I've been making glass beads since March, 2005. I've always loved glass and love to play with color so lampwork seems to be the perfect medium for me. I've always been creative and had a strong need to express myself creatively. I began quite young in life with drawing, then painting, creative writing, knitting, spinning wool, wood carving and sculpting. I began making beads when I began working with clay, first with real clay and then with polymer clay. I discovered lampwork beads while surfing the Internet for more information on clay beads. When I saw that first set of lampwork beads I was captivated! I had no idea something like this could be done with glass. There was all the sparkle and mysterious beauty that I associated with glass art, all packed into an object so small. Well..shortly after, I began collecting all the tools and supplies that I would need to make glass beads myself. I'm still amazed that this is something I can do in my own home and now I can't imagine a life where I couldn't play with glass and fire every day of the week...heck I don't even need to get out of my pj's if I don't want too!

I wasn't able to take a class in the beginning, there simply wasn't anything available in my area. I can tell you first hand that learning on ones own is certainly possible, so don't lose hope if classes aren't a possibility for you either. It just means that you will have to work a bit harder, and probably make many more mistakes than someone who has the advantage of an experienced teacher to guide them. Remember that you will learn just as much from your mistakes as you do through your successes. So where to begin? Well, quite honestly, I learned the majority of what I know through the wonderful lampwork forums here on the internet. Lampworkers tend to be a generous and giving group of people and there is a wealth of their knowledge collected on these forums. Check my links section if you are unfamiliar with these forums. I also learned a lot from books, and of course, through my own trial and error....LOTS of trial and error ;)

If you'd like to see pictures of my studio click here.

If you have questions about making glass beads, just send me an Email, I don't mind...it's my favorite topic!

Beyond the glass...

When I am not melting glass I love to work with fiber, mainly knitting and spinning wool, I'd really love to learn to weave someday. I learned in college how to make clothing patterns and how to sew, I haven't done any of that for many years but I've started to get back into designing and making my own clothing again.  I am also learning to work with metal clay and play the guitar. I spend alot of time in the kitchen since I bake all of our bread and cook nearly everything from scratch. I also love to read, listen to music, garden and walk in the forest and hills surrounding our home.

Teresa Laliberte' - 11/4/09