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Wednesday, 20 January 2010

'Sakura' Focals

Lampwork Glass BeadsThese are the first 'proper' beads I've made this year and I am SO pleased with them.

For almost four years (on and off) I've been trying to create a cherry blossom design on beads but I couldn't quite work out the best way to do it. This week I realised that I had been making things way more complicated than they needed to be. I've tried frit, encasing, enamelled stringers and more before but the effect always ended up muddy and blurred. I was aiming for a crisp, stylised but recognisable-as-cherry-blossom design and I've finally cracked it!

Lampwork Glass BeadsI wanted to give the beads a Japanese feel so I've used the traditional 'tombodama' olive-shaped bead that Japanese lampworkers favour and I've also given the beads the name 'Sakura' which is Japanese for, you guessed it, cherry blossom.

I'm chuffed to bits with them and I hope you like them too.

These focals will be for sale on my website at 8.30 pm (UK time) tomorrow night.
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17 comments:

  1. Eve Smith20 January 2010 at 22:06

    Oh Laura these are gorgeous, i'm sure they won't stay around for long, i'm sure you will have to make lots more.x

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  2. JessamineDesigns20 January 2010 at 22:23

    Those are lovely! Sakura blossom is so pretty and these capture it really well :D

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  3. SueBeads20 January 2010 at 22:23

    Beauteous!

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  4. Pretty Things20 January 2010 at 23:47

    These are gorgeous! I made my first beads on Monday and despair of making anything but spacers. But some weren't so bad and I can actually make earrings out of them!

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  5. Denise21 January 2010 at 00:37

    OH MY...I'M SPEECHLESS!THEY ARE JUST TOO PRETTY!!! ;)

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  6. Jenn21 January 2010 at 02:27

    These are gorgeous!

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  7. Tania - Jet Designs21 January 2010 at 02:32

    Love them Laura - what colour green in the base bead - looks wonderful

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  8. Caroline B21 January 2010 at 07:12

    These are amazing Laura - cherry blossom is one of my favourite designs and I can't believe you have achieved it perfectly so small. These certainly won't hang about!

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  9. Laura Sparling21 January 2010 at 08:32

    Thank you for the compliments, everyone!

    Tania - the base is CiM Kryptonite.

    Laura x

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  10. Sue Doran21 January 2010 at 09:12

    Echo all the above comments (keep practicing, Lori!) I love the speckled background - just the right amount of enamel.

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  11. Mel P21 January 2010 at 09:59

    Laura these are stunning, really really beautiful xx

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  12. BeadyPool21 January 2010 at 10:34

    ohhh wow - your making mojo is defiantely back x

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  13. Jo21 January 2010 at 11:55

    They are so pretty!

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  14. Anonymous21 January 2010 at 16:56

    They are absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!

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  15. Vicki21 January 2010 at 18:41

    I have awarded you with the Sunshine Blog Award because everything on this blog inspires me!!!!

    Check out your award here http://sunrisejewellery.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-blog-wins-sunshine-award.html

    Vicki White x

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  16. Joy Funnell21 January 2010 at 22:41

    Oh shucks - wouldn't you just know it! I forgot and missed them. They were beautiful!! :(

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  17. Maz Simpson22 January 2010 at 13:40

    These are so pretty, I love the sakura flower!


    I'm passing on the 'Sunshine Award' to you - please see my blog for more details!

    Sunshine Award

    Maz x

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Your comments are much appreciated. Fire away!