Loving Lampwork Beads

Lampwork Beads and Shards

If you've ever made lampwork beads, you know there are days when it's pure joy. The ideas flow and you are able to make what you are dreaming of.

Then again, there are also days when even a simple round spacer bead is a struggle. On those days I've learned that instead of trying to concentrate on making sets or Pandora-style beads, it's time to experiment!

The experiments can be anything from trying new color combinations, playing with some new glass, using frits or (like the past couple weeks) try out some lampworking shards. And since yesterday was one of my "struggling" days, I decided there was no time like the present to get them out.

What are Shards?

Lampworking shards have been around for quite a few years, so I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to play with them. But now that I have a few different kinds, I'm maving fun!

If you've never played with shards (or aren't familiar with lampworking supplies), they are very, very thin pieces of glass. They are made by blowing a bubble of molten glass, then when cool, breaking up the bubble into pieces.

So, why use shards? I mean, why not just swipe on a thin layer of glass instead? Probably because the shards are so very thin that they provide a different effect.

The photos are both sides of the same bead. The shards I used were striking, and since I am terrible at striking glass colors, I thought maybe a super-thin piece might give me more luck.

While the colors aren't exactly what I had originally hoped for, I still like them. Glass does what it does, and as long as I can get a pretty bead for a result, I'm happy. And now I know it's a color combination that I want to make a set with (which means I need to get more of that color).

In about a month or so I'll be re-opening my lampwork bead store and will put some beads on ebay as well. But since I don't have any of my own to offer yet, how about some eye candy from other artisan lampwork bead sellers in the meanwhile?