August 1st, 2008
Times are changing fast and so am I…
For the past ten years or more, I have taught lamp work bead making and bead jewelry making in England and Europe only. Now I am ready to teach at my studio in Bisbee Arizona.
Let me explain.
I felt that there were plenty of classes available in the USA , and just keeping my gallery in Bisbee Arizona filled, along with writing was enough for me.
But I was homesick, so every summer from 1997 on, I would leave the Arizona heat and fly to England to teach lamp work and bead jewelry making at Plowden and Thompson, in a glass factory built in 1778.
Here’s a shot taken last year of Neon tubing flowing… P+T are one of the only genuine neon tubing manufacturers in the world.
I stayed every year with the owners, Barbara and Richard Beadman at their home… a special treat.
That first year, before I taught my first class we had to buy import 5 Minor Bench Burners and set up the work room. There was no kiln and so Richard took specifics from me, a totally unscientific me, and in a few days there it was…handmade, lined with fire bricks, but functioning, even though at the time it had the simplest heat timer.
In 1997, there were only four bead makers I knew of, and two of them had been taught by me at home in Arizona.. that year I taught 25 more, in groups of 5. The following year we had a week intensive at Plowden and Thompson for 40 people with other teachers participating, including Diana East, who had studied with me in Arizona and was now a teacher too. Actually, several of my first pupils are now teachers in the UK, and glass bead making has taken off. Now there are at least 200, I’m told and more each year.
Four years ago I was invited to teach at The Old Kennels, in Devonshire, ( www.theoldkennels.co.uk/) by Tracy Bell. Wonderful art center, check it out… they teach all kinds of rare and wonderful traditional English arts… and Tracy breeds Alpacca so I thought you would enjoy a picture of them rather than looking at one of my classes!
Staying there for a few days, teaching both glass bead making, and wire work, was so special because I went to boarding school nearby when I was ten years old and everything brings back memories.
I teach the making of beads with stained glass remnants at the Old Kennels and I know this is the first time these methods have been taught in the United Kingdom.
Well, I must move on.
Well, as you can see from the link on my web site, I now have a store in Etsy. It took me a while to decide join this lovely Internet showcase, and now I will do my best to keep a constant flow of fresh work accumulating in it. This means inventing a 48 hr day instead of 24!
CLASSES IN WIRE WORK AND BEAD JEWELRY DESIGN AT MY BARN/STUDIO IN BISBEE ARIZONA.
The other news is that I have had lots of work done on my lovely large barn/studio and am ready to give classes there.
Various reasons. I want to pass on my knowledge. Time marches on and I have so much to teach.
I am interested mainly in helping those of you who are already in the bead jewelry and/or lamp work bead business and are perhaps in need of some guidance. I want those of you who are working hard and wonder why things are not going quite the way you planned. There is so much to know. We are going into a pretty worrying time now and are having to adapt in many ways.
People are going to do their shopping on the Internet more frequently now as travel becomes more expensive. I think it is wise to sell there, but I want you to know that my gallery is still going strong and that is because many people still love to be able to touch and choose their treasures from boutiques and galleries.
Silver has rocketed in price, so we need to adapt there too. No worries, there are ways of designing bead jewelry that work with copper and silver mixes for instance. I see that PMC is bringing out a new copper product. I love it, though I don’t teach it. Jewelry has always been fascinating to us and we will prosper if we bend with the changes.
Here’s the Egyptian Clasp.. you can learn to do this too, if you like!
In my jewelry making class we will see how to design elegant pieces giving respect to how the new, the old and even ancient glass beads were made and how to bring them into contemporary, wearable pieces.
CLASSES IN LAMP WORK GLASS BEAD MAKING, INTERMEDIATE .
My lamp work classes will be limited to four pupils at a time. I do not believe in teaching larger classes because obviously I can give each pupil really special attention if the class is really small.
I will be offering classes in making beads with stained glass remnants. I have been promoting this work for nearly fifteen years and I think you will be fascinated with the mixing of colors I have developed. Working with this glass will lead you to new ideas when you return to the rods. I can teach both, but prefer to give classes in one or other glass at a time.
In my studio also have lots of Plowden and Thompson and Lausha glass in case you want to give them a try.
If you are interested in this class, I would like you to send me pictures of your beads so that I can see if you would benefit from it…I don’t teach beginners any more, but you don’t have to be very advanced to qualify, so don’t be afraid!
Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have about the classes. I will have a list of open dates available within the next few days.
