Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Catherine “Kitty” Bozzini: You mean when did I first burn myself? I first burned myself in 2005 making wonky “beads” on a hothead.

What got you started making beads? Did you take a class? 

I started out being interested in stained glass and went to a local stained glass shop here in Charlotte and saw some women making beads on their torches. It became an art I really wanted to pursue when I was reintroduced to it at an art crawl in Asheville, NC. Asheville is a huge mecca for artists of all kinds.

Were you interested in making beads before that? 

No, I was always interested in blown glass on a big scale and always wanted to try that. When I found I could do a version of blown glass on a small scale, I was so excited. I couldn’t buy all of the supplies quickly enough.

Did you have an artistic or craft history before that? How has that translated into the beadmaking, if at all?

Yes, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design and grew up in a very artistically inclined family. My father was in the furniture design/manufacturing business and my mother was always painting and drawing and went to school for fashion design. There were no logical mathematicians or scientists in my home. This made my childhood way more interesting.

I worked in Interior Design for several years in NC and Washington DC. I have dabbled in lots of crafts/arts over the years, but I think my favorite has been drawing nudes in charcoal. I also was a faux finisher/painter for several years. I think what has helped me the most with lampwork was my painting and drawing background in addition to working with building materials.

I love texture. Finding cool textural qualities with different glasses is my driver. I also think what adds visual interest is using different scale materials. For instance, on an encased bead I will often add stringer lines and then small frit scattered on the exterior of the bead.

Having everything the same throughout a design leaves little visual interest. Taking elements and breaking them down into smaller or larger pieces is how I usually work.

Have you had anyone that you consider to be a mentor? Tell us about them.

I took a class with Jennifer Geldard in Chicago, 3 years ago, and I found her fascinating. Her work and her techniques were very different. Her work is not cookie-cutter at all. It is earthy and organic but still colorful and fun.

Whose glass work inspires you the most?

There are so many. Of course, Jennifer Geldard, Lavendar Creek (Teresa Laliberte)  and Naos (Amber Van Meter). Because they have very natural, organic and simply-beautiful designs. They take natural, rough materials and utilize their simple beauty so incredibly well. I have always tried to use the KISS (keep it simple silly or stupid, whichever you prefer!) principle in my creative process. There is so much out there to inspire you. Take what you love, which for me is color and texture, and try and capture it with materials that have unique qualities. Some of the glasses are just magical.

It’s funny, but the techniques and materials I use now are from what I have learned over the years painting and drawing and drafting, and a lot of what I find that I love is “by mistake”. I call them “happy accidents”. Really it is just letting yourself GO THERE. Push the envelope. I try to make time for that each time I torch. If I don’t, I get bored.

Do you sell your beads? Do you sell the beads by themselves, or already made up into jewelry?

I sell my beads on Etsy and will be selling again on Ebay soon.

Did you intend to sell your beads when you first started? What got you started selling them?

I did intend to sell them. I struggled with that at first, because you really want to set out with a product you love and know others will love. When I first started out, I loved everything I made secretly.  My beads weren’t ready to be on display publicly. I filled a large bin with wonky beads of all types of techniques and glass types before I felt comfortable selling them.

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

This is part of my long term plan.

Do you have a website or auction site that you regularly sell you beads on? If so, what is the url/id info, etc. 

www.kittylampwork.etsy.com and http://myworld.ebay.com/cfb1022

What sort of set up do you have for making beads?

I have a mixed gas torch (propane) and an oxygen concentrator.  I started with a hothead and once I tried a mixed torch, I was hooked. The hothead was so noisy and I love silver glasses (like from Double Helix and TAG) and it was hard for me to work with them on the hothead.

What type of glass do you use?

I mostly use COE 104 (soft glass) and Bullseye when I want bold color.

Do you have any favorite colors or combinations of glass rod to work with?

I love ivory and it’s reactions with silver and silver glasses and enamels.

Do you have a favorite product, i.e. bead release, glass, etc.

Right now I LOVE Double Helix’s Kalypso and Clio glasses. Absolutely gorgeous.

Do you have a favorite beadmaking book or piece of instructional material?

In the beginning I used some beadmaking DVDs that I rented from Smartflix.

Are you a “set” person or a “focal bead” person?

I mostly have to push myself to do sets. When you have RBADD (Right Brain Attention Deficit Disorder)  it is difficult to repeat yourself. I can get really inspired to do one thing and then in the next moment I have something new I want to try. I am kind of like the happy and content dog sitting on the porch, and then all of the sudden a squirrel runs by and all hell breaks loose.

Do you still have the first beads you made? What do you think of them now?  

I do and I look at them now and I am pretty impressed. They were pretty good.

Have you had any “glass epiphanies” while working – some revelation or understanding? What were they? 

That glass is a constant challenge and that is what I love and hate (sometimes) about it. The reactions in the particular glasses I use like ivory, enamels and silver glasses are not very controllable. Ivory spreads or sucks details up. Silver glasses can behave in beautiful ways on ivory glass and turn the ivory similar colors. So I have learned to have patience with heat control, levels of oxygen and propane. There are so many variables that can make a design really good or really bad.

Do you have a special technique, method or tip to share?

My best advice is to have patience and learn how the heat of the torch and kiln affect the type of glass you are using. Each glass color, category and manufacturer tends to have different properties. Stick with one glass and then move to the next. Start with transparent glass, because it is easier to work with at first. Then try white and ivory. Try to perfect encasing and dot and stringer placement.

Do you listen to music when you work, or prefer complete silence? 

Usually U2, Daughtry, REM and if I want to dance a little FloRida (I think that is how you spell his name). Mostly I listen to my husband’s Ipod which has a little of everything on it.

Do you have any advice or encouraging words for someone who is just starting out in glass?

Become a regular on www.Lampworketc.com or www.torchbugs.com and read and study as much as you can. Figure out a technique you want to learn and try it until you understand it. Invest in Passing the Flame by Corina Tettinger. It is full of great information you will use for a long time.

How much time do you spend making beads (in hours) per week? Is it enough?

Right now I have been torching about 20 hours a week and putting 20 or more into marketing. I just started business again with Etsy in January after a big career change. I went to school for Cardiovascular Technology to be in the Cath Lab and loved the job, but the hours were very difficult for me and my family. I am so happy when I am torching, so I am pursuing lampwork again. I am slowly building my supply and business. I am very happy with the response I have gotten so far.

What about photographing your beads – what do you use to get your pictures and do you have any tips or tricks to share?

Wow, photography is a huge challenge. It is the most important aspect of selling online. If you don’t have good photos, it is very difficult to sell. It is your first impression to the customer. I suggest getting a light box, good lights, a good digital camera and good photo editing software, if you intend to sell online. I think the most difficulty and most time consuming thing about this field is the photography.

Is this a job, or a passion? Or both? How much of making beads/playing with hot glass is about just making them, vs. making a living?

This is about making a living and about passion. I am the luckiest woman in the world in that I have a very positive and supportive husband. He knows it is important to love what you do and keeps reminding me of the same when I am struggling with my path. My kids are very supportive too. I have been teaching them how to torch also. They are 10 and 12 and think it is “way cool” to melt glass. I am 43, and I think it’s “way cool” too.