KALEIDOSCOPES...

...AND once I got into the "beadable" pieces, I started searching for other beadable items, mainly on woodworkers' sites & found things that woodworkers would sheath in turned wood, like the beadable pens & such. What I got REALLY excited about were these cool little kaleidoscopes! I saw them & thought, "it's just a tube, I think I could make a big hole bead to fit that!!" I made 5 & sold 4 of them @ the sale!! $50 ea. I only had ONE mandrel that fit at first (I only came up w/ the idea a few weeks before the show)... how frustrating to only be able to make one every day & 1/2 or so!! LOL! I got 3 more mandrels from Malcom @ Artco... how awesome to be able to make 4 @ a time!! LOL! I made up the rest that I had (7) for a holiday boutique I'm doing in downtown Minneapolis & just ordered 25 more! LOL! (red, green & blue wands). That picture is about full size. Cute, huh?

I searched for kaleidoscopes on LE & only found mention of "kaleidoscope beads", which are a bead style, from what I gather... so I'm kind of excited that this "might" be an original-ish lampwork idea.

What do you think???

SHOWING OFF...

I'm so excited about these pieces. In preparation of a holiday art sale that I knew I would need "finished" pieces for, instead of going the jewelry route, I decided to go towards "gifts". Beadable items like utinsils, bar items, etc... really nice pieces that I mainly picked up from Karen Thomas Designs. These are so cool to make. They consistently challenge me to make larger, coordinating beads, etc. They "feel" nice, too, as they have a very substantial weight to them.


They were a HIT! It was really exciting to watch people oooh & aaah over these fabulous pieces. Mostly, I was REALLY happy with the feedback I got from the other artists who were impressed by my "awesome" beads 6 months earlier!!

Yes, I've improved... just a bit. :o)