I’ve made May’s Rose Lampwork Giveaway Bead! It was at the end of my exploring roses. But, let’s start at the beginning and I’ll share with you how I got to May’s Giveaway Bead. I started my lampworking journey with one of my favorite roses in my garden.
My 1st Lampwork Rose Was Inspired by ‘4th of July’
It is a wonderful variegated red, pink and white rose called ‘Fourth of July’. It was a love affair from the start. On the rosebush, each rose bloom is a different combination of these 3 colors. Each morning it is always a surprise to see the amazing new blooms.
I was very pleased with my outcome of the variation of colors I got by carefully mixing compatible glass colors. Unlike nature, pink and red glass colors don’t play together nicely. I also spent a lot of time working with powdered enamels (powdered colored glass) to get the beautiful speckled effects that the real rose has.
My 2nd Lampworking Venture Was Encased Roses
I’ve also been experimenting with encased roses. I explored applying different amounts of encasing and heating-in of the roses to see the different results. Each rose petal has 3 to 4 layers of different colored glass, and I had to pre-make the rose centers (which is quite time intensive). Don’t you love the results?
In the heart below, I melted-in the rose slowly for a wonderful effect that I love. Of course, you never know if you used the right color glass until it comes out of the kiln! Some glass colors spread too much, and some are too translucent and disappear if stretched too thin. I had 10 encased hearts not make it during my experimentation.
My next challenge was to create dimension on the bead.
Using my Art Nouveau glass flower bouquets for inspiration, I experimented with including sculptural flowers with the encased roses. Blending the 2 different lampworking techniques was a challenge. I would love to incorporate roses into my flower bouquets, and the encased roses may be the answer.
I told my husband I have been feeling really tired lately. I think it is because I’m thinking sooo much! As I fall to sleep at night, I’m thinking about how to turn my floral visions into glass. And as I wake up in the morning, I sometimes get an inspired idea of how to do it. So off to the torch to try the idea I go!
3rd Direction – Melted In Round Lampwork Rose Bead
This one was the most Challenging bead of all because I had to make a round bead and very, very, very slowly melt in the roses to not distort them. These 2 lampworking techniques contain two qualities that I’m not inclined towards… patience and making something round! Love the look, and a great discipline for me to practice. There’s a lot of potential for this technique in my flower making!
So, this is what I’ve been up to this month… three directions with my lampworking glass roses.
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DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…
The above Rose Bead will be the MAY lampwork Giveaway Bead!!
How to WIN May’s Gorgeous Round Rose Bead! You can get 4 Testimonial Entries for 4 chances to win!
Go to Rafflecopter widget below and select a Testimonial entry. You will find links to Artfire and Lampwork Etc. there to write your testimonials. Just follow Rafflecopter’s directions.
*You can leave up to 2 Testimonials on any tutorial you have purchased* (on Artfire & Lampwork Etc.) That’s up to 4 entry chances to WIN if you have purchased both tutorials!
THANK YOU for sharing with others how you are enjoying my tutorials! and GOOD LUCK!!
Some wonderful comments I am receiving from buyers:
“…These two tutorial(s) are well worth the buy, for the newbie to the advanced lampworker…”
“…there’s loads of fantastic info in here…”
“The first one is just wonderful!”
“… So many ah ha s as I read through all the information on the how to and why this happens and how to get the best results…”
Read about my Flower Tutorials HERE!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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What an exquisite and wonderfully unique bead you have created for your giveaway, Patsy! I want to immerse myself in its perfection and beauty!
and ahhh! the colors!
love, jean xox
What an exquisite and wonderfully unique bead you have created for your giveaway, Patsy! I want to immerse myself in its perfection and beauty!
and ahhh! the colors!
love, jean xox
Your work is brilliant , amazing, awesome and fabtabulous all rolled up together. I love the embedded roses….I would have to say they are my absolutely favorites…Wow your work takes my breath away it is so beautiful and elegant. Thank you for sharing with all of us
Your work is brilliant , amazing, awesome and fabtabulous all rolled up together. I love the embedded roses….I would have to say they are my absolutely favorites…Wow your work takes my breath away it is so beautiful and elegant. Thank you for sharing with all of us
What a fantastic bunch of rose beads – I love the ones made with the powdered enamels, but think my favorite is the round bead with the melted in roses – would love to see these made! – pretty awesome
What a fantastic bunch of rose beads – I love the ones made with the powdered enamels, but think my favorite is the round bead with the melted in roses – would love to see these made! – pretty awesome
All three are stunning. If I had to choose my favorite, it’d be the first, I think it’s a real piece of art, like sculpting, only few lampwork artists can produce such pieces!! They are a piece of jewellery themselves, no need to add a single thing <3
All three are stunning. If I had to choose my favorite, it’d be the first, I think it’s a real piece of art, like sculpting, only few lampwork artists can produce such pieces!! They are a piece of jewellery themselves, no need to add a single thing <3
I love all three of them but the first one is just a dream, a piece of art!!
<3
I love all three of them but the first one is just a dream, a piece of art!!
<3
The intensity of color and depth of the encased hearts is great. My favorite is the first heart with the strong blue contrast. Bold and beautiful. I admire the patience that took.
The intensity of color and depth of the encased hearts is great. My favorite is the first heart with the strong blue contrast. Bold and beautiful. I admire the patience that took.
WOW! Thank You, all !!! It’s really wonderful to hear such wonderful compliments! Makes me feel Fabulous!!!
WOW! Thank You, all !!! It’s really wonderful to hear such wonderful compliments! Makes me feel Fabulous!!!
WOW! The detail and amount of work is obvious! I love the colors and details of the yellow roses best. The first one with the pink roses and blue glass heart is my second favorite. I think you work is so beautiful and can’t make up my mind enough usually.
Thanks Margueirte! I fall in love with each piece I make or I don’t sell them. The yellow roses are new for me and I love the variety of colors of yellow I can get by mixing colors while I am making them.
WOW! The detail and amount of work is obvious! I love the colors and details of the yellow roses best. The first one with the pink roses and blue glass heart is my second favorite. I think you work is so beautiful and can’t make up my mind enough usually.
Thanks Margueirte! I fall in love with each piece I make or I don’t sell them. The yellow roses are new for me and I love the variety of colors of yellow I can get by mixing colors while I am making them.
As you would well know, the encased roses on hearts are my absolute favourite! The blue heart with those gorgeously fine and delicate pink roses pictured above is perhaps my favourite of all my hearts. It doesn’t need anything more. The dimension in the roses themselves along with the fineness of the petals and buds speak for themselves, there is no need to add any more dimension with other flowers or peonies. It is a beautiful example of a most gorgeously coloured and divinely delicate flowered rose, (those petals, WOW!), but at the same time a wonderfully wearable piece of art! The Best of Both Worlds in my humble opinion. Though I know that your structural rose (Fourth of July) requires an incredible capability, it is the buds either side that amaze me most. What about a necklace of rosebuds or sets of 3 or 5 available to purchase. I would be in for sure!
Hi Jacque,
WOW… it’s wonderful to hear how you feel about hearts and roses! It makes it all worth the effort creating them!
Hmm… I’ll see what I can come up with for that necklace of rosebuds. I would love wearing some rosebuds, myself! Great idea!!
As you would well know, the encased roses on hearts are my absolute favourite! The blue heart with those gorgeously fine and delicate pink roses pictured above is perhaps my favourite of all my hearts. It doesn’t need anything more. The dimension in the roses themselves along with the fineness of the petals and buds speak for themselves, there is no need to add any more dimension with other flowers or peonies. It is a beautiful example of a most gorgeously coloured and divinely delicate flowered rose, (those petals, WOW!), but at the same time a wonderfully wearable piece of art! The Best of Both Worlds in my humble opinion. Though I know that your structural rose (Fourth of July) requires an incredible capability, it is the buds either side that amaze me most. What about a necklace of rosebuds or sets of 3 or 5 available to purchase. I would be in for sure!
Hi Jacque,
WOW… it’s wonderful to hear how you feel about hearts and roses! It makes it all worth the effort creating them!
Hmm… I’ll see what I can come up with for that necklace of rosebuds. I would love wearing some rosebuds, myself! Great idea!!
I love the round one. It looks like an antique oil painting. Beautiful work!
I love the round one. It looks like an antique oil painting. Beautiful work!