Gypsy beads are hand painted beads on a coloured glass base. The colours are always vibrant with a metallic touch. No wonder many beaders home in on these beads when they see them at our workshops and parties.

Alice liked them too. She added blue crystals at the top and bottom with gold toned spacer beads to match the gold coloured outlining on the beads. The dangles were then hung on gold-filled ear wires.

Inspirational Artisan Hand Painted Beads
Jessica Doyle's Art Beads (wooden) which she created using India ink and acrylic paints with plenty of varnishing.

Hand Painted Bead Tutorials
Lori Borys' How to Hand Paint Wooden Beads
Deborah Read's Painted Beads 101 is for experienced lampwork artisans but it is worth a look to see how she creates unique hand painted beads by transfer rolling her painted picture on glass to base glass beads she made herself.

Rather buy them instead?
Russian painted beads from Mermaid's Cove
Hand painted Peruvian Ceramic Beads from Primitive Earth Beads
Artist Caroline Trask's gorgeous wooden beads have been hand painted with gouache and lacquered many times.

Beader Design #: 328
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The Beading Gem's Journal