Email Us

For The Love of Beads BlogThe adventures of Suzanne, Nibbler, and friends in the world of beads and jewelry making crafts

Showcase: Sue Beads Part 3 wire pendant

This coiled wire pendant is the last of my pieces featuring Sue Beads (at least until I buy some more!). This one was a lot of fun to work on and incorporates silver wire, beautiful dark blue lampwork beads, and AB crystal Swarovski components.  Someday I will decide just how to string this pendant without detracting from its free form, shiny goodness.

As you can see, my wirework has come a long way. In fact, the final post in my beginner’s wirework experiments is coming up soon!

‘Til then, happy crafting!

Posted by Emily


Welcome to Part 2 of my first Showcase! (If you missed part 1, click Here to see it.) This Showcase continues to feature the lampwork of the wonderful Sue Beads, this time as the focal (and splashes of color) for an assymetrical cord and bead necklace.

She has done a great job with her key beads particularly and I really wanted to make something fun and comfortable and somewhat casual that would capture the impression I got from looking at it. I like what I’ve come up with but found a unique challenge in trying to making the double-stranded side hang properly.

Showcase: Sue Beads Part 2 suebeads

This necklace is made with gray cotton cord from our shop; well, now it is. I had originally made it with black cord but found that I didn’t like the lack of contrast between the color of the key and the color of the cord so I redid it in gray and it looks a lot better.   I still keep thinking it needs a little extra something but I am also stubbornly pleased with it as it is. What do you think?

Want to make your own super comfortable key necklace? Wander on over to Sue Beads or her shop on etsy and get started shopping but don’t forget to pick up some soft cotton cord before you go!

(For anyone who is curious, the book in the background is The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay, one of my favorite books when I was in high school, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Arthurian fantasy.)

Posted by Emily


All of the lampwork beads in this short series are made by Sue Beads. I have been reading her blog for some time now and admiring her work for as long and so, a little while ago, I finally cracked and bought some. This is the first of three posts showcasing what I have made with these beads.

We’ll start with my favorite!

These earrings are made with silver 22 gauge wire and feature gorgeous frosty mint green angled lampwork beads.

Showcase: Sue Beads Part 1  earrings

I love asymetrical jewelry but, for whatever strange reason, don’t usually make my pieces asymetrical. This was a nice departure from that and really felt like something that expressed my style while I was making them. Wire has quickly become one of my favorite media (its versatility is wonderful!).

Want your own gorgeous frosty lampwork beads for winter? Head on over to Sue Beads on etsy and get started shopping!

Posted by Emily 2 comments