recycled glass bracelet – Page 4 – Julie Frahm

Posted on April 12, 2018 by admin

Harlequin glass bracelet

Today I needed a bit of comfort, and a bit of cheering up. It was a lot to ask of a bracelet! I didn’t really know what I was going to make, but I’d had this idea lingering in my head for a while, so today seemed like the perfect day to pull it together. Beautiful Harlequin Glass beads made into a beautiful plaited bracelet.

I actually used to make this style of bracelet ALL the time, way before I started making my own beads. I made a few using my own handmade glass beads, but that was many years ago, and now that I have made this one I am wondering why I stopped making them. I really like how this one turned out.

Posted on April 3, 2018 by admin

Sparkly!

I was kind of struggling to get something made for this project this afternoon. I actually have lots of beads that I can pick and choose from, but nothing was quite working for me. As it was getting closer to school pickup time the pressure was really on!

I knew that I had a bunch of small round Bombay Sapphire Gin beads, and I was going through all of the other beads I have, wondering what I could add to them to make something…anything!

I came across some clear wine bottle beads that I had made for cufflinks a while ago, and not used all of them. I started to put something together, and I have to admit…I really like this bracelet. It’s super sparkly, which kind of matches the day we are having here. Sunshine and perfect weather!

Now, time for school pickup!

Posted on March 31, 2018 by admin

I’ve been trying to make this bracelet for about a week…

….I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled it apart, taken beads out, put beads in, put it back together. Nothing felt quite right until I got to this version, and this one made me smile. It’s a little bit quirky and different, but also a little bit stunning! Made with Hendricks gin bottle beads and Milk glass beads, the contrast is what makes it.

Posted on March 24, 2018 by admin

Tanqueray Gin and Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle bracelet

I’m starting to make some beads and jewellery from all sorts of gin bottles. Usually I would just stick to the same glass, and make the jewellery from that (which looks rather nice). But for some reason I am putting all sorts of colour combinations together. Today it was time to see how Bombay Sapphire Gin and Tanqueray Gin bottles worked!

Posted on March 23, 2018 by admin

Be-Gin Again

I’m starting to play with some new ideas for an exhibition! My exhibition is part of the Penola Arts Festival and officially opens Friday 18 May. It will be at Local Images.

The exhibition is called “Be-Gin Again” and will feature beads made from gin bottles. The bracelet below has beads from a Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle mixed with beads from a Hendricks Gin bottle. The clear beads are a wine bottle, but for the exhibition I’ll make sure I have some clear gin bottle beads in the mix!

It’s nice to play with some new ideas….

Posted on March 18, 2018 by admin

My new obsession

I think it’s safe to say that making bracelets is my new obsession! So here is a little story about bracelets…

Last year, just before Christmas, I was asked several times if I had any bracelets for sale. I replied that I had a few, but not many, as I was finding them “difficult” to make.

What I meant by difficult was a couple of things. First, wrist sizes vary! Yes, there kind of is an average wrist size, but I was finding that most people either wanted that average size bracelet made smaller or larger. And second, I was making them to match in with necklaces. It was frustrating when the necklace would sell, and the bracelet was left behind.

So I kind of stopped making bracelets for a while. But since I have been doing this creative/making challenge, I have found a new passion for making one of a kind bracelets. They don’t need to match a necklace, they can just simply be a beautiful bracelet on their own. I’m loving the freedom in making them.

Posted on March 17, 2018 by admin

Same same, but different….

I had some beads leftover from yesterday’s bracelet, so I thought I would make this bracelet! Same same, but different!

I love having the beads around to be able to make all sorts of things! I was talking to a friend today about how I can have a design in my head, I can then draw that design on paper, I can then make the beads for that design…..but when it comes to making the jewellery, sometimes it is nice to have spare beads “just in case” things don’t turn out as they looked in my head.

Posted on March 16, 2018 by admin

Not quite black and white….

I love contrast in jewellery. How a colour plays with other colours is something that really interests me. For this bracelet today I was going for a black and white look, and had to use a wine bottle and a Hendricks gin bottle to make it work. It’s not quite black and white, but it’s still quite striking. The different shape beads also add interest to the bracelet.

Posted on March 15, 2018 by admin

This was a wine bottle…

I do like how I can take a wine bottle, destined for the recycled bin (hopefully), and make something like this bracelet!

I have added the colour to the clear glass using little pieces of smashed up glass.

Posted on March 7, 2018 by admin

Harlequin Glassware Bracelet

Harlequin Glassware sets were really popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It’s easy to find incomplete sets and I have been collecting shot glasses whenever I see them. Yesterday I finally made some beads with the glasses, and today I made a bracelet. So many colours! So pretty.