Tag: Free Design

Basilica: Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings – Free Murano Glass Jewelry Designs

The Pink Basilica Necklace, Bracelet, and Earrings offer a tribute to Venetian artistry with Murano glass and gold foil. The necklace combines vibrant millefiori patterns with pink white gold rounds, while the bracelet’s lamp work squares exude opulence with 24kt gold foil. The earrings, adorned with millefiori slices, emanate elegance in a soft pink hue.

Make this Pink Basilica Necklace

Imagine a necklace that whispers stories of Venetian charm and artisanal mastery. This 17-inch marvel is a symphony of Murano Glass Squares and discs, each infused with the essence of ancient glassmaking techniques passed down through generations. Picture tiny slices of millefiori mosaics, meticulously arranged like vibrant confetti, captured beneath a translucent surface, shimmering with life, in this Murano Glass Jewelry design.

But the magic doesn’t end there. Set against a backdrop of luxurious 24kt gold foil, these glass treasures gleam with an unparalleled radiance, each piece a testament to the fusion of tradition and innovation. The warm embrace of the gold foil accentuates the intricate details of the millefiori patterns, adding depth and opulence to every glance.

And then, like delicate jewels adorning a royal garment, the necklace is adorned with Pink White Gold Rounds in varying sizes – 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm. Their lustrous sheen and gentle blush harmonize with the kaleidoscopic hues of the Murano Glass, creating a symphony of colors that dance with every movement.

For the Free Instructions and components list: Click Here

Make this stunning Basilica Bracelet

The bracelet features intricate pink and white mosaic Murano lamp work squares that are each a miniature masterpiece in their own right. These squares, meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans, showcase a mesmerizing blend of hues, creating a harmonious symphony of color that captivates the eye.

Adding a touch of luxury and opulence to the design is the presence of 24kt gold foil delicately infused within the glass. The shimmering gold foil lends a radiant glow to the bracelet, catching the light with every movement and casting a warm, ethereal glow.

To complement the beauty of the Murano glass squares, the bracelet is adorned with gold fill bead caps. These bead caps add a touch of sophistication and refinement to the piece, enhancing its overall allure and ensuring that it stands out as a true statement of style.

For free instructions and list of components: Click Here

To complete the set: Make these beautiful earrings.

These pink Murano glass earrings exude elegance and charm measuring approximately 40mm ( 1 3/4 Inches)

At first glance, they catch the eye with their soft pink hue, reminiscent of blooming cherry blossoms. Each earring is adorned with tiny, intricate slices of millefiori, adding a kaleidoscopic burst of colors like a miniature garden captured within glass.

The millefiori slices are delicately placed over 24kt gold foil, lending a luxurious shimmer and depth to the design. This gold foil backdrop enhances the warmth and richness of the pink hues, creating a captivating play of light and color with every movement.

To complement the exquisite Murano glass focal pieces, the earrings feature gold fill ear wires. These ear wires ensure both durability and elegance, allowing the earrings to dangle gracefully from the ears. At 42mm in length, they strike the perfect balance between subtlety and presence, making them ideal for both casual outings and formal occasions.

For free Instructions for the Earrings Click Here

Pantone® Colors of the Year Rose Quartz and Serenity – Yes they Exist!

Since the Colors of the Year were announced by Pantone, we’ve been trying to create some designs which feature our authentic Murano Glass Beads. And I was having a bit of difficulty with the colors. Then at a girl’s softball practice, there they were – and created by nature for all of us to see.

A beautiful setting sun which was shining through our normal San Francisco Bay fog produced exactly the colors. I apologize if my photography doesn’t get it just right. But sitting in the bleachers watching practice, the colors in the sky, simply stunning and even Serene!

Rose Quartz and Serenity on the SoftBall Field!

Without that sunset, I would still be struggling to see how these colors go together. I was thinking “baby shower” pink and blue. So back to the design desk – with new inspiration and appreciation for the knowledge of those talented people at Pantone!

Here’s a couple of designs we came up. They are free and each one has instructions as well as the list of components required.

Free Design, Make These Earrings

We’d love to see your designs with these colors. You can send to info@venetianbeadshop.com

Venetian Glass Bead Free Design

Make an Adjustable Charm Bangle with Beadalon Bracelet Jig

Make This Bracelet – So Popular This Year

We love this Beadalon Bracelet Jig to make an adjustable charm bangle. It was voted “Hot” Product of CHA in 2015 (CHA is the Craft Hobby Association).

It is simple and so very popular this year thanks to Alex and Ani. You’ll want to make dozens. Wear them in stacks.

You don’t have to have this jig to make the bracelet. Use a drink can or other bottle to wrap the wire to give it a nice round shape. You can spread the overlap apart if you need it larger or squeeze it a bit further for a smaller size.

The key here is that you want to put the charm which fits inside the overlapping wire before you close the loops. The charms that float you can add at the end. You need only a pair of side cutters to cut the wire and 2 long nose pliers to open and close the endings as well as the charms you add. Watch Wyatt White, Product Manager, from Beadalon as he shows you how to make this bracelet.

Wyatt recommends 18 gauge half hard wire so it maintains it’s shape better. In our bracelet, we used Beadalon 18 gauge Silver Plated Wire. We also have pre-made bracelets in Sterling Silver and in Vermeil (Gold Plate over Sterling).

Vermeil Adjustable Bangle Bracelet

Sterling Silver Adjustable Bangle Bracelet

Making a Boro Tube Necklace

Blowing Boro Tubes

These are very popular in Venice, and combining both traditional Murano Glass beads for the center piece and Borosilicate Glass, commonly called “boro” for the curved tubes. The tubes are curved working in the flame.

Here are some suggestions for center beads. You will need a bead that is at least 20mm to command the center, or you could add a pendant which is suspended between the two symmetrical tubes. Click here or on the picture for the Free Design page and list of components needed.

Choose the Focal Bead You Like – at least 20mm

Make no mistake, each and every piece is slightly different. Our blowers are the best in the business, but like all artists, they create each piece one by one. In fact, I had to beg to get the blower to make the symmetrical. He said “mi non piassi” – Venetian dialect for I do not LIKE them!

With these necklaces it is best to begin with the center beads and work out. The wire will follow the curvature of the boro tube and will easily come out the hole, but you may need to give it a couple of tries. Larger wire is better because you want to be sure you can secure the necklace.

We use inverted bead caps to fit like a socket into the holes of the tubes which gives it flexibility. Again, each hole will be slightly different, but the inverted beadcap will its seat against the hole, whatever the size or shape of the hole. (The holes are made while the glass is glowing red hot by inserting a metal mandrel into the hot glass, so the holes will never be perfectly round. This is not a defect, just how it’s made.)

Our organic shapes like pebbles and nocce are naturals for the enter pieces and matting the beads is a great contrast. We’d love to see what you do with these exquisite boro tubes.

About Boro:

Boro is a type of glass with silica and boron trioxide as the main glass-forming constituents. Borosilicate glass is known for having very low coefficients of thermal expansion (~3 × 10−6 /°C at 20 °C), making them resistant to thermal shock, more so than any other common glass. Boro was invented by the German Otto Schott, and is similar in composition to the US was patented by Corning under the name of Pyrex, yes like the Pyrex you use in the oven (only it is much thicker than our jewelry beads).

Lampworkers enjoy working with boro as it is more forgiving, easier to work more complicated pieces, like ornate wine glasses or sculptural designs and can be reheated so you have a chance to “re do” any mistakes, something we can not do with Murano Glass.

Halloween Bracelet – Skulls & Charms

Make This Bracelet for Halloween

For some people Halloween is the best holiday of the year. Count us in, we love dressing the kids up and strolling through the neighborhood. We have even taken Halloween costumes to the kids in Murano – now thanks to the same manufacturers who flood our markets with costumes, Venetians can find them locally.

While it’s still a mainly US holiday, the Venetian children do enjoy the treats (much like they get on San Martin Day, 11 November when the kids go to all the stores and receive treats).

We incorporated our authentic Murano Glass Skulls in a varying colors and our TierraCast Antiqued Silver Plated Pewter Charms. To make it even easier, we started our with our Sterling Silver Rolo Charm Bracelet. We attached the charms with jump rings, so you only need to wire wrap our our Venetian Beads.Feel free to change the design. If you want to do this in a gold tone, we have the same charms in gold/or Bronze and use Gold Fill or Gold plated chain.

It is a super Mother-Daughter project, or in my case Grandmother/Marcella/Sydney project. We have a simplified version for the younger set.

Click on this link for the components and a printable PDF of directions – or click on the picture.

Happy Trick or Treating! from all of us at VenetianBeadShop.com

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