Showing posts with label beads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beads. Show all posts

Beaded Webs: revisited review


Hello Batlings! I hope everyone's 2015 is being absolutely splendid, and if it isn't I hope things will get better soon.

Almost a year ago, I did a review on a small home run business called Beaded Webs, you can read that review here.  <<<<< click the linky!!

Since then Beaded Webs has added some amazing new designs to the creations for sale, and I wanted to share these amazing finds with you all!

This talented artist has started to design and create 3-d bead and wire sculptures!!! I am honoured to own a gorgeous purple and black spider made by Beaded Webs.   

3-d bat

3-d spider
All of the creations from Beaded Webs are hand crafted, using wire work techniques and meticulously threaded beads. This artist is going from strength to strength and every week there is something new to marvel at, and to buy!


Beaded Webs sells via a Facebook page , grab yourself an intricately designed 3-d bead and wire creation today, make sure you check the page out!

[Pictures used are copy-write Beaded Webs 2015]



............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat

REVIEW: Beaded Webs: beautiful bead and wire sculptures hand crafted in Australia

In tonight's blogpost, I am featuring a local artist from Queensland, Australia who creates absolutely gorgeous intricate original designs from seed beads and wire.

A very talented Australian artisan, this lady creates beautiful designs out of wire, beads, and trinkets, she sells them from her facebook page, at bargain prices even though they are worth so much more. 

One of her recent Beaded creations is a mermaid themed one, I am totally blown away by the detail she has created by only using wire and beads. The red beaded hair is flowing and luxurious, and the scales on the tail and fin are so delicately created. A masterpiece!
Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014
As well as character pieces such as the mermaid, Beaded Webs creates intricate interwoven pieces based on a central design element. In the below example, she has created the complex layers growing from the central tree of life image. Look at all the detailed work that has gone into this piece!

Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014
Nature is often a theme in her work, such as the wolf and the moon, which features tiny moon and star charms as well as the memorising wolf baying at the crescent moon!
Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014
Another speciality from this artist, is gemstone 'bonsai' trees, I am lucky enough to own one of these, which i keep at work to lift my spirits while I am at my desk.
Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014
If you would like to purchase any of her amazing work, please visit her facebook page and peruse her for sale album there.

I can say with pride that I own many Beaded Webs original pieces, in a variety of sizes, colours, and themes. She is a truly gifted artist and I would be so happy if her work could be seen by the world!

NOTE: all photos used here at copyright of BEADED WEBS

Feel free to post a comment 
............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat

Alphabet Challenge: Happily Handmade Handcrafts

Up to H in my alphabet challenge blogs, and today's post is about Happily Handmade items, beautiful things made by clever artists.

Beaded Webs

There is an amazing artisan creating as Beaded Webs, who makes the most delciate and decorative wire and bead creations! Based in Queensland Australia, she works from home and sells from Facebook.

Starting off with wire sculpting and hand beaded web shapes, she has since branched out (excuse the pun) into tree of life shapes, as well as owls, bats, and cars. Her gorgeous bead and wire art is created in a variety of sizes such as large hanging decorations, pendant or keyring sized and medium sized beaded decorations.

I have purchased a purple, as well as a red and black beaded web from her and they are gorgeous! I also have two gorgeous bat beaded decorations that she made to order for me!

Beautifully made, and unique items, her online store is worth a look, and why not buy yourself something beautiful from her today!

Below are some pictures of her great pieces

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Alphabet Challenge: Beads Online

Today's blog post alphabet challenge is brought to you by the letter B....

I enjoy making jewellery, which means i need to find places to buy supplies like, chain, cameos, pendant bases, and beads.

Beads Online

There are a few stores i buy jewellery supplies from, but my favourite is the internet store Beads Online, and i am a frequent customer. Beads Online is a family owned and operated business based in Queensland, Australia, originally selling beads on ebay they ventured forth to creating their own website through which to sell their wares.

They offer flat rate postage to Australian addresses and free shipping to Australian addresses when the order is over $200, also posting to overseas addresses at rates according to parcel weight, dimensions and destination, anyone can shop at Beads Online!

Payment options for Australian customers are direct bank deposit, money orders or paypal, while paypal is the payment accepted for international orders.

Why i am a frequent customer

Beads Online has a huge variety of beads and findings and altered art images, the inventory refreshes regularly and i always find something new on offer there to inspire me. The prices are Fair and affordable, and there is a sale section where i have found many a beading bargain! Their turn around is fast, last week i placed an order, paid for the express post option, and recieved my order the next afternoon!

Beads Online is an Aladdin's cave of amazing supplies for jewellery making, with bargain prices, excellent customer service and The orders are all packaged well in bubble wrap and tissue paper and are always a treat to open.

 

ARTIST PROFILE: Lampworker Artisan from M1dnight Dreary

This is the first in a series I have been wanting to write for some time, profiling artists who create the most amazing things, are talented and creative and deserve to be seen.

Introducing the lampwork artist from etsy shop M1dnight Dreary

Born in Argentina and settling in Australia in the late 80s, the owner of the shop M1dnight Dreary, known on etsy as Glassy Lassy, is a musician, artist and designer.




I asked her some questions about lampwork, she was kind enough to say that my questions were okay, although I think that as I know nothing about the artform, my questions were totally inane and demonstrated my absolute ignorance on the subject!



What is lampwork?
I asked Glassy Lassy what lampwork is, she told me:


"Lampwork is the ancient art of making glass beads. The debate goes on as to wether "lampwork" relates to beads being made by the flame of a lamp .... but it is questionable as no one really believes a lamp would have generated enough heat to melt all the ingredients to make a glass bead. ...... There are very many examples of roman and viking beads of a very high standard, with intricate murrini."
OOOOH i KNOW that one! Murrine is a type of glass bead or decorative embellishment made from an intricately designed multicoloured rod of glass that when sliced in cross sections forms pieces with pictures or patterns, Millefiore being a well known type!(phew I am NOT as ignorant as I thought i was!)



Basic set up

If anyone wanted to start doing lampwork Glassy Lassy explained that the basic set up would need to include a torch (no bat-lings, not a flashlight.. but a burny, hot, ouch that hurts, flame type torch). The torch she uses is a "hothead" which uses LPG as its fuel. She explained that there are lots of different torches on the market and the more advanced ones burn really hot as they use a combination of O2 (Oxygen dear fiends.. you know that stuff we breathe??) and LPG, which makes the bead making process quicker.



If only we could find a flame breathing dragon! Then it could be a pet and a lampworking torch all in one....





I digress... back to our artist...

The next thing lampworkers need is a mandrel which our very knowledgeable and patient artist explains is a

"a long, usually stainless steel rod) dipped in bead release (it hardens like clay onto the mandrel, making it possible to remove the bead from the mandrel) otherwise melting glass directly onto the mandrel would make the glass stick to it for good."


Thirdly you need material that allows for the beads to slowly cool, they will be so amazingly hot that they would crack if they cooled too fast! Glassy said she uses vermiculite for this.



The bead needs to fired to finish it off properly, so you also need a kiln, our lovely artist explained that the reason the bead needs firing is that the very hot bead cools faster on the outside than on the inside which means that pressure will be exerted inside the bead caused by the differing temperatures, so to ensure the bead is nice and hard, it is fired in a kiln at a temperature lower than your initial torching.



What sets her work apart from the rest?

I first saw Glassy's work very recently, and I was instantly intrigued. What really appeals to me about her glass pieces is that they are different to mainstream lampwork. She adds an element of the macabre and the Baroque to her work. For example, have a look at these lampwork beads she has made called 'Dripping blood'



Who first taught you lampwork?

We all need to be taught how to do the basics of an artform if it is new to us, Glassy said her first lampwork teacher was Pauline Delaney at the Glass Shed in Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia. Pauline taught her how to form basic shapes with lampwork.



What got you into lampwork?

I am always fascinated in what inspires artists to try new media to express themselves, so I asked Glassy how she got into lampwork. She told me how she was once a member of a viking re-enactment group and was looking for some art technique she could use to share with the group, initially wanting to learn silversmithing she was unable at the time to locate a place to learn. She said that Vikings were skilled lampworkers so she located a lampworking course, with Pauline, and has not looked back!



The additional good news is that Glassy has also found a silversmithing course and has become a silversmith as well!



She promises that she will be listing some of her silver work in her etsy store soon too!

Personally I am very eagerly waiting to see Glassy's silver work as well, I love her lampwork beads that are full of heart, soul, and honesty, so I am sure her silver work will be just as amazing.


I really appreciate Glassy Lassy from the etsy store M1dnight Dreary for permitting me to profile her on my blog. Please visit her store, she is a true artist and deserves our patronage.

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Information on lampworking may be found at the following sites
............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat