Art Bead Palette :: Juliyamrboro

You all know how I love boros, and since today's Thanksgiving in the US, I thought I'd share this beautiful lampwork bead set from Juliyamrboro. Not only am I thankful to bead artists such as Yulia for creating amazing bead sets like this, I'm thankful to come across so many talented people in the online art world.

Plus, the colors remind me of the holiday. Gobble, gobble. And as always, stop by Yulia's shop to see more.

From the ABS team, we wish our American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for this year?

Art Bead Palette :: Fire Lily Glass Studio

In all the time that I've been here contributing to ABS, I've only just now realized that I somehow neglected to share with you one of my all-time favorite bead shops. I mentioned it briefly here, but never did a palette post for it. For shame.

Friends, let me introduce you to the beauty that is Fire Lily Glass Studio. One word: lush.

Dark Blue & Red Spot Beads

Mauve Olive Boro Beads

Green Blue Boro Glass Beads

Bright Yellow Royal Blue Swirl Beads

Cherry Red Purple and Orange Boro Beads

When I was selling jewelry, this was one of my absolute favorite boro resources because Erin, the artist behind these lovely glass creations, has such a dab hand at color and her quality is flawless. I can't tell you how many of her beads have passed through my hands; I honestly don't know. I do know that it's somewhere between "a lot" and "more than a jewelry designer can possibly use."

I also know is that borosilicate lampwork beads are my first art bead love. Once I stumbled onto these little works of art, the stunning colors hooked me in and I never looked back. I'm not a lampwork artist, so I don't know the specifics, but something about borosilicate glass creates amazing depth, and the colors seem to shine brighter. And Erin's shop is full of beady goodness!

There's a lot to love, so this is a tough question, I'm sure, but which one's your favorite?



P.S. If you happen to see a large lot of orphan boros (Erin offers them up from time to time), grab them. Not only are they a fantastic deal, they are also a great way to step out of your comfort zone with colors you may not be used to using. Just trust me on this.

Best of ABS-Art Bead Color Palette #1

Lost My Key Lentil Boro beads, from AtlantisGlassAndBead on Etsy

Hello ABSers! Today starts a new monthly post from me with color palettes derived from art beads. It's combining two of my very favorite things together, so I've been looking forward to this post for the last two weeks (squee!).

When I started using art beads in my own jewelry, I gravitated almost immediately to borosilicate beads. They were the first art bead that I ever fell in love with, and the colors that swirled in the glass had me absolutely mesmerized from day one.

So, what better way to celebrate a new series about art beads than to share with you a cherished favorite? A significant portion of my boro stash has come from the fabulous husband-and-wife duo of Val and Patti Hernandez of Atlantis Glass and Bead. I flat out love the color combinations they use, and their beads are a little bit of visual inspiration for me.

Take it Easy Boro Glass Lampwork beads, by AtlantisGlassAndBead on Etsy

If you liked the pop of yellow-orange and bright blue from the December Challenge Palette, then a set like these would be perfect, color-wise. Adding that pop of yellow would be a fun way to play with the colors (or a pale lavender, like The Crazier Sister pointed out!).

Midnight Stars Boro Lampwork beads, by AtlantisGlassAndBead on Etsy

If you prefer a darker palette to work with, how about something like this set of beads? A dark navy with a shimmer, and a surprising pop of sky blue.
Photos are from Atlantis Glass and Bead; palettes created by Brandi. To view more from Val and Patti, including their line of findings, be sure to stop by their shop!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Beads

No matter if your day is happy or sad, beads will make you smile!  Here are few of my current favorites...

polymer clay cat bead by Tree Wings Studio

boro lampwork beads by Firelily

polymer clay beads by Earth Tones

lampwork beads by Lori Lochner

porcelain owl by Joan Miller

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.    She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.