I've always been a creative person: drawing as a child, creating jewelry out of copper wire that my dad brought home from work as a young adolescent, designing my living spaces over the years, cooking and knittng. A couple of years ago, I purchased a Groupon for a jewelry making class at a local bead shop. I was hooked! I was amazed at what could be created out of somewhat simple techniques! I found the shop to be amazing as well-all of the beautiful, shiny objects competing for attention! That evening I signed up for 4 more classes.
Like many women, I've always loved adorning myself with jewelry. I believe that it is an innate human trait to want to adorn oneself in some manner. I've over the years worn gold and silver jewelry, thinking in my own mind that precious metal was the "best" way to adorn myself. Over the past few years as precious metal prices climbed to staggering heights, my view of jewelry has changed. Now I'm much more interested in beaded jewelry. Somehow the metal (if there is any metal) has taken a supporting role to the beads themselves. I'm especially drawn to artisan glass beads. Each lampwork bead is a small piece of art, never to be duplicated exactly again. Some look as though they are telling a story; some have so many colors, ripples and swirls that they astound the viewer into wondering how glass could ever be made to do such things.
