I really must get myself in gear to make some jewellery soon but I am enjoying my beadmaking again. Here are photographs of some more of my bead experiments that I like, so I will probably make more of them.

Here are some beads that I have made using some silver leaf. These ones are quite large and are destined to be a winter-themed bracelet but I have made some smaller ones as well for earrings. When the silver leaf is encased, if you heat the bead enough so the casing layer become molten enough to move over the leaf, the dragging effect makes the leaf ball up into teeny little bundles of silver. These are very simple beads but often simple is the most effective; I am calling these Frost Morn beads.

Whenever I tried encasing silver leaf using clear glass when I was using my Hothead torch, the silver leaf always turned a funny yellow colour but with my dual fuel set up, it has stayed a bright fresh silver colour.

Here is my first go at a heart shaped bead (I am really into shapes this week!) I have added pendant fittings but I am not going to offer it for sale, this is just for me. It's not really perfect, one side is slightly bigger than the other and I really wanted to get the same effect with the silver leaf as the beads above.

When I showed DH, he said he thought I had bought yet another press and made it using that, but nope, this is all hand shaped. By the time Valentines day comes around, I should be well practiced enough to have something saleable.