April 2023 Bead of the Month - The Rainbow Shooting Star bead reminds you to look for the joy that's all around you!
About the bead: "What is more joyful than looking up into the night sky to see a shooting star, or finding a rainbow after a spring storm? Both in one bead -- that's a feel-good, joyful bead!" - Diana Spiller, bead artist
More about the bead: "I have been making simpler shooting star beads for BOC for a while now, and I wanted to elaborate on that theme with something a little more spectacular for a Bead of the Month. I love dichroic glass, which is a brilliant metallic, and layering it over a dark transparent blue really brings out its beauty. Then I encase it with a thick layer of clear, which magnifies what is underneath and shapes the bead. Next, I add fine white stringer around the bead. The last step is to apply the tiny star murrini on the bead and melt them in. That's the fun part, but it's easy to distort the star, so care must be taken or the shooting stars become shooting smudges!"
About the artist: Diana has been making beads for about 10 years, primarily for BOC since 2016. She loves having a home for her beads where she knows every one will be loved! Diana is a member of the Beads of Courage Bead Artist Hall of Fame.