Artisan glass charm beads

I love Trollbeads, but the glass beads are expensive at £26 each for the standard beads (they were £23 each when I first bought them last summer). I started looking at artisan beads, which are less expensive and lovely. I also like buying from an individual who makes the beads themselves.

Tips for buying artisan:

• Check that the beads are kiln annealed - this means that the glass has been cooled in a temperature controlled kiln after the bead is made, which strengthens the glass.
• I prefer silver tube cores - some bead makers use rivets instead, which leave a ridge in the middle of the bead. It's probably irrational, but I worry that these might damage a bracelet over time by rubbing against it.
• There are some mass produced beads sold extremely cheaply (less than £5 each) on sites like Etsy, which generally tend to come from China. I personally prefer to avoid these, and buy from an individual who makes each bead themselves.  

These beads are from Meesmerel on Etsy. They cost about £12 each, and she makes lovely versions of some discontinued Troll styles. Do check the cores if this is also an issue for you; some of her beads are silver tube lined but some are riveted. The shop is at http://www.etsy.com/shop/meesmerel?ref=pr_shop

These are from Summersday on Dawanda (Dawanda is a european version of Etsy). Her beads are generally about €12 each, and sell out extremely quickly, so I'd recommend checking it daily if you're looking for a particular type of bead. The shop is at http://en.dawanda.com/shop/summersday