HMB Studios

2011-05-16T22:52:00.002-04:00

Fresh from the torch! These fabulous shades of green, yellow, cream, orange and red are bright and fun for spring. Coming this week to my website and Etsy store!

Wacky Chunkies!

2011-05-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

Yay for new wacky chunkies in my Etsy store! Wacky chunky beads are chunky discs made by randomly combining 5-7 colors of glass and then spiraling the glass to make fabulous discs. Because of the randomness of the colors used each set (and sometime each bead) is unique. Snatch them up!

Snow, snow, snow

2010-02-05T22:54:00.004-05:00

The most wonderful thing about being snowed in is making beads! I've been so bust this past winter making disc beads, that I've finally stopped to take some time and make some other shapes! These guys are thin sprees. The thinner size makes them lighter weight, so you can use them for earrings or a design that can't accommodate the heavier glass beads. My free bead winner this month will receive a matching pair of thin sprees...maybe the ones I make this weekend while I'm snowed in!

Smooth Chunky Discs

2010-01-21T19:26:00.003-05:00

More new stuff for this spring are the smooth chunky discs. I used to make these a few years ago and then switched over to the bullseye discs. I thought I'd bring them back this spring, but with a twist - the second color on the rim to make them really pop. Keep your eye on my Etsy store for these discs and some other colors coming out soon.

Constellation Beads

2010-01-16T12:29:00.003-05:00

Fresh out of the kiln are these little beauties. The idea for these beads came from a very happy accident. It combines several different colors to come up with a great bright reactive blue on a pop of orange. The black dots turned out very organically shaped and remind me of constellation drawings.

Steampunked Honey Bumpy Lampwork Discs

2010-01-08T16:44:00.003-05:00

New set for 2010! This is a new set that I'm making and if I do say so myself it's totally yummy. I used ambers, creams, and metallic black to create a fun and versatile set of discs. They range in diameter from 16-18mm and can be made on 1/16" or 3/32" mandrels. My inspiration for this piece actually comes from the great variety of Steampunk jewelry that you can find on Etsy. I tried to come up with a set of beads that feels organic and mechanical all at once. I think using the amber and cream tones along with the metallic black really achieves this! 3 strand inches of "Steampunked Honey"! This set is available on my website and my Etsy store.

2009-11-10T22:15:00.002-05:00

I got these really cool pink opal briolettes last week and I've been dieing to use them. A lux pair of earring in the bright and fun colors that I love (available in my Etsy jewelry store). I of course has to include a pair of my handmade lampwork beads. The beads are made with a reactive glass that gives them a milky, wispy color. And then I popped in a bunch of carnelian dangles.

2009-11-01T17:00:00.003-05:00

I was looking to make something funky this weekend and here's what I came up with. I started with this really cool milky clear funky donut beads and connected them with my galaxy beads. It's finished off with tiny sterling silver faceted beads and chain. I offer galaxy rondelle beads in a variety of colors in my Etsy store and the bracelet and earrings will be available at my jewelry site.

2009-10-28T01:11:00.008-04:00

Well, it seems as though I've been obsessed with etched beads lately. It was actually quite difficult for me to get used to the etching process. I'm very attached to the beads that I make and they all look delicious after they come of the kiln and are cleaned. How could I subject them to the harsh etching process and take away their beautiful luster? Wouldn't I be betraying their trust? However, after a certain point, you need to take the plunge and etch the beads. Luckily for me, my husband, Harry, is the etcher in the household (like the bad cop). He takes the beads into the laundry room, he etches them, and they come out with a beautiful matte finish. I think they are lovely! They work really well with shiny gemstone beads for a lux look. On the other end of the spectrum, they also work well with ceramic and polymer clay for an earthy look.

Me and My Helper

2009-08-16T18:46:00.006-04:00

Harry and I are two weeks in to the basement and glass studio remodel. In the meantime, I'm making beads on a temporary set up. Morty, the dog is very busy helping as you can see! The remodel is moving along quickly as it is mainly painting, trim, and installing new cabinets. However, there's tons of stuff in the basement that needs to be moved around as we paint. I can't wait to for my new setup!

Focal, Disc, and Rondelle Sets

2009-06-23T23:26:00.003-04:00

I've been making these really cute disc sets that include one focal, two discs, and two rondelles. These are great for designers who are looking to make a necklace with matching earrings! I currently have these listed in my Etsy store.

Large Hole Discs

2009-03-10T19:52:00.004-04:00

This was a fun project. I got a request from a designer to create discs with a larger hole (approximately 5mm). The larger hole accommodates 2 strands of cord, seed beads, ribbon, etc so they can be used as a pendant. Each large hole discs is 20mm in diameter and costs $3. Please contact me directly to order.

Minty Treasury

2009-03-09T20:12:00.003-04:00

My Minty Green Discs were included in an Etsy Treasury created by bythewayside today. Minty green discs are an old favorite of mine. They are a great color especially for spring jewelry. I currently have over 20 colors (transparents and opaques) of discs in my Etsy store. Stop by to check them out! You should also check out the store of bythewayside. She is currently selling vintage goods. Thanks for including me in your treasury!

A Day at the OCEAN Treasure - Etsy

2009-03-03T20:56:00.002-05:00

My Metallic Juicy Beach Glass Rondelles were included in an Etsy Treasury created by Jennifer of pinklilypress today. These newer beads featuring black metallic reactive glass are some of my favorites and they work really well with blue and green ocean colors in Jennifer's treasury. My metallic series is currently only available on Etsy, so stop by to check it out! You should also check out the store of pinklilypress. I love the designs and illustrations she uses on her stationery, greeting cards, and other paper products. Kudos on the Treasury Jennifer!

Easy Beading Volume 5

2009-02-14T20:05:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that my disc bead bracelet is going to be in Easy Beading Volume 5. This is the same bracelet that was in the July 2008 issue of BeadStyle magazine. I'm very excited! I'll be having a sale to celebrate in this spring. Those of you who get my mailing list will get details on this soon. If you'd like to join my mailing list just email me!

Wacky Chunky Discs

2009-01-26T23:45:00.003-05:00

Wacky chunky discs are thicker and larger than I normally make my discs. They are all hand-formed. I do not use a press or other tool when I make these...just gravity and heat. Each discs is made up of several different colors, which makes each discs really unique. I would not be able to exactly remake a set, there are just too many variables. The size lends itself well to necklaces and chunky bracelets. I'm currently selling these in my Etsy store.

Yikes....Ice!

2008-12-20T17:25:00.001-05:00

It's super frozen outside, but we managed to get out and about today to get our Christmas tree. It was a mistake to wait so long, because all the trees available were iced over...can't exactly bring an iced Christmas tree in the house. We ended up going to Lowe's, where there were 3 tiny reject trees left. One of them was perfect for me though and we got it for a great price!

2008-12-16T21:13:00.005-05:00

It's currently 31 degrees and we have a roaring fire going to heat us up! Harry is working on his monster drawing for the night (365monsters.blogspot.com) and I'm working on editing some bead pics. All the while, we're watching the "Day After Tomorrow"...which just makes me colder as I watch.
The first pic is one of my half hollow focals. It is a long thin focal, with a hollow bumpy bead built off one end. I also created some matching rondelles to go with it. I'm really happy with the blue colors on the focal. I think I'll list this one in my eBay store.
The second pic is of one of my double hollow beads again with some matching rounds. The double hollow is made up of two separate hollows that have been merged together to create one bead. This bead will be available in my Etsy store.

Playing with Enamel

2008-12-13T23:06:00.003-05:00

Here are some examples of enamel beads that I have been making lately. I'll be listing them on Etsy shortly.

2008-11-15T00:32:00.003-05:00

Ok, so it's a little creepy, but it's very cool. My husband, Harry, has started on his yearlong quest for monsters. Yep, that's right, monsters. In his blog (365monsters.blogpot.com), he is striving to create a monster a day for 1 year. Very fittingly, he started his blog this past halloween and is now two weeks in. Check out his blog for fun, cute, and creepy monsters alike!

Cabochon Crazy

2008-09-14T19:57:00.010-04:00

Harry and I took a Begining Cabochon class at the local Tuscarora Lapidary Society. It was a great class and there were 3 instructors for 7 students which meant we learned A LOT. They also gave us interesting stones to work with as you can see from the variety of colors and patterns in our cabs. If you live near Philadelphia and would like to learn some lapidary skills, you should check out their organization. The first pic shows the cabs I made and the second pic shows some of Harry's. As usual, Harry did not want to "color in the lines," so he made a lot of free-form shapes, where as I stuck with traditional setting sizes.

I also used my time in the class to work on some ideas I had for shaping glass beads. We'll have to see where this leads....

Large 1" Discs

2008-08-29T12:19:00.003-04:00

I love custom requests! I usually spend most of my torch time making stocked items. This doesn't give me too much time to experiment and try making new bead patterns and styles. However, as soon as I get a custom request, it really motivates me to get down to the torch and experiment!

I've recently been getting requests for large 1" single color discs. I've been playing around with this concept and trying to infuse my own style in to it and I think I've finally gotten there (see pic). This set is up on Etsy now (here) and I hope to have a few more up in the very near future. I hope you like them!

Officiator #1 Sleeping on the Job

2008-08-08T17:54:00.004-04:00

Officiator #1 was found sleeping on the job again today. As soon as she wakes up from her all day nap, we'll be picking the July drawing winners. Winners receive a FREE set of BEADS! Last month, large hole paradise beads were given away to two lucky winners. In order to participate, you must be a mailing list member (click here to join). Names are randomly picked from two hats (read box): hat 1 contains the names of new members and hat 2 contains the names of customers who purchased from me during that month. This month, I'll be giving away a set of matching hollows!

Watermelon

2008-07-27T20:44:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of my husband's prized watermelon baby. His first attempt at growing watermelon (last year) was fruitless (sorry for the bad pun). However, this year we already have one 6 inch watermelon and a few other smaller melons. It's very exciting and it has me thinking about some watermelon inspired beads!

2008-07-11T15:55:00.003-04:00

Large hole spacer sets are in stock at both HMBTUDIOS and Etsy! These beads are very versatile because you can use them in several ways.
String them as normal
Use them as dangles
Create chain with them
I'm sure there are a ton of other ways to use these in your designs!

Custom color requests are always welcome me, just contact me.

I can't believe it's been over a year...

2008-07-05T13:35:00.005-04:00

...with no posts to my blog. My disc bead bracelet was in the recent BeadStyle magazine. You can find cute little disc sets on my website. They were put together specifically in mind for this bracelet tutorial. Also, you can contact me directly for custom requests if you are looking for specific colors.

Just Beads

2007-03-24T22:34:00.000-04:00

I created a just beads account today (see link in my links section to check out my listings). I'll be offering a limited number of bead auctions on this site to see how it works out. These are the beads that I have listed to start. I've been making larger encased earring pairs lately and this is just one of my favorite pairs.

My Very First Post

2007-03-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

This is my very first post on my very own blog! I'm very excited. To mark this special occasion, I'm uploading a pic of my dog and 2007 HMB Studios mascot. The mascot is a highly coveted position at HMB Studios that rotates between my pets on an annual basis.

Also, I'd like to make a quick shout out to my husband, Harry, who now has prints of his artwork available for purchase on Etsy. A link to his store can be found in my links section.