Ceramics and Glam

A friend of mine sent me a hoard of ceramics and lampwork recently. I've mentioned Tan before, but this is the first time I've used her ceramics in my jewellery. And I love them!

I paired these adorable, blue ceramic buttons with Tan's etched lampwork beads. They didn't need much to transform into a cute pair of earrings.  

The buttons have a great texture, and the glaze almost has a gradient from blue to pale blue/white. They're super light and beautiful. I'm going to make a similar pair in pink with more of Tan's art beads and buttons.

The next piece I have to show you is a bit more intense. I've been wanting to use this large cubic zirconia for a while, and knew I wanted to pair it with purple and black. I entered this necklace in the UKBeader's June challenge - Summer nights.

 

For the focal area, I made a textured, copper cap for the CZ and added a beautiful vintage Swarovski crystal Lori sent me. I incorporated more of the shimmering Swarovskis, other vintage beads from Old Bicycle Shop, garnet, and amethyst. There's also a set of Tan's lampwork beads in the mix.

The back of the necklace is made of a garnet colored faux suede. Everything is connected with copper wirework, and a forged copper clasp I made. 

 

Here's a final detail shot of some of the Swarovskis and Tan's lampwork beads. Don't you love the purple-pink color of the little Swaros in this light?

 

If you'd like to get your hands on some of Tan's art beads, have a look at her site. She's more than happy to swap her lampwork and ceramics!