Still catching up

More beads to post!  First up are my earring pairs that I made on Feb. 10, 2011.  I sold two pair to my neighbor before I got the photos taken!  One pair was especially nice - very organic.  Maybe I can get her to let me take a photo of her finished jewelry.  She is just learning and this will be her 3rd and 4th pair to make - Go Pam!

Here they are in smaller groups so they can be seen better.  The first three sets are made with aqua bases and white decoration.  Next is turquoise and ivory.  The 5th and 6th pair are both red bases with white stringer but the second pair of red beads didn't photograph well.  The 7th pair are turquoise, aqua and emerald. All the rest are the organic stone style with assorted colored transparent glass.  The last pair really absorbed the glass so the colored part is very very small but they still look pretty cool in person.

Here are a couple of beads I made with some filigrana glass I had laying on my table.  I was thinking of making them into earring pairs but I think they are too large and heavy for earrings.

The rest of these are more for my records than anything.   They are more of my attempts at different applications I have been working on.  I wasn't very successful. 

First two are a base of 591042, Purple Med. Transparent.  First one is rolled in silver foil and burnished and the second is rolled in silver leaf and burnished - didn't seem to make a difference.  Silver was not burned off on either bead.  Next Rubino Oro is applied in triangle style with small dots of 591058-LV, Violet Ink Blue Light Prem. Trans. Odd and then all is melted in. First bead has raised dots of 591042 and the second one has raised dots of Rubino Oro.  Both are struck before putting away.  I have seen this application on several of the bead forums and I just can't get it to work the way it's supposed to.  I think it's because I am not using the exact same color rods and it's because of a chemical reaction.  If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, please let me know.  The second two in the series are also failures and again I think it's because I'm using glass that I think is close but not exactly what is listed in the formula I was working from.  I have used the same application in both of these beads with the second one having a white core.  I was hoping it would give it some light so the design would show up.  They are bases of 591058-LV with small dots of Rubino Oro melted in then silver leave is applied and burnished and then all is melted in a fairly hot flame.  I capped the center dots with clear and one side is capped with crocus and the other side with rose quartz.  I was trying this technique from page 13 of Spotlight on Silver Vol. 2.  Maybe some day I'll make these pretty "Barley style" beads.  If I'm really lucky I'll get to take a class one day from Michael Barley himself!!!

Now this is a bead I tried a few posts back and lesson learned was not to make these with silver foil and only use silver leaf.  So my silver leaf came in the mail last week and I gave it another try.  Still not great but it's working!  I will be able to make these at least!  Directions for these Barley "Window Beads" is also on page 13 of Spotlight on Silver Vol. 2.

 I made some more of those orange/pink and purple Pixi Dust beads.

 And also gave it a whirl on silvered plum and turquoise. 

I don't remember if I made this bead on the same day but I liked the way it turned out.  No notes on it but I remember it was a base of light ivory and I think the darker dots are 591730 Choco-lotta Noir.  The little dots are some aqua that I had laying around on my work space.

Only two more posts of bead batches and I'll be caught up.  Next batch is really nice and I will be putting them up for sale on my artfire account as soon as I get those photos cropped.  I think you will like them so check back soon!!!