Tuesday 29 April 2014

Featured Bead Artisan Part III: Josephine Wadman Designs

A new find for me - welcome Josephine!

I discovered Josephine at The Big Bead Show at the beginning of April with her gorgeous beads although I wish I'd found her earlier in the day as I'd blown the budget by late afternoon!
The lovely Josephine!

How did you begin your craft?   


      My daughter and her friend had done some jewellery making in a club at school. I was friendly with the other girl’s mum and we decided we would have a go. We started making jewellery and selling at house parties. In time we moved in different directions. She concentrated on a range of repeat designs while I experimented with things like silver clay working on more ‘one of a kind’ designs. Then I discovered lampwork and that was that. I still make jewellery but now it almost always features my beads. I love working with glass and I find the process very relaxing, melting lovely colours of glass together, looking over my garden with Radio 4 and the hiss of the oxygen to keep me company.
Where the magic happens!

Where do you draw your inspiration?


         Anywhere and everywhere really. I love making organic style beads inspired by the natural world. On the other hand occasionally I just like to do something really pretty and girly. Ideas for colour combinations might come from nice fabric or paper.
Organic etched spacer beads by Josephine Wadman Designs
Handmade lampwork beads by Josephine Wadman

Describe one of your favourite techniques to use in your work? 


         I like making my beads look ancient and worn. When a bead is just about finished I roll it in bicarbonate of soda and then put it back in the flame. The bicarbonate reacts, by giving of some sort of gas I assume. This causes bubbling and pitting on the surface of the glass. When I’m happy with the effect then the bead goes into the kiln for annealing. To complete the look I will acid etch the bead to make sure it all looks matte. Etching beads is a bit of an obsession.  Some days they all end up in the acid. I just love the look and feel of the glass and I think it often enhances the design.
Jurassic Coast Etched Seaside Beads

Is there anything new you are itching to try and incorporate?


         I can’t think of anything in particular at the moment. I’d like to get better at making hollow beads and maybe experiment a bit more with some of the newer reactive glasses that I haven’t invested in yet. And maybe experimenting a bit with enamels. I did start using them quite a bit a few years ago but I haven’t done much with them recently.
Glass Shell Focal Bead

What would you describe as your biggest professional achievement?



        Well I’m hoping that is to come. I hope that I will be able to support myself through my bead making.  I got divorced a few years ago and have another 18 months or so until my youngest goes to university and I no longer get any maintenance. I am very aware of how quickly that time will go but I’m hopeful that things are moving in the right direction.

You can find out more about Josephine and view her work here:
http://www.josephinewadmandesigns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JosephineWadmanDesigns
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/josephinewadman

Josephine also sells her beads through a Facebook auction page and I've been lucky enough to win one recently so stay tuned to see what I create :)

Thursday 24 April 2014

Featured Bead Artisan Part II: Pixel Pyro Lampwork

Say hello to Su Bagley

Welcome to the second part of my featured artisan insight which this week introduces lampworker Su!
Su Bagley - Lampwork Artist

How did you begin your craft?   

I have always enjoyed making things..... from a very young age nothing delighted me more than rummaging through my Nan's old button tin which contained hundreds of brightly coloured buttons, I would sit for hours stringing them onto cotton or thin ribbon to make bracelets and necklaces.
Years on when I was pregnant with my second daughter, I re-discovered my passion for stringing, but not buttons this time, beads. Soon I was making jewellery as birthday gifts for friends and family. I soon discovered handmade lampwork beads and loved to use them in my pieces as they are so unique.
In 2007 I read an article in a bead magazine about these lampwork beads and I was intrigued....I never truly thought that this would be something I would be able to do, but on a visit to Chester bead fair a Lampwork glass supplier happened to be demonstrating making glass beads, that was it I was hooked and took home a beginners kit that contained all I needed to make my own beads and since then all of my spare time has been taken up learning the age old craft of making glass beads. 

Where do you draw your inspiration?

I'm based on the Wirral Peninsula on the North West coast of England, so my work is usually inspired by my semi-rural, seaside surroundings and the beautiful sunsets that come with living on the coast.
Pixel Pyro Lampwork Beach Focal
Pixel Pyro Lampwork Beach Focal

 Describe one of your favourite techniques to use in your work? 

I love to make organic styled beach inspired beads, these beads are made using one of my favourite techniques that includes fine silver leaf melted into ivory coloured glass which produces an organic pebble effect when the glass reacts with the metal at high temperatures.
Forming a glass bead in the open flame!

Su Bagley Lampwork Pebble Beads

 Is there anything new you are itching to try and incorporate?

Although I initially started my craft as a jewellery maker, that soon took a back seat as I spent all of my spare time learning how to create glass beads, I really would like to progress my silversmithing skills and incorporate more precious metals within my designs.
Big Holed Bead with Rose Detail

What would you describe as your biggest professional achievement?

My biggest professional achievement is being completely self taught and becoming proficient in a craft that I love. Seeing my work used in other peoples designs really makes me happy :)
Busy at work in the studio!

You can find out more about Su and view her work here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pixel-Pyro-Lampwork/154047531283558
https://beta.folksy.com/shops/Sooble
https://www.flickr.com/photos/su_bagley/

Thank you to Su for agreeing to be featured here on my blog and there are still plenty more to come!

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Featured Bead Artisan: Turner Rowe Glass Art

Say hello to Jo Turner

This is the first of a mini series giving my customers, fans and followers and insight into some of the many talented artisans who make the lovely beads and components I am starting to incorporate in my designs.

So without further ado, please let me introduce Jo!
Jo Turner - lampwork glass bead artist


How did you begin your craft?   

I have tried just about every craft there is at one time or another! I needed balance as my chosen carer was in biological science. I finally settled on making jewellery a number of years ago, mostly from silver. My focus began with silver but moved to beads. I became obsessed with making my own glass beads and have been hooked ever since!

Where do you draw your inspiration?

I don’t need to look far for inspiration – a cloud, a colour, a texture, nature, the sea…anything and everything can be inspiring - imagine a butterfly flitting about…that’s my way of thinking!
Handmade glass flowers and leaves

Describe one of your favourite techniques to use in your work? 

The whole idea of melting glass to a fluid form fascinates me, so it’s difficult for me to describe one favourite. I love sculptural work, which entails pulling the glass around when it’s in just the right fluid state to produce movement – hence my signature Goddess beads but I also love implosion work, so a little scene emerges inside the glass, making people wonder how you got it inside the bead!
Lampwork glass flower focal bead by Turner Rowe Glass Art

 Is there anything new you are itching to try and incorporate?

I am always incorporating new ideas – I love making mixed media items and incorporate anything I think won’t spectacularly combust!  My favourites though, are the Goddesses where I use fine silver, copper electroplating (made in a little laboratory within my studio) and gold.
Signature handmade glass goddess sculptural bead
Lampwork Goddess Pendant by Jo Turner

What would you describe as your biggest professional achievement?

As a lampworker and jewellery maker, I feel that my biggest professional achievement is to grow my business to a point where I have a lovely teaching studio and am headhunted for projects from time to time – I’ve just been asked to contribute to a well-known jewellery magazine, so watch this space!
Small scale glass blown shells
You can find out more about Jo and see her glorious work here:
https://www.facebook.com/turnerroweglassart
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TurnerRoweGlassArt?ref=si_shop
http://www.turnerroweglassart.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading a little about Jo and stay tuned for more features coming soon!


Monday 7 April 2014

The Big Bead Show Spring 2014

I've discovered more lovely bead artists!

I must start this post with a big, big thank you to Sarah who kindly posted me a free ticket to The Big Bead show down at Sandown Park, Surrey. I had a wonderful day out (as I always do when surrounded by beads!) and met some wonderful new lampworkers.

The first I came across was Michaela Carrington who had a gorgeous stall displaying vibrant fused glass artwork as well as some pretty beads. An accountant by day, she finds working with glass a relaxing evening outlet and I couldn't resist some of her dotty beads!
Of course, I couldn't miss Sarah Downton especially as she had got me in for free! Last time I visited her at The Big Bead Show I bought all blue so this time I bagged some lush pinks and rescued a few orphans too (it has to be done!)
Then I discovered the lovely Barbara Mason - a fellow Swindonite! Her beads were just so unusual I really had to restrict myself to selecting only my true favourites (damn budget!). Barbara likens her beads to sweeties especially the little cubes but I am just in love with the mint green ones that give the impression of having mini craters in them. They don't though, they are completely smooth - what a great effect!
Right towards the end (and with the budget blown!) I found Josephine Wadman who had beads right up my street. Lots of beachy themed goodies and I just loved the etched effect which gives the beads a more weathered, natural look.
I can't wait to get started with my new haul and hopefully some finished pieces will be ready to take with me to my first event at The Kennet Centre, Newbury on the 26th April.

Ellen