Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Michou Anderson: Since November of 2005

As a small child I gathered white, green and brown glass stones that had

been polished by sea water and sand at the beach in Capri. It has always been

fascinating for me to create jewellery and with this passion I earned my first money

as a nine year old girl. Thus, I could buy new pearls to design additional pieces of

jewellery.

The process or the result: Which is more fascinating for you?

It is the balance between passion and surprise that fascinates me. Since I prefer to work with many colours and layers of transparent and opaque glass I can get lost in colour and time. Sometimes I work as long as two hours on a bead of 30 by 40 mm. The world of glass beads is a fascinating world of colours and form, transporting the largest variety of meanings, such as the delivery of messages, means of payment, religious divulgement, jewellery and more. Experiencing light and fire, mastering the flame and gravity account for the allure of creating a glass bead. The flame offers unlimited possibilities of creation also by integrating the most diverse materials such as 999 fine silver, gold leaf, enamel, copper alloys such as aventurine, copper leaf, gold silver and copper wire and many more. Playing with the flame is pure magic.

What drives you to create with glass?

The joy of learning and trying out new things and to play with the widely varied forms

and colours of glass – to materialize my unstoppable fantasy.

Whose beads inspire you the most? 

Don’t have any - fighting every day with my self about which design or pattern I am going to create now – I really have too much fantasy - lol

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

I sell focals, sets or even jewellery... but the one thing I never do is make custom orders. I am absolutely a free spirit and I always follow my emotions and imagination. That is why I love this sentence so much : free your mind and the rest will follow. 

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

I mostly get an invitation for presenting my beads and jewellery in galleries. My last exhibition was in the Hamburg Town Hall for over a month where I presented my lampwork beads and photographs of the inner life of my lampwork beads.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered? What did you enjoy most?

I would say every day is a new challenge for me as I even enjoy every day  - As long I always am able to create and make a living from my art – I need nothing more.

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

I sell My Beads and Art on:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48033378/michou-p-anderson-lampwork-beads-de-la?ref=v1_other_2

Auctions I have on EBay:

http://jewelry.shop.ebay.com/Jewelry-Watches-/281/i.html?_ssn=michou.pascale.anderson

My website:

www.michou-design.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/pages/Michou-Pascale-Anderson-Design/130265114815

My Blog

http://michoudesign.blogspot.com/

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

As long they get some of my beads and art for Christmas and birthday presents they think it is great – lol – joking. To be honest they are proud of what I am doing and they say like my customers are saying : BEAUTIFUL!!! I LOVE your beads. They're so bright and cheerful. They're "happy" beads because they make you feel good just to look at them!

What type of glass do you use?

I use only Italian highest quality glass from Vetrofond and Effetre, Double Helix and CIM.

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

Color, color, color combined with detailed stringer work ( the smaller the better – by the way I call my detailed stringer work more painting because this is what I do. I paint with thinner than thin glass strings in fire), hand pulled murrini, shards, yeah- shiny gold stone and enamels are my absolutely favorites

What inspires you?

My pattern and motives are:  (drawing or sculpture beads)  Birds – Peacocks and Paradise Birds, Butterflies, Fishes, Underwater World, - Abstract Designs and Art Nouveau. The name 'Art Nouveau' is French for 'new art'. That is what I grew up with and our house in Switzerland is full of art.

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

I love them and some I try to copy but it won’t work – funny but I can’t even copy myself.  What I like about the first beads? They look like beads from the 13th century... old and antique, and that is something I like.

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

I love music. It changes between bossa nova and rock – and I love to watch films or listen to radio play.

How much time do you spend making beads per week? Is it enough?

I have lost all of my friends. I am married to my art – art is my husband, my love, and music – lol – what I want to say is that I am a full-time artist. I don’t know anything about holidays or weekends.

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

I see that my beads for sure have traveled around the world already and I hope one day I will be able to visit all the places they have been. Besides, I am working on Interior designs and my fashion label – And the Fabrics I use for that is my designs and pattern which arises from my lampwork design and pattern.  And if I am not making lampwork beads you’ll see me acting on TV or in a series (I’m an actress and have been acting since the age of 17... but that would be another story.)