Back in the late '80s I read in a crafting magazine an article about how you could make a glass bead with a plumber's propane torch, stained glass shards, and a wire coat hanger coated with kiln wash. I tried it, and what a thrill! Having the short attention span that I have, I bounced around doing other things, pen and ink drawing (one of my favorite things to do), oil and painting, etc., but I kept on coming back to melting glass. It's still a thrill when a bead comes out of the kiln, and you think, wow, that's cool!
All of my beads are made by me in my studio in Minnesota, where I live on my little farm with various pets and animals. I work with a Bobcat torch and American, German and Italian glass. My beads go straight from the torch to a hot kiln, and are kiln annealed and cooled overnight for increased strength and durability, and then individually cleaned and inspected by me. My beads are done on 1/16 mandrels unless otherwise indicated.
I am a member of International Society of Glassbeadmakers, WetCanvas, and Lampwork Etc. Etsy Street Team, and am a Self Representing Artist (#W55).
I accept Paypal (where you can use your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card), checks (allow 10 days to clear my bank) and money orders.
