Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Tracey Connor: Well technically since 2001 but as a full time job since 2009.

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

I was in Rockport,Mass in an art gallery and saw a bracelet in a case made of the coolest looking beads (which, thinking back, were just polka dotted!) But I was just so taken with it and couldn’t tear myself away. They didn’t want to let me inspect it for some reason (I’m fairly certain that I was drooling) but the one bit of info I did manage to pry out of the gallery worker was that they were lampwork beads.  Well, that was it for me. I had to learn how to do it. And somehow I knew I would be able to. I could feel it. I could see myself doing this.

   At that time my mother was a stained glass artist and had a supply catalog with an extremely small lampwork bead section which allowed me to figure out what you needed to have to make beads. So the first thing I did was order one of Cindy Jenkins’ books which I read until it practically disintegrated. I eventually found a larger supplier and sat down to figure out my first order. I got a Hot Head torch, a few tools and a ton of glass. Then I proceeded to make really ugly beads for a few months.

Were you interested in making beads before that? 

 

Nope. Not even a little bit. Never even occurred to me that you could “make” a glass bead!

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

Yes. I’ve worked with metals, clay, fabric, wood, trash, you name it.  I’ve been making “stuff” since I physically could. We had very little money growing up with a single mom and 3 older sisters so if I saw a toy I wanted I would most likely have to make it myself (and MAN did I want that Barbie Townhouse with the working elevator!). So my first reaction to seeing something I liked was “hmm…what do I need to make that?”. And back in the early 70’s there was no HGTV to let you know how to DIY so you were pretty much SOL if you couldn’t figure it out!  Also, with no money to buy supplies, it made me be extremely inventive with materials. This thought process has stuck with me my entire life. I think that if things were not as hard as they were back then, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I may still struggle but I always feel that so long as I can create, there is a way for me to have income. Honestly, I tend to come up with my best ideas when times are toughest!

What has surprised you most about working with glass?

It may sound strange but just the fact that I can actually liquify a solid still amazes me. To take something that feels like a rock, turn it into molten ooze and then it just freezes the way you want it to is just the coolest thing. It’s just magical. I’m also amazed at all the variation you can create on such a small canvas. It seems endless!

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

Unfortunately, no.  Because I’ve never really known another experienced lampworker personally or really even sat down to talk with one. It probably would have made things a lot easier! There are definitely people who’s career I admire though. Kristina Logan is one of those people.

Whose beads inspire you the most?

As far as inspiration, what I’m truly inspired by is those who have really made it in the glass world. Those who have become household names and travel the world teaching classes and are sought out by galleries and magazines simply because they make incredible glass art. People want to know what they know and see what they do. And I really want to know how they did it! How they got out there and became the rock stars of lampworking!   But as far as specific beads go, I think the people who demonstrate control of the glass impress me the most. The German girls and those hair thin stringers! Must be something in the water.

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

I do sell them. Mostly as beads alone, but I do have a 2nd Etsy shop where I sell my jewelry/silver work and incorporate some of the beads into my designs. I love silver smithing and go to it when I need to step back from the torch a bit…sort of give my brain a chance to think about something else for a minute. But I find that I mostly enjoy being on the supply end and leave the rest of the creating up to another artist to complete. I’m always fascinated to see where other people’s imaginations take them with a bead. Since so many of mine are anything but round, they can become some pretty wild things! I have people that buy them for stained glass windows, fiber art wall hangings, mosaics, lots of wire wrappers and Dread beads for hair ornamentation. My glass becomes a small component of something much bigger than just a bead. It’s now a piece of someone else’s artistic expression and vision. Some of the art work my customers have done is just incredible and so completely beyond what I would ever think of!  It’s like watching your baby grow up and become a doctor!

Did you intend to sell your beads when you first started?

I don’t think I ever make anything without the intention of selling it. If it’s not my first thought, it’s my second one!  I’ve sold my work since I was 9, so making stuff is how I’ve always made a living, either supplemental or entirely. I love being able to generate income while doing cool, fun stuff. As a result, I’ve always loved working. I can work all day, nearly every day and still enjoy it.

What got you started selling them?

Well, it’s this sort of warped thought process of “Hey, I can make beads, sell them and that makes all of my supplies free!”  Then it just morphed into a career. I tend to measure the cost of things in beads too. Pizza? That’ll cost a bead. Take my Mom out for her birthday dinner? Maybe 5 Sea Beads will cover it.  Mortgage payment?…ooh…that’s a whoooole lotta beads!

Have you ever taken part in a bead or art/craft show?

I used to have a handbag line called Lily Devine and did shows for years. But with the beads, there are a few issues. For one thing, this means that I’d need to make enough new stuff to fill a booth (which, again, is a whole lotta beads!) and with the Etsy shop, there just isn’t enough time in the day to do both. Etsy really works for me. It’s where 80% of my customers come from, I can set my own hours, success isn’t dependant on the weather and I don’t have to get up at 5am to set up shop in a field. People can shop from all over the world, 24 hours a day. Where else can you sell your work while you sleep!  I LOVE that!

That said, I have done a few home shows here and there. And they’re great for meeting people and other artists, but still…I love that I can be making beads while stuff is selling on Etsy. It just works for me.

What was the biggest challenge for you? What did you enjoy most? (re: art/craft shows)

Having enough stock is always an issue. It’s stressful. You never feel like you have enough. And it never fails… the one thing you only have a few of is the big seller of the day.  But I do like the social aspect. I can yack and listen for hours about anything (thanks to my years as a NYC bartender) I like people and I like to hear their stories and adventures.

How do you feel you have benefited from the experience? 

I don’t think there is any experience that I haven’t benefited from to some degree, good or bad. That’s life, isn’t it? Just a series of experiences that you hopefully learn something from.

Do you have any tips for first time exhibitors?

I dunno. I’m sort of out of the loop. Especially since I haven’t done any big bead shows. But maybe just to make sure to talk to the other vendors about other shows that do well or not. Learn from their mistakes and successes. Most people are happy to share that info. Not all, but most.

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

I have but it makes it really hard for me to keep up with stocking my Etsy shop and custom work. My Etsy customers are very important to me. They’re what makes this all possible. And I know that for some, their income is affected by me doing a good job and being timely with filling orders and shipping etc. So getting too buried is really counterproductive. That’s the one tough thing about lampworking and selling on-line. It’s very labor intensive. So you really have to find a system that works best and then give it your all.

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

I do!  Etsy is my main venue for the beads. http://www.etsy.com/shop/beatlebabyglassworks

My jewelry shop is  http://www.etsy.com/shop/beatlebabymetalworks

I also just opened a supply shop for lampworkers and jewelers that I’ll sell my handmade sterling clasps and ear wires, stones for setting, my handmade murrini, possibly some glass rods,unique bead displays and my newest item, the “Rod Pod”!!  My new lampworker’s storage system. http://www.etsy.com/shop/beatlebabysupply

I’m just getting it stocked (slowly) but it’ll get there .

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

I know they think it’s pretty cool. I mean, the concept of melting glass is fascinating no matter who is doing it. But I think they’re so used to me making stuff that they’re a little less impressed than if I were scrubbing toilets for the last 30 years and then started doing this. (I get a lot of that “So what are you making now?” sort of thing) I should tell them that I’m scrubbing toilets…then we’ll see some reactions!

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

               

I currently have a GTT Lynx and two 15LPM Oxygen Concentrators. But I‘m hoping to be able to upgrade to a bigger torch this year (that’ll cost about 45 Sea Beads!).

What type of glass do you use?

Any and all 104 COE. Primarily Effetre but I have Vetrofond, CIM,  Double Helix, Tag, StrikingColor, Precision etc. Some Boro too but I’m just starting to work with that a bit more.

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

Ooh yes…Sea colors are irresistible to me. Aquas, Teals, even Purples. Throw in some Silvered Ivory and watch the magic happen!

Do these colors (or combos.) create a special reaction when used in a certain way? Tell us about it.

Yes…they make people go “Ooooohhh”!

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

Not really. I like it all. Any glass is good glass. It’s the colors that appeal to me more than a brand. One thing I really like to use are murrini. Those really bring a bead to life! And I love making them too…it’s addictive.

Currently I use Fusion bead release. That has worked well for me so I stick with it.

Do you have a favorite beadmaking book or piece of instructional material (video, etc.)?

If I were just starting I would definitely say to get “Passing the Flame”. Even if only for the pictures! But the instruction is good as well. Nice and clear, not so technical that a novice can’t understand.  Nowadays I find that tutorials can be fun. Lots of new ones out all the time and it makes learning new techniques much more economical.

Do you have a favorite technique?

I think the “Squash and Swirl” technique might be my fave. It’s what I seem to do the most anyway.

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

I’m sort of a “make what sells best” person. I probably enjoy doing focals most because there can be just one. Size, color etc. isn’t a factor. I do like to do things in a series though. This way they can have a sort of theme but still all be different. I think people like the idea that their bead is the only one in the world.  I did a series called “Galax-Sea Beads” and they were all Sea Beads using lots of reactive shards and silver leaf etc. Each bead was based on a Hubble Telescope picture of super novas or stars exploding…that sort of thing. That was really cool. I learned a lot too! I had used the description of the Hubble image itself as the bead’s description such as the distance from earth, where it was etc.  I think that group may have been some of the best beads I’ve ever done. I’ll definitely be doing that again soon.

Have you developed a “signature” bead, a unique type of bead that is recognizably yours? Tell us about it, how you developed it, etc. 

My Sea Beads for sure. It just seemed like a natural progression from round, then multiple colors, then squashed, then twisted, then fins, fans and wings! They’re always different so I never get bored and I always love to do them. I also do loads of Dread Beads in the same style as the Sea Beads. I have people use them for thicker macramé cord as well. But it’s mainly the Dread Heads that like those. 

But my most recent “invention” is my “Rod  Pods”!! This is something that I had the idea for in 2001 when I started out but has been in real development for most of 2011 and is just now becoming a sellable product! I think it will eliminate the storage issues for every lampworker on the planet! It all started when I was having my own storage and organizational issues. (I have those often)  But I didn’t want just any way to just store my glass and tools…I wanted a NICE way to store them. I know that PVC pipe works…it’s what I’ve done for years. It’s what we all do. But MAN is it ugly!  I wanted something that looked beautiful and professional and worked exactly the way I wanted it to right off the bat, without a lot of trips to Home Depot and trial and error. I wanted form and function. Beautifully made cabinets that all worked with each other, no matter what the studio size or layout.  And that’s exactly what I got! (12 years later)  It’s actually a storage system of linking “cubes” that stack and link together. There will be 3 designs to start with, all with different uses and filling various needs. The first one that is available now is the Rod Pod which is used for glass rod storage. The 2 others will be for tools, books and cd’s, bead presses and frits.(these will be ready in late April) They can stand alone as a single unit, they can stack, sit on a table (a sturdy one!) or form a tower from the floor up. They can make a wide shelf or just scatter them around, exactly where you need them most.  You can get several of one style or do whatever combo you want. You can get just one and build out from there as your needs grow. They are strong enough to be the base for other shelving by stacking racks or boards on top of them. They will always work together perfectly, no matter what the configuration. There simply isn’t anything out there like it and the quality is unsurpassed.  They are made by a friend of mine, Tim Audia, who is a Master Carpenter and Cabinet maker. He’s been in the business for over 30 years and his work is perfection! This is real, old world American craftsmanship. Nothing less. The “Rod Pods” will hold literally hundreds of pounds of glass. That’s not the maximum weight, it’s just what will actually fit. We’ll be adding accessories and even displays as time goes on but we really need to get the Pods all finished and selling first. Can’t get ahead of myself!

I just did my entire studio over and used the first Rod Pods that were made. I cannot TELL you what a difference it made in there. (See the before and after pics!)  And it held every single bit of glass I have. All 400 pounds of it. I had rods on every surface of my studio. Every available space had glass on it. And all the nasty elastics had gotten all weird and gooey. But not anymore! I can store my rods in their own little section and take off the elastics for good! These are currently for sale in my  http://www.etsy.com/shop/beatlebabysupply  shop. You should go check them out!

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

Time. This is the one thing that I have yet to figure out how to make more of. There’s just not enough of it in a day to do everything that I need to do.

What is the hardest kind of bead to make for you? The easiest?

I guess it’s not really a specific bead, but a glass. I used to have a really hard time getting the Double Helix glasses to look like anything other than snot. I actually sold a bead called “Capt. Loogie” because it just looked like something that a cat coughed up.

I think the easiest beads for me to make are my Sea Beads. I can just pick out colors and let the glass flow and move while I look on in amazement at what the fire does to it. I sometimes feel like I have very little to do with it’s creation. Like I’m just there to hold the stick.  Fire and glass will always be something incredible, with or without me!

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

I go through phases. Sometimes I get on a “Tree Bead” kick. Sometimes I’m more into swirly, organic stuff. Sometimes gigantic, sometimes smaller guys.  I’m happy as long as they come out good.  A few duds come along and it’s time to move on to something else!

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

Yes! Bowls of them! Horrible little glass blobs that I always show to people who say they could never make nice beads. I would actually wear my very first one if it wasn’t so deadly pointy. But oddly enough, I sold loads of them right off the bat (and these were not pretty beads).  I would find that people would just like to touch them and look at the colors so I put bowls of them on the counter at my store and they would buy them! Super cheap of course but still, they sold!

How have your beads changed? Since you started or over the years?

Hmmm. Well I guess when I started I was concentrating on getting the round thing down with basic decoration. Dots and stripes, you know…the usual. Now most of what I do is organic and free-flowing. I do like to do some precision stuff and sculptural beads but the swirly ones appeal to me the most.  Oh I still do round beads because they sell and work well for jewelers who are a bit more conservative but the wild stuff,,,the really fun stuff, is very organic and freeform. My Sea Beads can really just be made into a pendant without much else. So you don’t have to be artistically inclined to make something wearable out of them or even sell them as jewelry for that matter. I like that they can be used by anyone, even kids!

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

I was doing a very large Dread Bead on one of those big fat ½” mandrels and the bead release started to crack. But I thought if I were careful not to poke or twist too hard, I could still salvage it. A few minutes later I had to adjust my flame so I held the mandrel the way you hold a fork when you’re pounding on the table yelling “DinNER-DinNER-DinNER”! Then with my thumb and index finger I started to twist the knob…but then the bead broke loose! It slid down and actually sat in the crook of my thumb. I literally heard my skin sizzle…and some other weird noise that I don’t think I’ve made since.

Do you have a humorous beadmaking experience or moment to share with us?

Well the scary ones are always funny once the scars fade!

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

Maybe just one…That you should never hold a mandrel upright when the bead release has, in fact, released!

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

A tip. Develop your own style. There’s nothing sadder than one who creates and sells art that is a mere reflection of someone else’s creative mind. A knock-off artist is not an artist. Be unique. Be you. The ideas will come. And that is something to be very proud of!

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

No, I just let movies play. I load up the DVD player with things like Auntie Mame, Muriel’s Wedding, Shirley Valentine, Harold and Maude… It’s like white noise to me so it’s not like watching TV. But I can recite the dialog in my sleep I think.

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

Yes….Don’t be afraid to make ugly beads or waste glass. Nobody has to see them. And the more “mistakes” you make, the more you will learn and understand the movement of glass. I still make ugly beads…a pile of “what doesn’t work”….because I like to experiment and I like to keep learning. You have to if you want to improve. But you’ll find you make more and more successful discoveries and less and less “fuglies” as time goes on. You’ll just start to get it and you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.

Have you “invented” any new tools, or recycled something that wouldn’t ordinarily be thought of as a tool for lampworking?

I think the only thing that I tried that was different was to roll a bead on a wire brush and encase it. It made hundreds of little tiny air bubbles. Other than that I think what’s out there really covers my needs.

Could you share with us some pictures of your studio set up?

I thought you’d never ask!! I’ll even give you a before and after shot! I just redesigned the whole space based around my “Rod Pods”!  I’m SO Excited!! It looks like a real grown up studio now! Woohoo!

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

I’d say an average of 5 hrs a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But every day is spent doing something “Beatlebaby Glassworks” related. If I’m not making the beads, I’m cleaning them, photographing them, listing them on Etsy, emailing and discussing custom work. I work 10 hours a day, every day, and no, it never seems to be enough!

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

I use a 14 mega pixel Sony Cyber-Shot. I’m no photographer so I probably should be getting tips rather than giving them. But I think the first step is having a good camera. High mega pixels will give clear close-ups. And I always make sure to edit the colors to match the bead in real life. My next project is to set up a permanent photography tent in my studio. Something where I can just go flick on the lights and it’s ready to roll. (stopping the cats from making a bed out of it will be the real trick)

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?

Both, for sure. I just love it. And let me say thank GOD people buy them because I’d be making them regardless if they sold. You’d open a closet and it would be like opening the hatch of a corn silo! But being a single mom I can honestly say that if these weren’t something that I could make money with and support my daughter, I would definitely not be able to spend the time I do on them. There’s no rich husband that allows me to go play in the studio while he pays all the bills. So I guess it’s a job that I happen to be very passionate about and I’m HUGELY grateful for having such fabulous customers. Can’t thank them enough. I’ve “met” so many wonderfully kind and supportive people from all over the world. The glass community is like no other artist community I’ve come across. Ever.

Where do you see yourself going with lampworking/glassworking in the future? Or, where do you see it taking you?

After working with many different mediums over the years, I really think I’ve found my true passion. It’s what I’m meant to be doing.  I would love for it to take me back to Italy or possibly to Paris once my daughter graduates. Seriously! One of the best things about it is this can be done from anywhere in the world and with the development of Etsy you can virtually sell from anywhere. So why not sell from a Tuscan villa?

Do you have a favorite bead, a “best bead”. Can you share a photograph of it with us?

I do. He’s called “Beads on the Brain”. I regretfully sold him years ago and even tried to talk the woman into to selling him back to me for more than what I sold him for but she never returned my emails. I guess she liked him as much as I did.