2014 Bead Porn

I thought one way to meet my 2014 blogging goal AND ease myself back into things after such a long absence would be to do a few bead porn posts.  Although I don't expect to make it a regular Friday thing like I did before and I have CERTAINLY cut back on my bead buying (couldn't really justify it since I had no time to make anything for a year or so), I'm sure it will not surprise anyone that I still have unpublished porn left from before so...this seems like a good way to clean out those files.

 

Of course, I tried this last year and it was an epic fail as the day job once again ruled my world with an iron fist, but if at first you don't succeed...

 

...keep posting pretty bead pictures until you get back on a roll (and don't worry, there's other stuff coming, too, like new jewelry designs.

 

 

 

 

These cute ceramic daisy charms are from Ceramic Poppy.

 

 

She makes pansies, too!  AND...she's based in France!  Not that that really matters when choosing beads, it's just that I like both pansies and I have a soft spot in my heart for French language, culture, etc. so I got kind of a kick out of getting a pansy bead from France and thereby combining two of my likes into one.

 

 

I picked up a few more things from her including a bracelet blank and some cute pansy earring charms.

 



 

 

This bright and rustic ceramic sunflower pendant is from Lisa Boucher.  I love the deep teal background and the way it makes the yellow flower petals pop.

 

 

 

Gorgeous, hot colors on this copper sea urchin bracelet blank from Kristi Bowman.  Her stuff works so well with my embarrassingly ginormous collection of lampwork and makes the designs so much more interesting than just silver or gold.

 

 

 

This was a pure "sucked in by color" purchase.  These domed and embossed copper disks from Orrtec have been patinated with yummy shades of teal, green and purple...all my favorites.  They are destined to be a pair of big, showstopper earrings, I think.

 

 

 

This beautiful toggle is from the same vendor

 

 

 

 

Great combination of earthiness with a popo of bright turquoise and splashes of black.  This set of small nugget-shaped rounds is from a former Etsy store called "Radiant Mind."  They've apparently closed down their Etsy shop, but can still be found here.

 

 

Gorgeous purple hollow lampwork with precise black scrollwork details...no one does fine detail work like Alisha White!

 

 

 

Brightly colored small lampwork rounds with fun dots and spots are from Beeboo.

 

 

 

Yeah, that pansy thing...that is an addiction...

 

 

 

...and Serena Smith can always be counted on to keep my addiction going...

 

 

 

So tiny...so cute...such colors...need to take a deep breath and count to ten...

 

 

Czech glass beads really gained a whole new dimension when they started adding the Picasso finish.  This lovely set of blue/green mottled rondelles is perfect for all my ocean inspired designs.  They are from Bead and Ribbon.

 

 

 

A set of pretty Picasso ovals from the same vendor.

 

 

 

 

I also like Aloha Bead as a source for more traditional Czech glass.

 

 

 

Uncommon Beads has more in the way of stone and shell beads but they also have some Czech glass and I liked these little wing beads...great shape for designing!

 

 

 

This stunning pendant is a combination of polymer clay and handcast pewter from Lynn Davis.  It looks like her shop is on hiatus for now but I hope she'll return as her items are truly some of the most unique materials available.

 

 

 

Carved carnelian flower beads...

 

 

 

...white shell flowers...

 

 

...darker shell flowers...

 

...Amazonite flowers...

 

 



 

 

...carved coral flowers...all from Uncommon Beads.

Hopefully, I'll be able to keep a more regular schedule with not only basic blogging, but also with bead porn posts this year.  I promis new jewelry designs are coming!  I got all the photos taken and am just in the process of editing/sizing/organizing them for posting.  I'm excited to show what I've been up to!

KJ