Snakeskin: The New Neutral

So much lampwork gathering dust on my work table (I'm phobic about using it in a piece that just doesn't measure up)...these little "snakeskin" gems by BeingBeads on Etsy have been keeping Kelley's "Azure Islands" beads company for the last several months. But I've plucked up my courage and by golly, those lampwork beads are going places. I decided to use them in some simpler necklaces, rather than putting them in multi-stranded coronation neckpieces with glittering gem-encrusted breastplates. This was as simple as I allowed myself to get. (But I have more! I'm thinking of using leather as a way to force myself into casualness.)

This wonderful lampwork is by Pat Redinger of BeingBeads on Etsy. It's combined with teal blue quartz, yellow turquoise (in olive green), wood, and Delica seed beads in a fabulous gray-lined light amber. Hand-formed, hammered brass beadcaps.

The rest of my lampwork beads have targets on their little glassy heads. Pretty excited about the boatload of glass tile beads and heavier gauge silk thread I just got from Fire Mountain, and all the seed beads I've been collecting from Fusion Beads--time to conquer my fear of both casual/simple AND blue and get busy. I'm going to be very knotty again this weekend.