When I began creating jewelry, the elements combined came from something with a previous life - a tarnished choker, a single lost earring, notions from an antique estate. I would disassemble them with utmost care and salvage bits of chain, beads and charms, so when resurrected, the next incarnation could be original with my special touch. I developed Deux-coupage ® so that my craft would be unique, pairing pretty images with intricate reworked chain-links and beads. Like any artist, I always want to make more. So, I enrolled in class and began to learn lampworking. Now I have the ability to create one-of-a-kind glass beads replacing ones I used to buy. Colors are chosen to coordinate with the images and elements, and somehow I work magic one piece at a time.

Lampworking is melting glass in an open flame, thus the name flameworked glass. This method has been practiced in Murano, Italy since the 14th century. Beads are created on steel rods, or mandrels, that are coated in a special resist so the molten glass sticks to form a bead, but also once cooled can be removed. There are numerous sizes and shapes of mandrels. Wider diameter mandrels are used for donut-shaped beads, rings, and free-form pendants. 

Inspiration comes from different sources. When creating trend boards for Trend Spotlight, I collect current concepts from the runway for color and pattern. Many times, sketching ideas for necklaces in various assemblage are part of the initial process. Influences are also found in magazines and Pinterest. 

Mood boards serve as direction for selecting rods of soft glass for my bead work providing a general idea of what I will create. Sometimes, even though planning the finished look, the bead results are often a surprise, for the hot glass looks different in cooled completion. Many of the creations wind up being used for a style completely different than my original intention.

1000 Glass Beads, a bible of inspiration and technique, is a great resource with eye candy galore! When I want to try something new, browsing over several of the four hundred plus pages usually creates a spark. Some added details to the handiwork can be silver foil, enamel powder, tiny shards of broken glass, frit, and etching solution, done afterward for creating a matte surface on finished beads.