WHAT'S NEW at Graciebeads!

2009-12-31T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

Hoping that 2010 brings you ALL that is good and that ALL of your dreams come to be! Don't know about you, but I'm real ready for something GOOD to come along... will be back a little later with a bead update.

Until then, take good care!

Bye, bye for now, Gracie :)

2009-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

HELLO! HELLO!

For the past month and a half I have been unable to access my GRACIEBEADS blog... it had simply disappeared and became lost in cyberspace somewhere... somehow! I am SO pleased (exhilarated to be honest) to find it again! Phew! I have missed you all!

I have a few of my bead collections up for auction on ebay... these have from one to six days left in ebay and since I could not find my blog, to update it, is why there is so little time left on some of these bead collections in ebay... sorry about that, but it was something beyond my control... if you'd like to take a look at these bead collections up on ebay, simply click on these bead collections' titles (below) and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

LAMPWORK HAT & LAPEL PIN ::: A handmade artisan lampwork glass bead HAT PIN or LAPEL PIN in hues of turquoise, lime and robin egg blue... this pin is accented with faceted glass beads and gorgeous BALI silver beads... it has a little 'danglie' that swings when you move, hanging from the top of it, with a little tiny BALI flower charm/trinket at the end of it... this Hat Pin/Lapel Pin measures approximately 6 inches long and has a protective cap at the end of the pin so you won't get 'poked' (please see picture to the right for a visual of this cap)... the largest handmade lampwork bead in this jewelry creation measures approximately 17mm x 20mm... what a great addition to your fun and playful jewelry collection.

FOREST GATHERING ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD design... my favorite beads to create!... these beads were done in rich, earthy glass colors of redwood bark browns on a backdrop of sage greens, golden honey and dark browns... these beautiful, Soul soothing colors of Mother Nature are great for the Winter months ahead, but will also work ALL year round.

This particular gathering of my REDWOOD beads are all matching in design (or as close as I could get them, that is)... sometimes in my Redwood collections, I add some transparent beads and/or beads with different, "out of the ordinary" designs, but not this time... this time it was intentional and planned that these beads all matched. :o)

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 24mm x 24¾mm... with ten (10) smaller lentil shapes that measure about 18½mm to 20mm... and three (3) matching pair of round beads created with matching earrings and/or "danglies" in mind that measure about 8mm x 11mm to 9mm x 11¾mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads were then temporarily strung on cording and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long... the start of a stunning necklace or a few cool bracelets... all with matching earrings and/or "danglies", of course. :)

MOCHA TRIO ::: A trio (3) collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of mocha and pale champagne.

There are 5 beads in this collection... there are three (3) lentil shaped beads that all measure about 19½mm... with a matching pair of round beads that were created with earrings in mind that measure about 7mm x 10mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on organza ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 2½ inches long and were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

WINTER RAKU ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads, intricately decorated in the beautiful colors of rainbow Raku in lavenders, purples, golden straw, greens and blues... great colors for Winter! These beads were created with a bracelet in mind.

There are 8 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shaped beads that all measure about 19mm... these beads are all intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 5¾ inches long... add some of your favorite accent beads and a cool clasp and you will have a fun and class-act bracelet.

Hoping all has been well with all of you... and I am so, so glad to have found my blog again! I missed it and wondered where the heck it had gone! he-he

Take good care and I send you all heartfelt wishes for very HAPPY HOLIDAYS, filled with PEACE, LOVE & HAPPINESS and a 2010 that brings you ALL that is good... we are due for some good things to come our way! I am so ready for something really good to happen!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

G'nite and take good care, Gracie :)

2009-11-06T01:15:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Since it is already really Friday, Happy (almost) Weekend!

I have added a couple new auctions to ebay... simply click on the bead collection's title and be taken right to its auction in ebay...

PLUM PERFECT ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in PERFECT colors for the upcoming Wintertime months - pale and deep plum colors, along with rich honey and sandy champagne... I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind when I was creating these beads.

There are 14 beads in this auction... there are 10 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17mm to 19mm with two matching pair of plum and champagne colored round beads that were created for earrings... these smaller round shaded beads measure about 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 8½ inches long.

This is a 5 DAY auction.

PLUM PERFECT ::: A view of this bead collection...

PLUM PERFECT ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

PLUM PERFECT ::: A view of these beads in my hand...

REDWOOD MAGIC ::: Another collection of my favorite beads... a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my favorite design to work in... REDWOOD MAGIC... in earthy and comforting colors of Mother Nature... redwood bark browns, sage greens, pale champagne and golden honey... two strands of beads here... one for a necklace and one for a matching bracelet and earrings... lots of beads for lots of fun! These are PERFECT colors for the Fall and Winter seasons.

You will receive ALL of the beads shown in these photos... and, of course, that there are two strands of beads here, one for a necklace and one for a bracelet are only my idea... you may have much better ideas for this bead collection. :)

There are 20 beads in this auction... I will start with the first strand of beads, shown in the first picture to the right, that shows both strands of beads in this auction... the first (top strand in picture) is a strand of beads that was created with a bracelet in mind... 5 lentil shaped beads ranging in size from about 18mm to 19mm with two pair of matching small round beads for earrings and/or danglies in mind... these small rounds measure about 7mm x 11mm... now, the second strand (bottom strand) in the picture of beads to the right are the necklace beads... to start is a lentil shaped focal bead that measures about 26mm x 26½mm... with 6 matching smaller lentil shapes measuring about 18¼mm to 19½mm... this strand also has two pair of matching small rounds that measure about 7mm x 10mm to 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have all been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and the strands measure as follows:

Bracelet Bead Strand = 4½ inches long
Necklace Bead Strand = 6½ inches long

REDWOOD MAGIC ::: A view of ALL of the beads in this two strand of bead auction...

REDWOOD MAGIC ::: A view of the 'necklace' bead strand...

REDWOOD MAGIC ::: A view of the 'bracelet' bead strand...

And as I mentioned in my item description for my REDWOOD MAGIC auction, using these beads as I proposed. with one strand as a necklace and the other as a matching bracelet with matching earrings and 'danglies' at your clasp, etc., was only a suggestion... you may have a much better idea!

Well, it's getting late and I better get some sleep!... hoping you are all off in dreamland having sweet, sweet dreams and hope your weekend ahead brings you ALL that you dream of.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Also, the Special I talked about adding, earlier this week, has not yet happened (sorry 'bout that), but will be coming VERY soon! So, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com should you wish to be added to my SPECIALS email notification list and I will send you an email once the SPECIAL is available... shouldn't be too long... honest. :)

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie

2009-11-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Tonight I added a new 3 DAY auction in ebay... if you click on this bead collection's title, below, you will be taken directly to its auction in ebay.

WINTER RAKU ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads created on a base bead of rainbow RAKU with lavenders, purples, champagne khakis, greens and blues... these cool hues remind me of the Winter season ahead and would be great as a bracelet with matching earrings.

There are 12 beads in this auction... there are 10 lentil shaped beads in this collection that range in size from approximately 18¾mm to just shy of 20mm... there is also a matching pair of small sized round shaped beads that were created with earrings in mind that measure about 8mm x 12mm... these beads have all been intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 7½ inches long... these are great colors for Wintertime!

This is a 3 DAY auction.

WINTER RAKU ::: A view of this bead collection...

WINTER RAKU ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

WINTER RAKU ::: A close-up view of these beads...

WINTER RAKU ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual as to their size...

Take good care and thank you so much for stopping by!

G'nite, Gracie :)

2009-11-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello,

Happy NOVEMBER!

I've been away from the torch for a week or so because while I was out taking a walk, I fell and went B-O-O-M on the sidewalk... the huge trees in this neighborhood had lifted the sidewalk and created about a 1 inch rise in part of the walkway (something for me to trip on) and down I went! Obviously, Gracie the Graceful, I am not! (ha ha) I was VERY lucky, though, and did not break any bones or teeth... just banged myself up pretty good... I am finally back behind the torch, thank goodness... I really have missed making my beads!

My first collection of beads that I have made, since my little accident, are some of my favorites to make (love these colors so much), created in my REDWOOD design... and... tonight I have added a new auction of my REDWOOD beads to ebay... please click on this auction's title (below) and you will be taken directly to its auction in ebay...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my favorite design to work in... REDWOODS... in a mix of the gentle, subtle and soothing colors of nature... sage greens, redwood bark browns, pale champagne and golden honey.

There are 17 beads in this auction... to start this collection is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures approximately 23¼mm x 24½mm... to accompany this are 10 smaller sized lentil shaped beads ranging in size from about 18¼mm to 19½mm... and... there are also 3 pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp in mind... these smaller rounds measure about 9mm x 11½mm to 8¾mm x 12½mm... all of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 10 inches long... a perfect start for some beautiful bracelets or a lovely necklace, both with matching earrings... or, perhaps, a great start for making those loving gifts for the Holidays?

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of this collection of beads...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of them in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

Hoping all is well with all of you and thanks so much for stopping by.

I will have a SPECIAL coming up this week on my web site. If you are on my SPECIALS email notification list, I will send you an email when it is up for sale. Should you wish to be added to my SPECIALS email notification list, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com and I will gladly add your name to my list.

Take good care and be careful if you are out taking a walk... it can be treacherous if one is not paying attention and keeping an eye on what is right under their feet! Yikes! Don't think this will ever happen to me again. I am practicing watching where I'm going (and what is under my feet!)... and plan to make that a permanent habit! (ha ha)

G'nite and sweetdreams to all, Gracie :)

2009-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello all,

I have a new collection of beads up on ebay... please just click on this bead collection's title below and be taken directly to its ebay auction... this is a 3 DAY auction...

EARTHY, RICH & RUST ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors and hues of earthy and rich, rust and brown tones, along with pale opaque champagne designs... again, I had a bracelet in mind while I was creating these beads... this lentil shape is so comfortable to wear on your wrist and these colors are great for the year round... right now, even though they are a couple months in the future, the Christmas Holidays come to mind for these beads... but when I think ahead to Spring and Summertime, that works, too. :)

There are 7 beads in this auction... these are all lentil shaped beads and these 7 beads range in size from about 19½ to 20¾mm... these beads have all been intricately decorated on both sides... they were then meticulously cleaned of bead release and temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures just shy of 5¼ inches long.

EARTHY, RICH & RUST ::: A close-up view of this collection of beads...

EARTHY, RICH & RUST ::: Another view of these beads...

EARTHY, RICH & RUST ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual as to their size...

Take good care and thanks so much for stopping by to take a look!

G'nite, Gracie

2009-10-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

G'evening all,

I added a new 3 DAY auction, but did not get in here until now to update my blog... there are about 24 hours left on this auction (sorry about not getting here sooner to update and let you know I had added this new auction)... please click on this bead collection's title below and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: Rarely, do we come across a single REDWOOD tree, standing alone, when we are out in the forest hiking and exploring... but rather we will come upon a gathering of many of these majestic beauties, surrounding one another... this collection of beads is to celebrate these special sightings of the GATHERINGS of these gorgeous trees when we are out in Mother Nature.

Here is a collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my favorite beads to make... my REDWOOD design... these beads start with a background of earthy sage greens, topaz browns and golden rusts, which are then decorated with redwood-bark browns and deep, rich brown decorations on both sides of these beads.

There are 17 beads in this auction... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23½mm x 25mm with 10 matching smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18½mm to 20¾mm... also included are 3 matching pair of smaller sized beads, one pair are tube shaped and 2 pair are rounds... these smaller sized beads were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads, as I mentioned above, are decorated on both sides... and they have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures approximately 10¼ inches long.

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: A photograph of this bead collection...

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: An image of GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

That's about it for now... I will have another new auction tomorrow night... so will be back to update soon.

Take good care, Gracie

2009-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Just a quicky update... a new auction up on ebay... there are 2 days 6 hours left on this 3 DAY auction (sorry I didn't get in here to update last night)... please click on this bead collection's title and be taken directly to its auction in ebay (yup, the title is also a link!)...

PLUM and SAND ::: A sweet little collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of rich, deep PLUM and earthy and organic SAND... I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind when I was creating these beads.

There are 7 beads in this auction... there are 5 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm with a pair of matching plum colored round beads that were created for earrings... these smaller round shaded beads measure about 10mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 4¼ inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

PLUM and SAND ::: A small collection of beads for a great Wintertime bracelet and matching earrings...

PLUM and SAND ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

PLUM and SAND ::: A view of them in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

I have another auction that will be up tonight in ebay... and I will be back to add it in here as well.

Have a lovely 'rest of the weekend' and take good care.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Bye 'til a little later, Gracie :)

2009-10-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Hope your week is bringing you ALL good things! I have a new auction up in ebay... please click on its title below (yup, it's a link) and be taken directly to its auction in ebay...

WINTER RAINBOW ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in classy cool lavenders, purples and rainbow colors... perfect colors for Wintertime that is just around the corner! Can you believe it?! Time just flies by!

There are 15 beads in this auction... to start is a lentil shaped focal bead that measures about 24¼mm x 26½mm and to accompany this focal bead are 10 matching smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 19mm to 20mm... also included are 2 matching pair of smaller sized round shaped beads that measure 8¾mm x 13mm and 9¾mm x 14mm... on some of these beads I have left the decorations raised a bit to add a 3-D effect, while on others, the designs have been melted into the base bead with raised dots of colors to add to the fun... all of these beads have been intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 9½ inches long.

WINTER RAINBOW ::: A view of this bead collection...

WINTER RAINBOW ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

WINTER RAINBOW ::: A close-up view of these beads...

I will gladly combine shipping if you win multiple auction in ebay within a 7 day time frame... and as I mentioned in my item description, until I can figure out how to charge for shipping insurance (with ebay's latest changes), I will be paying for the insurance on your packages... all you will have to pay for is the postage.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Take good care and hoping your weekend ahead is delightful!

Bye for now, Gracie

2009-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Hoping all is well with you... I have three new bead collections for sale up in ebay that started tonight (10-10-09)... two of them are 7 day auctions and one is a 3 day auction... please click on the bead collections' titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions... also wanted to mention (and forgot to add this to my auctions) that I would be very pleased to offer combined shipping should you purchase more than one of my auctions shown here... also, I wanted to reiterate that I will be paying for insurance on these packages until I can figure out how to handle ebay's latest change of no more optional postal insurance... so for now, insurance is on me!

FANTASY ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads created in shades of colorful and playful greens on a pale greenish-teal-turquoise background... these colors and these beads' intricate decorations brought to mind one thing... F-A-N-T-A-S-Y... fairies and make-believe magical places filled with beautiful ferns, butterflies & wildflowers and other flights of imagination and whimsy... I had a bracelet in mind when I was creating these beads.

There are 5 beads in this auction... these are all lentil shaped beads and all measure about 20mm... these beads are decorated on both sides and I have provided pictures to show the front and back, along with a super close-up view and one view of them in my hand to give you a visual reference as to their size... these beads are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 3½ inches long.

REDWOOD FOREST ::: A collection of my favorite beads to create... handsome handmade artisan lampwork glass beads created in the colors one would find in a REDWOOD FOREST... redwood-bark brown swirls and dots decorate a backdrop of earthy and organic sage greens, rusts and golden browns... these beads will work year round, but are especially great for Fall and Wintertime.

There are 21 beads in this auction... a large lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 25mm x 25¾mm with a dozen (12) matching smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18½mm x 20mm... and... four matching pair of small round shaped beads that were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these small rounds measure from approximately 7½mm x 10¼mm to 9¾mm x 12½mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been etched ever so gently to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 12 inches long.

TURQUOISE FUN ::: A fun collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads created in turquoise blues and ivory with whimsical swirl and dot designs... there is a fascinating chemical reaction that occurs when the colors of opaque ivory and turquoise glass are brought together in the flame... a dark outline in created along the edge of where these two colors meet, adding yet another dimension to the look of these beads... these are fun, fun, fun beads!

There are 17 beads in this auction... there are 8 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17¾mm to about 18½mm... and... there are 8 turquoise round shaded spacer beads that are all about 7½mm x 10mm... all of these lentil shaped beads are decorated on both sides... all of these beads - lentil shaped and the rounds - have all be gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on organza ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 8½ inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

Take good care and I hope your Sunday brings you ALL that is good!

G'nite all and thanks for stopping by, Gracie

2009-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Another few new auctions on ebay... simply click on these bead collections' titles and be taken directly to their auctions in ebay...

MIDNIGHT ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of MIDNIGHT... deep, dark blues with intricate designs on both sides... some of these beads have rainbow Raku backgrounds and some are blue on blue... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

There are 11 beads in this auction... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 25mm x 26¼mm... and to accompany this focal bead are 6 smaller sized lentil shaped beads that are all about 20mm in size... and... two pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these smaller rounds measure about 10mm and 12mm... and as I mentioned above, all of these beads are intricately decorated on both sides... they have temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 7 inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

MIDNIGHT ::: A view of this bead collection...

MIDNIGHT ::: A close-up view of my MIDNIGHT bead collection...

MIDNIGHT ::: A view of these beads in my hand...

PLAYFUL PISTACHIO ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in playful designs and created in the colors of PISTACHIO greens and pale champagne... great colors for Fall and Wintertime - Christmastime especially came to mind while I was working on this collection of beads.

There are 13 beads in this auction... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 25¾mm x 27¼mm with eight (8) smaller sized matching lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 21mm... and... two pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these smaller rounds measure 7¼mm x 10½mm and 11½mm x 13¼mm... there is one transparent lentil shaped bead and one pair of small round shaped beads (decorated with polka dots) that were made of pale, pale green transparent glass, however, they appear pale gold in my pictures... just wanted to make sure you knew that these beads were green... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures just shy of 8½ inches long.

PLAYFUL PISTACHIO ::: A photograph of this bead collection...

PLAYFUL PISTACHIO ::: A close-up view of my PISTACHIO beads...

PLAYFUL PISTACHIO ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual to their size...

MERMAID BLUES & GREENS TRIO ::: A TRIO (3) of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in colors that remind me of the mysterious MERMAIDS of the sea that dreams are made of for some... pale blues as a backdrop with green intricate designs on both sides of these lentil shaped beads.

There are 3 beads in this auction... a trio of lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 20mm to 21mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 2¼ inches long... the start of a fun bracelet, perhaps? :)

This is a 3 DAY auction.

MERMAID TRIO ::: A view of my Mermaid Trio...

MERMAID TRIO ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

MERMAID TRIO ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference as to their size...

That's it for now... hope you have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

G'nite and, as always, thanks so much for stopping by, Gracie

2009-09-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

G'morning everyone!

As always, hoping all is well in your worlds... I have another new collection of my handmade lampwork glass beads up on ebay... there are 2 days and 10 hours left on this auction (a 3 DAY listing)... please click on this collection's title below and be taken directly to its auction in ebay...

TURQUOISE & RAKU TREASURES ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in cool and colorful hues of turquoise... some of these beads were created with intricate encased turquoise decorations on a backdrop of rainbow Raku colors... some are turquoise on turquoise... some of these beads have their designs left raised for a 3-D effect, while on others, the design has been melted flat... this collection has truly become a fun study in eclecticism... these cool colors will work year round, but really great for Wintertime... I had a bracelet with matching earrings and 'danglies' at your clasp (or elsewhere in your creation) when I was behind the torch creating these beads!

There are 10 beads in this auction... there are 6 lentil shaped beads in this collection that range in size from about 19mm to 20mm... with two matching pair of small round shaped beads that were created for earrings and/or 'danglies' and these beads measure about 9mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and pictures with views of each side are provided for your viewing... these beads are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures approximately 5½ inches long... I have also added a small handful of (quantity: 30-ish) SWAROVSKI crystal faceted beads in transparent pale, pale, pale turquoise blue to add to the fun!

This is a 3 DAY auction.

TURQUOISE & RAKU TREASURES ::: A view of this collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

TURQUOISE & RAKU TREASURES ::: A close-up view of this collection...

TURQUOISE & RAKU TREASURES ::: Another close-up view of this collection...

TURQUOISE & RAKU TREASURES ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual to their true size...

Take good care and thanks so much for stopping by!

Gracie :)

2009-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

It's been a while since I updated... hoping all is well in all of your worlds... I have added a couple new auctions in ebay... there are five bidding days left of these two auctions... please click on these bead collections' titles (below) and be taken directly to their ebay auctions (yup, the titles are also links)...

FALL EQUINOX ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in fabulous colors for Fall created in champagne, golden pale wheat and pale steel blues on backdrops of rainbow Raku.

There are 17 beads in this auction... a lentil shaped focal that measures about 24½mm x 26mm is the star of this collection with ten (10) smaller lentil shaped beads to go with it that range in size from about 17½mm to 20mm... and... 3 matching pair of small round shaped beads for earrings and/or 'danglies' that measure about 7mm-8mm x 10mm... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and metallic cording and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long.

REDWOOD MAGIC ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD design, which I am calling REDWOOD MAGIC... earthy and magical colors of Redwood-bark browns and sage greens, along with golden topaz hues... wonderful colors for the Fall Season that has now arrived!

There are 21 beads in this auction... a lentil shaped focal bead to start, that measures approximately 25½mm x 24¾mm... to accompany this focal bead are a dozen (12) smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... and... four (4) matching pair of small round beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these smaller round beads that all measure about 9mm x 12mm... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung and this strand of beads measures about 12 inches long... these are my favorite beads to create and I hope you like them, too. :)

Hoping the rest of your weekend ROCKS and that you get some good rest and fun times.

Ahhh, one more thing, have you ever heard of 'essential oils'? I had never heard of these oils and had mentioned to my dear friend, Kathy, that I was dealing with a bout of insomnia... shortly after that, I received a gift in the mail of some 'essential oils' from New York from my friend, Kathy! Isn't that the coolest?!

Shortly after I add a drop of this oil to my wrist, I become very relaxed and drift off gradually and gently into sleep... I'm in Heaven with this gift... if you have trouble sleeping, I have to say, give these 'essential oils' a try... the one Kathy sent me is called "Peace and Calm" and I must say, it really does help my restless nights VERY much! Why am I up so late tonight? Because I'm a nightowl by nature. When I'm ready to get some sleep, I will use my new "Peace and Calm" oil and drift off into dreamland, thanks to my dear friend. Thanks again, Kath... you truly are one of our few and beloved Earth Angels and you help sooooo many people... you are a VERY special lady!

Take good care and g'nite all, Gracie... hope you all have sweet dreams. :)

2009-09-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello,

I have a new bead collection up for auction in ebay that I wanted to share with you... please click on this bead collection's title (directly below) and be taken to its auction in ebay...

EYE OF THE STORM ::: A collection of my "one of a kind" handmade artisan lampwork glass beads, which I am calling EYE OF THE STORM... I have to give a special thanks to my friend and customer, Alexandra for this name... her naming of this design is genius and fits the design perfectly... thanks so much, Alexandra for your inspirational naming of this design... the colors in these beads are incredibly rainbow-like... created in shades of greens, teal blues, purples, pinks, amber honey and champagne... wonderful colors for any season of the year... but especially nice for the Autumn and Winter months that are just around the corner... this is a unique collection of beads for me as they are matching beads... usually, my beads are an eclectic gathering of different designs and colors... this time they all match... something new for this bead maker. :)

There are 18 beads in this collection... there are six (6) lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 19mm to 20mm with twelve (12) matching rounds that measure about 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures approximately 8¼ inches long.

EYE OF THE STORM ::: A view of this bead collection...

EYE OF THE STORM ::: Another view of this collection of beads...

EYE OF THE STORM ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size... this picture was taken outside in direct sunlight to highlight and really show these beads' beautiful Raku rainbow colors...

That's it for now... it's time for nighty-nighty... tomorrow I'm off to spend the day and have lunch with my new 'stamp collecting' buddies... stamp collecting is a new hobby for me... stamp collecting is not only intriguing and inspiraitonal from a color standpoint (of course, as artists I'm sure you will understand that I get inspired for new bead ideas from the colors in the stamps that I see), but it is also an interesting and GREAT way to learn world and United States history! I'm finding it a fascinating hobby! And my new friends are the greatest... very intelligent, entertaining and interesting folks... and lots of laughs (a GOOD thing)!

I'm sending best wishes to you all for a wonderful, fun-filled weekend!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie Lou

2009-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening... or is it... G'morning :)

Hoping you are all doing great! I have a few new auctions up on ebay and wanted to share them with you... I was unable to get in here to enter these auctions when I put them up in ebay (a couple of days ago), but thought I'd add this blog entry now (late), rather than not at all... please click on the bead collection's title (below) and be taken directly to its auction in ebay...

RAKU TRIO ::: A trio (3) of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads, which I have named RAKU TRIO... these three beads were created in the rainbow Raku shades of blues, greens, teal blues, honey golds, pinks and champagne (truly, a virtual rainbow of colors!) with decorations in pale to deep purples... these are perfect colors and hues for Winter and will also work year round.

There are 3 beads in this collection... to start is a focal/centerpiece sized lentil shape bead that measures about 23mm x 25¼mm... with 2 matching smaller lentil shaped beads that are both about 18½mm... all three of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 2¼ inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rich earthy colors of redwood bark browns with outlines of pale organic greens on a backdrop of sage greens and rust to darker browns... I have named this collection, MAJESTIC REDWOODS... these beads' colors are perfect shades and colors for the Autumn and Winter seasons right ahead... and I find these colors are so soothing to the body, mind and spirit... they're almost magical in that regard... I was thinking bracelet and matching earrings when I created this collection.

There are 9 beads in this collection... there are seven (7) lentil shaped beads, along with a matching pair of small rounds in this collection... I have added a new and very lovely lighter and pale, pale green glass to this collection (a new glass that has become available recently, that I just LOVE!)... the lentil shaped beads range in size from about 18¾mm to about 20mm... 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads have been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finish... and... all of these beads are decorated on both sides... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 5½ inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

WINTER RAKU ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in WINTER RAKU colors... shades of purples, lavenders, rainbow blues, greens, teal blues... these are all fabulous colors for Winter and also for the rest of the year because these colors are soooooooooo versatile.

There are 10 beads in this collection... there are eight (8) lentil shapes and a matching pair of small round beads in this collection... the lentil shapes range in size from about 18¾mm to 20mm... the smaller round shaped beads (which were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind) measure about 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures 6 inches long... I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind when I was creating this collection of beads.

The first two auctions, RAKU TRIO & MAJESTIC REDWOODS are 3 Day auctions with only have about 1 day left on ebay... the last auction, WINTER RAKU, is a 7 day auction and has over 5 days left... sorry, I didn't get here sooner... but better later than not at all as they say. :)

Take good care and now it's time for this bead maker to go get some
Z-Z-Z-Z-Z's. Sweet dreams to you, too!

G'nite, Gracie

2009-08-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello,

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm here with a new offering in ebay... this new bead collection was just added to ebay about an hour ago and will run for 7 days... to view these beads, simply click on this bead collection's title (below) and be taken directly it its auction...

AUTUMN RAINBOW ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in AUTUMN RAINBOW in the gentle and colorful shades and hues of purples, lavenders, rust, dark purples, rainbow greens and blues and one of my favorites... rainbow Raku as a backdrop on some of these beads... these are all great colors for Autumn and Fall... these colors are quite versatile and will also work year round.

There are 14 beads in this collection... there are eight (8) lentil shapes and three (3) matching pair of small round beads in this collection... the lentil shapes range in size from about 18mm to 19¾mm... the smaller round shaped beads (which were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind) range from about 7mm x 10mm to 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures approximately 7½ inches long... I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind when I created these beads.

AUTUMN RAINBOW ::: A view of this bead collection...

AUTUMN RAINBOW ::: A close-up photograph of these beads...

AUTUMN RAINBOW ::: A view of them in my hand to give you a reference to their size...

Again, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that your weekend is lovely!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie :)

2009-08-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening all,

As I promised yesterday, when I was in here posting these bead pictures of my most recent ebay auctions, I'm baaaaccckkk... here to add the links to these two new auctions in ebay... please click on these bead collections' titles (below in larger, different colored text) and be taken directly to their ebay auctions... the first new ebay auction...

GATHERING
OF THE REDWOODS ::: A gathering of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rich earthy colors of redwood bark browns with outlines of greens and pale organic greens on a backdrop of sage greens and rust to darker browns... I have named this collection, GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS and these beads' colors are perfect shades and hues for the Fall season that is just around the corner and on into the Winter months... actually, these colors will work year round... this is my favorite design and my favorite colors to work in (no 'bout adout it)... these colors so sooth my body, mind and spirit and I hope they do the same for you.

There are 16 beads in this collection... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead to start that measures about 25¼mm x 25½mm... also included are ten (10) smaller sized lentil shaped beads in some pairs and some single designs that match the focal bead... these smaller lentil shaped beads range in size from about 18½mm to about 20¼mm... also included are two (2) matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or wherever else in your creation you'd like them... these smaller round shaped beads measure from about 8mm x 11mm to about 9mm x 12mm... there is also a smaller lentil shaped accent bead included that measures about 16mm that was created to be used as a 'danglie'... all of these beads have been gently etched to a lovely satin matte finish... and... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long.

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: A picture of this handmade artisan lampwork bead collection...

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: A couple of close-up views of this collection of beads...

GATHERING OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual to their size...

And... the second new ebay auction...

RETURN
OF THE REDWOODS ::: Another collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD design... yes, I've returned to my favorite colors and designs again for another collection of my REDWOOD beads... this is a smaller or mini collection that was created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

These beads were created in rich earthy colors of redwood bark browns with outlines of greens and pale organic greens on a background of sage greens and rust to darker browns... this bead collection's name is RETURN OF THE REDWOODS and these beads were created in colors that are perfect for the Fall season just ahead... but will also work year round... without a doubt, this is my favorite design and my favorite colors to work in... they are just so soothing and make one feel good! I had a cool bracelet in mind with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' (placed somewhere within your bracelet, or at your clasp) when I created these beads.

There are 7 beads in this smaller collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... to start this collection is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 24½mm x 25½mm... also included are two (2) smaller sized matching lentil shaped pair of beads that are both about 19mm... also included are two (2) matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that I had earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind when I created them... they measure about 7mm x 10mm and 7mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have all been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finish and then temporarily strung on brown satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 3½ inches long... just add some of your favorite accent pieces... perhaps, some copper beads and a cool copper toggle clasp or some bronze freshwater pearls along with some Bali or Thai silver accent beads and one of their gorgeous ornate toggle clasps and you will have an awesome bracelet to ring in the new Fall Season and on into Wintertime!

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of this mini collection, created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

RETURN OF THE REDWOODS ::: A close-up view of this bead collection...

Hoping the rest of your week goes very smoothly and your upcoming weekend brings you lots of well deserved rest & relaxation aka R&R. :)

G'nite and sweetdreams, Gracie

2009-08-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Hoping your week went well and your upcoming weekend is ALL that you dream it to be!

I have just added a couple new handmade lampwork bead auctions to ebay... to view them, please click on their titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

SUMMER & FALL RAKU ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my SUMMER & FALL RAKU design... these are great colors for Summer and Fall, but will work year round... these hues in earthy shades of champagne, rusty browns, pale steel blues and pales greens that come from the fabulous rainbow Raku used as a backdrop sooth the Soul and can go either casual or 'out on the town', depending on how they are presented in your creation.

There are 15 beads in this collection... lentil shaped beads in an eclectic array of earthy hues that range in size from about 17mm to 19mm... there are also three (3) matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that range in size from about 7-8mm to about 9-10mm... these little rounds were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or elsewhere in your creation... these beads have all be gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures 8 inches long.

This collection of SUMMER & FALL RAKU beads matches my RAKU TOO lampwork bead collection that is also up on ebay right now.

SUMMER & FALL RAKU ::: A couple of pictures of this bead collection... more to view on their ebay auction site...

RAKU TOO ::: Another collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in Summer Fall Raku colors... this collection is done in my RAKU TOO design... I'm loving these colors for Summer and Fall in earthy shades of champagne, rusty browns, pale steel blues and pales greens that come from the fabulous rainbow Raku used as a backdrop... I also think these colors will work year round... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

There are 7 beads in this collection... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead measures about 24mm x 24¾mm... also included are two (2) smaller sized lentil shaped beads in matching designs to match the focal bead... these smaller lentil shaped beads both measure about 18mm... also included are two (2) matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or elsewhere in your creation in mind... these smaller round shaped beads measure from about 7mm x 10mm to 9mm x 11mm... these beads have all be gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 3¾ inches long.

This collection of RAKU TOO beads matches my SUMMER & FALL RAKU lampwork bead collection that is also up on ebay right now.

RAKU TOO ::: A close-up view of this bead collection...

RAKU TOO ::: Another view of this collection...

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie :)

2009-08-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

G'evening all,

With Summer almost at its end and Fall on its way, I thought it was time to do a Summer/Fall bead collection... here is my latest bead collection that is now for sale on ebay... please click on the bead collection's title (below) and be taken directly to its auction in ebay...

SUMMER CORAL ::: A collection of my handmade SUMMER CORAL artisan lampwork glass beads in great colors for Summer and Fall... corals on a backdrop of rainbow Raku in shades of earthy greens and blues... and... actually, these colors will work year round... I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind as I made these beads.

There are 7 beads in this collection... there are 5 lentil shaped beads in this collection... these beads range in size from about 17½mm to about 20mm... also included is a matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or, perhaps, elsewhere in your creation... these smaller round shaped beads measure from about 8mm x 11mm.... some of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures 4¼ inches long... add some of your favorite accent beads and a cool clasp and you will have a fun bracelet for Summertime and the upcoming Fall season.

SUMMER CORAL ::: View of this bead collection...

SUMMER CORAL ::: View of the other side of these beads...

Hoping the rest of your week and your upcoming weekend ROCK!

Take good care and thanks for stopping by.

G'nite, Gracie

2009-08-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

G'evening again,

I'm back with another new auction up on ebay... this time I am adding REDWOOD RENAISSANCE... simply click on this bead collection's title (directly below) and be taken to its ebay auction... this bead collection got a rather late start in ebay tonight... sorry 'bout that... I usually start my auctions around 6 p.m. California time, but had a busy, busy day out in the world and didn't get started until late. Hope my east coast friends stay up later on Saturday nights. :)

REDWOOD RENAISSANCE ::: A collection of my REDWOOD RENAISSANCE artisan lampwork glass beads in rich earthy designs in colors of redwood bark browns on a backdrop of sage greens and dark browns ::: with one bronze transparent bead that has been decorated with silvered ivory 'polka dots'... these colors are perfect for the Fall season that will soon be upon us... but will also work year round... these are my favorite colors to work in... they sooth my Soul as I hope they do yours.

There are 19 beads in this collection... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead in the star of this collection and it measures about 25½mm x 26½mm... also included are ten (10)smaller sized lentil shaped beads in an eclectic array of designs that match the focal bead... these smaller lentil shaped beads range in size from about 17½mm to about 19¾mm... also included are four (4) matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or elsewhere in your creation... these smaller round shaped beads measure from about 7mm x 10mm to 9mm x 11½mm... these beads have all be gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 10¾ inches long.

REDWOOD RENAISSANCE ::: A collection of my REDWOOD RENAISSANCE lampwork glass beads...

REDWOOD RENAISSANCE ::: A close-up view of this collection...

REDWOOD RENAISSANCE ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a reference to their size...

Take good care and hoping your day tomorrow is restful and delightful!

G'nite, Gracie :)

2009-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

I'm back, as promised, to add a link to my new auction on ebay of my CASUAL ELEGANCE design handmade artisan lampwork glass bead collection... please click on this bead collection's title below and be taken directly it its auction in ebay... yup, the title is now a link that takes you directly to its auction.

CASUAL ELEGANCE ::: A collection of my handmade CASUAL ELEGANCE artisan lampwork glass beads that were created in the colors of ivory, champagne, fawn, honey, khaki and grays with oodles of fine silver... a color scheme for ALL seasons of the year and for ALL occasions from casual to elegant... while I was working on this collection of beads, what came to mind was a stunning necklace with matching earrings and 'danglies'... or... a few very cool bracelets, also, with matching earrings and 'danglies'... these beads look great with fresh water pearls, Swarovski crystals and Thai or BALI silver accent beads and, perhaps, one of their awesome unique and gorgeous toggle clasps.

There are 19 beads in this collection... this collection includes a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23½mm x 26mm... also included are a dozen (12) smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to about 19mm... and... three pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these smaller round shaped beads all measure about 7mm x 10mm to 10½mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on waxed cording... this strand of beads measures just shy of 11 inches long... lots of possibilities here... and... as I mentioned above, these warm, earthy colors will work year round.

CASUAL ELEGANCE ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

CASUAL ELEGANCE ::: A close-up view of this bead collection...

CASUAL ELEGANCE ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual as to their size...

Take good care and hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

G'nite to you, Gracie :)

2009-08-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello,

It just occurred to me that I forgot to mention (in my blog here) about my lastest addition of beads up for sale in ebay... oops! There are a couple of days left on this auction.

Please click on this bead collection's title (directly below) and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

SILVERED & EARTHY ::: A collection of my handmade SILVERED & EARTHY artisan lampwork glass beads started on a transparent deep gray base bead that is generously wrapped in fine silver and then decorated in earthy shades of pale champagne, rich honey and silvered ivory... the matte finish 'polka dotted' lentil shaped bead and matching pair of small rounds are not wrapped in silver, but, rather, are decorated with silvered ivory dots instead, to add some variety and fun to this chic collection... I had a bracelet with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind as I was creating these beads.

There are 11 beads in this collection... this collection includes a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23mm x 25mm... also included are six (6) smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to about 19mm... and... two matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies'... these smaller round shaped beads measure about 6mm x 9mm to 7mm x 11mm... three of these beads have been gently etched to satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just about 6 inches long.

SILVERED & EARTHY ::: A collection of handmade lampwork beads with oodles of fine silver...

SILVERED & EARTHY ::: A close-up view...

SILVERED & EARTHY ::: A view of this collection whose picture was taken out in the sunshine...

Have a wonderful rest of the week and upcoming weekend!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2009-08-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening everyone,

Hoping your August is off to a great start!

I have a new auction up on ebay that I added this evening... one of my favorite designs... REDWOODS... and I plan on having some Specials up on my web site just as soon as I can swing it.

Please click on the auction's title (below) and be taken directly to my new beads in ebay...

MAGICAL REDWOODS ::: A collection of my MAGICAL REDWOODS artisan lampwork glass beads in lovely earthy colors of redwood bark browns and sage greens with rich browns that will work year round... I love these Soul soothing colors... some of Mother Nature's finest magical hues.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23mm x 25mm... also included are eight (8) - or 4 matching pairs - smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to about 19mm... along with three matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings... these smaller round shaped beads measure about 6mm x 9mm to 8mm x 11mm... these beads have all be gently etched to satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 8½ inches long.

MAGICAL REDWOODS ::: A collection of 15 handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

MAGICAL REDWOODS ::: A close-up view of these beads...

MAGICAL REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual to their size...

Hope the rest of your week brings you ALL that is good!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie

2009-07-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Well, I am still without my bead kiln, due to a broken heating element (at least that's what I "think" is wrong with it), which is off being repaired right now... I think/hope my kiln will be back soon and that soon I'm back making beads... in the meantime, I found a sweet little bead in my "bead box" that I am offering on ebay... I am also offering a trio of FLYING DRAGONS that are incredible and were hand carved and painted in BALI... they truly are SPECIAL creatures... to be taken directly to these auctions, simply click on the item's title that follows (yup, the title is also a link to ebay).

TANTALIZING TANZANITE & GREEN ::: Not sure if I mentioned that due to a broken heating element, I have been without my kiln for about a week or so... it will be home soon and I will be back behind it again (thank, goodness!) creating new beads... but in the meantime, I found this sweet little TANTALIZING TANZANITE & GREEN handmade lampwork lentil shaped bead in my "bead box" that was created in tanzanite purples and pistachio greens with hints of silvered ivory here and there... I've added a handful of genuine SWAROVSKI tanzanite colored crystals to accompany it.

This bead measures about 18mm x 19¾mm and is intricately decorated on both sides... great colors for the Summer months ahead and on into Fall and Winter... this would be a cool focal for a delicate little necklace or bracelet.

I am also offering some awesome FLYING DRAGONS that were created in BALI...

Bold, Colorful, Awesome FLYING DRAGON From BALI ::: A fabulous hand carved and hand painted FLYING DRAGON that was created of wood in BALI... he is very handsome, colorful and bold and as I understand it, he was created for protection and ALL good things... he also has a lot of gold leaf (or, perhaps, gold paint) on his body, which catches the sun's rays and adds to his "awesomeness"... he comes in 4 pieces that slide together (very easy to assemble with no tools required at all) and also comes with hanging strings already attached... so all you have to do is hang him up... he swings and sways with the breezes in the air... he is from my private collection and as I mentioned before, I am starting a new life and lightening my load, so have decided to put him out into the world to find another loving home. :)

I have two more of these awesome FLYING DRAGONS from BALI, which are each a bit smaller than the next... so all three are different sizes and I will be offering the other two shortly on ebay... they look fabulous all hanging in the same room because they are all different sizes... this one is the largest of the trio.

This awesome FLYING DRAGON is made of wood and measures:
Wingspan: 20"
Length: 24"
Height: 12"

This is a close up view of this dragon's carved wing... incredible work!

This is the largest of the three FLYING DRAGONS that I am currently offering in ebay... the other two match this one, but are smaller.

Hoping all is well with everyone.

G'nite and take good care, Gracie :)

2009-06-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I have a couple bead auctions up on ebay right now, but my kiln has a problem and is being shipped off today to Mike in Oregon to be repaired... thank you sooooooooooooooo much, Mike! Until my kiln is repaired, returned and I'm back behind it, I am offering some of my jewelry for sale in the meantime. To start, the beads...

FIRE & TEAL ::: A collection of my FIRE & TEAL handmade lampwork glass beads... these colors of teal and pale blues with pale champagne and rich, honey will work year round... as I created these beads, I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

There are 9 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23mm x 25mm... also included are four smaller size lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17mm to about 19mm... along with two matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created for matching earrings... both pair of these smaller round shaped beads measure about 8mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 5¼ inches long.

MENAGERIE ::: Here I am presenting an eclectic gathering of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads that are collections that were started and not finished or new color combinations that I have been experimenting with... I call this collection MENAGERIE... it is filled with playful & colorful blues and greens with raised decorations to give a 3-D effect on some of these blue and green beads and also some of these beads were created in earthy shades in plum purples, rainbow blues and greens, sage greens and browns and one bead is etched purple/plum... these colors will all work year round... I can see five or six cool bracelets made from this collection.

There are 24 beads in this collection... there are lentil shapes and round shapes... there are 18 lentil shapes with 17 of them ranging in size from about 18mm to 19mm... there is one focal lentil shape that measures about 25mm x 26mm... there are 6 smaller round shape beads, 4 measure about 7mm x 9mm and one pair measures about 8mm x 11mm... 4 of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 14½ inches long.

And now for my jewelry... these are my personal pieces from my jewelry box that I have decided to let go... time to start a new and time for these pieces to be enjoyed by someone else, perhaps...

Four VINTAGE Turquoise, Coral & Silver Cuff Bracelets ::: This is a collection of 4 vintage inlaid turquoise, coral and silver bracelets that I purchased in the early 70's... it is time for me to start a new and a new life and part of this means to lighten my load, therefore, I am offering these beautiful and fun bracelets for sale... these vintage bracelets will be GREAT for the Summertime that is right ahead of us.

The measurement of these bracelets inside from side to side is 2-1/4 inches... I have worker-bee, meaning not dainty, sized hands and I can wear these bracelets very comfortably... my wrists are about 6 to 6-1/4 inches and they fit my wrists just fine.

QUARTET (4) of Silver BANGLE Bracelets ::: A quartet (4) silver bangle bracelets, all with a different fun and playful design... I have had these bracelets in my jewelry box for some time now, but have not worn them... I spent about six months (in a different lifetime) living on a sailboat in Baja and bought some goodies down there from the local vendors... I do believe I bought all four of these silver bracelets in Baja during that adventure. They look great worn all together and make an awesome tinkling noise when they bump into each other as you move throughout the day/night... it's a very cool thing!

These bracelet's inside dimensions range from about 2½ to about 2¾. I have rather large (worker-bee) sized hands and I can wear them just fine... only one of these bracelets has the 925/Mexico marking inside of being sterling silver... not sure about the rest.

CELTIC TRINITY KNOT, Wire-Wrapped & Lampwork Pendant ::: A lovely handmade pendant with one of my handmade lampwork glass beads in purple, Swarovski crystals and a gold Celtic trinity knot pendant that I have wire-wrapped with gold-filled wire... it is all ready to be hung on a chain or cording... the pendant has a marking on the bottom, but it is so tiny, I cannot read it and it's been a long time since I purchased this, but I do believe I remember it being 14k gold, just can't be positive.

And that's it for now... until I get my kiln back, which shouldn't be too long, I will not have any beads available, unfortunately. Without my kiln, as a bead maker, needless to say, I can't make beads. But thank goodness for Mike, who built the kiln, and that he is willing to fix my kiln... there truly is sunlight on the horizon!

Hope the rest of your week and your weekend are lovely.

Take good care, Gracie, and thanks for stopping by.

2009-06-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello,

It's been a while since I have visited to update my blog... I have a lot of strangeness (for lack of a better word) going on in my life right now... life is like that, though, and it is what it is... but... thank goodness it keeps changing... thank goodness it does not stay the same! There is light at the end of that tunnel, there's gotta be! And as they say, when one door closes a better one opens... amen!

I ran across some very cool thoughts I had saved on my hard-drive that a dear friend told me a long, long while back and when I read these earlier tonight, they made me feel at peace, which is a Heavenly gift... so I wanted to share them with you...

- LOVE the people who treat you right. FORGET about the ones who don't!

- Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

- Believe everything happens for a reason.

- If you get a SECOND chance, GRAB it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it!

If you, too, are having strangeness in your life, hang in there and I hope what I added above brought some peacefulness to you, as it did to me.

Take good care and hoping you are doing okay.

G'nite, Gracie

P.S. Hope to have some more Specials up soon in the bead department.

2009-06-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

G'morning,

I have a few new auctions up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles (yup, they're links) and be taken directly to their auctions in ebay... hoping all is well in your worlds!

PLUM GORGEOUS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my PLUM GORGEOUS design in gorgeous shades of plum and champagne... the beads with the champagne colored scrolling have a background of rainbow colors and these colors will be great for any time of the year... these beads can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on your mood... wear them out on the town or while you are relaxing and being casual... whatever your mood, these will work. :)

There are 11 beads in this collection... there are 7 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18¾mm to 19½mm... also there are two matching pair of smaller rounds that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind that measure about 6mm x 10mm... the champagne colored beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish, along with the small round plum colored round polka dotted earring beads... the three transparent plum beads are intricately decorated with scrolling and dots and have not been etched, so they will sparkle in the sunlight and will add some stunning charm and to this collection... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 5¾ inches long... these beads were created with a sweet bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind.

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my MAJESTIC REDWOODS design... soothing and majestic hues of Mother Nature in Redwood Tree bark brown designs against an earthy sage greens and browns backdrop... these colors will work in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. :)

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start this collection is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 22¾mm x 25¼mm... also included are 5 matching pair of smaller sized lentil shaped beads (total of 10 smaller lentil shapes) that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... and... 2 pair of small round shaped beads (both pair measuring about 7mm-8mm x 10mm-11mm) that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp (or elsewhere within your creation) in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finished... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 9¼ inches long... these colors truly are soothing to the Soul and will work year round!

SUMMERTIME RAINBOW RAKU ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my SUMMERTIME RAINBOW RAKU design in playful and fun colors for Summertime in teal blues, greens and rich and warm honey shades paired with ebony black to make these rainbow colors POP!

There are 13 beads in this collection... there are 7 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... also there are three matching pair of smaller rounds that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind that measure about 8mm-9mm x 10mm-11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 7¼ inches long... these beads were created with a cool and playful Summertime bracelet and matching earrings and 'danglies' in mind.

Hope you have a lovely and restful weekend filled with ALL good things and thanks so much for stopping by!

G'nite, Gracie

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

G'morning!

I have three auctions up on ebay right now that I wanted to add here... please click on the bead collections' titles below and be taken directly to their auctions in ebay...

TEAL & RAKU ::: Being attracted to teal colors lately, I am offering a focal lentil shaped bead here that measures about 22¾mm x 24¼mm and to accompany it is another lentil shape that measures about 19mm with a matching pair of smaller rounds that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind that measure about 9mm x 12mm... these beads had a pendant style necklace with matching earrings in mind as they were being created. :) These colors will work all year round, but especially nice for summertime.

HOT Summertime FUN ::: I LOVE working in reds and oranges behind the torch and these colors are soooooooooo perfect for the upcoming Summertime months that are just around the corner... here is a playful collection of my handmade lampwork artisan glass beads in these favorite colors of mine... I call this collection HOT! HOT! HOT! and these colors and playful beads will bring lots of Summertime fun and big smiles!

There are 9 beads in this collection... 7 intricately decorated lentil shaped beads that are all about 20mm in size with a matching pair of small round polka dotted beads for matching earrings and/or 'danglies'... these colors are awesome... bright and HOT reds and oranges... all of these beads have been decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 5¾ inches long and were created with a Summertime bracelet and matching earrings in mind!

MORE REDWOODS ::: Recently, I have been receiving quite a few requests for smaller collections of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design... here is a smaller collection of these beads that were created with a bracelet in mind... this are one of my favorite bead designs to make and I think it's the Soul soothing feeling that these colors create.

There are 6 beads in this collection... these are 6 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 4¼ inches long... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind... these colors of Redwood bark brown designs against the earthy sage greens & browns background make these beads work all year round.

Take good care and hoping all is well in your worlds!

Bye for now, Gracie

2009-05-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening, everyone,

Hoping you are all doing well... I have added a couple new auctions on ebay tonight... please click on the auctions' titles below (yep, they're links) and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

BRACELET REDWOODS ::: Lately, I have been receiving more requests for smaller collections of my REDWOODS design artisan lampwork glass beads... here is a smaller collection with a lentil shaped focal bead, a pair of matching smaller lentil shapes and 2 pair of matching round shapes... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

There are 7 beads in this collection... to start is a focal/centerpiece bead in a lentil shape that measures about 24½mm x 24½mm... and... to go with it is a pair of smaller lentil shaped beads that measure about 18¼mm... and... 2 matching pair of round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind that measure 7mm x 10mm and 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 3¾ inches long... these colors of Redwood bark brown designs on the earthy sage green backdrop create colors that will work year round.

BRACELET REDWOODS ::: A collection of my REDWOOD beads created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind...

BRACELET REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

LOVELY REDWOODS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design... the start of a lovely necklace or a few bracelets, all with matching earrings and/or 'danglies'.

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a focal/centerpiece bead in a lentil shape that measures about 23mm x 25mm... and... to go with it are 10 matching lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... also included is are 3 pair of matching, small round shaped beads that all measure about 8mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 9¾ inches long... these Redwood bark brown designs against the earthy sage green background make these colors work year round.

LOVELY REDWOODS ::: A collection of my REDWOOD beads...

LOVELY REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand so you can see their true size...

My REDWOOD beads are my favorite to create... I can't seem to get enough of these colors! These colors simply sooth the Soul. :)

I want to reiterate what I added to my last post in here about my mailing delays...
PLEASE NOTE ::: I have made a promise to get my shipping done in a much more timely fashion... recently, my 'plate of life' is very full and has created issues with my shipping being delayed... I am so, so sorry... I promise to keep my word and get your beads in the mail faster!!!

To all, have a lovely evening and take good care.

G'nite, Gracie

2009-05-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

A little late in posting, but there is still time left on these two newer auctions I have up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

OLIVE KHAKI ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my OLIVE KHAKI design... shades of khaki, olive-browns and champagne... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind.

There are 11 beads in this collection... to start this collection is a focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 20mm x 23mm with 4 smaller sized lentil shaped beads to go with it that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... also included are 6 round shaped polka dotted beads that measure about 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 5¼ inches long... add some of your favorite accent beads, a cool & unique clasp and create yourself an awesome bracelet that will work year round in these colors!

OLIVE KHAKI ::: A collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in olive khaki colors...

OLIVE KHAKI ::: View of these beads in my hand to give a reference to their size...

HUES IN BLUES ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my HUES IN BLUES design... this collection of beads was created in glass in the colors of teal blues, rich deep blues and the rainbow colors of Raku... I had a bracelet with matching earrings in mind when I was behind the torch making these beads... or... a lovely necklace, with some of your favorite design elements and accent beads added, as well.

There are 11 beads in this collection... these delightful and soul soothing colors will work from Spring through Summer on into Fall and Winter... there is a 24mm x 25¾mm focal/centerpiece bead in a lentil shape... to accompany this nice focal bead are 6 smaller sized lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18¾mm to 20mm... also included are 2 matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that measure about 8mm x 10mm and 9mm x 12mm with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads are intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on organza ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 6¾ inches long... the start of a very cool bracelet or a lovely necklace, both with matching earrings or 'danglies' here and there.

HUES IN BLUES ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in colors and hues of beautiful blues...

HUES IN BLUES ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give a visual reference to their size...

I must apologize to my customers who are dealing with my delayed shipping lately... from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry... I have a lot on my 'plate of life' at the moment, one being a separation/divorce, and I'm doing the best I can... I am really going to try much harder and get my beads in the mail much faster starting today!!! My apologies to you ALL and thank you for your patience with me. Life throws us all curve balls sometimes and I guess it's my turn right now. Arrgggh!

Take good care, Gracie

2009-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

I have a couple new auctions up on ebay... actually, not exactly "new", but this is the first time I've had time to get in here to update... please click on the bead collections' large sized titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

WA TER DANCE ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my WATER DANCE design in colors of turquoise blues, metallic grays and black with oodles of fine silver... great colors for the seasons of Springtime and Summertime.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 24mm x 26mm... with 10 smaller lentil shaped beads to go with it that range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... there are also two pair of matching round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind that measure about 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 9¼ inches long.

WATER DANCE ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

WATER DANCE ::: A view of these beads in my hand...

S'MORE REDWOODS ::: Another collection of my favorites to create, this time I am calling them S'MORE REDWOODS... handsome handmade artisan lampwork glass beads with the colors of redwood bark-brown decorations against an earthy sage and brown backdrop... these beads were created with a couple bracelets with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind.

There are 14 beads in this collection... there are 8 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to about 20mm... to go with them are 3 matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind and range in size from about 8mm x 11mm to 9mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to satin matte finish and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 8 inches long.

S'MORE REDWOODS ::: A collection of my REDWOOD beads...

S'MORE REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand go give you a visual reference as to their size...

That's it for now... hoping all is well in your worlds.

Take good care, Gracie

2009-05-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Hoping your weekend was wonderful and this new week is off to a good start for you.

I have a couple new lampwork bead auctions up on ebay...please, simply click on the bead collection's title (that follows) and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

SILVERED HONEY::: Here is a collection of my SILVERED HONEY handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... the majority of these beads start with a base of black glass wrapped in fine silver and decorated with intricate honey and champagne colored scrollings and dots... these beads can either go casual or dress them up and take them out on the town... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind, but, of course, could also be used to create many other shapes and styles of jewelry.

There are 11 beads in this collection... there are 7 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17½ to about 19½... to go with them are 2 matching pair of smaller round shaped beads... these were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind and range in size from about 8mm x 10mm to 8mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 6¼ inches long.

This particular auction is a 3 DAY auction.

SILVERED HONEY ::: A collection of 11 handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

SILVERED HONEY ::: A close-up view...

SILVERED HONEY ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

SPRING LAVENDER ::: Here is a collection of my SPRING LAVENDER handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... these beads were created with elaborate lavender decorations against a rainbow backdrop with greens, blues and touches of earthy tones, along with some silvered ivory here and there to add to the fun... these colors are perfect for this time of year with Spring in the air.

There are 11 beads in this collection... there is a 22mm x 23mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead to start... and to accompany this bead are 6 smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17¾ to about 19mm... also included in this collection are 2 matching pair of small round shaped beads that range in size from about 6mm x 9mm to 7 x 11mm... these smaller beads were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or throughout your creation in mind... one pair of the smaller round beads and one lentil shaped bead were created in transparent purple glass with playful silvered ivory polka dots for decoration... the rest of these beads are intricately decorated on both sides... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 6¼ inches long... great colors for Springtime!

SPRING LAVENDER ::: A collection of 11 Springtime beads in Lavenders, blues and greens...

SPRING LAVENDER ::: A close-up view of these beads so you can see their detailed decorations...

SPRING LAVENDER ::: A view of these beads in my hand to show you a visual reference as to their size...

Take good care and thanks for stopping by!

Bye for now, Gracie :)

2009-04-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening, all,

Hoping your week went/is going well! Sounds like we, on the West Coast, are going to have some rain this weekend. We have been under water rationing around here, so this is a good thing. Except that, my sister, my niece and I have plans to go sell at the local Flea Market this weekend. This threat of rain may put a serious crimp in our plans... we shall see. The TV weather people have not been 'right on' (far from it) lately with their weather forecasts, so I hope they are wrong about this weekend's rain forecast. Our weekend plans will be fun if the showers decide to take a detour and go elsewhere. My sister and niece are awesome to hang out with... we have a lot of fun together... as do my brother and I... isn't family the greatest?! I am truly blessed in that department.

I am back in the bead biz, thanks to Mike (who built my kiln) for fixing my kiln... THANKS MIKE for fixing my 'coffee fried kiln', for all of your patience and for walking me through the re-programming process of the control thingie... I'd have been lost without your help!

And, by the way, for anyone who is looking for an awesome kiln, I very highly, highly recommend Michael Crowley's kilns... you can find him (and his kilns, of course) at http://www.theglasshive.com/ . I sure do LOVE my kiln!

It is sooooooooo nice to be back behind the torch, making beads again... I really missed making beads... I gotta be way more careful with that morning coffee though, that's for sure!

My latest bead collection is up on ebay (and has been since April 29th - just didn't get a chance to get in here to update my blog until now)... please, simply click on the bead collection's title (that follows) and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

LOVIN' THE REDWOODS::: Another collection of my favorite beads to make... a collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design, which I have named this time, LOVIN' THE REDWOODS... with their rich, brown 'redwood bark' colored designs on their earthy sage green background, these colors will work year round... and they truly are comforting colors to work with and to wear!

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start this collection is a 24mm x 25mm centerpiece/focal bead in a lentil shape... and... to go with this focal bead are 10 smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17½mm to 19½mm... also included are 2 matching pair of small round shaped beads that are both about 7½mm x 10mm... these smaller beads were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or throughout your creation in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures approximately 9 inches long... the start of something wonderful... just add some of your favorite accent beads, perhaps, some Carnelian gemstone beads and your vivid imagination and creativity and you're set to go!

This is a 3 DAY auction.

LOVIN' THE REDWOODS ::: A collection of 15 handmade artisan lampwork glass beads...

LOVIN' THE REDWOODS ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

LOVIN' THE REDWOODS ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

I have a couple more collections of beads that I will be adding to ebay tomorrow. Hoping that your upcoming weekend brings you some nice R&R and fun times.

Take good care and thanks so much for stopping by, Gracie :)

2009-04-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

G'evening everyone,

Hoping all is well with y'all!

I wanted to update what's up in my little 'bead world'... the other day, I was getting my morning started. I had a cup of my morning coffee in my hand and placed it on top of my kiln (which was NOT turned on, of course) and was going to get settled in and turn ON the kiln and get my glass all chosen and get going for a productive day. Suddenly, I clumsily knocked over my coffee and, of course, it ran across the top of the kiln and down the side, right into the controls!... I heard a sizzling noise and found that so odd since the kiln was not on at the time. Hmm. YIKES!

Luckily, I was able to contact Michael Crowley, who built the kiln, and he explained to me what I had done (fried the 'controller' thingie inside the kiln), but not to worry because he could fix it! Thank goodness! Sooooooooooo, the kiln is in the mail on its way to Michael to be repaired and I will be out of the bead biz until it returns.

Just wanted to let you know why there isn't going to be any new beads for a little while... and to let you know that I hadn't fallen off the face of the earth again. Just waiting to have my kiln repaired so I can get back to work.

Life is so full of surprises, isn't it? Ya never know what's next. Sheesh, did I feel foolish after that 'coffee fried kiln controller' incident. NEVER will I put my coffee (or any other liquid for that matter) on top of my kiln again... and if you, too, are a lampworker, hope this never happens to you!

Bye for now and be well.

G'nite and take good, good care, Gracie

2009-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

G'evening,

The other evening I added a new auction on ebay and haven't been in here to update yet... oops! To view this auction, please simply click on this bead collection's title (below) and be taken directly to its auction on ebay...

SILVERED KHAKI ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my SILVERED KHAKI design... these beads are drenched in oodles of fine silver... these soothing colors will work year round... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind... or to use these 'danglies' (little round beads) at your clasp or elsewhere in your creation where you might wish to add an extra little something.

There are 11 beads in this collection... there are 7 lentil shaped beads that range in size from approximately 18mm to 19mm... also included are 2 matching pair of small round shaped beads that measure 7mm x 11mm and 6mm x 9mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 6 inches long and will make a lovely bracelet and matching earrings.

SILVERED KHAKI ::: A view of this bead collection...

SILVERED KHAKI ::: A view of these beads in my hand taken in direct sunlight...

Hope you have a lovely rest of the week and a great upcoming weekend!

G'nite and take good care, Gracie :)

2009-04-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello,

Just a quickie note to let you know I have added a new auction on ebay tonight... please click on this bead collection's title (next line down) and be taken directly to its auction on ebay...

MOTHER NATURE ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my MOTHER NATURE design... these colors of earthy golden honey, rich topaz and pale greens, remind me of nature and all that is good in this world... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies', within your creation, in mind.

There are 7 beads in this collection... to start this collection, there is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures approximately 24mm x 25mm... and to go with it are 2 matching smaller sized lentil shaped beads that measure about 19mm and 2 pair of small round shaped beads (created for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or elsewhere here and there in your creation) that measure 8mm x 11mm & 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and the two smaller rounds at both ends of this strand have been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on organza ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 3½ inches long... add some of your favorite accent beads, perhaps, some carnelian gemstone beads (definitely one of my favorites with this bead design) and a cool, unique clasp and you will have an awesome bracelet in the gorgeous colors of Mother Nature.

Mother Nature ::: Bead Collection

Mother Nature ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size.

Take good care and hoping all is well with everyone!

Bye for now, Gracie

2009-03-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

The other day I put a collection of my REDWOOD beads up on ebay... but haven't had a chance to get in here to mention that until now... please click on this REDWOOD collection's title, directly below, and be taken to its auction in ebay... yup, the title is a link.

REDWOODS ::: A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design... these colors of redwood bark reddish-brown designs on a backdrop of earthy sage greens and browns will work year round and can go either casual, with your favorite pair of jeans and a cool tank, or dress 'em up and take them out on the town... these colors look fabulous with copper accent beads/clasp, etc... also carnelian gemstone beads add nicely to these colors... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or, perhaps, use these little ones (the 3 matching pair of small round beads) throughout your creation.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a 25mm x 26mm centerpiece or focal bead in a lentil shape that has been decorated on both sides... with... 8 smaller matching lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... also included are 3 matching pair of small round shaped beads that range in size from about 7mm x 9mm to 7½ x 10mm... these smaller beads were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or throughout your creation in mind... all of these beads have been cleaned and gently etched to satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures approximately 8¼ inches long... and... as I mentioned before, these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind. :)

A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size...

I'm adjusting well to my new living situation... not sure if I have mentioned this yet, but I am living with my dear brother, who I am so grateful to, who took me in until I can get back on my feet... so I am back in the Bay Area, my hometown... and... am soooooooo glad to be back home and close to my family and friends again... I missed them so, so much when I was away, up in those redwoods, that I can now see, since time has passed, in retrospect, that up there in those forests, I was, basically, just surviving... it was so dark, so damp and so lonely up there... yuck! What was I thinking, that that would be okay to be so far away from my family and friends?... I guess, as Shakespeare once said, therein lies the rub ---> I wasn't thinking at all... was I? I have, however, learned a lot in the past few months... and one of the things I've learned is that we never stop learning and never stop growing and that we learn as we go, in this life... and... some of it isn't fun, some of it quite painful, but ALL of it is necessary. :) As my precious niece, Paisley, reminds us (my family), "You can't skip the hard stuff." So true, Pais!

Hoping everything is good with everyone else... and hope that Spring is springing up all around you. Isn't it lovely to see all the daffodils, fruit trees and Spring flowers blooming? Does it warm your heart as it does mine? So long Winter, and please don't hurry back. :)

Here's to tomorrow and hoping it brings lots of sunshine and smiles to everyone!

Take good care, Gracie

2009-03-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

G'morning all,

It's been too long since I've visited and updated in here. Hoping all is well with everyone.

HAPPY SPRING to you all and hoping that your Spring is filled with ALL good things!

Hope to soon have some beads for sale on ebay and in my Specials section again. It's been a very strange past few months, but, hopefully, that is soon going to turn around and I will find myself back behind my torch!

Be good to yourselves and take good care, Gracie :)

2009-02-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Tonight I added two more bead collections in ebay up for auction... please click on the bead collections' titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions... these are both 3 DAY auctions... I also added some more of my STEIFF stuffed animal collection and one pair of CHICO'S capri pants.

ATLANTIS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my ATLANTIS design in colors of pale and dark steel blues, organic greens, golden amber and rich honey with highlights of champagne here and there.

There are 11 beads in this collection... to start is a 23½mm x 25¾mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead... also included are 6 matching smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 19mm to 23mm... and... 2 pair of smaller round shaped beads, both measuring about 9mm x 12mm... all of these beads are intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and metallic cording... this strand of beads measures about 7 inches long... these colors will work all year round and can either go casual with your favorite jeans and sweater... or... dress them up and take them out on the town.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

THE BLUES ::: A handmade artisan lampwork glass lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead with a pair of round shaped beads for matching earrings and/or 'danglies' for your creation! This bead collection, with an earthy background and decorations done in dark steel blues and beautiful honey amber colors with hints of champagne here and there, was created with a necklace and matching earrings in mind.

There are 3 beads in this collection... a 25½mm x 26½mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead... also included are a matching pair of smaller round shaped beads, measuring about 10mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and metallic cording... this strand of beads measures just shy of 2 inches long... these colors are great year round and can go either dressy or casual, depending upon what your mood happens to be. :)

This is a 3 DAY auction.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope your upcoming 3 day weekend brings you ALL good things!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie :)

2009-02-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

G'evening!

A quick update of two auctions I have up on ebay right now... I didn't get into my blog to do this update when these auctions were first loaded (sorry 'bout that) but they are still up and available... simply click on the bead collections' titles and be taken directly to their ebay auction...

GIRLY GIRL CHIC ::: Ladies... to celebrate our feminine and girly-girl sides of our beings, here is a chic collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my GIRLY GIRL CHIC design in dazzling, fun and playful fuchsia pinks and pale pinks on backdrops of black on some of these beads, while others are done on a background of pale pinks... these are great colors for Springtime and Summer!

There are 22 beads in this collection... there are 16 lentil shapes that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm, 2 puffy pillow shapes that are 19mm to 20mm and two matching pair of round shaped beads that were created for earrings and/or 'danglies' and they are 8.5mm x 11.5mm and 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon and cording... this strand of beads measures approximately 14 inches long... there are a lot of possibilities with this collection of fun and playful beads... make yourself a few bracelets or, perhaps, a stunning necklace, both with either matching earrings or 'danglies' here and there within your creation(s)!

GIRLY GIRL CHIC ::: A view of this bead collection.

GIRLY GIRL CHIC ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a reference to their size.

WILDWOOD SPRINGTIME ::: Spring is just around the corner... and although I have moved back to the Bay Area (the City), after living in the forest for almost two years, I still remember how gloriously beautiful Springtime was in the wilds of the Redwood Forest... to celebrate this delightful Springtime of the year, I have created a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of Mother Nature's Springtime palette... pale steel blues, rich and deep topaz browns, champagne and opal yellow on a backdrop of rainbow Raku... in my mind's eye, I can just see all the wildflowers out there in the woods, starting to wake up and pop their little heads out of the ground... Spring is THE best... everything is new and fresh and we get to start all over again! One of the greatest assets of these particular colors is that they will work all year round.

There are 21 beads in this collection... there are 13 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm, 2 puffy pillow shapes that are 17mm to 18mm and three matching pair of round shaped beads that were created for earrings and/or 'danglies'... all of these beads are intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 12¼ inches long... lots of possibilities with these beads... you could make a stunning necklace or a few fab bracelets... all with matching earrings, of course, or 'danglies' at your clasp or here and there within your creation! Let your imagination take you away. :)

WILDWOOD SPRINGTIME ::: A view of this bead collection.

WILDWOOD SPRINGTIME ::: A view of these beads in my hand.

Take good care and thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet dreams and g'nite, Gracie

2009-01-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, Hello!

Hoping everyone is GREAT!

I just wanted to leave a little update on my blog to let you know that I have added a new auction on ebay... this ebay auction was listed a couple of hours later than I usually list my auctions... I was out all day with my brother having lunch and some fun and did not get home until late... but... I hope this does not cause my East Coast friends any problems since you are 3 hours ahead of us here on the 'other' coast... I am hoping that since it is Saturday night, perhaps, you on the East Coast may stay up later than during the week... at least that's my hope... annywayy... please click on my bead collection's title directly below and be taken to its auction in ebay...

REDWOODS ::: I have recently moved out of the of the Redwood Forests of Sonoma County and back to my home in the BAY AREA with my family and friends and lots of fun stuff to do... this is a very GOOD thing... I had made a collection of my REDWOODS design handmade artisan lampwork glass beads last month for ebay and at that time also mentioned that I probably would not be making more of these for a while... but low and behold, I can't seem to stay away from these colors because they are so dear to me... I just love their earthy and soothing feeling... sooooooooooo, here is another collection of my REDWOODS design lampwork beads... these beads have 'redwood bark' (reddish-brown) designs against a backdrop of soothing and earthy sage greens and browns... one of the best qualities of these beads is that these wonderful colors will work year round.

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23½mm x 25½mm and to go with it are 10 smaller lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17½mm to about 19½mm... also included are three matching pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp in mind and these beads measure from about 8mm x 11mm to about 9mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 9¼ inches long... you could create a lovely necklace and matching earrings or a few cool bracelets with 'danglies' at their clasps or matching earrings to accompany your bracelets.

REDWOODS ::: A collection of my REDWOODS handmade lampwork artisan glass beads...

REDWOODS ::: A view of this bead collection shown in my hand to give you a visual reference to these beads' sizes...

Take good care and I hope the rest of your weekend ROCKS!

G'nite, Gracie :)

P.S. HAPPY February 2009! (as of tomorrow) and may it bring you ALL that is good!... boy oh boy, does time FLY by or what?!

2009-01-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I've kind of been out of touch lately... sorry 'bout that! Still getting used to living in the BIG city again... truly it was culture shock (big time) coming back to the busy Bay Area after living in the quiet and isolation of the Redwood Forests for the time I was there... but I'm so glad to be back home where my roots, my family and my friends all are. I still love nature and the Redwoods, but will visit (in the future) rather than live in them.

Hoping everyone is doing well and that your 2009 is off to a great start and is bringing ALL good things your way!

This is a quickie update to let you know I have added a new auction to ebay tonight... we beadmakers seem to be a season ahead of the rest of the world... this week I have been drawn to Spring-like or Summertime colors... I suppose because I've had enough gray days and am ready for some sunshine AND these new seasons are right on the horizon and will be here soon... please click on this bead collection's title below and be taken directly to its auction in ebay... yup, the title is a link. :o)

WATER DANCE ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of a glorious WATER DANCE in hues of turquoise blues and lime greens... great colors for the seasons of Springtime and Summertime, which are just around the corner.

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 25mm x 27mm... to accompany this focal bead are 10 matching lentil shaped beads in smaller sizes, ranging from about 19mm to 20mm... also included are 3 pair of small round shaped beads that measure from about 7mm x 9mm to 7mm x 11.5mm that were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long... make yourself a lovely Spring or Summertime necklace or a few bracelets... all with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp or mixed in with your other accent beads that you might add to your creation(s).

WATER DANCE ::: A view of this handmade artisan lampwork glass bead collection...

WATER DANCE ::: A view of the other side of these beads...

WATER DANCE ::: A view of these beads in my hand to give you a visual reference to their size.

May the upcoming weekend bring you much joy, rest and relaxation.

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie

2008-12-20T00:18:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Just an update to mention that I added a new auction on ebay tonight... please click on this bead collection's title to be taken directly to its ebay auction...

FORGET ME NOT ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in colors that remind of my niece's favorite flower, the Forget Me Not, a sweet little blue flower that is made up of smaller blue flowers ... at this Holiday time of year, special people in our lives are brought closer to our hearts... this collection of Forget Me Not beads was created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind... and... all of these colors will work year round.

There are 13 beads in this collection... there are 11 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... with a matching pair of smaller round beads that are decorated with polka dots that were created with matching earrings in mind... some of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish and some were left shiny to compliment each other... these beads are all decorated on both sides and are temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 8 inches long.

FORGET ME NOT ::: A picture of this bead collection...

FORGET ME NOT ::: A picture of these beads in my hand...

My brother and I are heading out tomorrow to do some Christmas shopping... and because of the crowds we are expecting are now wishing we were like some of you folks who do their shopping all through the year, and at this point, have all of their packages purchased, wrapped and ready to go! lol

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie :)

2008-12-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to let you know I have added another auction to ebay tonight... please click on this bead collection's title/link (below) to be taken directly to its ebay auction...

SILVERED KHAKI ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my SILVERED KHAKI design... I had a bracelet in mind when I created these to celebrate the Holiday season, or, perhaps, New Year's Eve!

There are 7 beads in this collection... these seven lentil shaped beads have oodles of fine silver as their base with encased stringer decorations on top... these beads range in size from about 19mm to 20mm... these beads were created in khaki and fawn colors, along with dark grays, champagne and black... these beads have all been intricately decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just over 4¾ inches long.

This is a 5 DAY auction.

SILVERED KHAKI ::: Handmade Artisan Lampwork Glass Bead Collection...

SILVERED KHAKI ::: View of these beads in my hand...

Hope you had a lovely weekend and that your week ahead brings you everything good!

Take good care and thanks for stopping by.

G'nite, Gracie

2008-12-12T22:47:00.001-08:00

Good Evening!

Just a quick update to let you know I have a new auction up in ebay... please click on the bead collection's name right below and be taken directly to its ebay auction... yup, it's a link!

GOLDEN RAINBOW RAKU ::: In colors that will work year-round, a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in shades of Golden Rainbow Raku - golden yellows, steel blues, sage greens, pale yellows, reddish browns and champagne... the beginning of a lovely necklace with matching earrings or a couple of cool bracelets!

There are 15 beads in this collection... 9 lentil shaped beads that range in size from about 17.5mm to 19.75mm with three matching pair of mini round shaped beads that measure about 6.5mm x 9.5mm, 7mm x 9mm and 7.75mm x 10mm... the little rounds were created with matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these beads have been gently etched to a matte satin finish... they are all decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just over 8 inches long.

GOLDEN RAINBOW RAKU artisan lampwork bead collection...

GOLDEN RAINBOW RAKU bead collection shown in my hand...

That's it for now... hope you all have an absolutely wonderful weekend... filled with ALL good things!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2008-11-04T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Just a quick update to let you know I have added an auction to ebay...

I was in the mood to work in lavenders and purples on a backdrop of the beautiful effects of the rainbows of Raku frit.

RAINBOW RAKU ::: A collection of beads that were created in my RAINBOW RAKU design... I was in the mood to work in lavenders and purples on a backdrop of the beautiful effects of the rainbows of Raku frit... these beads, done in the rainbow colors of lavender, purple, greens and hints of blues were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... and these colors will work all year round.

There are 8 beads in this collection... 6 lentil shaped beads that measure from about 19mm to 20mm... and to accompany these is a pair of matching round shaped beads that measure about 10mm x 12mm... these little rounds could either be used as matching earrings and/or 'danglies' used at your clasp or elsewhere within your creation... as I mentioned above, I had a bracelet in mind when I created these beads... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 5 inches long.

Please note that in some of my pictures of these beads, their decorations have a brownish-purple hue, but in real life they are not brownish, but purple. As I mentioned in my auction description, it is raining here today and the skies are gray, gray, gray which has caused my photographs to be a bit "off"... in my photographs, some of the purples appear to be more of a 'brownish-purple', but in real life they are not brownish at all, but just purple. Please keep this in mind if you take a look at the auction. I tried and tried to get it right, yet, couldn't... darn it! Thanks so much!

Take good care and bye for now, Gracie

2008-11-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

G'evening!

Wanted to add an update about the new SPECIAL that I added tonight to my web site Specials page.

SILVERED KHAKI GREEN-GRAY LAMPWORK BEADS (<--- please click on this link and be taken to my Specials page) ::: handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in SILVERED KHAKI and greenish-gray designs... the dark gray beads are all drenched in fine silver foil and decorated with encased stringers of a greenish-gray hue, while the ivory colored beads have no silver, but are decorated with transparent dark gray designs, that when laid upon the ivory glass, appear a lovely khaki color... these different shades of gray truly compliment one another... and when created, I had a bracelet and matching earrings in mind for these beads.

There are 9 beads in this collection... there are 7 lentil shaped beads created in silvered dark grays and ivory colors that measure from 18mm to 20mm... also included are a matching pair of small round shaped beads that are decorated with playful polka dot decorations that measure about 6mm x 9mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures 5-1/4 inches long.

Here is a picture of this SPECIAL, but please visit my SPECIALS page to see more pictures of this new Special.

My specials are offered on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in this Special, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com and in your email subject line add Graciebeads SPECIAL and the Special's name... this way I will know you are interested in this Special and will contact the first email I receive and if they are not interested, will contact the second email received and so on and so forth.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie

2008-10-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello!

I have just put up a SPECIAL (<--- please click on link and be taken to my SPECIAL) on my website on my Specials page and will also be sending out my Specials email notification, so if you have asked to receive this email it will soon be on its way to you... should you like to be added to this email notification list, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com and let me know and I will add your name.

This SPECIAL is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my MAJESTIC REDWOODS design.

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: Here is a picture of this bead collection...

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: This is a close-up view of this bead collection...

MAJESTIC REDWOODS

A collection of my handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design... one of my favorites designs to create... the majestic colors of these Redwood trees, that surround us where we presently live up here in the forests of Sonoma County in California, leave one in awe! They truly are Mother Nature at her finest.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a focal or centerpiece bead that measures about 25mm and to accompany it are 10 smaller lentil shaped beads that measure from 18mm to 19mm... also included are two matching pair of small round shaped beads that measure 8mm x 10mm and 9mm x 11mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 9 inches long.

If you are interested in this SPECIAL, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com and please add "Gracie's Specials" and the name of the SPECIAL you are interested in to your email subject line. This will alert me to your interest in my SPECIAL and I will promptly email you back. Please note that all of my sales are final and I am unable to offer refunds... great effort is taken to display my beads' true colors in my photographs.

Thanks for stopping by and take good care, Gracie

2008-10-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

G'morning all!

Just a quick update note to mention that I have added an auction to ebay and have scheduled it to start at about 6:00 p.m. tonight (Friday night). Once this auction has started, I will return with a link that will take you directly to it, but I am unable to do this until the auction starts.

Hello, I'm back with the link to this auction... please click on this beads' collection name below and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

REDWOODS ::: A collection of my lentil shaped REDWOODS design handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of 'redwood bark' reddish-brown designs against a backdrop of earthy sage greens and lighter browns... these lentil shaped beads are so comfortable to wear because of their 'flattened' shape... they are, by far, my favorite shape of bead... and... these earthy colors will work all year round!

There are 11 beads in this collection... 9 lentil shaped beads that all range in size at about 18mm to 19mm with a matching pair of small round shaped beads that are decorated with polka dots and were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' at your clasp in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 6¾ inches long... the start of a lovely necklace or a couple bracelets with matching earrings or 'danglies'.

These lampwork glass beads were created by me right here in my studio on 1/16 mandrels... they have all been properly and carefully annealed in a digitally controlled kiln... they have been cleaned and are all ready for your creative ways!

REDWOODS ::: A view of this collection of beads...

REDWOODS ::: A view of the other side of this bead collection...

Hoping you have a wonderful weekend and take good care!

Bye for now, Gracie

2008-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Hoping everything is wonderful in your worlds... I've added a new lampwork bead auction on ebay tonight... please click on the 'bead collection title link' just below and be taken directly to this ebay auction...

HARVEST ::: Usually my beads are created in lentil shapes, but I was in the mood to make some round shaped beads for a change of pace. Here is a collection of my handmade lampwork glass beads in the colors of Fall with honey amber, golden champagne and pale steel blues... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind.

There are 7 beads in this collection... a trio of round shaped, intricately designed beads with 4 matching small round shaped beads that have been decorated with playful polka dots... these little "polka dotted" rounds were created with matching earrings, 'danglies' and/or to go in between the three larger round shaped beads... since we've been packing to move and presently I find myself without a caliper to measure these beads' dimensions in millimeters (sorry about that), please see the pictures to the right of these beads in my hand to get a reference to their size... these are a fun set of beads to play with and were created with a bracelet in mind... let your imagination run wild... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 3-1/4 inches long.

Have a wonderful week ahead and take good care.

G'nite, Gracie

2008-02-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Hoping you are having a wonderful weekend! I have a couple new auctions up on ebay... to see these ebay auctions, please click on the collections' titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

NATURE'S TREASURES ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of Nature's Treasures... golden honey, rich topaz, pale champagne and earthy greens... these beautiful, earthy colors will work all year round.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures 26mm x 27mm... and to accompany it are 12 smaller lentil shaped beads that measure from about 19mm to about 20mm... also included is a matching pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings in mind that measure about 8mm x 14mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 10 inches long.

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: A collection of artisan handmade lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS lampwork bead design... these beads are created in the majestic colors of redwood bark brown designs on a backdrop of earthy greens.

There are 22 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 24mm x 25mm with 14 matching smaller sized matching lentil shaped beads that measure from 18mm to 20mm... and... three pair of beads and one single bead that were created with earrings and/or "danglies" in mind... these pairs measure from the smallest being about 6mm x 9mm and the largest being about 8mm x 11mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 10-1/4 inches long, not including the earring/"danglie" beads, which are strung separately and measure about 2-1/2 inches long... the start of a beautiful necklace and matching bracelet and earrings in colors that will work all year around.

That's it for now and hope the rest of your weekend is awesome!

Take good care and thanks for stopping by.

Bye for now, Gracie :)

2008-01-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

My apologies for being absent from my blog for so long... hubby and I have been caught up in the "flu season" unfortunately... finally, we are starting to feel human again, so YEAH! This is the main reason I haven't written in a long time... hoping everyone is well and that your Holidays were lovely and that your New Year is off to a great start and that it brings you ALL good things!

I have added a new listing in ebay tonight.

Here are a couple pictures and a description of the auction... simply click on the auction's title below and be taken directly to its ebay listing (title is a link)...

MAGICAL FOREST ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in colors that I can imagine one would find in their own Magical Forest... gentle fawn and taupe colors with hints of turquoise and oodles of fine silver accents.

There are 15 beads in this collection... 11 lentil shaped beads that measure from about 17mm to about 20mm... also included are two matching pair of small round shaped beads that were created with earrings in mind that measure 5mm x 8mm and 7mm x 11mm... four of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung... this strand of beads measures just shy of 9-1/4 inches long.

Take good care and, again, hoping all is well with everyone!

Bye for now, Gracie

2007-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

It has been wayyy too long since I visited here to say HELLO!

I hope all is well with everyone and you are enjoying the new Fall season! Our yard is presently in the beautiful mixed colors of greens and golden yellows and bronze... these Autumn colors are so inspiring. Of course, the Redwoods and ferns don't lose their leaves or change in color, which is glorious because they are absolutely perfect just the way they are!

I have a Special up on my website... more of my REDWOOD design beads... my favorite beads to make at the moment... here are a couple pictures of this Special, but there are more pictures on my SPECIALS (<--- yup, click, it's a link!) page... but for now, here are a few pics and a description...

Another collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in my REDWOODS design... I just can't get enough of these majestic colors! I absolutely love 'em! They truly are majestic and earthy as Mother Nature is as perfect as it gets and these colors, just plain and simple. make ya feel good... plus, the fact that they are gently etched to a satin matte finish makes them fun to hold and wear because they feel good against one's skin... really & truly!

This collection of beads has 13 beads in it... a lovely 25mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead with 6 smaller matching lentil shaped beads that measure from 19mm to 20mm... and... 3 matching pair of smaller round shaped beads that were created with earrings and 'danglies' in mind... these smaller rounds measure from 5mm x 9mm to 8mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a smooth satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 7 inches long... the beginnings of a very cool necklace or a couple of bracelets with matching earrings and 'danglies' at your clasp, perhaps?!

If you are interested in these beads, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com with MAJESTIC REDWOODS Special in your subject line... this will alert me to your interest in this Special and I will get back to you pronto... I will respond to the emails on a first come, first serve basis.

We are in the process of moving my studio again... so it's been a while since I have been behind the torch. With Winter on its way, it's time to move to a warmer space. You'd think a kiln set at "900 something" degrees would keep one warm enough, but nooooooooooo... I'll be back behind the torch soon... need some muscle to give me a hand with this move. :)

Hugs to you all and have a fabulous Autumn!

Bye for now, Gracie

2007-09-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Hoping all is well in your worlds and that you are all happy and healthy!

I have three new auctions up on ebay as of tonight...

REDWOODS ::: The longer we live in the beauty and splendor of these majestic Redwood forests in Sonoma County,California, the more I LOVE these colors in my REDWOODS bead design... here is a collection of handsome handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rich "redwood bark" browns on a backdrop of earthy sage greens... great beads for all year 'round! These beads were created with a bracelet in mind.

There are 9 beads in this collection... to start this collection is a 23mm x 25mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead with 6 smaller lentil shaped beads to accompany it that all measure about 19mm... there is also a pair of smaller round shaped beads that measure about 6mm x 9mm... these little rounds were created with earrings or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 5-3/4 inches long... add some of your favorite goodies, like, bronze or copper freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, Bali or Thai silver accent beads and a cool clasp and you will have the perfect bracelet for this new season of Fall on into Winter!

MAJESTIC PURPLES ::: A colorful collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rainbow colors with pale lavenders to deep, rich purples with a backdrop in greens, hints of browns and blues... colorful and fun beads that will truly work all year 'round.

There are 15 beads in this collection... a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 23mm x 25mm with 8 smaller lentil shaped beads to accompany it that measure from 18mm to 20mm... and... three matching pair of smaller round beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these smaller beads measure from 4mm x 8mm to 9mm x 10mm... four of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... the strand with the 25mm focal bead in it measures just shy of 7 inches long... the earring and/or 'danglie' beads are strung separately and this little strand of beads measures about 2-1/4 inches long.

FALL'S ARRIVAL ::: Fall has arrived! The days are shorter, the leaves are starting to fall from the trees and the sun's shadows are coming in at a different angle... it's VERY cool! Time to get out the sweaters and put away our Summer wear until next year. Time to start having fires in the fireplace again. Time to cuddle up with a good movie or book. Time to enjoy this new time of year!

To celebrate this new season of Fall is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of this time of year... rich browns, honey, pale steel blues and other earthy shades... these beads were created with a necklace, bracelet and matching earrings in mind!

There are 18 beads in this collection... there are 12 lentil shaped beads that measure from 19mm to 22mm... also included are 3 matching pair of smaller rounds that measure from 5mm x 7mm to 7mm x 10mm... these rounds were created with earrings and/or "danglies" at your clasp in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long... great beads to create a lovely Fall-time necklace, bracelet and matching earrings with these earthy colors... they would look fab with "goodies", such as, bronze or copper freshwater pearls, Bali or Thai silver accent beads, Swarovski crystal beads and a cool and unique clasp!

That's it for now... tomorrow (or tomorrow evening) I will be adding some Specials in here that I have up for sale on my www.graciebeads.com/specials.html web site.

Until then, take good care and be good to yourselves. :)

G'nite, Gracie :)

2007-08-15T17:55:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

Hoping all is well with everyone!

I have a new auction up on ebay and two new Specials on my website...

Please click on the bead collection's title below and be taken directly to its ebay auction...

LOVING THE REDWOODS ::: Another collection of my REDWOODS handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rich "redwood bark" browns on a backdrop of earthy sage greens... I am so loving these colors and just can't seem to get enough of them... perfect colors for Fall and Winter!

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a 26mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead with 8 smaller lentil shaped beads to accompany it that all measure from 18mm to 19mm... also included are 2 puffy pillow shapes and 3 pair of matching round beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 9-1/2 inches long... you could either make a fab necklace or a few cool bracelets with matching earrings.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

On my web site on my SPECIALS page are two new Specials...

EBONY & IVORY

and...

REDWOODS

There are more pictures of these two new Specials to see at http://graciebeads.com/specials.html on my Specials page.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see what's new! Hope the rest of your week is wonderful and take good care.

Bye for now, Gracie

2007-08-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Hoping your Summer is going well and life is being good to you!

I can feel Autumn in the air... can you? Time flies, doesn't it? Very soon we will be having another season upon us... with the Fall season on the horizon, I am being drawn even more, than usual, to the earthy colors of the perfection of Mother Nature's color palette... the trees are starting to turn to the beautiful colors that they do each year, at this time, and this is very inspiring to an artist's eye... I'm quite sure even if one is not an artist, these beautiful colors are pleasing. :)

Annnywayyy... I just listed two new auctions in ebay and a new Special to my website... let's start with ebay... simply click on the bead collections' titles and be taken directly to their ebay auctions as the titles are links...

REDWOODS ::: In my Redwoods design, some of my favorite colors to work with, and even more so now that we actually live in the Redwoods, is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in rich "redwood bark" browns on a background of earthy sage greens... great beads for Fall and Winter!

There are 17 beads in this collection... to start is a 26mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead with 10 smaller lentil shaped beads to accompany it that all measure from 18mm to 19mm... also included are 3 pair of matching round beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 9-3/4 inches long... the start of a fabulous necklace or a few cool bracelets... and... matching earrings!

FALL FEST ::: Fall is coming... can you feel it? To celebrate this new Season that is soon to be here is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of Fall... rich browns, honey, pale steel blues and other earthy shades... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind!

There are 6 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes and are all decorated on both sides... they all measure about 19mm and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 4-1/4 inches long... add some of your favorite "goodies", like, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, Bali or Thai silver accent beads and a cool clasp and you'll have a lovely Fall-time bracelet!

Now, on to my latest website Special... again, please click on the bead collection's title to be taken directly to this Special...

PURPLE RAKU::: This Special is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the lovely and Soul soothing shades of lavender and purples on a backdrop of "rainbow RAKU"... the design of these beads is quite complex with lots of detail... these beads are all lentil shapes and have been decorated all the way around... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind and these colors will work all year round.

There are 5 lentil shaped beads in this collection that measure from 18mm to 19mm... if you were to add some pretty tanzanite Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, perhaps, and some Bali or Thai silver accent beads with a neat clasp, you will have a stunning bracelet!

That's it for now... hope you have a great week ahead!

Take good care and talk to you soon, Gracie

2007-07-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! Hello!

Hoping that your Summer is bringing you lots of good times and that all is well with everyone!

It's been a while, but I finally have a couple more auctions up on ebay... simply click on the bead collections' titles and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

NATURE'S LOVELIES ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the beautiful colors of Mother Nature... deep browns, honey, champagne, amber, touches of pale maroon and pale steel blues... great Summer colors... these beads were created with a bracelet and matching earrings in mind.

There are 18 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shaped beads and measure from 18mm to 19mm... there are also 3 matching pair of beads for earrings and/or "danglies"... these beads have been gently etched and are all decorated all the way around... they are temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long.

Here are a couple of pictures of this collection... there are more pictures in the ebay auction...

SILVERED HONEY ::: A collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in rich honey and ambers with champagne and silvered ivory on a backdrop of black with oodles of fine silver... also, 2 pair of matching beads that were created with earrings in mind... colors that will work year round.

There are 21 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal bead that measures about 26mm... also... 16 lentil shaped beads measuring from about 17mm to 19mm with four of them being gently etched to satin matte finish... there are also 2 pair of matching beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... one of these pairs have been gently etched to match the etched lentil shaped beads... these beads have all been decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 13-1/4 inches long.

A couple of pictures of this collection and as the collection above, there are more pics at the ebay auction site...

Hope your weekend ROCKS! I am working on some Specials for my web site and, unfortunately, still have not figured out how to send out a mailing via email with our new ISP to my customer's list... I'll keep working on that and eventually will get it.

Take good care and talk to you soon.

G'nite, Gracie :)

P.S. Hi Mal!

2007-07-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Hoping your weekend was awesome.

I just added a new Special to my website... EARTHY BLUES... this Special is a collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in earthy shades of blues... from steel blues to gray blues with accents in honey and champagne... these are all lentil shapes except for the matching 3 pair of round beads that were created with earrings in mind.

There are 11 lentil shaped beads in this collection that measure from 17mm to 20mm... the 3 matching pair range in size from 6mm x 8mm to 8mm x 12mm... two of the lentil shapes have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 9-1/4 inches long... great beads for a couple cool bracelets or a lovely necklace with matching earrings!

Here are a couple pictures of these beads, but there are more pictures on my Specials page... if you click on the "Earthy Blues" link above you will be taken to this Special.

Take good care and hoping your week ahead brings you ALL good things!

G'nite, Gracie

2007-07-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Hoping all is well with you all!

I just added a new Special to my website... still being inspired by my new surroundings of living in the forest, again, I am offering a collection of my Redwood bead design... these are called IN THE GROVE... and... here's a link if you'd like to check 'em out... IN THE GROVE... and... here are a couple pictures of them... there are more pictures of these on my Specials page...

On a more personal note, as some of you know, about a year and a half ago, I had a spine fusion surgery and thought everything was groovy now and I was all done with that... however, I now find myself with back trouble again and have an appointment soon with my back surgeon... my sincere apologies for it taking me so long to get my beads in the mail to you... I am really going to get going on finding someone to come and give me a hand with the shipping of my beads to you... sooooo, I promise that very soon there will be no more delays in my shipping!

Take good care everyone!

G'nite, Gracie :)

2007-06-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Just wanted to say hello and let you know I have added three new auctions on ebay and a new Special to my web site... here is what's new on ebay first... if you click on the bead collections' titles below, you will be taken directly to their ebay auctions and my web site Special...

NATURE'S BEAUTIES ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the beautiful colors of Mother Nature... honey, champagne, amber and pale steel blues with lots of possibilities... a nice necklace or a few cool bracelets... with matching earrings, perhaps? :)

There are 19 beads in this collection... 15 lentil shapes with 2 matching pair of small round beads that were created with earrings in mind... these beads range in size from 4mm x 7mm (smallest round pair) to 20mm (the largest lentil shape)... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 11-1/2 inches long... great colors for any season of the year.

RAKU GATHERING ::: A gathering of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the beautiful colors of Raku... lavenders, purples, greens and blues... I am in LOVE with these colors and they're great colors for Summertime!

There are 17 beads in this collection... 13 lentil shaped beads with 2 matching pair of smaller round shaped beads for earrings and/or "danglies"... these beads are all decorated on both sides and are temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long... some of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish to add to the fun!

SWIRLING RAKU TRIO ::: A trio of handmade artisan lentil shaped lampwork glass beads with swirling designs in the beautiful rainbow colors of Raku... lavenders, purples, greens and blues.

There are 3 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shaped beads and measure from 18mm to 19mm... these beads are all decorated all the way around and are temporarily strung... this strand of beads measures about 2-1/4 inches long... add some of your favorite goodies, like, Swarovski crystals, pearls, Bali or Thai silver accents and a cool clasp and you will have an awesome bracelet for Summer!

Also... a new Special on my website...

REDWOODS ::: A collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD bead design in the earthy and soothing colors of nature in 'redwood-bark' browns on a backdrop of sage greens... living in the forest, these colors are everywhere... what a blessing. :)

There are 14 beads in this collection... 10 lentil shaped beads, 2 pastille shaped beads and one pair of matching tube beads that were created with earrings in mind... these beads have all been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung... this strand of beads measures about 9 inches long... great beads for a couple of very cool bracelets.

Hoping all is well with everyone and that your weekend is WONDERFUL!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-06-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

HAPPY 1st Day of SUMMER! Hope this Summer brings you ALL the best of everything!

I just added two new auctions on ebay... simply click on the bead collections' title and be taken directly to their auction on ebay... yup, their titles are links. :)

RAINBOW RAKU ::: Happy 1st Day of SUMMER!... and to celebrate this new season, a colorful collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in Rainbow Raku colors with lavenders and purples, greens and blues... colorful and fun beads for Summertime!

There are 18 beads in this collection... eleven lentil shaped beads and one pastille shaped bead that measure from 18mm to 20mm with 3 matching pair of small rounds, with earrings and/or "danglies" in mind, that measure 5mm x 9mm to 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and some have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long.

LOVING THE REDWOODS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD bead design in the gentle colors of 'redwood-bark' browns on a backdrop of earthy sage greens... living in the forest is making these colors so much a part of my life I can't seem to stop playing with them... not only do I love these colors, I also love the Redwood trees here! :)

There are 18 beads in this collection... a dozen lentil shaped beads that measure from 18mm to 20mm... also in this collection are 3 matching pair of small round beads that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these mini round beads measure from 5mm x 8mm to 7mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long... great beads for a cool necklace or a few fun bracelets... with matching earrings!

... and I've added a picture of the Redwood Groves that create my inspiration for these beads... aren't they incredible trees?!

Hoping your upcoming weekend is awesome!

Take good care, Gracie

P.S. Hi Mal... hoping all is well with you two... miss you!

2007-06-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello!

Just a quick update... I have recently added a new auction to ebay... simply click on the bead collection's title that follows and be taken directly to the ebay auction...

FIRE GODDESS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in fiery rusts, champagne golds, silvered blacks and rainbow Raku colors... this is an earthy array of colors that will work in any season.

There are 17 beads in this collection... a 26mm lentil shaped focal bead to start... along with 16 matching lentil shaped beads that measure about 18mm to 23mm... 4 of these lentil shaped beads have raised dots on their edges and 6 of the others have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides... they have been temporarily strung on ribbon and cord... this strand of beads measures about 13 inches long... great collection of beads for a stunning necklace or a few cool bracelets!

Hope you are staying cool... it was 103 degrees here today... phew! It is supposed to cool off tomorrow... so I am truly hoping the weather people know what they are talking about. he-he

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-06-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Meet Charlie Boy... Charlie came out of the forest about a month ago and hasn't left yet... he's a big ol' Tom cat with a mellow and precious personality... a real sweetie pie and he gets along really well with our other two female kitties... soooooo, we hope he stays!

We have a feeling that someone dropped him off, perhaps, because they were moving and couldn't take him along or something... the reason I think this is that I have asked everyone nearby and no one is missing a kitty cat. But he looks as though he hasn't ever missed a meal (ha ha) and he's so friendly, there's no way he is a wild/feral cat. He's a BIG boy, too, weighing in at 20 pounds... our other cats weigh 5 pounds each and are both females, so that could explain why Charlie (the big 'ol male Tom cat) and the girls get along so well. :)

Here is a picture of Charlie Boy... hope it brings you a smile...

A dear friend of mine hit the nail on the head when I was told that Charlie looks like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland! That is soooo right on... they look like twins!

I have a new Special up on my Website at http://graciebeads.com/specials.html and also two new auctions on ebay.

MAJESTIC REDWOODS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my REDWOOD design to celebrate the Majestic Redwood groves that we are now living in... these beads were created in the gentle and Soul soothing colors of 'redwood bark' browns against a backdrop of organic and earthy sage greens... living in the forest, among these Majestic Redwood groves and with Mother Nature everywhere, is such a blessing for which we are very, very grateful!

There are 21 beads in this collection... to start is a 25mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead... with... 16 lentil & pastille shaped beads, all measuring about 18mm... also included are 2 small matching round pair of beads that measure about 7mm x 10mm that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... all of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have all been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 13-3/4 inches long... perfect collection of beads for one stunning necklace or a few bracelets!

\

RAINBOW SANDS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads created in sandy colored decorations on a background of Rainbow Raku with pale blues, pale maroons, pale greens and champagne... these colors are reminiscent of the ocean shore and nice colors for Summertime!

There are 13 beads in this collection... a 25mm lentil shaped focal bead with 8 smaller lentil shapes to go with it that measure from about 17mm to 22mm... also included are two matching pair of small rounds, created with earrings in mind... the smaller rounds measure 6mm-8mm x 9mm-12mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 8 inches long.

That's it for now... hoping all is well with all of you!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-05-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Hoping all is well with everyone!

Recently, I put together a little PowerPoint publication of our new surroundings (since we moved and relocated)... if you'd like to have a look, please click on this link... we are, basically, living in a forest and are surrounded by majestic Redwood groves... it's so fabulous! We also have a natural pond, that Mother Nature made, in our backyard filled with wildlife... so much fun to watch these little critters... I also, wanted to mention that in these pictures, the pond looks kind of murky... this is because it had just rained before I took these pictures... now that the rains have stopped it is clear as clear can be... this is such a beautiful place, I wish you could see it in person.

Now... on to the BEAD WORLD... I have two new auctions up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

PLUM GORGEOUS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the gorgeous and Soul soothing shades of pale to dark plum... some on a backdrop of rainbow Raku and some have been etched to a satin matte finish... great beads for all year round.

There are 29 beads in this collection... to start is a lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures just over 26mm... and... to accompany it are 22 smaller lentil shapes that range from 18mm to 20mm... also included in this collection are 3 pair of smaller sized rounds, created with earrings and/or "danglies" at your clasp in mind, that measure from 5mm x 9mm to 8mm x 10mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and, as mentioned above, some have been etched to a satin matte finish... these beads have been temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 16-1/2 inches long... this does not include the matching earring/"danglie" beads, which are strung separately, and measure just shy of 1-3/4 inches long.

MERMAID ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the cool and fun colors of the Mermaid world... deep and paler turquoise blues and lime greens.. one of my delightful customers came up with this name for these colors and I LOVE it!

There are 19 beads in this collection... lentil and puffy pillow shaped beads... some of these beads' decorations are left raised and give a 3-D effect, while some are melted flat... the smallest bead measures about 16mm and the largest measures about 21mm... some of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 14 inches long.

I sure tried to get good pictures of these beads, but, unfortunately, to no avail... I must say that in 'real life' they are much prettier!

That's all for now... take good care and hope your week ahead is WONDERFUL!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-05-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Hoping all is well in your worlds... just a quick note to let you know I have a few new auctions up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles below and be taken directly to their ebay auction... yup, the titles are links. :)

SUMMERTIME CORALS ::: With Summer right around the corner, a collection of fun and colorful, yet, mellow and subtle colored handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... these beads are created on a backdrop of rainbow Raku with coral decorations... great colors for the Summertime ahead!There are 16 beads in this collection... 4 puffy pillow shapes and 10 lentil shapes with 2 matching mini rounds that were created with earrings in mind... these beads range in size from about 16mm to 20mm and the matching pair of earring beads are 5mm x 8mm.. they are all decorated on both sides... and... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 10 inches long.

FOREST BEAUTIES ::: I am still totally in love with these subtle and gentle RAKU colors... and... am still seeing these colors in the forest and they are truly breathtaking... colors that could work all year round.

A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads, created on a backdrop of the rainbow Raku glass with pale burgundy and pale teal blues and decorated with champagne and sand.

There are 13 beads in this collection... to start, a 25mm lentil shaped focal bead with 8 matching lentils that are all about 18mm to 19mm... and... 2 matching pair of smaller rounds with earrings in mind... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 7-1/2 inches long.

FOREST BEAUTY FOCAL ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads, created on a backdrop of the rainbow Raku glass with pale burgundy and pale teal blues and decorated with champagne and sand.

There are 5 beads in this collection... a 25mm lentil shaped focal bead with 2 matching pair of smaller rounds... all of these beads have been decorated on both sides and gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 2 inches long.

REDWOODS RETURN ::: Having moved and living in the forest, I truly believe these colors have become a part of my Soul... I am still very attracted to these colors, but have wondered if my customers are becoming weary of them as I have used them so much lately... soooo, I have decided it's time to move on to other colors in the color palette and probably won't be using these colors for a while.

This is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in 'redwood bark' browns against earthy sage greens... it must be living in the forest that is making these colors so much a part of my life these days... but there are so many other colors to play with!

There are 13 beads in this collection... a 24mm lentil shaped focal starts this collection, with 8 - 18mm smaller matching lentil shapes to go with it... also included are 2 pair of matching rounds that measure from 6mm-7mm x 9mm-10mm...these beads have all been decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 7-1/2 inches long.

REDWOOD RETURN FOCAL ::: This is a handmade artisan lampwork glass nugget shaped focal bead in 'redwood bark' browns against earthy sage greens.

There are 5 beads in this collection... a nugget shaped focal bead that measures about 20mm with 2 matching pair of round beads (5mm-6mm x 8mm-10mm) that were included with earrings in mind...these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 2 inches long.

ANCIENTS ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in my ANCIENTS design, created in amber and honey glass on a backdrop of fine silver wrapped black... great beads for a cool bracelet!

There are 13 beads in this collection... there 7 lentil shapes with 6 matching round shaped beads... the round beads measure about 6mm x 10mm and the lentil shapes measure from about 17mm to 20mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and two of them have been gently etched to a satin matte finish and have silvered ivory dots on them... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 7 inches long.

PURPLE RAKU ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the gentle colors of lavender, purple and rainbow Raku... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind.

There are 6 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes that measure from 18mm to 20mm and are decorated on both sides... these beads have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 4-1/4 inches long.

I'm very interested to hear from you as to what colors you are interested in seeing this Spring and Summer in beads... please leave me a note in here or you can also email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com... would really LOVE to hear from you!

Take good care, Gracie :)

P.S. Hi Mal... it was sooooo good to talk to you today! Hope you and Ardis come up this weekend for a b-b-q! That will be fun!

2007-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I have a couple bead auctions up on ebay... to be taken directly to the ebay auctions for these listings below, please click on the bead collections' titles, which are links...

EBONY & IVORY ::: A collection of artisan handmade lampwork glass beads, created in EBONY and IVORY glass... these beads are fun and playful and were created with a few bracelets or one awesome necklace in mind... I love how the EBONY and IVORY compliment each other... what is it they say? Opposites attract? :)

There are 14 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes and are all decorated on both sides... some of these beads' decorations are left raised and appear almost 3-D... and some of these beads I have melted in the designs even with the surface of the bead... these beads measure from 18mm to 20mm and have been temporarily strung on ribbons... this strand of beads measures about 10-1/4 inches long.

LITTLE OF THIS... A Little of That ::: A Little of This... A Little of That is a collection of orphan artisan handmade lampwork glass beads... these beads were collections that were started and not completed... or... were experiments in color... some are created on backgrounds of fine silver and some have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... all beads are in perfect shape and would be great for a jewelry designer or hobbyist who enjoys making bracelets... lots of earthy hued beads to play with!

There are 33 beads in this collection... there are lentil shapes, one pastille shape, a couple puffy pillow shapes and one focal nugget shape... there are also 5 pair of small sized matching rounds in my Redwoods design that were created with earrings in mind... the beads in this collection range in size from about 7mm x 10mm (the smallest bead) to 21mm (the largest bead)... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on cording... this strand of beads measures about 19-1/2 inches long.

That's it for now... hoping all is well with all of you!

Take good care, Gracie

2007-04-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Sorry for being gone for so long... I have been acclimating to our new environment! We've also been meeting some new people that live here in the forest, too. I'm also learning how to get around and get to town and all that good stuff.

It's about a 25 to 30 minute drive to town from where we live... told ya, we are out in the middle of the forest... the road to town is very windy and beautiful with lush and majestic redwood groves, wild flowers and lots of vineyards along the way... if you are a nature lover (like I am) you would love it here too, I'm sure... I hope you enjoy the pictures I took on my last trip to town... isn't it a beautiful place?!

Once you get to Healdsburg (the town we live by), there are quite a few Starbucks coffee shops, lots of upscale restaurants and shops, a gorgeous hotel, a Safeway and Raley's grocery store (BIG chain stores on the West Coast) and even a Blockbuster to rent DVDs and all the other stores that one gets used to in the big city... so that's a nice convenience!

We are very happy here and don't miss the BIG city one little bit... we do miss our friends, though. And one must most definitely be a nature lover and love peace and quiet to appreciate a life like this, but that is who we are, so it works well for us. :)

On the bead front... I have four bead auctions up on ebay right now... here is a link if you'd like to see... ebay auctions... I'm also going to be offering some Specials soon on my web site soon!

Hoping all is well with everyone! And I'm very interested to hear from you about what colors you are interested in seeing in beads for Spring and Summertime?! Please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com. I'd LOVE to hear from you!

Take good care, Gracie

P.S. Hello Mal! Miss you! Now that tax season is over, maybe you can take a little breather from work... perhaps you and Ardis can come up for a visit and see our new digs? We'd love to see you. We'll call you soon.

2007-03-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

G'evening!

Just wanted to let you know that I have added another auction to ebay... please click on the beads' title directly below, which is also a link, and be taken to the auction in ebay.

ANCIENTS ::: A collection of handmade lampwork glass beads in one of my favorite designs... my Ancients design... these beads were created in hues of honey and amber on a backdrop of silvered black.

There are 19 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes with 2 matching pair of rounds that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind... these beads are decorated on both sides and two of them have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... they have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures just shy of 12 inches long.

These lampwork glass beads were created by me in my studio on 1/16 mandrels... they have all been properly and carefully annealed overnight in a digitally controlled kiln... they have been cleaned and are all ready
to go!

That's it for now... tomorrow I am going to start working on some Specials. If you are on my Specials notification email list, I will send you an email once these Specials are up and available... and... if you would like to be added to my email notification list of my Specials, please email me at graciebeads@yahoo.com and I will gladly add your name and email address to my list.

Thanks for stopping by and take good care!

G'nite, Gracie

2007-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I've added a couple new lampwork bead auctions in ebay... please click on the beads' description titles below, which are links, and be taken directly to their ebay auctions...

NATURE'S FIRST ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the earthy colors of rich, topaz browns on a backdrop of sage greens.

There are 19 beads in this collection... to start a 26mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead and to accompany it... 10 lentil shapes and 4 matching pair of mini rounds that were created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind...the largest bead (aside from the focal bead already mentioned) measures about 19mm and the smallest is about 7mm x 10mm... these bead are all decorated on both sides and have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of bead measures about 10 inches long... the start of a very cool jewelry creation!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG ::: Spring has definitely S-P-R-U-N-G! To celebrate my favorite time of year, a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in lavenders, purples and rainbow Raku colors.

There are 15 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes that have been decorated on both sides... these beads range in size from about 18mm to 19mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and are temporarily strung on satin ribbon... a few of these beads have been ever so gently etched to a satin matte finish... this strand of beads measures about 10-1/2 inches long... a perfect collection of beads for a couple pretty Springtime bracelets or a stunning necklace!

Hope your day went well, your week is off to a good start and that all is good!

Talk to you soon and take good care, Gracie

2007-03-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

We are finally moved and are settling into our new digs... being without Internet access for over a week has been interesting... didn't realize just how dependant I was on it... we are still working on getting the bugs out of networking 3 different houses (our home, my studio and another house) on the same system... yikes... but I think finally we have it!

We have my studio set up and working, so hope to have some beads available very soon!

Also have been taking lots of pictures of this new magical place... we have a pond in our backyard and there are redwood trees everywhere... and being the nature nut that I am, I'm in heaven. :)

More to come soon. Just wanted to check in and say HELLO!

In case you want to contact me via email, please use my graciebeads@yahoo.com address until I figure out what my new email address is for sure... thank you!

Take good care and g'nite, Gracie

2007-03-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Well, tomorrow is moving day... phew... moving is SUCH a big job, isn't it?!

Should you want to get a hold of me via email, please use my graciebeads@yahoo.com email until I get all set up with the new ISP... thank so much and hoping all is well with y'all!

Talk to you soon, Gracie :)

2007-03-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Just wanted to check in and tell you what's up... I usually keep my blog/journal to beads, but just had to share some wonderful news with you... we are moving!

I am not going to be making beads for a couple of weeks because of the move, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks (at the most) before I'm back behind the torch.

We have found an awesome place up in Sonoma County in the wine country... a cozy cabin-like house on 50 acres of redwood trees and nature... there are six or seven other houses on this property, one of which is where my step-son (Steve's son) lives... and the other houses have really nice folks in them, too... we are about 10 miles from Healdsburg, out in nature... should be wonderful! And Steve's folks live only about 30 minutes away, so, hopefully, we will see them often!

We have accumulated ten years worth of 'stuff' that has to be sorted through and moved (yikes!). We are almost done with that part (thank goodness!) and then we are on our way... in the next day or two we will be living in our new place.

While our "Hill House" (our nickname for our new home) house is being remodeled, we will be living in the "Green House" (what we call it) temporarily... it is a sweet, cozy little cabin with a pond in the backyard... the "Green House" is more shaded, while the "Hill House" that we will eventually move into has lots of sunshine (a good thing!)... here are three pictures of the "Green House"...

Green House: Front Porch of "Green House".

Green House: Inside View of "Green House".

Green House: Backyard view of "Green House" with a pond.

... after the remodeling completion, our permanent residence, aka, the "Hill House" (right next door) is where we will live... the whole inside is being completely redone (as you can see, it needs it!)... you will have to use your imagination to see the big picture because the "Hill House" is completely gutted right now... it's going to be awesome when it's completed... and... it has redwood trees, ferns and Mother Nature right outside my bead studio window... what more could a girl ask for? :)

Here are some pics of the "Hill House"... Steve and his son are doing all the remodeling and they are also going to put a deck on the outside of the back of this house, so we can sit outside and enjoy the peaceful feeling there.

Hill House: Front View of "Hill House".

Hill House: Back View of "Hill House".

Hill House: Interior View of "Hill House" with remodeling in progress.

Hill House: Steve hard at work on the remodeling of the "Hill House".

Hill House: View from the new Bead Studio in the "Hill House"... since this picture was taken, windows have been put in.

Hill House: Another inside view of the "Hill House" in the process of remodeling.

Hill House: Kitchen Area (please use your imagination to see the possibilities here)... the kitchen sink and a counter top will go right under the windows... what a great view!

As you can see the "Hill House" still needs A LOT of work done before it's completed and I hope you can use your imagination to see just how cool it will be once it's done... when it is finished, it will be our special place... our sanctuary... the possibilities are endless and being one who can see the big picture, I have high hopes!

On the bead front... I did a search for fashion color trends for Spring and Summer 2007 and was delighted to see that they are predicting chilli pepper reds... what a great color this is!

I will keep in touch and let you know once I get my bead studio moved, set up again and am back behind the torch... it shouldn't be too long! And thanks for taking the time to read about the new direction our lives are taking... moving is SUCH a big job... I will be sooooooooooooooo glad once it's done!

Hoping all is well with you!

Take good care and talk to you soon, Gracie

P.S. Hi Mal! Hoping you are having a good week! Steve & I look forward to being neighbors with you and Ardis!

2007-02-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Hope your week is off to a good start!

I've added another bead collection for auction in ebay... please click on the bead collection's title below, which is a link, and be taken directly to this new auction...

MOTHER NATURE ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in the colors of nature... in this artist's eye, these are the colors of the forces at work throughout the universe, aka MOTHER NATURE :)... these beads were created in glass in the colors of rich, deep rust, sand, amber, teal blues, champagne and hints of black... colors that will work year round.

There are 15 beads in this collection... to start is a 26mm lentil shaped focal/centerpiece bead and to accompany it are 14 lentil and pastille shaped beads... all of these beads are decorated on both sides... they range in size from 18mm to 26mm... they are temporarily strung on satin ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 11 inches or 28 cm long... great colors for the whole year!

I am very interested to hear from you about what color beads you are interested in seeing for the Spring and Summer months ahead... please email me at graciebead@comcast.net... would LOVE to hear from you!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-02-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I just added a new Special to my website... please simply click on this Special's title directly below and be taken directly to the Special on my website.

SILVER CITY ::: I have fallen in love with these colors... can't seem to get enough of them... a lovely collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in grays, fawn, khaki and black on a backdrop of fine silver... these colors that will work all year around.

There are 21 beads in this collection... to start is a nugget shaped focal/centerpiece bead that measures about 21mm, accompanied by 16 lentil and pastille shaped beads and 2 pair of matching mini rounds (created with earrings and/or 'danglies' in mind)... a few of these beads have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 13-1/2 inches long... all beads are properly and carefully kiln annealed in a digitally controlled kiln and cleaned... great collection of beads for a few bracelets, earrings or one stunning necklace!

FREE shipping with insurance and a delivery confirmation is included if destination is within the United States.

Hope your week ahead brings you ALL good things!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2007-02-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

It's been a while since I have updated my blog... sorry, but I've been down with the flu and bronchitis again (ugh!) and just not up to par... thanks to the antibiotics my doc gave me, I'm starting to feel human again and hope y'all are avoiding these flu bugs out there!

I've got some new beads up on ebay with a Springtime feel to them... here is a link if you'd like to have a look at them... ebay auctions.

As I start feeling better, I will am hoping to have more Specials up for sale on my web site!

Stay healthy and I hope your New Year is off to a good start!

Take good care, Gracie

2007-01-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hello!

It's been a while since I have updated my journal/blog, so decided it was about time to do so! First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all and may 2007 bring you ALL good things and ALL the you dream of!

I have some new beads up on ebay for Springtime! Please click on the bead collection's title below and be taken directly to its ebay auction... yup, the title is a link.

SPRING LOVELIES ::: Spring is just around the corner and to celebrate this time of year (my favorite!), a lovely collection of beads for the Spring season... rainbow colors of Raku in lavenders, purples and gentle greens with hints of blues.

There are 16 beads in this collection... all lentil shapes that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... all of these beads are decorated on both sides and are temporarily strung on ribbons... this strand of beads measures just shy of 11-1/2 inches long... the beginning of something wonderful!

Feeling very drawn to the upcoming Spring season, which is my favorite time of year, I will be working in lighter, brighter colors soon!

There is something so wonderful about Spring where everything is new and fresh... it's like starting all over again... gotta love it!

Take good care, Gracie :)

P.S. Hi Mal!

2006-12-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Hoping your Holidays were lovely... and that the New Year brings you ALL good things!

On the bead front, I have just added an auction to ebay...

ORPHANS ::: A collection of orphan handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... beads that were created for collections that were not finished or playful color experiments... these are all great beads and there are no 'seconds' in this collection... great beads for bracelets!

There are 47 beads in this collection... pastille, pillow, 'squeezed', lentil and round shapes... ranging in size from about 5mm x 9mm to about 25mm... these beads are all decorated all the way around and have been temporarily strung on cording... they all have 1/16" stringing holes and a few of these have been gently etched to a satin matte finish... this strand of beads measures about 29-1/4 inches long.

This is a 3 DAY auction.

Take good care and thanks for stopping by!

Gracie

2006-12-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

Wishes to you all for Happy Holidays filled with LOVE, PEACE & JOY and a 2007 that brings you all that you dream of!

Gracie :)

2006-12-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Hope your weekend was enjoyable and restful. I was out and about a bit and the stores are jam packed with Holiday shoppers getting ready for the Holidays! Phew!

On the bead front, I have a new collection of beads up on ebay and also a new Special on my website... to view these beads, please click on the beads' titles below (which are links) and be taken directly to the bead auction and to the Special on my website... first ebay...

CHRISTMAS GREENS ::: In the greens of Christmastime, a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads... to accompany the greens are splashes of pale champagne ivory here and there... these colors remind me of Christmases long ago with a nostalgic and almost antique feel to them.

There are 11 beads in this collection... lentil and pastille shapes that range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures just shy of 8 inches long.

And my website Special...

EARTHY HONEY FOCAL ::: A pretty handmade artisan lampwork glass lentil shaped focal bead that measures about 27mm and is created in the rich, earthy colors of honey, amber and sage greens... to accompany the focal bead are two matching rounds that measure about 7mm x 11mm... these beads are all decorated all the way around and were created on 3/32 mandrels, so the stringing holes are generous... great for wire-wrapping or stringing on cording or chain.

FREE shipping with insurance and a delivery confirmation is included if destination is within the United States.

That's it for now... hoping all is well in your world!

Take good care and talk to you very soon, Gracie :)

2006-12-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

Happy (almost) Weekend everyone!

I have a few new bead collections up on ebay... to view the auctions on ebay, simply click on the bead collections' titles below... they are links that will take you directly to these beads' auctions.

HONEY AMBER ::: A collection of handmade artisan glass beads in the golden colors of honey and amber with hints of teal blue...
I LOVE these colors.

There are 7 beads in this collection... to start, a 24mm lentil shaped focal bead... 2 matching 19mm lentil shapes and 2 matching pair of round beads that measure about 7mm x 10mm... these beads are decorated on both sides and are temporarily strung on ribbons... this strand of beads measures about 3-1/2 inches long... the start of something wonderful... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind.

EARTHY AMBER FOCAL ::: A handmade artisan lampwork glass lentil shaped focal bead with two matching pair of round beads to add to the fun!

There are 5 beads in this collection... a lentil shaped focal bead that measures about 26mm and two matching pair of round beads that measure from 6mm-7mm x 10mm-12mm... all are decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on rattail cord... the stringing holes in these beads are larger than my usual and were created on 3/16 mandrels... this strand of beads measures about 2-1/4 inches long and would be great as a necklace focal.

In 'real life' these beads are so much prettier than they are in my pictures... for the life of me I couldn't capture their true essence in my pics... darn it! Please trust me, when you see them in 'real life' you'll see what I mean.

SILVERED FAWN FOCAL ::: A sweet handmade lampwork glass lentil shaped focal in silvered fawn colors with a matching pair of round beads that were created with earrings in mind.

There are 3 beads in this collection... a 26mm lentil shaped focal bead and a pair of matching round beads that measure about 7mm x 12mm... all of these beads are decorated all the way around and they have been temporarily strung on rattail cording... the stringing holes in these beads are larger than my usual and were created on 3/16 mandrels... this strand of beads measures about 1-1/2 inches long.

A while ago, the person who used to help me do my wrapping/shipping moved on and quit the job... so, I have been doing it all myself and it's too much... I'm having a hard time getting the beads shipped on time and if you are one of my customers who are being so patient with me and my delayed shipping, my most sincere apologies... I plan on spending all day tomorrow shipping beads, so your beads will soon be on their way!

I am going to post a job listing online for a new 'helper' and see who replies... I'm really quite picky about how my beads are wrapped for shipping, therefore, it has to be the right person for the job... I have my fingers crossed... and, again, my sincere apologies and thank you so, so much for your patience!

Hope everyone has a lovely, fun and relaxing weekend!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2006-12-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello!

A couple new collections of beads up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles below (which are links) and be taken directly to their ebay auctions or the one Special on my website... thanks.

EARTHY CARAMEL ::: A collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in earthy shades of caramel browns and topaz on a backdrop of golden earthy colors with hints of pale teal blue... these beads were created with a lovely bracelet in mind.

There are 10 beads in this collection... 7 lentil shapes and 3 pastille shapes... all are decorated on both sides and range in size from about 18mm to 20mm... they have been temporarily strung on ribbons and this strand of beads measures about 7-1/2 inches long.

YIN & YANG ::: Here is a collection of handmade artisan lampwork glass beads in ebony black and gentle light ivory... YIN & YANG... lightness & dark... there's always a little bit of light in the darkness and a bit of dark in the light... Yin & Yang is the Chinese philosophy of Universal harmony, which I find absolutely fascinating... these colors are opposites, yet they need each other.
There are 10 beads in this collection... lentil and pastille shapes... these beads are all decorated all the way around and some of their designs have a 3-D feel to them as I left the designs raised on some of them... they range in size from about 17mm to 19mm... these beads are temporarily strung on ribbon and this strand of beads measures about 7 inches long... the beginnings of a very cool bracelet, perhaps?

I also have a special up for sale on my website...

OPPOSITES ATTRACT ::: You know what they say... OPPOSITES ATTRACT! A collection of artisan handmade lampwork glass beads in colors that are opposite and definitely attract the eye... these beads were created in ebony black and gentle ivory glass with a bracelet in mind.

There are 10 beads in this collection... lentil and pastille shapes, ranging is size from about 17mm to 19mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and are temporarily strung on ribbon... this strand of beads measure about 7 inches long... FREE shipping with insurance and a delivery confirmation is included if destination is within the United States.

If you are interested in this special please email me at graciebead@comcast.net and add "Graciebead's SPECIALS" to your subject line to alert me to your interest in this Special... the first email I receive gets first choice... my Specials are on a first come, first serve basis.

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you have a lovely day!

Take good care, Gracie :)

2006-12-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

Well, it's time to get ready for that special time of year... CHRISTMAS! It's right around the corner and to celebrate this time, I have a new collection of beads up on ebay... please click on this bead collection's title below, which is, actually, a link, and be taken directly to its ebay auction.

CHRISTMAS TYME ::: Guess what's just right around the corner? Yup, Christmas! To celebrate this glorious time of year, a collection of artisan handmade lampwork glass beads in the colors reminiscent of Christmases long ago... cranberry reds, ivory and earthy lime greens.

There are 13 beads in this collection... these are all lentil shapes except for one pastille shape... there is one of these beads that I created larger to use as a focal and this bead is in the cranberry red color... these beads range in size from about 19mm to 22mm and are all decorated on both sides... these beads are temporarily strung on ribbons and this strand of beads measures about 9-1/4 inches long.

I plan to do more Christmas and Holiday beads in the near future!

Hope your weekend is awesome and take good care, Gracie :)

2006-11-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Hope everyone's week is going nice and smoothly... I have another new collection of beads up on ebay... please click on the bead collection's title (it's a link!) and be taken directly to these beads' ebay auction...

EBONY & IVORY ::: Earlier this month I had another collection of EBONY & IVORY lampwork beads for sale here in ebay... these colors are so dramatic and wonderful together, with their being extreme opposites in the color spectrum, that I decided to create another collection of these... so here they are... stunning ebony black and pure and gentle ivory with splashes of fine silver to add to the fun... New Year's Eve comes to mind when I look at these beads... in my mind's eye, I can see an awesome necklace and bracelet with matching earrings to bring in the New Year. :)

There are 26 beads in this collection... all lentil shapes with three matching pair of mini rounds that were created with earrings in mind... a lot of these beads have a 3-D feel to them as I left the designs raised on the beads' surfaces on quite a few of them... these beads range in size from about 6mm x 9mm to the largest being about 20mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on satin ribbon... this strand of beads measures about 13-1/2 inches long... the earring beads are strung separately and this little strand measures about 1-1/2 inches long.

Have a great upcoming weekend and I'll 'talk' to you soon!

G'nite, Gracie

2006-11-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

Hoping everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday... it is a holiday where we have the opportunity to be grateful and thankful for all that life brings us... why can't all days be filled with these feelings of gratitude?... in my humble opinion, I think they can... I'm going to start working on that! :)

Onto the beads... I have been getting quite a few requests for smaller bead collections on ebay... I am going to work on that and in the near furture have more smaller collections for sale... presently, I have a couple new bead collections up on ebay... please click on the bead collections' titles below (these are links) and be taken directly to the ebay auctions.

FAREWELL TO FALL ::: Our days are getting shorter, the weather cooler and it feels as though Fall is soon going to step aside and let Winter have her turn... Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, sooooooooo, to say farewell to Fall, a collection of artisan handmade lampwork glass beads in the colors of golden amber and honey, rich topaz browns and earthy sage greens.

There are 24 beads in this collection... lentil, pastille and pillow shapes with three small rounds... there are 19 larger size beads with 2 matching pair (created with earrings in mind) and one extra round for a 'danglie', perhaps? The smallest bead in this collection measures about 5mm x 8mm and the largest is about 20mm... these beads are all decorated on both sides and gently etched to a satin matte finish... these beads are all temporarily strung on ribbons and this strand of beads measures about 13 inches long... the strand of earring & 'danglie' beads are strung separately and measure just shy of 2 inches long.

SUBTLE CINNAMON ::: Another collection of artisan handmade glass beads to say farewell to Autumn... it is time to start getting ready for Winter, I suppose... yet... I am sooooooo in love with the earthy fawn, honey, taupe, amber and sage hues, aka, Fall colors, I tend to find these colors in my hands just about every time I'm behind the torch lately.

This collection of handmade lampwork glass beads was created in subtle golden cinnamon colors with accents in ebony black and oodles of fine silver.

There are 7 beads in this collection... lentil shapes with one pastille shape... these beads all are about 19mm to 20mm... they are all decorated on both sides and have been temporarily strung on ribbons... this strand of bead measures about 5 inches long... these beads were created with a bracelet in mind.

Hope the rest of your week ahead is fabulous!

Take good care, Gracie

P.S. A BIG hello to Mal! Hoping all's well with you and Ardis.