Silvered Bead Exhange In Progress

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on so here we go....
First off I want to thank everyone who came to my open house and made it a successful and fun day!!!!!  I told one friend tonight, that I love making beads but, seeing my friends wear and enjoy them is just the best thing ever!!!  I remember back in the beginning of my bead making, I felt that each bead was one of my babies and I often had a hard time letting go of them.  Now, I love having them go to you all - they are still my babies but I like them being out and about and enjoyed by others!!!!

I am taking part in a Silvered Glass exchange with other bead makers on one of the forums I follow.  My hope is that I will learn as much as possible about this glass.  There are so many awesome silvered glass bead artists and I would love to make beads on their level.  It will take a while and I may never get it - it's a tricky thing for sure.  So we will see.  I've already been frustrated by the challenge and it's only been 2 weeks.  The challenge/exchange will be over Feb. 1 - so lets hope I'm not a silvered glass drop out.

The colors were not what I was hoping for but I still like this bead!!! Technical info: Base of effetre black, OY corners, rolled in Psyche Frit, reduced, encased with Aether clear in corners, dotted with Aurae on raised corner dots. 

This bead is fused to the mandrel so instead of a bead it is now a flower pot stake. 
Technical info: It has a effetre black base, OY wrap, rolled in Triton and Gaia Frit, added a few random small clear dots before reducing and wrapping it in Aether clear - left slightly raised.  Nothing special here but I'm starting to pick up some color.

I know I probably have way too many photos of this bead but it has so many cool things going on each side plus I liked the different backgrounds as they seem to enhance different features of the bead.  This is not a frit bead but is a silvered glass bead.  I love these pink ones and my customers seem to like them too.  Now when I can be consistent in achieving this color I will be a happy silvered glass bead maker!!!  Technical info: Base of striking orange, reg. clear encased, Kalypso swished on - worked till droopy hot, cooled, cooled, cooled, struck a bit, reduced a bit then reg. clear encased.

That's it for the bead portion of this post but I do have a bracelet to share with you that I finished for a customer.  It's made with those cool Black Sting Ray beads - inspired from my recent trip to the zoo.  I have a few more to make similar to this one - seems to be a popular item.  I may have to make one of these for myself too!!!

More blogging coming soon!
Thanks for reading!
Chris
Contact me: chrissandersonbeads@gmail.com
Follow my life of Lampworking: http://beadsbychrissanderson.blogspot.com
Purchase my beads and Jewelry: http://www.artfire.com/users/BeadsByChris
Finished Jewelry sold on site at: SALVATORE CAPELLI SALON 114 W. South Boundary Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 - In the Country Charm Shoppes.
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