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A rather circuitous route led me to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils. First I made beads, and that lead to designing tiny bottles and vials. People would look at the tiny vials with interest, pick them up and ask, "But what do you put into them?" Good question! Perfume was definitely out, as Butchie is violently allergic to most commercial perfumes. It became clear very early in our relationship, when application of even a touch of the most expensive perfume, produced a continuously sneezing companion. Not too romantic...
Researching essential oils at the library, bookstores, and on the net; and sniffing them at stores, came next. Surreptitiously they were then smuggled into the house to see which ones made Butchie sneeze. (OK, so he was an unsuspecting guinea pig in the research, and Patchouli makes him sneeze every time!) Dreaming Earth Botanicals, in North Carolina, and on the net at www.dreamingearth.com and Off the Beaten Path Marketing in Canada, produce Essential Oils that are: the highest quality aromatherapy grade, 100% pure, natural, and organic, if possible. And don't make Butchie sneeze.
Included with each vials is:
- A tiny plastic dropper so you can easily fill the vial
- Both a Sterling Silver and a Gold-filled split ring (sort of like a keyring shape, only tiny) so you can connect the vial to a chain you already own, and you can chose either gold or silver, your preference.
- A chain is NOT INCLUDED with this vessel.
- A sweet little gift box
- Instructions on filling the vial
As I was finishing up writing this page, it has occured to me, in order to make it easier for you to see the wonderful colors and designs of these vials, I have made them larger than life sized. Depending upon the size of monitor you have, these images may be much larger than my delicate, wearable, designs. So please do pay close attention to the dimentions given. I have measured in millimeters, and have included the top round formed Sterling Silver wire, but not the jumpring that connects the vial to your own chain, cable or cord.
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This is one of my very newest borosilicate Shell Aromatherapy Vials. I must tell you, this image doesn't come close to illustrating the beauty of this glass vial. Once the vial is filled with your choice of essential oil, the individually fitted cork swells up, and the vial stays securely in place. The essential oil "wicks" up the cork, so you can smell the essential oil as it is being worn, without opening the lid. The back side is smooth, and the vial will lie gently on your skin. Great fun!! | #2001 40x22mm |
$58
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Can you see I'm really loving this new shape? :-) With the black showing through the vial, it's a very striking piece. I also like the way the clear "dots" of glass act as though they are lenses, magnifying the color directly underneath. Also, you can't tell too well in this image, but the very bottom has whisps of purple amethyst colored glass, another design opportunity. | #2002 43x22mm |
$58
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This is another gorgeous borosilicate Shell Vial. It takes be 5 different layers of gray and blue glass to get the luminous look of the semi-precious stone, Labradorite. If you are a bead stringer, your design is half completed! Just get some Labradorite to string together with this vessel. The vessel is topped with a natural Labradorite stone. Again, the back side is smooth, so the vial will lie gently on the skin of your neck. And through the day, the wearer is treated to hundreds of little moments of recognition, little minute, zero-calorie, olfactory experiences, on both conscious and unconscious level. Aroma therapy. | #2003 42x24mm |
$60
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I was honored by the lovely Kiyomi, and asked to make vessels for a show in Yokohoma, Japan. The theme of the show was "Yellow to Gold." This soft, feminine design is one of the results of that effort. Again, it is smooth on the back, comfortable to wear. This month I plan to be putting this vessel into a kit, conceived by the very creative designer, Denise Bennett. At bead and Button last year, she did an outstanding job of putting this together with wire ribbon. The kit will debut in Tucson. Look for it there! | #2004 39x24mm |
$56
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This Floating Flowers shape is very closely related to the one above. I liked the shape and swirl and with a bit of greenery, it looks a bit like magnified flowers. These may have a a bit of variety as I am using different flower petal cane, as the spirit moves me! :-) | #2005 36x22mm |
$56
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Cindy and Fred at CattWalk Tools have designed a special half (or "hemi") lentil shaped tool to form these aromatherapy vials. This one using Phythalo Green borosilicate glass works very well when strung together with chrome green tourmalines. These are very intensive to make. I actually make a design similar to the shell ones at the top, but with 5 motifs, instead of just 3, then I superheat it, melting it all to a round ball shape and then quickly squash the superheated glass into the mold! Lots of opportunities to mess them up! | #2006 42x33mm |
$72
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Another hemilentil vessel, this with a swirl of green at the bottom. | #2007 44x33mm |
$72
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This sweet little vial is one that I have been making for several years, mainly because it matches so well with the natural precious stone, Watermelon Tourmaline. At shows I have one of these vessels strung into a necklace with some very, very nice facetted Watermelon Tourmalines, in a gradated pattern. Anyone who loves those stones, will stop in their tracks to see them, and touch them. I individually mix the intensity of color to get the smoothly gradated effect on the glass. | #2008 43x20mm |
$58
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This is Butchie's favorite, very subtle color, swirled and subdued. Although it seems as though there is a bit of brown on this design, I did not add brown glass. The white frit (tiny pieces of glass) mixes with the ivory colored glass and a chemical reaction results, causing sulphur molecules to condense out onto the surface of the vessel. Occasionally it even can turn a bit of blue! Great fun! This Bullseye glass is then etched to give it a soft, matt surface. It reminds me a bit of the nautilus shell. | #2009 43x20mm |
$58
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This one is very similar to the Nautilus Shell just above, but the addition of the clear pale blue transparent glass make it seem like an ocean swell. When the Bullseye glass in dipped into the etching solution, the transparent glass is less pervious to the acid, than is the white foamy frit; consequently, the blue transparent glass remains slick and shiny, while the undulating ocean is satiny smooth. A textural treat! | #2010 50x18mm |
$58
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Monet's Garden Aromatherapy Vial was inspired by the wonderful selection of Monet paintings at the Philadelphia Art Museum. And the glass just seemed to cooperate. No two of these are alike and each side is different, too. The tiny little ladybug on the bottom right side of the vessel, is (in addition to being a ladybug), a red and black murrini of the capital letter "B." My name is "Karen Bye" and so this is a "signed" piece. The design is more important, to me, than the signing, and it is appropriate to this design. | #2011 41x22mm |
$56
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I wish you could see this Borosilicate Rose Vial in person! As you twist this in your fingers, under the light, the petals actually change color from pale magenta, to iridescent purple, to pale yellow. Then, holding it up, with the light behind it, the whole bead is a beautiful amber! Borosilicate glass is amazing stuff. The back of this vial is smooth, so it lays nicely upon your skin as it is worn. | #2013 30x22mm |
$56
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The weak aspect of these aromatherapy designs is in the organic material of each individually fitted cork stopper, as some essential oils are corrosive. If you have any problem with the cork, or would like to change the essential oil you have in the vial, and discover the cork has absorbed too much of the original essential oil, please send the entire vial back to me. I will replace the cork and mail the vial back to you. Enjoy!
Bye Bead Company
P. O. Box 3926
Omak WA, 98841 USA
509 322-4243
karen@byebead.com
