Wire, lampwork, and sterling silver beads.  These are my top favorite to mix together to create a new piece of jewelry.  I’m finally posting a picture here of that necklace I may have mentioned a few weeks ago.  This one took forever to finish….I just worked on bits and pieces and put them aside.  It did not help the process when I accidentally used silver plated wire on several of the links!  I had the plated wire left over from my early days working in wire, and didn’t realize I had used it until I oxidized the necklace and started polishing it with steel wool (the silver started to turn a coppery color!).  I had to remake 5 of the wire links.

This one may look familiar because I made a very similar necklace last Fall.  It’s long gone with it’s new owner and I always knew I wanted to replicate one just for me.  Would you believe I used lampwork beads from 3 different glass  artists?   And even a few of my own beginner beads mixed in (that’s the beauty of working with wire, you can embellish a basic bead and turn it into something fancy!).  I know I will be making similar pieces soon, even if it takes me forever again.  I am a slow and steady kinda jewelry maker. 🙂