used glasses that I thought would make that base glass react and boy did she! tones from pink, mauve, lavender to coral and olive appeared! There is a black and gold ribbon running around the bead as well. This beauty just shimmers in the light! It won’t disappoint! $32.00
This was a sample from a custom order for a focal glass bead. Sailboat on the ocean features brown hull and white sail. The sky is a baby blue. The water, a dark lapis color with streaks of dichroic and yellow. The glass bead is anchored by the sandy shoreline complete with mini seashells.
Measures: 1.4″ from hole to hole. .94″ wide. $36.00
OR Make it a pendant for 48.00. For $12.00 more, I will wire wrap it with crystals and sterling silver for a pendant. See Koi Fish pendant for example.
It’s no great secret that I love silvered ivory in my glass beads. Here’s a focal – petit for me but large to some of you! Measures: 37 mm hole to hole x 11 mm wide. 17.00
I love the size and shape of this glass bead but the red didn’t strike as much as I had hoped. Still, it’s really pretty and large! Measures: 27.2 mm hole to hole x approx 19 mm wide. $15.00$9.00
