Winged Words

Here's the second necklace I finished in the last few days. I showed the crowned, winged face focal bead a while back, and decided to add the word 'W-I-N-G-S' as a dangle. When I started putting it together I wasn't thinking about Mardi Gras, with Fat Tuesday coming up. But the vintage freshwater pearls and the brass prayer box started me down a path of expressing emblems for the spring spiritual season.


The main focal piece reminds of of old cast iron decorations on the fronts of buildings, that get painted and weatherworn, with the dark metal showing through the worn-off color. The hook is handmade brass, attached to a bead that looks like a piece broken from a cathedral stone trim.


The image reminds me of some of the cemetary stones I saw in Ireland and Scotland, with the wings and crowns on them. The feeling of being out in the weather and worn, and probably touched by many hands over time.

This special little necklace is in the Etsy shop, if you want to see more photos.

Slow but Hopefully Sure

I've been so busy making beads that I haven't slowed down long enough to make some jewelry with them. I don't know if this happens to you, but after a while I begin to think that I'm not sure where to start.





I made this hollow tube bead with ancient-looking writing on it. It has areas that are crackled, and it looks really old and worn. I wanted to make something with it, something wearable, instead of just listing the bead on its own. So I started getting out vintage style chain, claps and bead caps. It began to go together with copper and brass touches.


A while back at a collaboration creativity gathering, some test beads were made using frit on copper tubing. I wanted to make something special with the beads, the enameled copper drops. They have large openings, so I used bead caps at both ends, and they took on a really vintage, antique look.


That's when I noticed that the colors of frit on the copper went really well with the colors on the hollow tubes. I used it to make a long dangle bead on the bottom, using a brass headpin with a flat paddle end.

I must be the slowest jewelry maker / designer around. I do admire those who can make several pieces in a few minutes, like magic. I have to try things out, adjust. Lengthen, shorten and try things on.

I do like how it turned out. I just wish I was faster - so I could make more pieces in the time I have available.

If you want to see more photos, I've listed it in the Etsy shop.

Cyan Blue Too

There is a difference between mixing pigment and mixing light. I have this discussion with my hubby sometimes, as he was in theater and knows about mixing light.

When I talk about how I'm mixing pigment to get colors, tints and shades, he and I talk about the difference between mixing light and mixing opaque or translucent pigments. Cyan is a blue color, halfway between blue and green on the color wheel. Along with yellow and another mixed color, magenta, it's one of the three main colors of ink in injet printers. In the printing industry there are color tone numbers that identify colors specifically, Pantone colors.


Cyan is a secondary color of light. The primary colors of light are blue, red and green, and cyan is made by mixing green light and blue light. Cyan resembles the color of water in a swimming pools, and is a restful and relaxing color. It's close to turquoise and aquamarine. Blue shades are thought of as restful and relaxing, like the color of water in tropical lagoons, that shimmery light blue-green color.


Many things in nature are that blue-green color, like bird's eggs, a twilight shade in the sky, certain butterflies. That may be the reason why that light blue-green is one of the seven most popular colors for painting and decorating rooms in homes and restaurants.


Sometimes I wonder if we are so attracted to certain colors because they spark our creative imagination, provoking ideas about things that are that color. If I make a bead or pendant with lots of light blue glass beads, does that create an image of the sky, flowers, bird's eggs and butterfly wings in nature?

Jewelry Exchange - The Great Finish!

Gaea sponsored a jewelry exchange, kind of a round robin where each artist adds something to the finished piece. It was fun to watch its progress and see what each participant added as it grew and took on its personality. I was fortunate to be involved, and here is a photo of the final jewelry piece. What a great clasp and beautiful colors, don't you think?


This is what it looked like when I sent it off to Stephanie, for her to forward to Gaea for the final touches.

The participants were Lorelei Eurto, Joelle Murray, Mary Harding, Jennifer Stumpf, Stef and me!

Gaea is going to auction it off for a charity, so watch her blog for details about when that will happen. Having seen it in person I can tell you, it's beautiful and will be supporting a worthy cause, if you want to bid for being its very happy owner.

Classic Yet Faceless Beauty

Last December, right before New Year's, I posted a tutorial on making a draping form, just the bust portion. But I didn't show her all decked out, with crochet lace trim, a leafy corsage and strands of costume pearls.

I used unbleached muslin for the drapery but anything would work, if you preferred it bleached white or even with a print on it. Or for more fun, you could put designs on the fabric before draping using fabric paints or stitching, so she'd have a mixed media look.

If you are a quilter or like to do patchwork, that type of fabric could be used too, but a lighter weight fabric would probably look best.

I made her so I could put my necklaces around her neck and show how they look when worn for the Etsy shop photography. Now I just need to get busy and make some necklaces for her to wear!

Follow the tutorial here if you want to see the process. If you make one let me know, I'd love to see what you come up with! And warmer weather will help yours dry faster! So let's all wish for an early spring.

Anneal Me - Tuesday Tips Checking In

I started the series for Tuesday Tips and Hints because the Poll I ran at the beginning of the year showed there was interest in tutorials and tips. But I'm not sure how much it's hitting the points, and before I go on making up the tips for Tuesdays posts, let me know if I'm on track.

So leave me a comment or reply and let me know - either way! I won't mind if you tell me - Take Away Tuesday Tips! Begone!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few things I learned over the weekend.

It's much, much easier to make a rivet using wire if the wire is already softened by annealing.

It's also easier to finish off the rivet if the hole for it is very snug and grips it tightly.

It's a good idea to anneal copper disks before using in the dapping block, the copper bows out much more easily.

I learned that my small microtorch that uses butane does get hot enough to anneal copper disks and copper wire.

Now I'm investigating how to take a roll of copper wire and anneal all of it in the kiln. If you know of reliable sources for that information, post a reply. It would be a lot quicker and more convenient, for sure!

More about annealing in another Tuesday Tips post later.

Red Rover, Let Joy Come Over

I remember as a child in the playground the old game of Red Rover, where you lined up in two groups and called out to each other, trying to run through the line and break through. I don't know if children still play that game or not. Maybe no one plays jacks, jump rope or marbles anymore.

Anyway, this little girl with her arms outstretched and her red maroon color brought back that memory for some reason.


She's got the word 'J-O-Y' in her skirt hem, and two holes for dangles. Maybe someone will give her some legs, or hang some fun pearls or something.

She's in the Etsy shop, just something fun and colorful. Could be a bookmark charm, or a red friend for a cellphone. A red dancing girl with eyes in her apron and joy in her hem.

The Zen of ZINE and Ink for Paper

Catherine Witherell is putting together a Jewelry ZINE for Artfest 2009. She graciously asked me if I'd contribute a couple of pages. I was thrilled!

She's in the process of assembling it. What a trooper! I thought there would be just a few contributors, but there are 44 artists in it. She's shooting for getting them in the mail really soon to the contributors first.

AND - one of her beautiful precious metal clay medallions was on the front page of Etsy in this Treasury.

Life is good!

Catherine, thanks for doing the ZINE, I know how much work it must be. I'm rooting for you! It looks like it's getting close to coming to the contributors, we get the initial set of copies first, if I sit in front of the mailbox will it come faster?

Don't beg Catherine for one yet, she's got lots of print ink ahead of her before she's ready to share them all around. She needs her strength to keep them coming!

UPDATE: The contributor copies are in the mail - and if you want information on how to get your copy go to her blog, the instructions are there!

Dreamer's World at ABS Studio Saturday

Happy V-Day!

Today it's my turn to post a Studio Saturday at the Art Bead Scene blog, where each week one of the contributors posts about what's going on in their studio. If you leave a reply to the question on the Studio Saturday post at ABS, you enter a drawing to win something. This week the giveaway is one of my heart tiles - how appropriate for Valentine's Day!

I'm making word beads. I mentioned before that I've been inspired and challenged with using words in my work. Words have power and meaning, to communicate and to create. By saying something, we issue a new thought of idea into being, both for ourselves and for those who share in the communicating.

I couldn't actually go on the ABS Bead Cruise, some of you may be lucky enough to go, but I did sign up to be a sponsor. I'm making some beads to send as prizes. This little tubular bead isn't quite finished yet, but it has words wrapped around it. Do you see the words 'harbor' - 'dream' - 'stop' and 'sails' - I wanted to have some inspiring nautical words in honor of the cruise.

Enjoy your special day, I'm off to bake some strawberry muffins and make some hot tea for sipping.

Love You, Love Day

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Some celebrate it, others don't. I've been making lots of hearts, partly because of the celebration of love and valentine cards and remembrances. And partly because I like the shape itself, and the immediate connection to images embracing affection and sentiment.
 These remind me so much of the colors and designs in batik cloth. I'm itching to get the sewing machine out and make some fun things for summer.



In 2006 I attended the Surface Design Conference in Kansas City, Missouri and created some hand dyed and painted fabrics. I've made a few things with the fabric, but I want to get them out again and make some more. I have a tendency to 'save' the fabric, but it's so much more useful if I make something than as yardage!

The designs on these beads, the color and the way it has 'crackle' areas on it reminds me so much of some of the batiked and indigo fabric I saw and admired there at SDC. If you like hand dyed fabric and get a chance to go, be sure to attend the conference, it's held every other year, so it's this year, May 2009, at the Kansas City Art Institute.
 I want to sew some small gift-type bags and wine carrier bags, maybe these heart tiles would be good on the cords as a decoration for the ends of the drawstrings.

Listen Up, Listen Across

I've been making and choosing words to add to some of the resin tiles. I must be needing reminders about slowing down, listening, all those good things.


This little seashell was made to look like burnished copper, added to a handmade cabochon and enclosed in a copper bezel I made to fit it.
 I can't decide if the word should go up-and-down in the bezel, or if it should go across the bottom.

 It's a little play on words, I'm sure you caught it. Have you ever held a seashell up to your ear? You can hear the ocean, or so the story goes.
 So what do you think about which way the tile should turn? Do you have a preference?

Teacups

This bead is as much a reminder to me as anything.
I get so busy and in the whirl of life.

Need to slow down sometimes, take a deep breath. Smell the roses. Sip hot tea, bake homemade bread. Plant spring flowers.
Take time for smiles, for laughter, for joy.
What does it remind you to 'take time' in your busy day, your busy life - to do, or possibly NOT to do?

Tuesday Tips - Nuggets of Darkness, Pearls of Wisdom

Liver of sulphur.
 As part of my series on fusing fine silver links, there's a post about patina and liver of sulphur.
 What is it?
 It's a patina chemical mixture that works on silver, bronze and copper metals. The metal needs to be very clean with any grease or finger oils removed so the patina will take uniformly.
 The best way to buy it is usually the dry nugget type, which is added to warm or hot water to dissolve it. Keep even the nugget form very dry and out of the light and air, as it will deteriorate and not have as much power when you mix it up. You can buy it already mixed as a liquid, but it will lose strength much more quickly.
 The chemical name is potassium sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs, so use a ventillation fan or take it outdoors. Don't breathe the fumes. You won't want to anyway, this mixture does not smell good at all.
 A little bit goes a long way. Sometimes I leave the mixed liver of sulpher at a cool temperature and instead warm the metal before I put it into the solution. When the liver of sulpher solution isn't heated, it doesn't seem to smell quite so much, either.
 Rinsing between dipping is important, to get good coverage. It's better to go slowly on how dark you go with the patina. Even if you remove it by tumbling, the metal seems to reclaim the same level of color when you re-apply the liver of sulphur solution.
 A weak solution, at a cooler temperature, will sometimes reveal a blue, green, maroon or yellow patina. To preserve the color coat the clean, dry patinaed metal with a clear jeweler's laquer to seal out the air. Otherwise the patina will continue to darken, or may rub off with long wearing and friction.
Don't put wire that already has turquoise stone beads into liver of sulphur, the turquoise often has a lot of copper in the matrix of the stone and liver of sulpher will dull your stone. I don't know of a fix for it, either.
I've also heard that it's not wise to put real pearls into liver of sulpher. It's best if you only put metal into the patina, just a word to the wise, so you don't learn the hard way.
I store my liver of sulphur solution after mixing in a small glass jar (like a baby food jar) with a tight lid, and with no airspace at the top. The air will react with the solution, so fill all the way to the top of the lid and tighten down. I keep it in a dark room out of the sunlight. It lasts a long time for me when stored that way.
It doesn't work well on brass or gold. Most Blick Art Stores will have liver of sulphur, or you can order online from Rio Grande or Volcano Arts suppliers. I have links to both on my sidebar if you need them.

Giving the Key to the Kingdom

I made two word key tiles, one for a special request, and one for this giveaway.


On the one for the special request, a single larger sized hole in the top center was requested. Here's how that turned out. And I said that on the giveaway, the person selected by the Random Number Generator could have the holes the way they preferred.

Here's the breakdown of how all of you suggested you might prefer to have the holes:

1. SummersStudio - 4 holes to rivet onto box or book
2. SueBeads - 2 holes at the top with the key upright for pendant
3. PeacockFairy - centered holes on each end for omni-directional hanging

4. Lisa Martin - 2 holes with key lengthwise and 1 hole at bottom for dangle

5. Carolyn at Fanciful Expressions - 2 holes with key lengthwise and 1 hole at bottom for crystal heart

6. EmandaJ - 2 holes with key lengthwise or one hole at top with key upright

7. Carlene - 2 holes with key lengthwise with 1 hole at bottom for dangles or 2 holes at top with key upright and 1 hole in bottom for dangle

8. Beth at Hint - 1 hole in top with key upright

9. Emily at Artemblogger - 2 holes with key lengthwise with 2 holes in bottom symmetrically

10. Nati at Perlerouge (en francais) - 2 holes at top with key upright

11. Stregata - 1 hole at top with key upright or 2 holes at top corners or 4 holes in each corner

12. Patricia at theColorOfDreams - 2 holes at top with key upright

Here's the breakdown - surprisingly enough there wasn't just one preference that was unanimous, but one particular orientation did get the most notice:
4 holes - preferred by 2
1 hole at top with key upright - preferred by 3
2 holes at top with key upright - preferred by 3
2 holes at top with key upright and 1 hole in bottom - preferred by 3
2 holes at top and bottom centered - preferred by 1
2 holes at top with key lengthwise with one or two holes in bottom - preferred by 4

So I guess I may have to just decide on one myself, or possibly make up the focal pendants several ways, photograph them all and let folks request how they prefer theirs created! I really appreciate all the information, and especially the stories of what the image of a key brings to mind.

Now you want to know who won the giveaway?

RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR SAYS:




#8 - Beth at Hint!
 Beth, click on the picture of the Ringleader of LLYYNN and send me your shipping address and how many holes you'd like, and I'll send the tile to you. I'm a little behind on my shipping, hope you won't mind if it's not out to you by tomorrow!
 Of course, if anyone wants a word key made for you, send me an email, and tell me how many holes and I'll post more on Etsy for you!

Blues In The Neighborhood

I've been making lots of little houses the last couple of days. And some hearts, too. I put these down together, getting ready to make the holes for the metal liners, and thought they were a pretty group of blue-green colors together.

 The two bottom hearts have the word 'L-O-V-E' on one side, in blue and green.

Paris blues hearts on the bottom, Love hearts on the top in this photo. To see them with holes and closeup there are more photos in the Etsy shop.
I can't make them exactly the same, they're each hand painted and colored. But they're pretty close, don't you think?

Tomorrow I'll announce the winner from the Key Word Tile post - so if you haven't posted yet there's still time.

Heel and Toe or If The Shoe Fits

HEEL HISTORY:
French Heels are women’s shoes with a curved, medium-high heel, also known as Pompadour Heels or Louis Heels.
They are highly-stylized high heeled shoes.
Originally, shoes designed with higher heels were introduced in order to allow ladies to walk high enough off the ground so that their skirts remained out of the mud of the streets and gardens.
Catherine de Medici, from the rich and famous Italian family, brought a fashion of high heels to France in 1533. But it was more than 100 years after Catherine de Medici first introduced high heels as a fashion statement that French heels were developed.






King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was a rather short man. In order to achieve a height he considered respectable, he wore special high heels.
His shoes were made of leather dyed red and hand painted with scenes from his triumphs on the battlefield.
The heels themselves were constructed of cork and also covered with red leather. Due to the king, sometimes French heels are also referred to as Louis heels.
It was good to be King - at least for a while there.
I had fun creating this Paris Pompadour Tile in the spirit of King Louis (see the word 'PARIS' in the middle of the instep) - if you love shoes or french history this tile will charm you!
If you all like them, too, there'll be lots of colors and patterns in this French Heel shape later.

Hearty Treasures

Tamara at BlockPartyPress featured my Heart Wing Strings focal in this fun Valentine Heart Treasury. It expires today so hop over to Etsy if you want to follow any of the links. I like some of the cards and artwork. Pulls on my heart strings!

Privileged and Proud

Yesterday the first part of a three-part interview for the Art Bead Scene began to run.

There are folks you follow, read about in publications, follow on their blog. Admire, respect. One of those people for me is Nina Bagley.

And I was privileged to interview her for the Art Bead Scene blog. To ask her questions about her work space, how she plans, what inspires her. The things I would want to ask if she was sitting down to tea, just visiting.

Please go over to the blog and check out the interview, it runs three consecutive days.

The third part is an invitation to a discussion - I hope you'll consider participating.

Gallery Of Heart

I'm really enjoying making these colorful little heart charms, and they are flying out into the world.

Creative, ingenious people are taking them to new heights, using them to do many wonderful and inspired things.

I want to show some of the finished jewelry that's coming out of my collaborations with other jewelry designers, all of them are so lovely and interesting.

Joy sent me these two photos and gave me permission to use them on the blog to show you what she's created.
The one on the right is one of the Peach FolkArt hearts. I love the way she picked up the colors in the heart with the stones, it's a lovely necklace.
 The one on the left is also a FolkArt heart, the Lavender one. Her design and color choices complement the heart just perfectly.
 Wouldn't you just love to wear either one of them? I know I would!


 Sue sent me this photo of a bracelet she made with one of the heart beads and chain.
 It's a nice mixture of textures and the colors go together very well.
 I'll bet it jangles and jingles when you wear it.
I love charm bracelets, what a neat mixture of reds and blacks. Two colors that I wear a lot!

These two designs are by Lorelei Eurto. A pair for your ears, a wrap for your wrist, hearted all around. With button dangles and her classic handmade clasp.
 Love all the ribbon trim ties on the bracelet. Isn't it pretty?
Lorelei has such a nice color sense, she combined the different heart colors into one bracelet that looks like it was meant to be together.

And the earrings work great ensemble, the designs on the hearts are different but the pair of them tell a love story - I Love Paris!
 One little rosey-toned heart has the word 'PARIS' and the other one has the love letter written on it.
 I Love Paris ... In the Springtime, of course!

Tuesday Tips in a Sticky Situation

Resin - Natural and Chemical

Historically and naturally speaking, resin goes back a long way. You might even say it's prehistoric. Amber stones and beads are the fossilized resin of an ancient pine tree, preserved over the ages and found in the Baltic and in Peruvian mountain mines.

Another form of resin is also from a tree, used as incense and known as frankincense. It's the sap, collected from the precious trees, in a few african countries. An aeromatic herbal, used historically in many cultures in religious ceremonials, the trees are rare and cherished.

Both types of resin have had healing and medicinal purposes attributed to them through the ages. Frankincense is said to have natural anti-bacterial tendencies and is used in some cultures as a curative preparation.

The type of resin I've been using, though, is a two-part man-made chemical, created for use as a finish or epoxy, that cures from a sticky liquid state to a hard yet clear or translucent solid through a chemical bonding reaction. Here are a few tips and hints on safely using two-part resins.

1. Be prepared.
Once you mix together the two parts, the resin and the hardener, they immediately begin the process of chemically bonding. Have everything you need available and ready ahead of time. Create a checklist and go over it before starting if that helps. Be sure you mix completely, stirring for several minutes to make sure the two parts are totally combined for a good chemical reaction.

2. Prepare the work surface ahead of time.
This ensures that spills don't become a messy distraction. I use an oversized but lightweight foamcore board, often used for signs and posters, for my base. I tightly cover and wrap it completely with the type of thick plastic found in the fabric store on rolls and used for picnic tablecloths, attached in the back with strong clear tape. Nothing spoils a resin pouring session more than realizing you've got an awful spill to clean up from flooring, clothing, furniture or carpet.

3. Keep alcohol, paper towels and containers of baby wipes handy.
When your inevitable dribbles, drips and spills happen, you'll be ready to clean them up quickly and safely. A word to the wise - keep pets and small children out of the area.

4. Wear double-layer gloves.
I pull on a pair of nitrile gloves that fit loosely first, then top that with a pair of tight-fitting latex gloves on top of the first pair. If you have a really messy situation, peel off the top layer and your hands and skin are still well protected. You can slip another latex glove on and keep working when the clock is ticking and set up time is tight.

5. Before starting with the resin, level your workspace.
Make sure your prepared plastic-covered foam core board is on a level surface, somewhere it can be picked up with your poured resin on it and moved out of the way if necessary. If your work surface slopes, so will your poured resin. Unless you're looking for that type of slanting finish, keep your curing work area flat and level.

6. Always practice good safety habits.
Wear gloves, keep the resin components off your skin, have good ventilation. Breathing the fumes isn't good for you, so be sure you have plenty of fresh air available. Your skin is your largest organ, protect it. Wear goggles or safety glasses, keep splashes out of your eyes.

7. After you pour, ignore!
This is hard to do sometimes. But the more you move, touch and adjust your poured resin, the higher the chance you'll spill, leave fingerprints or make a mess. Pour, then ignore. Cover the poured resin with an overturned inexpensive plastic tray or drape another length of thick plastic sheeting over a support to keep dust and debris out of the curing resin but DON'T touch it for at least 24 hours.

8. Watch the room air temperature.
Most resin cures best in low humidity and temperatures above 65 degrees F - in high humidity or lower temperatures it will cure but it will take much longer to set up. I often leave a floodlight lamp turned on just above the curing surface, to make sure the air temperature stays warm near the resin as it cures.

9. Keep it simple and read and follow the instructions.
Each brand of resin can be different, so read the insert sheet instructions for mixing your resin carefully. Adding colorants, powders and inclusions into your resin mixture can affect how the two parts interact with each other. Don't add too much to the recipe, or you might cause the resin to fail to completely cure and harden.

10. Most important - measure carefully and consistently.
Use a measuring vessel that gives you the ability to make absolutely sure that you have equal parts of the two-part resin, or the mixture may not set up and will stay sticky forever. If that happens, sometimes after 24-48 hours have passed you can use an alcohol wash on the outside of the sticky resin to try to relieve the situation. Don't use anything that's harsh or harmful to your body to try to fix it, if you end up with a batch that won't set up and stays sticky - throw it away and start over with a fresh batch.

If you are careful when you pour, and work on a surface you can scrape clean later or just discard after your session with the resin, you won't need to think about using harsh chemicals for clean ups.

And then you can enjoy the results of your care, patience and persistence when your resin hardens successfully! Do some research on the different types of resin, find the one you like the best, and do some pouring and ignoring of your own.

Resonation Results

What's that???

A big mysterious looking black box of some kind full of something odd-looking??


I can hear you thinking ... pondering.

Well, it's the plastic liner from a box of Marks and Spencer Chocolate Tea Biscuits (cookies, to us) from my trip to Ireland. The biscuits are long-gone, but I saved the liner. You just never know what might come in handy sometime. (side note - the chocolate biscuits were yummy and I wish I had some more)
 What's that stuff inside?
 It's the results of my resin mold casting experiment this weekend. They're out of the molds and hardened, but unpainted.
 Can you see little racecars, hearts, fishes?
 Anchors, bezels, seashells?
 Wings in various sizes, a scarab amulet? Keys! Stars and crosses!
 Can't wait to get my paintbrush and start dipping.
 Here's a preview of one I made earlier and painted yesterday.
 I made the bezel, painted it and mounted the resin seashell on a clear square resin cabochon I had cast earlier.
 So when you hold it up to the light, you can see through it.
 I can't wait to get ahold of some of those charms and apply some color!
Color box fun ...

Asian YoYo History

In the Shanghai Cirque, a troup of acrobats and jugglers use Chinese YoYos on strings to perform acts of wonderful tossing and catching tricks, or you may have seen them in the Cirque de Soleil programs.

You know, the little girls (usually the ones I've seen have been girls, maybe boys do it also) with the rope or twine held one end in each hand, and they spin the Chinese YoYo and then fling it up high, and catch it again on the string when it comes back down.

Their ability to do those tricks alway amaze me. Sometimes there are two of them, and they pass the Chinese Yo-Yo back and forth between each other.

These two-sided dome beads remind me of those Chinese YoYo shapes. And the design on this one especially reminds me of that circus acrobatic act I've seen.

 I made this little bead a while back, then hadn't gotten a chance to finish it. I wire wrapped it with polished steel annealed wire, and I like how it turned out.
 It has designs on both sides, with a channel down the sides. It's not as large as the Chinese YoYos the circus acrobats use, but the shape reminds me of those, and the asian style designs clinched it for me.

Some of you posted comments that you'd like to do bead weaving around these YoYo Dome beads, if you do still want that just send me a message on Etsy, because I'd love to see how they turn out when beaded like that.

I'm working on the other one I made earlier that also has an asian style design pattern, doing a more complex wirework enclosure for it. I may finish that one and make a necklace with it. I just need to find the time.