Who says bead need to match to make beautiful jewelry. Just see this post by Lish The Dish : http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=393093.0

My friends, lampwork glass bead are expensive. We know this. We hate this...but we lurrrrveeeeeeee them. There are several easy ways to stretch your crafting dollar when it comes to both purchasing and using lampwork beads.

I don't need to tell you all that there are amazing lampwork artists on sites like Artfire and Etsy, and right of the bat anytime you are buying the beads from the maker you making better dollar sense than buying in local craft store. What you may not know is that for every full, finished set of lampwork beads that the artist sells, there are beads in the same scheme or vein that never made the cut. These are called "Orphans"  and can usually be bought in bulk for a deep discount comparatively. They may be ever so slightly irregular in terms of the orignal set...the color wasn't quite right, the pattern didn't fit, the frit was off...whatever. They are still gorgeous, artisan made lampwork beads, and they need love too.
I have found that if you message an artist and  inquire about orphan beads, most are not only willing and happy to sell them, but will give you a great deal as well. Why wouldn't they??!! You're asking to purchase that which they would more than likely just disregard.  This means savings for you, and if you SELL your creations this means more profit. It's win win. You're supporting an artist while making the most of your budget. YAY SAVINGS! 

Additionally, many times when we buy completed lampwork sets and make our jewelry, we are left with one or two beads in excess. These, in a way,  have now become orphan beads. No longer part of a parent set, but still perfectly wonderful ans ready to use. Letting these beads just sit there, unused, is like throwing money out the window..not mention letting beautiful beads go unstrung is a complete travesty onto itself. You paid for them...USE THEM.

Now is the time to get crazy!

My soution is to make what I like to call CRAZY Bracelets!! Mix up you beads, add some fun bead caps, spacer beads, gemstones, or other glass neads and make something REALLY fun. It doesn't have to match. You will be surprised with how just capping the beads alone makes even the most disjointed color scheme come together. And once you start adding in some accent beads, you'll wonder why you never tried it before. The point is to be eclectic. Be nuts. Be out there, while at the same time being smart about your spending dollar! Here are a few of mine.

This one was comprised of orphaned floral beads I had left over from previously used sets:






This next bracelet is made up of Orphans bought in bulk from an artist on etsy.  I got 100 beads of all sorts of colors and patterns for $50 dollars. ( 50 cents a BEAD!!!!! That's CRAZY talk!  ) This artist used red and yellow in quite a few of her sets, so although they were orphans from completely different parent sets, these beads worked together well because they were the same brand of glass. It was a more cohesive look, and I'm showing you all this for a reason. Just because they are orphans, doesn't mean they won't coordinate! (This is especially true especially when buying from the same maker, as they tend to use the same raw materials.)




Anyway, I know that this was a long post...but I thought I would share how I like to save a buck. Hope this helps someone else save a buck too.

Later Gators! And Happy Crafting!,
~Erin

I LOVE these!  your artwork and color is amazing, and I love you adding the lantern beads. These are really really beautiful. You do amazing work!


I'm a huge fan of sparrows...especial ly tattoo art. In the tattoo world , they are traditionally a symbol of both faithfulness and freedom, which many see as being a dichotomy of sorts, but there is no greater freedom than being  true to what and who you are.

(I love sparrows  and their lore so much that I have them over my heart. Here is a pic of my chest piece)

I have been having fun with making cluster earrings lately. I love playing with different colors, sizes,and finishes of beads to give dimension.
I am also all about aqua and green based blues at the moment. These were so much fun to make!

My recent fave creation :-)

I havent posed in a while , so I thought I'd post  some glass earrings . I ADORE lampwork glas, not just focals , but spacers as well.  I buy lampwork  like a FIEND * laughs*

This is a collection of mostly lampwork glass bead earrings that I made for an order, mostly drop style. All lampwork glass beads were handmade as well ( not by me , but by an aritist I've worked with for years) ...I think there may have also been a pair of ocean jasper earrings thrown in here  as well :-)



( up close on the focals )



(up close on the clusters)



( all the pretties..accented in mixed gemstones including facted pearls , colored quartzes , labradorite, tourmalated quartz, etc ...)



( another panorama of all the earrings)


Thanks for looking

 With the holiday tomorrow , i thought I would share some autumnal themed earrings ...in peachy  pink ...but still autumnal themed.
(and  if you note...yet another use for the crappy labradorite I got from ebay! )





~~ acorns made with vintage, recycled/re-purposed peachy glass beads with antiqued copper caps ,  vintage pressed leaves in antiqued brass , also accented with faceted pink quartz , moss green labradorite briolettes , clear window pane beads framed in antique brass foiling,  all on  antiqued brass findings.


Thanks for looking!

~Ej 

I posted yesterday about ugly beads , and thought I'd share another solution for those  inexpensive , and sometimes ugly , little lucite , and acryllic beads you may have sitting around, or any mismatched beads that build up on the bottom of the bead drawer : Bubble rings!





( these beads were hideous ..seriously . Lucite with a clear band , with gold flakes in the clear part.  I got them in a bracelet  from anold lady at a garage sale . They were very late ' 70's " i love wood  paneling and fiber optic floral arrangements" . Now they are kitcshy fab!)





( just your basic  cheapo stripey beads!)





( the roses were a free gift from an etsy purchase i made , the purple pearls were dug up from the bottom of my bead stash , and the plastic crystals were salvaged from a broken little girls scrunchie that was a friend was going to throw away. I LOVE up-cycling!!)

Thanks for looking!

~Ej 

We have all had that one ebay purchase where our beads are NOTHING like the ones pictured, or they send something completely different all together .  it happens ...but even bad beads are still BEADS , so it could be worse .

this  pair were made from labradorite briolettes that were pictured on Ebay not only as microfaceted , but also light grey and described as having "Super high blue flash ...like a rainbow in the beads!" What I recieved was a regular faceted , moss/ algae/cow-puke green strand with NO blue flash effect ANYWHERE ,and the occasional black splotch taht resembled melanoma. I was told( and this cracked me up) " beads look different on different monitors , and all strands may vary in color".   * ROLLS EYES!*  Anyway ...the beads as beads ( not as labradorite) were still mine , so using the phrase " making lemons out of lemonade" as inspiration (  aka : adding lemon quartz)  I made THESE :








Suck on that Ebay guy! * laughs*

Thanks for looking:-)

~Ej 

An artist I work with makes these 13mm lampwork disks , and they make fabulous additions to bracelets , But I wanted to try something different , and do earrings . These are the first two :





( " hugger" style clusters, which hang just below the earlobe , with lampwork glass disks , and faceted amethyst)





( lampwork glass disks and silver , on  teardrop shaped earwires)

Thanks so much for looking :-)

~Ej 

Both of these pairs of earrings were inspired by where i grew up  in north Florida / Southern Georgia. Where the North has sleek and sophisticated , the South has ornate and more romantic ...I love both . But sometimes, in those moments when I feel like I would absolutely KILL for some sweet tea , the South edges ahead ever so slightly .






( vintage antique brass swallows, vintage czech glass magnolia-esque blossom, firepolished crystal , brass pressed leaves , and smoky quartz all on vintage brass findings .)






( the wood beads  reminded me  of my mothers gorgeous diningroom rug( a southern home staple!).Painted wood capped in brushed brass, firepolish crystal ,  lampwork spacers in ivory, accnete with pressed antigue brass leaves ...all on antique brass findings.)


Thanks so much for looking!

~Ej