With a nod towards modern whimsy and a wink at imaginative flair, Stella Bellesa outfits today’s fashion-forward female in smart Lampwork Jewelry designed by Sandra Barrow in her Charlotte studio. Visit the artist at local art shows or find her one-of-a-kind pieces online at www.stellabellesa.com. Adding items slowly to my online shop at www.stellabellesa.etsy.com or check out my blog- starting it
up again! I use a mixed gas/oxygen torch to heat a rod of glass then i spin this molten glass onto a metal rod called a mandrel which has been dipped in bead release. I use thinner strings of glass to decorate the bead. When I am happy with my creation I place it in my kiln which has been programmed to anneal the bead-
What is annealing? its the process of holding the beads at a certain temperature then slowly cooling them till room temperature. Mass produced beads are not annealed properly and have a much greater risk of cracking due to stress caused by rapid temperature changes. Can you use any kind of glass? I buy my glass from several different manufactures that test the glassfor compatibility. I use Effetre, Vetrofond, CIM, Double Helix, Lauscha and a few others. The glass I use has been tested at COE (Coefficient of Expansion) 104. The lower the number the harder the glass. I use a soft glass for my work. How long does it take to make a bead? Anywhere from a few minutes to 30+ minutes. It depends on how many layers, colors and details are on the bead. Also once I have 'mastered a style, I can go a little faster. In the 19th century women in there homes used oil lamps to decorate glass beads. Now torchwork or flamework is used interchangeably with lampwork. Do you ever get bored? Creating glass beads is part science, art, craft and pyromania- I could never get bored!
