 |
|
|
The Little Bead Shop is home to a purpose built Lampwork Studio. Our In House Artist Emma Baird can often be found at her torch creating little glassy works of art. Emma has been making these beautiful beads for years now and has trained with Sarah Hornick, Sally Carver and Mindy Macgregor. She is a member of the prestigious British Lampwork, GBUK & is also a Self Representing Artist. Her style has evolved from mainly "organic" beads to intricate patterns made up of layers and layers of minute dots. She regularly sets an afternoon aside during which you are welcome to come into her studio to watch as she works. Open Studio times and dates are always announced in our scrolling news which you can see on the right. |
Emma's beads came runner up in the National Lampwork Competition run by the magazine Beads & Beyond. She was also a finalist for her entry in the 2009 "British Bead Awards" with her stunning set of Liberty Beads.
|
|
|
|
The process by which these beads are made is called Lampwork, or Flamework in the States. It is a type of glasswork that uses the process of melting glass rods over an open flame. The glass rods come in a huge variety of beautiful colours and the open flame comes from a special beadmaking torch (currently a minor burner in Emma's case). Once the artist is ready to to begin working the glass rod is slowly introduced into the flame. Working slowly in this way helps ensure the glass does not suffer from thermal shock and crack. The glass is heated until molten and is then would around a steel rod called a mandrel, which has been dipped in bead release to prevent the glass from sticking. The glass is heated and the mandrel rotated until gravity helps form a prefect base bead. From here various tools and techniques can be used to further shape and decorate the glass. Once completed the bead is placed directly into a hot kiln for annealing, ensuring it cools slowly and thus avoids thermal shock. This means the beads are strong and durable and with care can last a lifetime.
|
|
Once the beads have been cooled to room temperature they are removed from their mandrels, lovingly and carefully cleaned of their bead release and put on display on the Little Bead Shop Floor. We are proud to be one of a very few bead shops in the United Kingdom where you can buy beads that were made on the premises. Buying Emma's Lampwork beads not only supports a local artist but also ensures that your beads are unique. You can make them into a very special piece of totally unique jewellery, give them as a special gift or simply keep them as they are.
Freshly baked beads are now available online here- but be quick - they don't hang around for long! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Untitled Document
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
Welcome to our news!
Here you will find up to date news of whats going on at here The Little Bead Shop & Art Clay Scotland. Courses, Guest Artists, Events, Publications, Open Studios, even parties - its all here! Simply hold your cursor over the scrolling text to slow it down.
New Silver Metal Clay Courses
***NEW COURSE DATES ADDED TO THE SILVER METAL CLAY COURSE PAGE - Including our popular Silver Fingerprint Jewellery course teaching you how to make your very own precious charms ****** Find out more here.
Farewell to Helen!!!
Our wonderful star Helen Chalmers has left the Little Bead Shop to immerse herself in her final year studying Jewellery Design at Art College. Helen was a huge part of our team and we are sad to see her go....Thanks for all your hard work over the years Helen!! Thankfully Helen will still come back occasionally to teach for us. Watch this space for details of Helen's classes..
New Level 1 Certification Course
This October we are, once again, running the highly regarded Art Clay Silver Level 1 Certification Course. If you are interested in teaching Art Clay Silver, or are simply looking for a thorough training in the essential techniques in this fantastic material, then this course is for you. Upon successful completion you'll receive a Certificate as well as a 20% discount on your Art Clay from us. Find out more on our Art Clay Course pagehere.
Silver Fingerprint Jewellery - Express Drop in Day
Our Express Saturday Drop in Day for Silver Fingerprint Charms is proving to be really popular!. Between the hours of 2:00 - 5:00 on Saturdays you can simply "drop in" to have your own, a child's or loved ones fingerprint immortalised in pure Silver. Come along early and we'll even have your jewellery ready for you by tea time!!!! Pure Silver Fingerprint Jewellery makes an ideal gift for anyone. Find out more here
|
|
