What are your favorite lampwork beads?

I'll look some up tomorrow. But certainly that would apply to some of Kalera's beads.

Tina

incorporated

What would it say to me if I couldn't listen to feedback? I always value other's judgment. Sometimes I take it and sometimes I leave it, but I always treasure it.

I'll get some crystal and see if that helps in the photos. I know my bead holes are large at 3/32 for my wire. They seem so floppy when trying to take photos. :-p

If that's the problem, then any small decorative bead which will fill in the extra space and stabilize the larger beads should do it. Even a 6/0 seed bead would probably work -- of course, they won't look as pretty as crystal!

Celine

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "starlia" :

]I'll get some crystal and see if that helps in the photos. I know my bead ]holes are large at 3/32 for my wire. They seem so floppy when trying to ]take photos.

i put size 8s or 10s inside Tink's beads before i string them or wire wrap them. it's a BIG help.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

newest creations: ----------- I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all.

Mine are 3/32" as well, so putting something between them really does help. :)

Thanks, Tina! That's such a nice description, I'm glad some of my beads fit it!

-Kalera

Christ> I'll look some up tomorrow. But certainly that would apply to some of

You know what's funny about the vines? I love the texture and detail, but the "green" part throws me. Yes, I love green, but in vines it often seems to detract from the flowers. I like them green if the flowers ae blue and the base bead is a lighter blue, but I'm definitely finding that a more abstract vine pattern works better for me... I've been using black and white vines, which I really like, and reduction stringer vines, which turn into neat fine lines over the base bead... more Impressionistic than your standard green vine. I love unexpected combinations, like a mix of floral and geometric, or geometric with organic.

-Kalera

Kandice Seeber wrote:

You might look into using Czech rondelles for your spacers... they're very inexpensive. Then, if you like the look, you can add crystal and even silver. Although I have not done this myself, I think that using high-quality crystal and silver really helps sell your beads, and will get you higher prices... for me, I hate to admit this but the main reason I don't use them is the same reason I don't do well making jewelry... choices, choices. Instead of just stringing up a set and photographing it, I would tend to spend hours agonizing over colors and rearranging the spacers. No kidding. I made myself two bracelets last night... both of which I've been sitting on and thinking about for months... and I'm about to take them apart today because the composition isn't perfect.

I am considering starting using the Czech rondelles, though, just to show off the beads a bit better, and if that goes well I might move up to Swarovski. It's very nice to purchase a set that comes with good accent beads... it makes the bracelet-making process less agonizing for me. :)

Speaking of which, I got the best focal bead from Karen. It came with silver and turquoise, which went instantly into a bracelet with some coral. Now I'm working on the necklace, using the focal. Yummy! Thank you, Karen!

-Kalera

starlia wrote:

I suspect you'd make a great teacher, because you're so direct. You could offer direct and simple corrections, and feelings wouldn't be hurt.

I'm attending the ISGB teachers seminar at the Gathering... I am just now feeling like I'm ready to start teaching, but I won't charge for classes until I really have all the information I need to *know* I am ofering a product worth selling. Part of doing that, for me, is that I'm teaching three students for free; one of them has already had her first class and returned for more torch time, and I feel really good about how that went.

Starlia, I always have admired the heck out of your sheer ballsiness! You will go far in lampworking, even though you will probably rub a few people the wrong way unintentionally (as we saw already with the flap on WC). Your main strength lies in your hunger to try new things that would seem, at first, to be way beyond your skill level... that push is what has advanced your skills so fast, and I hope you never stop doing it! However, in this case I really agree with Kandice that teaching, at least for pay, is something that should probably wait until you have at least two years of experience under your belt. But as with all opinions I voice, that's just my take on things, and I'm sure a convincing counter-argument could be lodged. :)

-Kalera

Kandice Seeber wrote:

It's sooo hard to choose. After buying that one focal from you, Kalera...i can't decide what to put with it. It's on a ribbon...waiting for me to decide what to do. I'm not complaining, mind you, just understanding about the choices dilemma.

Yes, yes and yes! I agree - it's often the color that gets me. A lot of the time, people use Pea Green with lines of brown or black or whatever for vines, and I hate that. The green just is the wrong color and doesn't go well, IMO. A bluer green would be better IMO. And I love florals over geometrics as long as the geometrics are precise. Hmmmm. Maybe I should stick a flower on some encased stripe beads. Hmmmmm.

I like the idea of black or white vines - that's enough to create the look without taking away from the flowers.

These vines are really nice:

I'd love to see flowers on your stripy cubes, and I've been toying with the idea of, say, surface flowers melted smooth amidst geometric designs, or encased florals over encased geometric designs like stripes or triangles.

Thanks for the compliment on those vines! They are the reduction stringer ones I was talking about... I probably used Iris Gold for those.

-Kalera

Kandice Seeber wrote:

Yesssss! I often sit on beads for months, or even years, waiting to figure out what to do with them.

-Kalera

Jalynne wrote:

Like fine wine, they get better with age.

An encased floral over encased stripes would look gorgeous as a focal, I think. :) Maybe we should both make one!

Sooz

------- "Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance ~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links

Heck yeah. :)

Sounds good to me! I love seeing the varied results when everyone starts with the same "idea".