Lampwork Necklace

now on Etsy..

20" hammered sterling silver gemstones and my own flame worked glass beads

Nature inspired..

One of a kind.

$145

Jewelry in 2012 is appearing a wee bit more classical in style than last year..don't you think? I like that. Pieces you can hang on to for a few years..I think that's why the gold chains never really get put away. They're always in style..maybe more layered this year but still in style. You're more likely to see 3 or more gold chains of varying link style and lengths than you are just one.

According to one of LA's leading style expert, Michael O'Connor we're going to see 50/60's influenced accessories this year..hmm.
Smaller rings but mega sized earrings. Brighter bolder colors, botanical and organic designs. Choker length necklaces.. statement cuffs..

Will these forecasts translate in your designs?


I create spontaneously generally, but I'm not immune to trends...
in fact, possibly it's the reason for all the flowers blooming in the studio lately..

Congratulations Angie.. you won :-))

List Randomizer

There were 7 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Angie
2. Kathy
3. Romaine
4. Jordan
5. Louise
6. Angela
7. Innocent

Timestamp: 2012-01-20 09:33:29 UTC

Be sure to send me your mailing address Angie [deborahlambsonatgmaildotcom] and I'll have this on its way..thanks all for participating. We'll do this again soon!

Well, isn't this nice..

JG Beaded Jewelry Blog: Handcrafted Lampwork Beads and Jewelry by Sweetwat...: JG Beaded Jewelry is delighted to feature Deborah Lambson, a skilled bead and jewelry creator and owner of Sweetwater Designs. Deborah disc...

Source: ponderingpool.com via Deborah on Pinterest

Giveaway!!

I wired up this little flame worked glass pendant this morning and oxidized the copper. I think it has a lot of Spring elements..woodsy greens..mauves, and in my favorite organic floral style.

All ready now to be strung onto leather..chain..sari silk...worked into your own designs.

Free! to those of you who mention
this giveaway

OR

my etsy shop

in any of your social media accounts..Just send me the link in a comment here
and you will be entered to win!

Simple,no? ~Sweet, yes?

Of course you may enter as many times as you like..your name will go into the draw for as many mentions that are made.

Draw ends Jan 20th and comments must be here on my blog in order to count..otherwise I will surely miss someone!

Enjoy your week all!

Trending..

Botanical prints/themes abound this season..as is usually the trend for Spring, but 2012 will see it throughout the year according to some of the fashion gurus.

"Half of New York showed florals, but in a great way," said Bryan Grey Yambao, fashion blogger of Bryanboy.com "I love the tropical prints from Joseph Altuzarra, the hyper flower power at Peter Thom, the botanical prints from Alexander Wang ... This season is very visual."

taken from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/21/living/spring-fashion-forecast/index.html

Florals are most certainly bang on the money for 2012...
so says http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk

I don't really follow the fashion trends..or even pay a whole lot of attention to them. I prefer classic styles that will look great for more than a year or two..
As for glass, I play with colors that make me feel good, and organic florals have been the theme in my studio for the last few months..[at least~]

Hey,..I'm right on trend. How about that. (:

All of the above handmade glass beads for your jewelry designs are available in the Etsy shop..

Guide to Necklace Lengths

Great post here..thank you Delamina!

A Girls Guide to Necklace Lengths

Collar Necklace

First we have the ‘collar’ length. Very snug. Very sophisticated. Collar length necklaces are great for formal occasions and look fab with anything strapless. To wear a collar, especially one on the smaller side of the 12-13 inches, you should have a thin neck, or a love of bondage. But if you can pull it off, this style looks fantastic. Even good with jeans and a blouse. Anything v-neck.

Choker Necklace

A little more relaxed than the collar, and more comfortable for those of us with thicker necks, the choker gives you a little more breathing room. This 14-16 inch length is great if you want to draw attention to your long lovely neck. And that hollow.

Princess Necklace

Now that just sounds right. And it often is. This 17-19 inch length is very common and the main thing to be aware of is that you choose the appropriate clothing. This necklace length works well with higher or lower necklines, just be sure that your clothing and necklace don’t fight over the same spot.

Matinee Necklace

This necklace length is traditionally thought of as sophisticated. Good for business wear, for formal wear with higher necklines or for dressing up casual clothing. The matinee should fall to the top of your cleavage and is 20-24 inches long.

Opera Necklace

The opera, 28-34 inches in length falls just below the breast bone and draws attention to your chest. Sound unnecessary? Well for those of us who no longer want to draw attention to our necks, this is a good option.

Rope Necklace

The rope necklace deserves special applause at a spectacular 45 inches or more in length. Wearing something fabulous? Confident in the total package? This length requires the ‘once over’ in order to take it all in.

Apparently I wear either princess or matinee length..so, which is your favorite?

Using long tube Beads

I like to re-create the same bead countless times, and while this may seem obsessive I like to think it's more correctly the desire to make the bead I see in my head. Mostly impossible. But I keep trying.
Lately that obsession is the long tube shaped bead. The longer and skinnier the better. More a cigarillo shape.
Here are a few of the latest. Still not quite the fantasy bead in my mind, but the latest...which is the copper green one with the pale green rose is the most satisfying.
In fact, I may be happy with that for a bit~

all of the above handmade glass beads are available here:
Green Bird Studio

What's your favorite bead shape to design with? For most of us it seems to be the flattened lozenge shape. But don't disregard other perhaps more 'difficult' shapes, they afford an excuse to create something unique and truly one of a kind.
Following are some beautiful necklaces using long tube shaped beads.

Credits for jewelry design go to:

http://thegloss.com/fashion/tribal-style-from-tanya-lochridge
http://www.marilyn.oberins.com
http://www.mykonosbeads.com
http://www.designtextures.com
www.craftjuice.com
http://www.lisakan.com/LisaKanDesigns.htm

I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.

~Michelangelo

Shop handmade this Season!

Pour yourself a cup of tea or a mug of hot chocolate and snuggle up to your laptops peeps. This is a fun 2 day event dreamed up by Shelly of MiShel Designs to help you keep your resolve to Shop HaNdmade this season.

Or just window shop if that's what strikes your fancy, but definitely stroll on by and take a look.

..a superb list of quality artisans all decked out for the holidays..
click the link below to go to the

Blog Hop!! December 2011

and for those of you who have found yourselves here via the Hop from someones participating blog Please use the code BlogHopping2011 to take 25% off anything in my Etsy shop featuring handmade glass beads for your jewelry designs!


Seasons Greetings and Much Happiness to all of you

She does not need opium. She has the gift of reverie. ~Anais Nin

My creative journey began many years ago. White walls and crayolas, misted windows and fingers were my favorite materials to work with. I dabbled in pastel when my beloved grandmother gave me a small wooden box filled with skinny sticks of colored chalk and a sketch pad.

I discovered the art of lampwork beads in early 2005 and fell head over heels in love.

Ask anyone who melts glass...it is a strong addiction that rapidly becomes an integral part of your life.

I named my little business 'SweetWater' Designs as a tribute to my beloved Dad who we lost to cancer in 1995.

The year I turned 14 my father did something many people just think about doing. He left a secure 9-5 job and a house he'd built with his own sweat on the very lovely Vancouver Island to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a rancher.
Promising us adventure and lots of 'crunchy' snow, he packed up his family of 8 and moved us from our home to 2400 acres of pristine land on a remote northern corner of British Columbia, ~a land known for its Prairie, the Boreal Forest the Rocky Mountains and the mighty Peace River, one of the longest river systems in Canada- ...no, I never did take to the crunchy snow.
There was an underground stream of crystal clear water that bubbled year round out of the earth and because of that Dad named his ranch, the 'SweetWater'. (He was an avid Louis L'Amour reader.)

My father was a constant encouragement to his children and I like to imagine that he continues to watch over and take pride in our accomplishments and adventures.

I miss him still.

I am in the ever evolving process of learning this wonderful art called Lampwork and I love every single minute of it.

the birth of a bead ..from raw glass in the form of a long rod, melted in the flame and then wrapped..rather like capturing liquid honey..onto a clay coated steel mandrel..gravity and design play...
.it is pure magic and unsung music all in the form of a drip of glass frozen forever into a tiny work of art to be worn and treasured~

I've begun to add metals to the mix and my little studio is over flowing with solder, glass, hammers and torches..it's amazing and wonderful and I hope to be melting glass and creating jewelry well into my old lady years. :-)

If you're interested in learning more:

sweetwater designs

glass art

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Contact:
sweetwaterdesigns@live.com

Thank you for stopping by!