a kiln full of beads
Here we have a kiln full of handmade beads ready for annealing. Annealing is a method for heat treating the beads to make them less likely to break. Annealing is also used in metallurgy to make metals less brittle.
After several hours in the hot kiln, the beads reach 960F and are then allowed to cool slowly. Now they are ready to release into the wild.
Glass is still glass, so a bead might break if dropped. It is also wise to avoid thermal shock to glass beads, so if you were wearing a glass bead while sunbathing and then jumped into a cold swimming pool it could have unhappy results.
This week’s necklace is a wrap around style that can be worn in a variety of lengths. Crisp blues and white seed beads in a free form scalloped edge complement the three larger handmade Aura Sun Arts beads.
blue and white wrap style necklace
The entire strand is 19 inches, but it is shown here as a 16 inch choker. The lobster claw clasp in the front makes it easy to hook over the main strand where you like. I will be making some variations on this theme in other colors, and it will be fun to come up with matching earrings.
Click on the image for a closer view. The ruffle is best appreciated in person; the tiny seed beads woven in a peyote stitch create a flexible fabric. This style necklace will be in the $175.00 range.
mayan style bracelet with jaguar carving
This season’s episodes of Survivor: Redemption Island are taking place in Nicaragua. The black and white spiral design called the Hunab Ku is featured on playing pieces in the game, such as tiles that were broken in a recent contest.
Many years ago I took a trip to Belize and read up about the Maya before the trip. I was able to visit Tikal and some of the barrier islands for snorkeling, sea kayaking and camping. The slate carving of the jaguar was a souvenir.
Later I created this peyote stitch bracelet with seed beads using that motif for the central design. The beads are slightly rectangular in shape so the design came out oval instead of perfectly round. Sorry, these are not for sale, but you can click for a closer view.
This week we have one older bracelet and a new pair of earrings.
Something old, something new
The bracelet is an Aura Sun Arts original from some years back; it features glass seed beads, freshwater pearls, and larger glass, quartz and amethyst beads dangling in a cascade across the top that move as the wearer does.
The earrings are my handmade glass beads with metallic accent beads, and the raindrop beads that are also shown loose. Click on either image for a closer view.
Something old and something new, and a salute to the upcoming Royal Wedding that is filling the news. Here my teacup had foam that took the shape of a portrait of Kate Middleton! I won’t be auctioning it off like the jelly bean story on the BBC.
teacup Kate with fancy hat
On a more serious note, this event will have an audience in the millions.
Princess Diana’s funeral had an estimated viewership of 33 million, and if half of them recited the Lord’s Prayer when it was spoken during that service, that (due to the technology of the global simulcast) was the largest unison prayer in the history of our planet. Maybe that prayer will be a part of the wedding service? Wishing the couple every happiness and a day of global harmony.
Carved wooden lion bead, with wooden knot bead at neck
This week we have a special carved boxwood bead in the form of a guardian lion, sometimes also called a Fu Dog.
It has a sweet face with beady black eyes and an open mouth, looking up at the wearer. The back of the bead has the signature of the artist. It was purchased some years back at a fine bead shop called Hands of the Hills on Mercer Island, WA, that has unfortunately since become wholesale only.
Another carved wooden bead sits at the back of the neck. Click on the image for a closer view. The necklace stringing is a subtle gradient of browns; incorporating seed beads with a sprinkling of larger beads. It is 24 inches long with a three inch tassel.
This one is promised to a good home but a similar piece would run $125.00.
Seafoam blues with hints of green
The Vernal Equinox arrives, and today’s creation features three Aura Sun Arts beads strung with a range of blues and hints of green.
The handmade beads feature my favorite blue and gold glimmers, and tiny air bubbles encased in clear glass. I add the air bubbles by making a mesh of glass strings and encasing over that. Many glass artists view air bubbles as mistakes, but I find them to be really fun. When you spin the bead the bubbles look like tiny planets in orbit.
Click on the photo for a closer look. This one is 24 inches and needs no clasp. It has already gone to a good home, but a similar creation might cost $95.00.
fire bead in peyote stitch woven choker
Finally finished another woven seed bead choker this week.
I call this series Fire beads because of how great they look in full sunlight – like they are on fire! Translucent ambers and blues with glimmers of gold and lots of encased air bubbles make this handmade Aura Sun Arts bead special.
The focal bead colors are repeated in the seed beads along the necklace, in shades of amber and brown, with flecks of gold and a scattering of blues. The bead weaving technique, using upholstery thread and a tiny needle, is called the peyote stitch. With it you can create patterns or completely freeform pieces, it is much like knitting.
Browns and blues just naturally complement each other, it’s a good team. Here is another shot to show the detail on the end clasp. Some of the beads were just 1mm in size, it made this one more challenging. It is 15.5 inches long. $250.00. Click on each photo for an enlarged view.
fire bead with bubbles
Tags: amber, AuraSunArts, beads, blue, encasing, glass, necklace, peyote, seed, stitch, weaving
AuraSunArts, seed beads | mary | 
February 12, 2011 5:25 pm | 
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black, gold and blue focal bead with moonstone accents
This week’s handmade Aura Sun Arts creation features a focal bead with a black core, drifts of metallic gold and bluestone, and captive air bubbles encased in clear glass.
The lentil shaped moonstone accent beads along the necklace have their own mysterious hints of blue and gray. So sophisticated!
It measures 18 inches; the balance of smaller seed beads are in colors of matte and oil blacks and gold.
Click to see it close-up for true appreciation.
To learn more about the optical properties of moonstone, you will find the Wiki entry on adularescence is most enlightening.
Festive set
Today’s featured beads are on the festive side.
The three large encased glass cylinder beads were hand made at Aura Sun Arts as a matched set; they have air bubbles, traces of gold and bright splashes of colors inside. The largest measures 16 x 14 mm and is strung on an 18 inch necklace with a double strand of accent and seed beads in the same colors.
The matching earring beads measure 14 x 11 mm and dangle on shepherd hooks. Click on the image for a closer view.
This morning’s broadcast of Sunday Morning on CBS featured a segment on “Beads of Courage” an organization that donates beads to children with serious illnesses. They accept donated beads and have a page that details what beads they especially need. I look forward to creating some special beads for them. Either link will get you to the video of the segment that was aired this morning.
For the children involved, having a necklace that details their treatment milestones is a tangible way to be proud of their courage.
Spiral peyote choker
Today’s necklace features an Aura Sun Arts lampworked bead with blues and traces of gold.
The necklace is 16.5 inches long, and is strung on stainless steel beading wire, with a tube of spiral peyote stitch seed beads embellishing each side. The seed bead work is done with a tiny needle and upholstery thread. Click on the image for a larger view.
Weaving the beads and thread is somewhat like making running bond brickwork. You will have a string of beads with alternating beads standing taller, and you add the next bead between two tall neighbors. I have used seed beads of three different sizes here, which makes the pattern more free form.
The Wikipedia article on brickwork has some interesting terminology for bricks, like soldier, sailor, shiner and stretcher; all names for how the bricks are placed in the wall.
The bead weaving is a slow process which makes this style more expensive, resulting in a price range of $90.00 to $120.00 for this one or similar necklaces.
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