Because round beads get boring...

I'm feeling genuinely enthu-
siastic about writing about other people's goodies. I could have used this blog entry to inform you that i put fake tan cream on my legs this morning. But i'm hoping that no one out there finds that interesting.

Instead, i want everyone who reads this to go check out a super creative lampwork beadmaker: her etsy shop is called Gaialai-Glass Artist. Get there by clicking on these photos of her work.

There are thousands of lampwork artisans out there, but most of us stick to the classic "rounds" or rely almost exclusively on bead presses to produce beads of repeatable and predictable shape. I'm not sure if we do this for ourselves or our customers. I personally prefer to work without the regimental look of bead presses, and i like the look of handformed tabs and nuggets, etc. But I have never produced quantities of interestingly handshaped beads like this person. Gaialai's "Lagoon candlesticks" beads should make any jewelry designer want to rise to the challenge and work equally out-of-the-box to produce extraordinary pieces using them. And check out her "Limitz Fairy Bell flower necklace"! As if the design of the piece wasn't eye-catching enough, that color combo is going to get heads turning. And do also look into her other etsy shop where she sells her knitted jewelry and knitted beads. She's a very inspiring artist.