Lampwork

Lampworking is creating glass beads using a torch. It's a very ancient technique, this fact alone inspires me very much. Information about it like History, development, and scientific process is better told by Wikipedia, than me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampworking

I have been creating glass beads and objects since 2020. I got into it quite accidentally, it's a funny story actually.
By the age of 30 I have tried all the arts and crafts you can do at home, and was still "officially" considered a stay-at-home mom, so everyone was giving advice. And my daughter's teacher suggested that since I'm so creative and crafty, and am good with kids - I should totally work with kids! Become an art-teacher or something... But I felt like it would be wrong doing it without any kind of diploma, so I decided to go and get myself a diploma. Not a degree, but at least find some courses on how to be an art-teacher, art-tutor or open your own studio, something like that. I found an Educational Center (Michlala) that provided the necessary education. You'd have to take several Arts classes, and get a diploma in the end of the year. So I searched for arts and crafts I haven't tried yet, and I couldn't really learn it by myself with books and internet. I chose Ceramics, Silversmithing, and... I didn't know what else to choose. I looked around, saw lots of artworks from previous students - like papier-mache, and paintings, and suddenly I saw tiny shiny objects that I thought were Polymer Clay at first... I looked closer. Intricate details, tiny miniatures, transparent and transluscent... I've been searching for a material to realize my ideas of vibrant, whimsical, intricate miniatures for such a long time, but everything I tried is either too coarse, or not transparent, or isn't durable, or looks like a cheap craft no matter how much energy you put in it... I have never even considered, not in a million years, that the perfect material I was looking for was GLASS! I feared glass, having small children and a blood phobia - I tried to get rid of every glass jar that popped up in my house. But this was my perfect material, this was my dream come true!!! So I overcame that fear. And I got cut and singed plenty these years, but it was definitely WORTH IT!

Oh, and did I actually sign into this Center to get a diploma to teach kids? I forgot all about that when I discovered Lampworking...

Lampwork Gallery

My first attempts Doctor said 5 beads a day should keep the lack of skill away	More attempts I enjoyed every single failure	Failures happen Attempting to create a sculpture of 2 merged ravlekkians was my biggest challenge
A box of beads I reached a point where I could fill a box with successful beads and attend a craft-fair.	Wearing my creations I don't mind if I don't sell what I create - I enjoyed making it, and I will enjoy wearing it!	Garden decorations Fairy garden fantasy mushrooms and insects to stick into a planter
A Galaxy pendant Creating beads with a Galaxy inside is always amazing	A green planet Ceramic "space" with a lampwork glass bead - merging my different skills	Nebulas Creating earrings is challenging, because I create spontaneous whimsical beads, and I had to make 2 identical ones
Space magic A space-themed pendant	Galaxy I created a whole cosmic collection at some point	A Galaxy cabochon I sometimes create cabochons, and not beads, but I prefer beads...
A red planet A ceramic space and a lampwork glass planet	A mysterious planet A hollow transparent bead in a ceramic frame	A Galaxy cabochon Did you know, this black glass is actually very very dark transparent purple?
Planets earrings Planets from the space collection	An earthy pendant 3 beads that were meant to come together	A Paleh inspired beads set This was actually my first ever sale! a Paleh (folk art) inspired bead with 2 black spacers for a bracelet
Hearts earrings Earrings for Valentine's day	A tiny bottle I love creating adorable bottles. You can fill them with herbs, essential oils, perfume, or a secret mesage\blessing! They come with an actual handmade cork!	Ukraine colors beads War in Ukraine hit me hard. At first I couldn't create, then these colors were all I COULD create
Ukraine-themed glass I created earrings, hearts and beads and sold them at a Charity event in support of Ukraine.	A flower Don't these beads look like candy?	Expectation vs Reality When I fail, and I do often fail, it is best to just laugh at myself!
Petrikivka inspired beads Petrikivka is a Ukrainian folk-art that I hope to master one day	An alien bug meets Earth bugs He comes in peace!	an alien bug is eating my succulents! Omnomnom
Ravlekkians when I tell them they're made of glass