Sunday, April 25, 2010

Vintage Hollow Brass Beads

Aren't they beautiful?
They're huge, like 32mm around.
They took a combination of patinas really well, saffron yellow with touches of rusty orange.
I'm going to make a statement piece with them, with a ginormous clay bead for the middle. Or maybe I'll turn it on it's side and make a woven tassel that falls from the middle hole.
Here they are in Verdigris;
  I need a special cording to knot them on and maybe some ceramic discs to space between?
So many possibilities!
What would you do with such huge beads?

13 comments:

  1. Those are really pretty, your ideas are great for them.

    I know how i would use them but Can't seem to write the idea down to make any sense, but it has sparked an idea for the use of some similar size beads I have, that i'll work on today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. hang them as a focal - but i would have the hole turned towards the front, use a trapeze bail and add some fibers... but that is just off the top of my head! very cool beads! and beautiful patinas!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I bought some of these as well, to enamel! I'll put them on my blog when I actually get around to it. I hope the enamel takes to them!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like the tassel idea a lot! But the truth is I would probably put them all in a bowl so I could just touch them. They are beautiful and I think I'd like to hoard them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You mean before or after I drooled on them? Those are totally gorgeous - I LOVE the verdigris ones in particular!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just painted some of those with fire (enamel) a couple of weeks ago. I did half green and half blue. It turned out really neat. Since I was just playing around, I made it into a keychain for little man. They are really big, I wouldnt wear a necklace with that large of a bead...but you never know. I had them in my stash forever because of the size.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the patina on these beads. They are sooo cool!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Say, those are cute. Hope you don't get offended, but I'd incorporate the vintage brass beads into a handle for the bathroom light pulley. :D Just 'cause I've been thinking of making one with big beads. hehe

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love those -- I have some, not sure how big they are, but they're honkin' huge! I may enamel mine!

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW, I am excited about this patina. Maybe a tutorial about it in the future?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Those are amazing! I'd just sit them on my bench for a while to look at them!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog, it means a lot to me.
Shannon