Glass Bead of the Day for Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Another week gone by, and new lovelies from the Fire Divas!  Here's a lovely little 'gem' I found while on my careful search for my Glass Bead of the Day pick today:

Turquoise Sterling Silver Lampwork Glass Bead by Kalera Stratton of Beadwife

I love how it looks like turquoise stone, with lovely colors and facets, while having the strength of a handmade glass bead.  Plus, it has a sterling silver core, which I'm not sure you can easily do with turquoise as with a lovely handmade bead such as this.  Sure to spruce up any charm bracelet that uses this size of bead (Pandora, Biagi, Troll, Chamilia, etc.), this would make a great gift for that personalized touch.

See what else Kalera is up to by visiting her ArtFire shop here.  See what the other Fire Divas are up to by visiting the weekly ArtFire thread here, and the Etsy thread here.  Thanks for sharing our love of glass art, and I'll see you next Thursday!

Glass Bead of the Day: October 20

Today I went browsing and guess what I found. This lovely set from River's Edge glass:

Dotted set 3 lampwork beads in purple colours

Don't forget, the Divas need your help to meet their goals for donating to various Breast Cancer Charities. To find a list of participating shops, click here.

Thanksgiving Challenge Results

We have a winner for the Thanksgiving Challenge! We tallied the votes and the entry you were most thankful for was:

Entry 5 - http://www.teasebeads.artfire.com


Congratulations to our winner!! Now let's take a look at all the other fantastic entries!


Entry 1 - http://ahouston.etsy.com




Entry 2 - http://www.artfire.com/users/LAJewelryDesigns



Entry 3 - http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lutrick



Entry 4 - http://www.artfire.com/users/HollysFollyGlass



Thanks for voting!

Holiday Jewelry Challenge Entries

Our Holiday Jewelry Challenge has inspired some beautiful pieces of art. We have several different designers representing various holidays, all vying for the incredible prizes shown here. Below you can not only see pictures of the work these designers have poured their souls into, but you can read about what inspired them and learn what Fire Divas created the glass featured in the pieces. Once you're done, you get to pick your favorite and vote on the right -> side of the blog. Voting will be open for one week. Happy Holidays!

Entry 1




Sitting in a dark corner we find Char our Black Widow Spider, designed by Patrice of Shepherd Creations. Char awaits her prey perched upon a patina copper web surrounded by aqua colored glow beads, designed by Janel of Janel Dudley Beads.
Our sexy spider loves Halloween but is secured in a manor that she can be removed and another focal piece can be designed for year around wearing.



Entry 2


Through all the closed doors,expensive rides and dark nights. Lamp work phenomenology by Janel. Skeleton Key multitasking . Glow in the dark eyeball 'Moon and Stars . One fare token with crystals and lampwok beads. Silver to midnight blue with just enough earth to keep it sexy not sweet.



Entry 3

Bracelet made with olive green bead set by Fire Diva Holly Dare, brushed vermeil heart beads, lampwork red & green dotted bead, 10mm and 6mm green fire polish beads, gold spacers, bead caps, branch drop and gold vermeil filigree clasp.

My inspiration is from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day."

The bracelet depicts the Grinch's transformation, while the dotted lampwork bead on the clasp represents the Whos. The gold branch is the horn the Grinch tied on his dog Max’s head.
What would the holidays be without watching all those wonderful TV specials we grew up with?

Entry 4



Bubbly for New Year's Eve!
Focal bead by Lea Avroch
Bracelet in kumihimo
Surrounded by the formal colors of holiday parties, this bracelet slips in some bubbly champagne to make the evening's celebration complete.



Entry 5



This necklace was inspired by the focal bead, "Monstrous Algae" by Melanie of Arensea. The beadwork is netting strung on soft flex wire with brass findings and swarovski crystals.



Entry 6




This lampwork bead pendant was created by Judith Billing.

Golden Glitter Focal Bead
Luxurious and sparkling spree lentil with a diameter of 1.25 inch.

Made with a black base, antique gold glitter and encased in crystal clear to magnify the sparkle.
Decorated with Aurae shards that were reduced in the flame to a gold-pink metallic shine.

The Forest Goddess

This exquisite necklace was crafted out of olive delicates and gold seed beads woven into a rope to complement the beautiful focal bead pendant from Judith Billig. Finished with gold vermeil caps and hook.

The focal bead was the inspiration for the overall design. Its earthy appearance and deep color brought Mother Nature to mind and led me to making a piece that a goddess of nature would wear. I chose muted greens and olive, accented with gold to fit in with the darker colors of the lovely fall season. I wove the rope so it coiled and shone like a snake draped around the neck of the goddess, beautiful and dangerous. It’s the perfect piece to wear for Thanksgiving when we celebrate and remember the great bounty Mother Nature provides.

Lampwork Glass Bead of the Day - 10/18

The Divas are still celebrating all things pink for October and today's bead of the day is a wondrous pink hippo by Maybeads. Let's have a look at this gorgeous glass bead:

Don't forget, the Divas need your help to meet their goals for donating to various Breast Cancer Charities. To find a list of participating shops, click here.

Fire Divas Gossip Column 10/17

As usual, the Fire Divas are keeping very busy. They are giving away beads, having sales, playing real life Farmville and much, much more! So let's get to the gossip!

Kathleen's recent show may not have been everything she'd hoped for, but she's reading the signs and won't give up. See what I'm talking about at Ugly Duckling Beads.

You'll be seeing pink - and lots of it - at Amy's Glass Blog. Need some findings to go with those pink beads? Amy's got just the thing at findingsbyamy.

Jessica admits to playing a lot of Farmville ~ but this is real life Farmville. For the last month she's been working the apple harvest with her grandfather, and you can hear more about it at Vedas Beads.

Want to know how you can custom order past bead sets by Clare Scott? Or see her photography? Or find her ArtFire shop? She's made it all very easy, so be sure to stop by The Makings of Beads by Clare Scott.

At Ashlyn Design, Lori has tackled her bead and supplies organization, is hoping for her 200th Facebook fan, and eating what?

Our in-house glass tester, Melanie, has discovered that Porcelain glass is anything but boring old white. See her fabulous results only at Mind Melt!

If you buy more, you will save more - at Icarus Beads. Judith's sale is ending today, so be sure to check it out. And if you have any online advertising advice, your comments are welcome here.

Susan Lambert just wrapped up a show ~ wonder if there's anything left in her shop?

Janel is once again putting her famous cat to work. Maynard will pick the winner of Janel's most recent bead giveaway. What's that? You haven't entered the giveaway? Get thee to Janel Dudley Beads and enter!

There is still time to get your Halloween pandora beads from Amy Sims Designs, plus there's a new calendar section on her site.

Silver River Jewelry's bead of the week will have you thinking about the holidays. Mmmm, cranberry.

At Lutrick, Lara is doing some well-deserved bragging. Oooh, sparklies.

Holly is on hiatus, but she'll be back to Holly's Folly Beads very soon.

And at Maybeads, I announce my decision to go Pro.

Fantasy Shopping Saturday

Imagine....Crystal clear blue water,  white sandy beaches, delicious fruity tropical drinks.  You're walking on this beach, hair blowing in the wind,  a long flowing skirt and crisp white top, Mimosa in hand...everything's perfect!  Not!!!  What's missing ????  Jewelry !You need beads.  Let's go shopping with the Fire Divas!

Arensea

For the Khaki Capri Pant Set...

Crafty Clare

                             

Rivers Edge Glass   

 

Glass Bead

A.Houston

These are perfect for the lime green bathing suit....                                                

LA Jewelry Designs

                

 

Lutrick

Holly's Folly Glass

         For the Orange Cover up.....

Ashlyn Designs

  

            For your Pandora style Bracelet.

May Beads

                  

Amy Sims Designs

                                       


Let's start over...hair blowing in the wind,  long flowing skirt, crisp white top... and fabulous beads!  Thanks for shopping with us!

Bead of the Day 10-15-10

Check out this cute pink paw print pendant bead from Patrice of shepherdcreations. Perfect for a cat or dog lover this pendant is ready to string on a leather cord.

For the month of October Patrice is offering 20% off bead of the day items on ArtFire. Check out this blog post for more Fire Divas October pink beads/breast cancer discounts.

Diva of the Month - Ema Kilroy - Part 3: Ten Silly Questions

Welcome to Part 3 of our Diva of the Month interview with Ema Kilroy. This portion is the "Ten Silly Questions" - where we get to know a little bit more about our Diva on a personal level.



1. What is on your nightstand…list everything!
Oh seriously? I'm not sure you want to know. Let's start with dust, a kleenex box, a light, a couple of half read books, a stack of magazines and 2 magazines I'm reading. My nightstand really isn't that big.



2. If we were visiting, and starving and you weren’t home…what could we find in your pantry / fridge to use to whip up a meal?
Plenty. You would find plenty. My fridge and pantry are always overflowing. I don't like grocery shopping so I tend to stock up so I don't have to go too often.



3. Favorite color and how does this show up in your bead work?
Easy...Blue. Sometimes I look at my shop and say I really have to get somethings in there that aren't blue.



4. Making beads is solitary work. How do you handle that? If you listen to music / watch videos, please share some of your playlist.
I don't care for tv much so I listen to music. I am mostly a country music/folk listener..Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Nanci Griffith, and VanZant are some of my favorites. But I also like to rock with AC/DC and ZZ Top.



5. Describe the most fun day you’ve ever had.
I can't come up with the most fun I've ever had. I try to make everyday a great day. I enjoy being outside with family and friends. I love to hike, bike, kayak and hang out with my family and friends, that is a great day for me.



6. If you had one wish, what would it be?
To see my girlfriends more often.



7. Who do you most admire in glass and if you could take a class with that person, what would you most want to learn?
Anastasia without a doubt. I just love her work. I want to learn how she creates those beautiful beads.



8. What is the first thing you do when you get home?
Make a cup of tea or have a glass of wine, it depends on the time of day.



9. Do you have a day job? If yes, what is your favorite thing about it?
I am a stay at home Mom. I love the weekends when the house is full of friends (as long it is doesn't last more than a couple of days.). My husband is self employed so I handle all his office work too.



10. Name three tv shows you watch but are kind of embarrassed about.
I'm not embarrassed about what I watch because I don't watch a lot of tv. I like to watch HGTV's That's Clever, NCIS and Fringe.



Stay tuned for next week's conclusion questions. Thanks again for stopping by!

Ema on Etsy ~

Ema on Artfire ~

Ema on Twitter ~

Ema's Blog