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Inspiration beads into future projects

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Of all the things you can create fine art jewelry with, I love lampwork beads the best. Forged in the flame of a torch (a “lamp”), these intricate sculptures take hours to create as the artists melts on layers of colorful glass filaments. In this post, I want you to see a sneak peek of the collected creations of my favorite lampwork artists that will inspire my next projects. With twists of wire, these will soon be wearable creations.
I love dragons, and Keri Fuhr Keffler‘s sassy baby dragon cameos delight me so much.
blue and white glass dragon head on black bacground surrounded by complimentary blue and black glass beads

When I’m designing a piece of jewelry, I usually start with the focal piece and allow its design and colors to inspire the palette of colors, shape, and textures.

For this future piece, I’ve pulled in colors like black, blue, gold, white with iridescent Swarovski pearls, disc and accent beads by Stephanie Dieleman. Butterfly wings and accent beads by Kim Snider.

Tammy Mercier‘s animals often include uncommon colors that are fun to pair creatively with other materials. In addition to brown, these bears have blues, greens, pink, and aqua (and the sweetest eyes!).
With these creative colors as inspiration, I’ve paired one of them with green beads that include materials as diverse as chrysoprase, fluorite, frosted glass, and Lucite. I have almost as much fun deciding what color wire to use to compliment the focal piece and different color beads.
When designing a piece, I tend to work monochromatically (within one color) or shades within one color. This allows a dramatic focal piece to really stand out. To add interest, I use unexpected textures like buttons, shells, feathers, fiber, or found objects.
Stephanie Dieleman’s work is new to me as of this year. She made this intricate glass fish with its comical expression. The red bee is by Keri Fuhr Keffler. Together with pocket watch faces and metal buttons, I can’t wait to bring some new creations into bee-ing.
The colors and details in this green owl are just stunning. Over the years, I’ve collected many of Keri Fuhr Keffler’s owls because I just love their expressions and faces. I’ve paired this owl bead with butterfly wings by Kim Snider and dainty disc beads from the bench of Stephanie Dieleman.
Having designed art jewelry for many years, I find it interesting what catches my eye and how it shifts over time. My taste has changed from when I started, and I have a more critical eye than I did early on. In the artists I buy from too, I’ve seen how their skill and tastes shift over time.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into my stash and works in progress! If you’re not following me on social media (Facebook and Instagram), please do for my more spontaneous snapshots of works in progress and an occasional farm photo!

All that glitters

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Art glass pendants galore

As the holidays approach, I’m turning out lots of fun and colorful glass pendants using lampwork focal beads from some of my favorite glass artists.

From wise owls and cute pups to seasonal, wintry themes (I love the steaming cup of cocoa), I’m having a blast creating lots of swishes and scrolls to embellish these fun pieces.

Just a few of the dozens of glass pendants on my work bench

The wire in these pendants is copper that’s coated in colored enamel. It comes in so many shades, so it’s easy to find the perfect match with specific hues in the glass beads.

The wonderful thing about pendants is their simplicity. You can wear them with nearly anything—from dressing up your jeans or adding a little pizzazz to your favorite turtle-neck dress.

I’ve been collecting lampwork beads by various talented artists for years,  and it’s been so fun to revisit my favorites. I am always amazed by how much creativity, sparkle, and whimsy they bring to creating focal beads. I might have trouble letting go of a few of them!

With creative embellishments and colored wire to highlight each unique piece, each one becomes wearable art for everyday or the holidays!

I’ve created about 50 pendants in advance of the holiday season and will be displaying them at three different local art galleries. If you’re in the Fresno area, you’re invited to visit and take your favorites home with you!

It’s an honor to have my work featured at these creative local galleries. If you need a little more sparkle in your life (or know someone who does), I hope you’ll come by!

Lampwork glass at the heart of my art

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Lampwork glass and wire, together

Lampwork is the art of making glass beads in the fire of a lamp or torch. At the center of my wire art jewelry, often, are other artists.

I love working with wire. I love its challenges and the creativity that wire inspires in me. Although I’ve dabbled in other mediums, wire suits me best. But I also love the depth, color, and variety of lampwork focal pieces.

As I watched glass artists at their craft, I realized that no matter how gorgeous, I didn’t want to learn this craft just to have beautiful focal beads (plus fire—ack!). It is intricate, delicate work. So instead, I’ve become a connoisseur of lampwork and the artists who create using glass.

Borne of fire

Each lampwork bead has layers and layers of glass from rods and tiny shards that artists work in a flame. The flame makes the glass fluid; it melts as they work, so they have to keep the piece in motion to keep it from dripping to the floor. It’s mesmerizing to watch.

Some of my favorite lampwork artists

This month, some of my favorite talented lampwork artists are allowing me to feature them in this post, hard at work. Read on for a sneak peek into  some of the art they’re creating right now.

Gail Crosman Moore

Gail’s studio is in Provincetown, MA and has won many awards for her glass art. She uses various types of glass and her use of materials continues to expand. Often her work features metal or fiber along with the glass.

Gail's glass art in progress

Gail’s glass art in progress

Here are three of Gail’s recent works:

My necklace, Breastplate for Ninsun, features beads by Gail.

BreastPlate for Ninson lampwork wire art necklace (c) Melanie Schow

Molly Cooley

Molly’s studio, Windswept Tree Glass Art, is in Michigan. She told me, “My space is a complete mess…for some reason I can’t create if it’s clean!” (It looks colorful and gorgeous to me!)

Here are two of Molly’s recent works:

This is a holiday-themed necklace I made with one of her tree-themed pieces.

Viktorija Vait

A few months ago, we featured one of Viktorija’s peices. She’s located in Lithuania and many of her beads are mix of both glass and paint (Etsy).

With Viktorija’s lampwork red bird bead, I created this necklace:

The best part of buying art from different lampwork artists is the variety. There are so many styles—from humorous to artful and everything in between. If I made my own, I’d be much more limited to my style only.

In creating my own art, I love that I get to support other artists. Be sure to check out what these talented women are creating!

Buying art glass beads from across the world

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It came a long way

Getting boxes in the mail is a common occurrence at my house, but a package from Lithuania is something special. Especially when there’s art inside.

And chocolate!

Being an avid lover of art glass beads, I frequent a number of lampwork artists pages on Facebook to find unique creations from all over the world.

With so many diverse styles in one place, I get lots of variety to put into my necklaces and art.  Sometimes I see a treasure I just can’t pass up. And with a buy-it-now option, those handmade works of art just wing themselves to me. When I know one is coming, it’s exciting—like a present for myself.

However, when something comes all the way from eastern Europe, there’s no instant gratification. I can take weeks to arrive. Somehow this makes its arrival even more special.

My most recent treasure is this piece made by Viktorija Vait (Vilnius, Lithuania).

art glass beads

When I opened the envelope, I oohed and ahhed over the colors, the painted details, and the amount of skill it takes to create textured glass beads like this. The best part? I get to make it into a wearable necklace as a present for someone else to enjoy.

Turning lampwork beads into wearable art

First I matched it with a variety of beads and wire in shades of red.

Then I got to work (it gets a little messy as I experiment with different arrangements)!

Finally, it all came together in a finished piece!

More jewelry ahead

Just before I finished the red bird pendant, another package came in the mail from a bit nearer to home (Michigan) from another talented artist Molly Cooley. The eclipse and waves are just stunning!

I wonder what this gorgeous treasure will become!

Here there be (friendly) dragons

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Befriending a dragon

Dragons are magical. Their scales glimmer. Their eyes shine. Their wings take us soaring to far-off, mystical places. Of course, they do have the ability to breathe fire from that huge snout or slice with fang and claw. But the dragons of my imagination befriend us humble humans for exciting adventures.

Given my love for fantasy and embroidered tales, it was only natural that dragons came into my art bead collection. It was a lovely day, perusing the work of my bead-maker friend, Robin Poff, when I saw her dragons made in art glass.

It was fairy-tale love at first sight. Ivory in color, her glass dragons are pure whimsy and imagination. Three-dimensional and weighty, and each one has its own personality and facial expression.  I had to have them.

Another lampwork artist, Kerri Fuhr, also conjures dragons from glass. I began to collect her beautiful beasts more recently. Her two-dimensional portraits have lots of texture and dragon colors like gorgeous blue-green, emerald, and chartreuse. And those quintessential fierce eyes!

Dressing with dragons

I love using dragons in my necklaces. Wearing one helps you be feisty and fanciful at the same time. Dragons help shy people express their bold alter ego. If you want to feel brave, keep a dragon close to you. Their big, powerful presence will inspire you to be courageous.

I dream of dragons

I once found The Dragonology Handbook, A Practical Course in Dragons by Ernest Drake.  It lists all the different kinds of dragons—just like an Audubon bird book—and includes Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Dragonology lessons.

If I had my own dragon, it would be pink and sparkly with wings. It would breathe fire with glitter. My dragon would fly at sunrise and visit me to be scratched behind its ears and fed hard-boiled eggs. Until that happens, I’ll keep including glass dragons in my art.

My dragon necklaces

Because the dragon beads are glass, the pieces I make with them are heavy. (See my article on how to wear dramatic art necklaces with confidence.) My dragon necklaces are carefully balanced, designed to rest on the breastbone, rather than hang (or possibly pull) on the neck. Several of the lovely beasts pictured in this article now belong to collectors and inhabit a shadow box or a neck stand perch for viewing.

If you had a dragon, what would yours look like?

You otter see this!

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The project

As an artist, you think you’re in control, but sometimes the materials make demands on you.

I took this photo of “what’s on my bench” last November. With a whole season of flowing, water-themed work behind me, I already had coils made up. In this tray of materials, you can see ocean blues and foam spray with white and metallics. That was the idea, anyway.

The inspiration

Then Otter showed up. This bead has been talking to me since it arrived.

otter close up

This lampwork art glass bead is by Joy Munshower. She’s really good at animals and gets great personality and sparkle into them.

He’s really cheeky. It looks like she’s using dichroic or silver glass–something under the surface that catches the light and reflects it back out. Even though it has a matte finish, the eye is still shiny and sparkling, just like in nature.

For months, I’ve been carrying this otter bead around, looking at it, putting it near the top of  the “I wanna do that” pile. I kept thinking I would get to it.

Well, he hopped right into the middle of all my watery blue coils to stay. I had the idea that he’d have a little pearl or some treasure, and the blue water background would highlight it nicely.

The challenge

In spite of my efforts, the concept of the otter necklace wouldn’t come together. Sometimes that happens.

I moved things and reshaped, but I couldn’t get the necklace to work. Eventually I realized it didn’t want to be a necklace. But that’s always a big decision because once I cut it, it won’t be a necklace anymore!

Once I snipped, otter hopped right into the frame. The piece changed shape for the better, and the pearl and starfish went more easily into place than on the necklace. I’m finally happy with the way this bead is set and glad this sweet little guy has a home at last.

Otter on view!

I titled this finished piece, “Same Ocean, New Tide,” since it combines my theme of watery colors with a new visitor. I’m thrilled it’s being included in the first Madera Circle Gallery‘s art show of 2017. If you’re in the area, feel free to stop by to see their New Journeys show.

Quirky cats as art jewelry inspiration

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A lifetime of cats

Maybe I was destined to choose cats for my art jewelry. Ever since I named my first kitty Lilac Starlight when I was really little, unique cats have been parading through my life with tails held high.

  • Champ was an orange tabby from the apple farm who got increasingly nicked-up ears earning his street cred after we moved to California.
  • Bob came to us with a tail that didn’t work, but with the care of an attentive vet, regained full use to get into all kinds of mischief.
  • Young Mr. Puss became an annual fixture in our holiday card when he jumped into a photo his first year with us. Later years he did not volunteer and we had to hold him down for the photo moment with predictable flying fur.
Mr. Puss, Art Critic

Mr. Puss, Art Critic

In addition to their unique personalities, most of our cats have gone by two names. Upon their arrival to the ousehold, I’d come up with a moniker I liked. But as the cat grew on my husband, he’d christen it with a second name—the one that usually stuck. So CK became Bob. Bug became Mr. Puss. In any case, they never minded the extra attention.

Not exactly catless today

We have myriad dogs (our own and others’) underfoot and farm animals too, but I still love cats. My favorite thing about them is their independence, personality, and character.

Although our household is catless at the moment, I get my feline fix using the hilarious and quirky cat beads created by Kathleen O’Connor in my necklaces and pendants. Each of her characters are hilarious and unique. Like Professor Specs, for example.

professor-specs

And these two purr-fectly innocent (but probably mischievous) Halloween cats.

full-moon-fairy-tail

Can you see how the pink Wicked Witch cat below has a playfully square-kinked tail?

wicked-witch-cat

I mirror the same quirky angles in Kathleen’s art in my accent wirework and hand-forged links. And just look at those eyes! What personality!

Artistic inspiration

Kathleen is a talented artist and a great person. When I asked her how she makes these glass beads, she explained that she first lampworks the tab bead base, and then paints the scene with very fine ground glass. She sometimes fires the piece several times to add layers of color. It’s a complicated and unusual process because lampworkers usually finish a bead and then fire it once.

An exciting announcement

As of this month, my collection of necklaces and pendants featuring Kathleen O’Connor’s Scaredy Cats is on my brand new online shop. Even if there’s no Lilac Starlight, I hope you’ll take a look at all the fun, quirky cats in my life!

Chevron Beads – Traditional Bead Making

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I use lots of lampwork, artist made glass beads, in my jewelry designs. This Friday I got to see a trunk show of Luigi Cattelan’s work at Creative Castle in Newbury Park, California. Their entire classroom is filled with beautiful, unique glass beads and jewelry.

The short version is much of glass bead making was invented and perfected in Italy. In 1291 the glass factories of Venice were moved to the island of Murano to contain the fire hazard and better protect the trade secrets and glass-making techniques. Beads were used for trade all over the world and in the 1500s the exchange rate was 1 to 1000, so even then the price of beads was dear!

Luigi’s father owned a glass factory where Luigi worked until it closed. Then he worked at one of the oldest factories still in operation until it closed in 1992. From there he started to make his own beads, especially chevron beads, which he makes them in the traditional Venetian method

Luigi Cattelan artist profile


I purchased these yesterday – they are the last of the red and white chevrons from a production run in 1994. Big and bold with a soft, semi-matte finish – they are substantial in your hand and dramatic to the eye.

And if all that was not enough… he has with him some amazing bead history that I got to see up close and personal. Bead cards used by traders to show their wares and bead trim samples from a the late 1800s stiched to a cloth with the orignal tags and numbers for customers to view and order. The beads we love thread back through history and have been dear to the human race for centuries.

You can see Luigi and his beads at Creative Castle through Sunday. He is going on to the Tucson shows and to some other locations in the US. Look for him! His work is exciting and the sense of history and care for those who have come before is palpable.