Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Isabel's Rose- amazing lampwork beads & jewelry




Sometimes you see an add and click, expecting to take a quick glance and go on about your business. Other times, you find yourself fascinated, clicking and clicking, looking for hours, drooling and adding to your wishlist. The other night was definitely one of those nights.

Enter Isabel's Rose, by Lori Flanders. I spotted a tiny ad at the bottom of a webcomic I read, and was drawn in... those look like polymer clay bone beads, I thought to myself. I clicked, and was suddenly blown away... these were not clay, but glass- lampwork beads, handmade with rods of glass and a torch, each one a tiny work of art.

I spent hours over the next couple of days, clicking through her various shops and her flickr stream, amazed and awed and absolutely speechless over these tiny jewels. I love the colors, I love the textures, I love the whimsicality... this stuff is absolutely amazing! So, I decided I needed to share some of my favorites with you!






Encrusted lampwork heart, $28 at Etsy


First, look at this amazing sterling-silver encrusted heart necklace. Made of ivory-colored glass, it has sterling silver embedded into it. It's suspended on an oxidized sterling silver ring, and comes on a 20" gunmetal chain.

I am so, so in love with this necklace. It looks like there's enough weight there to feel substantial without looking childish. The colors are so intriguing, and I love the cool tones of the chain and the silver contrasting with the warmth of the ivory glass. It looks equally perfect for dressing up jeans and a tee shirt or for wearing with your favorite little black dress.





Necklace photo from the artist's Flickr stream.




Then there's this necklace made of glass branch beads and glass acorns. I absolutely love the lime green on the acorns, and I think this would be stunning paired with a simple top and jeans. There's something utterly fall-like about this piece, making me think of crisp autumn breezes and that utterly blue sky. I love it!









Don't think she only works in earth tones, though. This poison cupcake showcases Lori's whimsical side, using almost-neon colors to create a charming cupcake and crossbones.

Again, this piece is substantial without being too big. Do I even have to tell you how adorable I find this? Bright colors, cupcakes, and gunmetal all make me smile. This could well be a favorite necklace if it lived in my jewelry collection!








Although I could keep pulling photos and posting them to rave about, I'll end with this stunning bracelet. Those beads aren't metal, but instead are made of glass. I'm assuming there's silver leaf on them, but I honestly don't know for sure.

Aren't they gorgeous? They're so chunky and bold, and all so radically different while still looking harmonious together. I also love the patterns of swirls and dots, the sparkle of the silver, and the deep glossiness of the black. This is truly my kind of bracelet!


So, what do you think of these? Is this something you would wear? How would you wear them. Do you have a favorite piece of hers? Leave me a comment and let me know!

P.S. If you buy something from her, note in your order that I sent you there!  :D
Someone take my internet away, I've gone down the rabbit hole!
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