Vintage Venetian Seed beads, and more!
Opening an order from Shipwreck Beads is even more exciting than creating the order.
Hand-crafted vintage Murano glass beads (1880’s – 1920’s) plus a strand of 6mm Sodalite beads.
More vintage Italian seed beads, plus a strand of flat oval Jasper beads and 2 sweet lampwork beads that will become earrings (crystal pendant drops hiding in there, too — a project for next year)
The vintage glass seed beads were made somewhere between the late 1800’s and 1920’s. made by a consortium of 16 independent Venetian bead makers from Murano (Societa Veneziana Conterie) that joined together from 1898-1992.
I will think of Aunt Snow when I work with these special seed beads. She has written numerous posts about her travels in Venice, posts that are replete with beautiful photographs and glorious descriptions of things she has seen and done. She is such a gifted food and travel writer, perhaps she could lead tours in her favorite places. Given the money, I’d sign up in a heartbeat!
Cassi inspired me to purchase the lampwork beads with her own earring creations (both on her beading blog and in her Etsy shop). I’ve been lucky enough to be able to purchase some of her beautiful earrings, and I love them! She is very talented. (It would be cheaper for me to just buy her creations and not buy my own supplies, but… well, too late! I’ve been buying beads and beading supplies since 2005.)
As much as I would like to play with all of these beads right now, I have specific creations in mind for Christmas gifts. Time to get busy!
Spokalulu 
What gorgeous colors!! I’ve been NOT buying beads for this month because I have lots, (of course, you can never have too many beads), and there are so many other things I need to spend money on. But that was a fun package!
Um, you WILL be posting pics, yes? I love the glass. I have a beautiful minature nativity – just the Holy Family – on a gondola – made out of Venetian glass.
Pictures will have to wait until gifts have been given, but yes, I will post when I can.
Your nativity sounds beautiful!
I love looking at beads, touching beads, shopping for beads. I have a cool little bead organizer and mostly gemstone beads and I’ve learned I am no beading artist. I jiust can’t let go of the beads though.
Oh, cruel! to remind me that the bead boxes are more accessible than most of my sewing supplies, four months after moving in. There is NO time for that right now!
PJ, supplies are fun! They make nice decorations, too, if you keep them in clear containers on the shelf. 😉
Mary Anne, both my sewing machine and beads are highly accessible. Now my motivation is also highly accessible but time is terribly limited. Yikes!
I love looking at all those beads and imagining the possibilities. I’m looking forward to seeing what you did with the goodies — after you’ve given the gifts, of course.
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