Pandora Puppies

Pandora bracelets with the big center holes have been around for quite awhile. I love their chunky yet delicate look and how the glass lampworking community has been able to tap this market.

Pandora, Biagi, Trollbeads and other large holed bracelets are perfect avenues for our industry's beadmakers. Whether your personal niche is encased flowers, boro, organic or silvered glass, there's a place for you.

So needless to say, I love making custom beads for pet owners. I'm showing you a little Bichon Frise that I recently made.

For me, the hardest part is is getting enough detail in the tiny bead. Even though they have a big hole, they still need to be quite small and sit properly on the wrist. Because of the head being relatively large, I try to balance it out with widespread feet and a bit of a tail, if appropriate.

I've found that some breeds don't translate as well for me. Skinny dogs with long slim legs- like greyhounds, just don't have enough room on the bead to fold up the legs and make them look like what they are. Too small a palette. Dogs with easy to spot features seem to always work well and I love the ones with lots of fur- perhaps because I really enough adding the texture in glass.

I've also made lots of beads that are theme beads for customers, whether it's college logos, pets, grandkids, babies, beads that represent favorite sports, hobbies and other pastimes, it's all been fun. Custom work is a favorite large part of my business, because each order is a new puzzle to figure out.

See you tomorrow, here on http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com