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| about the jewelry | ||
| I love glass. I love silver. Currently I have 2 collections, the Sailorgirl collection made with my own handmade glass beads, and the Baubles collection in which I use commercial beads. | ||
| about my beads | ||
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I make glass beads using a technique called lampworking or flameworking.
I use a gas/oxygen torch to melt rods of glass. My raw glass is Moretti
glass from Italy. The melted glass is wound around a thin steel rod (called
a mandrel), then shaped and decorated with thin rods of glass (called stringers).
Some of the beads have silver leaf added inside. There is no paint on any
of my beads, they are all layers and layers of glass.
All of my beads are annealed (baked) in a kiln at approximately 950 degrees F. This removes stress from the glass and prevents the bead from cracking. Because my beads are annealed, they are durable. Try not to drop them on cement or marble. They will hold up well under normal, everyday wear. As they are handmade, each bead is unique. While I do my very best to produce exactly what you see on the screen, there will be some slight variations in the beads. |
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| artist statement | ||
| I sail upon crystal blue water, I walk on golden sands under trees of vibrant flowers. I am hypnotized by light and mellowed by warmth. I am enchanted by fun, by faraway places, by possibilities. I play with liquid glass, magical colours, molten light and shimmering silver. My melted glass becomes tactile beads designed to bring a smile to the lips, a twinkle to the eye and a happiness to the heart. I create light, playful jewelry to brighten a day and to inspire imagination. | ||
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Sailing - Copyright Catherine Winter,
Sailorgirl, 2008
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