These beads look charmingly spring-like, don't they? What with the white or pale pink backgrounds, and gentle pastel, transparent thompson enamel blue-greens and emerald frit? Really, only the red streak gives the game away. —As time has gone on (not to mention the selection increasing dramatically) I've gotten much lazier about mixing my own frit, let alone making the stuff: just too hard on my lungs, even with an excellent hood and a good respirator.

The first version (iirc) was made on opaque white glass. Transparent blue-green and green thompson enamel, emerald frit, and, um, CiM sangre? Roughly 12–14 mm, Dec 2012, hollow, 1/16 mandrel

In fact, these are a xmas design: I typically makes earrings as gifts for close friends and family. This year the guild participated in a designer (i.e. bracelet) exchange, but unfortunately the design for these didn't gel until the deadline.

Version 2 (frankly it might've been 1) was on clear colorless glass, with a layer of opaque white TE serving as the base color. Note the subtle differences from the first lot—though I like all three variations, these are probably my favorites; the white looks like a dusting of snow:)

But I can always use it next December!

I had some shorts of pale pink lying around, and I thought that might be pretty, too. Some of the larger beads are pressed hollow lentils.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.