This week, our feature is another jewelry artist, but her work is more than just jewelry construction. Amy de Ridder of AdR Designs actually makes glass lampwork beads from Moretti glass. Now, if you're anything like me, you have no idea what lampworking is. So, I'll fill you in. Amy uses molten glass, shaping and forming it in a flame, then she decorates these beads using other glasses and texture. Following that process, she anneals the beads in a kiln for 24 hours to give strength and durability. After all THAT, she uses silver plated copper wire to turn these gorgeous beads into wearable pieces of art. And, holy cow, y'all. Her work is AMAZING! Take a look at some of her work:
From necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, to loose beads for those of you with the talent to make your own jewelry, Amy has you covered. What? Loose beads? Oh, yes! She makes beads for YOU to play with, too!
One of the things that melts my heart is businesses that donate portions of each sale to autism charities or research funds. Well, Amy loves two someones with autism, and she has committed to donate $2 of each sale to Autism Ontario. By ordering gifts from her, you are supporting a cause near and dear to many of our hearts.
BUY:
Now that you've seen some of the things Amy can do, I'm sure you're just BURSTING to find out how to contact her for a Christmas order. You can find her on twitter, on facebook, and through her site. And yes, she DOES do custom orders. Pricing ranges from $10 to $30 for existing pieces, shipping averages an additional $5.
Please note: AdR Designs is based in Canada. US residents ordering with the intent of using items for Christmas gifts do so at their own risk. AdR Beads cannot guarantee your purchase will arrive prior to Christmas, as of the date of this feature.
WIN:
Because this is Handmade for the Holidays, and each featured crafter has generously agreed to provide a giveaway item, of COURSE we have one from AdR Designs! Feel free to oh and ah as I did when I saw these pictures. Here's Amy to tell you all about it:
I had called this bracelet Play date, its relaxed and fun, with rings and dangles.
It is 7.5” in length.
It has 4 clear glass beads with pink, pale orange and burgundy. All the beads are non-tarnish silver plated.
The wire I use for each handmade clasp is a silver plated non-tarnish copper wire.
AdR Designs, images, links and references to same belong to Amy de Ridder and are used here with permission for purposes of this feature ONLY.
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