How I make the beads

They are handmade from rods of glass in the same way that they have been made for centries.

The end of the glass rod is melted in a torch flame – a mixture of propane and oxygen gas.

The melted blob of glass is wound around a steel rod coated in clay to ensure their eventual release. This is continually rotated to stop it from falling off and other colours are added, the molten glass is manipulated to achieve an endless number of effects.

The process of making a bead can take a few minutes or for a very complex bead as much as an hour.

When it is finished it is placed in a kiln to hold it at a high temperature and then allowed to cool very slowly. This ‘annealing’ process ensures the bead is very hard and won’t crack. I often drop them with no ill effects!

Inspiration

My Jewellery is inspired by a variety of sources. Sometimes it can be by what I am wearing that day, or my children’s homework (the planets!) A walk on the beach or a trip to the zoo, hence the ‘safari’ beads. I also got quite excited by the aquarium recently!

Most of my jewellery has a novelty signature bead such as a bug, snake, fish or in the case of ‘cappuccino’- a mug and a bun with a cherry on top! (I like to think that in years to come when my jewellery has become a collector’s item and worth a lot of money the bug trademark will be your provenance!)

I’ve taken to naming them too, as a reference for me, but also as I think it is an indication of their individuality. (I don’t guarantee the name will make much sense though!) I do not repeat things, however I am happy to make something similar.

The finished pieces of jewellery are as easy to wear with a pair of jeans or a posh frock!

Most of the silver I use is from Bali, it is beautifully hand crafted and I think compliments the beads perfectly. I also use fresh water pearls, semiprecious stones, soapstone, shells and coral.

Sometimes I just string them on leather and use a bead as the fastener (handy if you are allergic to metal.)