this once tiny grey kitten is getting huge, and the little pink bell on its itty bitty turquoise and pink leopard print collar matches its TOES and its YAWN. Ehrmagerd.
I mean, they’ve been here… but they’re here-here. Anyway, it’s Monday. Why hasn’t The State of California determined that Mondays are carcinogenic yet? Mondays are sooo bad for you, you guys. You really shouldn’t do them. Most folks spend the weekend partying, candying, arting, kittening, whatevering, like, way too hard, and Mondays are such a terrible thing to top it off with. Me? I brownied and kittened myself into a stupor. But beads will help!
So here are the beads.
When submitting your request via email – z-beads@sbcglobal.net – please provide this info:
1. your paypal address, if paying with paypal
2. your preferred payment method if sending a money order (US buyers only) or check (established US buyers only)
3. your location (US or abroad, so I can request the correct shipping amount)
Shipping within the US is $7.50 for USPS Priority Mail
International shipping is $10 for USPS First Class International
I will mark each selection as SOLD as they are claimed. If you miss out on anything, hit me up for a made to order! I love those.
These lampwork beads are made by me, Sarah Moran, with soda-lime glass (also known as soft glass), and are kiln annealed for strength and long life. I do my best to provide an accurate representation in the photos. If you are interested in buying but have questions, please contact me.
SELECTION #1: available
Stars & Stripes Ball Buttons in Candied Orange – 6 beads or buttons, whatever your pleasure – $95
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
I love me some ball buttons… the lucite sewing kind are my very favorite, probably because they’re truly balls. With glass, this is significantly more challenging, as it isn’t so easy as drilling a hole. These have shanks, as you can plainly see, but the button part itself is indeed a fun little ball shape. These might be good for knitting/crochet projects, possibly even sewing or embroidery. I don’t do much of any of that, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if they’re suitable for such things. But truth be told, I can see these as the perfect finishing touch on a pair of handmade gloves. If you want to keep it simple, they’d make good dangles for a necklace.They have a lovely burnt orange base with transparent violet, orange, dark amber and lavender stripes and each one ends with a lavender star.
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 14x18mm – 15x20mm
hole size: 3/32″
nearly 2.5 inches of beads
SELECTION #2: available
Royal Mint Sampler – 7 beads – $135
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
This color combination was used originally for a !BLING! set titled !BLING! River. But this isn’t !BLING! – at least, not the faceted kind – but maybe “bling” would be a better fit, as there certainly is a good bit of sparkle and interest going on here. It’s also very similar to Mint Royale, but without all that purple. Here, the colors include the darkest lapis in my arsenal, who, as usual, is looking mighty ultraviolet on my monitor, but be assured, it is not nearly that purple, or even purple at all, for that matter. We also have a deep true purple (104 COE purple rose, to be exact), but only used as small dots and accents here and there, with a lovely sapphirine aqua, and each bead has a base of encased pale sea green. Very nice colors, indeed! And so much texture and smooth in all the right spots. Perfect for a junque chain or chunky bracelet, or just to collect and admire.
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 21x24mm – 16x20mm
hole size: 3/32″
about 6 inches of beads
SELECTION #3: (SOLD)
Neon Caravan Bicones – 9 slender bicones – $100
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
Maybe you remember the Neon Caravan sampler I made some time last year. I love grey glass – it’s less stark than white and softer than black, and it goes with just about any color, generally, as long as it’s a cool grey rather than a warm one. And since there’s something about the combination of orange, lavender and violet that plucks my heartstrings, let’s add some aqua blue to the mix… and I suppose that would officially be the Crash Wanda color combination… but hey, let’s not get all bogged down in the specifics. Let’s just get to the point and say that these have a pale grey middle, bright opaque orange ends, and little foil dots in lavender, aqua and violet. Each one is the same, essentially, save for a slight differentiation in shape, as is the nature of handmade things made without molds. These have 1/16″ holes, making them a bit more suitable for daintier applications such as wire wrap or stringing a very long flapper style necklace.
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 12x25mm
hole size: 1/16″
9.5 inches of beads
SELECTION #4: available
Lemon’s Lib Fly-Eye Rondells – 7 beads – $100
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
When will we be liberated from the Lemon’s Lib color combination!? I suppose when the currently fashionable ocher has taken its leave. But it’s still here. I saw ocher pants the other day. What a terrible idea. But they haunt me. I hate them. Yet I want them. But I know I cannot have them. They cause my pinkish skin tone to reflect a sickening shade of orange. I tried on an ocher sweater the other day to make extra sure. Alas, ocher and I will never be. But ocher glass? Yes, we are and will always be. So I continue on… this time, with the Fly-Eye Rondell design. There are 5 rondells and 2 tabs in olive green, bright lemon yellow and a slightly more buttery/flowery yellow with accents in transparent greens and ambers. A bit of foil shimmers beneath each textured Fly-Eye panel. Some of my beads are weird, in case you didn’t already know. Foreshadowing: if things go as planned, they’re about to get weirder.
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 13x19mm – 14x17mm
hole size: 3/32″
3.5 inches of beads
SELECTION #5: available
Fancy Glimmer Pills – 7 beads – $115
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
If you’ve been with me a while, you might remember the original Happy Pills – those were rather basic compared to these, with an opaque base and opaque decor in various shades of Effetre 420 Coral. I think at that time I only had 11 different varieties of coral in my collection, now I think it’s something closer to 20. Odd, isn’t it, that 420 is never the same twice. Anyway, these are much more interesting in that the bases are glittery! Hooray! I think I’m finally getting the hang of encasing foil all the way around. The colors are transparent orange, red, lavender and purple and they have opaque decorations in a nice opaque blue-purple, streaky brilliant pumpkin orange and a deep natural red. The opaque red I used here is a slightly browner one that the brighter blood red I’ve been using lately – this red actually came across fairly accurately in the photos this time. I was going for a slightly more autumnal red than a vampy red, and it appears I got what I wanted.
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 13x21mm – 14x24mm
hole size: 3/32″
3.75 inches of beads
SELECTION #6: (SOLD)
Precious Blues Opal Glimmer Strips – 7 beads – $135
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
Blues are precious, so long as you don’t wallow in them forever and ever. Us melancholy sorts struggle, though, you know. And us denim lovers, too. The darker the better, and the boo-hooing ensues when it fades. Anyway, I’m rambling. I got a new book of foil, and it’s real nice. It seems just the slightest bit heavier than my other book of foil. And the blue glass was calling me, and so were the new bundles of the boutique glass that yields these glorious opalescents. As usual, these are the kind of beads that look great strung on a string/ribbon/chain/leather cord without any extra fuss, or do them up fancy with some opalescent Czech beads. Whatever you do, it’ll be great!
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 18x19mm
hole size: 3/32″
4.75 inches of beads
SELECTION #7: (SOLD)
Frosty Thistle Hollows – 7 hollow beads + a hollow button – $120
(click on any one of the photos to scroll through at full size)
Just what we needed to neutralize the blues and oranges: a strand of petite decorated hollows in purples, pinks and greens. These hollows have a core, which means the insides of these beads aren’t etched, making them just a teensy bit more shiny/glowy than they would have been if they had not been made with a core. AND they’re easier for me to clean, and for you to string. It’s just peaches all around with these, I tell you. Polka dots, Dot On A Stick, more polka dots, and a couple of liney stringery design thingees compose this group of beads, and there’s a hollow button! The shank isn’t hollow, but the face is, and if you look closely, you’ll see a cluster of dots under the frosty exterior. Hooray!
glass: soda lime
size: (approx): 15x20mm – 18x19mm
hole size: 3/32″
5.25 inches of beads
So that’s that! I hope you find something you like! I’ll be available to answer emails and requests all evening, so don’t be shy. Thanks so much for checking in.
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