Hi and thanks for stopping by! I hope you had fun poking around my site and have fallen in love with the art of glass bead making, formally known as lampworking.
My name is Shannon Westmeyer and I am the creator of everything you see contained on these pages! I have always pursued art in one fashion or another but never found a medium that suited me until I stumbled upon this ancient art. Since my discovery over three years ago I have been fortunate to have studied under some pretty amazing artists. I have made many friends along the way that share my passion and I feel blessed to be able to share it with you. I currently reside in Central Ohio and have been married to the man of my dreams for 9 years. We have two amazing children, Jesse our son, who recently turned 7, and Hallie our daugther who is 4 1/2 going on 12! We truly have an amazing life.....I count my blessings every night ; )
How do you make a lampwork bead?
The process is called “lampworking”. A torch is used to heat a long thin rod of glass in the flame. I use various glasses from France, Germany and the US, but my favorite glass to work with is the Effetre glass from Italy. Once the glass becomes molten in the flame of the torch, I wrap it around a mandrel that’s been coated in clay to allow the bead to be easily removed. When the mandrel is removed it creates a hole for stringing the bead. I use an array of tools to create each bead, but my favorites are the graphite paddle and brass presses to shape the beads into squares, lentils, tabs and pillows. The pillow press (square) is my favorite press and makes beautiful beads that have a larger “canvas” to design on.
What goes into designing a bead?
Most of my inspiration for the design of a bead comes from fashion magazines! I thumb through the pages of VOUGE and IN STYLE for the latest color and design trends. If I see an outfit or color combination I like…..I’m of to the torch to make a set of beads that resembles it! The organic beads I make are inspired by Mother Nature and life experiences and often have a picture of story to go with them. A lot of experimentation goes into my designs. Not all glasses work well with each other and what looks good in theory, doesn’t always look good the next morning when it comes out of the kiln! I use murrini canes that are made by taking two or more different colors of glass and twisting it while it’s molten hot to create a beautiful design that’s applied to the surface of the bead. I often apply surface dots and stringer that’s made by pulling long thin strands of glass from a larger rod that I've encased with transparents glass. Most of the organic beads I make have a layer of fine silver and/or frit on them. This is a dangerous process that requires adequate ventilation and a breathing mask to keep from inhaling the fumes. Occasionally, I will use enamels or fume my beads in 24kt gold or pure silver for an entirely different effect. The possibilities are endless!
Annealing and Cleaning
This is the most important step in creating a bead. Once I’ve completed a bead, it goes directly into a glass kiln to be annealed. Annealing takes 8 to 10 hours to cool a bead down to a handling temperature in a digitally controlled kiln. This removes the internal stresses from the glass bead which causes it to crack; thus, ensuring strength and durability to last a lifetime. Once the bead is cooled down it is placed in a tub of water and then removed from its mandrel. The bead hole is then cleaned out with a drill bit to remove the clay and given a final bath before they make it to the store or the website! Lots of work goes into these little babies which takes us to the next question…..
Why do U.S. lampworked beads cost so much?
QUALITY! Many stores carry the cheap Chinese version of lampwork beads that are of poor quality and mass produced by factory workers in mere seconds. I consider each bead I make to be a piece of art, made one-at-a-time with great care and patience! The larger focal beads I make can take up to 40 minutes to design! Bead making is an art........it takes many hours of practice, patience and study, I’ve been blessed to have studied under some very talented artists.
Do you give lessons?
I love sharing this art with people wishing to learn it! I currently offer private lessons for beginning lampwork in my home studio. Please contact me with any questions you may have in regards to price and class agenda.
Warmest Regards,
Shannon
Please use the CONTACT ME button if you have any questions!!
