Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?  

Silke Büchler: For about 5 years… but for the first 3 years only sporadically.

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

I saw some lampwork beads in a shop window. The same day I spent hours investigating, surfed the Internet and read all about lampwork beading. A week later I sat at the torch by myself and tried my first beads. Almost half a year later I took my first class at a bead show in Germany.

Were you interested in making beads before that?

Not really …. but I have been in love with glass ever since I was a little girl and I was always fascinated by sculptures, vases, and bowls made of glass. It never occurred to me that it would be possible to make glass things at home ….

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

I used to paint a lot with watercolors, acrylic and also painted on silk. I used to work in the advertising department of a big company and was also occupied with graphic design work. I guess I am a creative person …  and I love to dance!! …. but I would not say that my previous craft or artistic work has translated into my beadmaking.

Can you share a photo of some of your other works with us?

What has surprised you most about working with glass?

Before beadmaking I had only seen glass works that were made with a very big flame. It surprised me that it is possible to do that at a small table at home.

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

My first book was what I consider my “bead bible”.  Passing The Flame by Corina Tettinger. For several months I went to bed with this book and when I woke up the next morning I would flip through the pages!

Whose beads inspire you the most?

There are so many great bead artists. I never get tired of admiring beads from David Sivers, Lisa Fletcher, Manuela Wutschke, Anastasia and Lydia Muell.

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

Yes, I sell my beads on my website and on Etsy. Only the beads … I sometimes sell my beads made up into jewelry for people in my area who know me as a bead artist and ask me from time to time to do jewelry.

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

No, certainly not  … I only did them for myself. Until people began to ask me “can I buy some of your beads?”. And as I spent and still spend quite a bit of money for the equipment I am glad to be able to sell some of my beads to cover the costs. Last but not least I do not want to keep ALL the beads that I make… I would need a second room to store them all, and for me it is a great motivation and a big compliment when people are willing to spend money to own some of my beads.

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

No.

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

http://www.silkedesign.de    http://calypsosbeads.etsy.com

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

They support me and love my beads. I say a big “thank you” to them for their steady motivation, support and help!

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

German torch: Isiheat and Mega Minor, gas with oxygen concentrator, Paragon kiln.

What type of glass do you use?

Soft glass …. almost all types … Moretti, CIM, ASK, Ornela, Vetrofond (I love odd lots), FGR, Double Helix … and some more …

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

I love purple. I love some odd lots from vetrofond … like watermelon, salmon pink … (hehe if you have some left for me … please let me know!!). I love some types of  Double Helix glass.

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

Bead squeezer – wide size.

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

Passing the flame. I think there are a lot of great tutorial books. My favorite is one of the first e-books by Lydia Muell and “Chaos Bead”-Tutorial by Sherry Bellamy.

Do you have a favorite technique?

No. I love kind of “painting” with stringers on beads.

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

Definitely more a “set”-person.

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

I do not have a signature bead. But I guess one can recognize beads that I made.

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

When I started beadmaking I really spent many many hours trying to learn how to do a nice encased flower bead. This was the first kind of bead I wanted to learn. Not an easy challenge.

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

The hardest: bead with very exact dot works or lots of encasings. The easiest: simple spacers.

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

The one that I make … flat / squeezed, because I myself prefer to wear flat rather than round beads and not too big, because you want to hang them round your neck or wrist and if they are too big, they become too heavy.  I love making beads with fanciful patterns so that each time you look at them, you might discover something new to look at.

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

Sure. When I look at them now I am glad that I improved my beadmaking skills.

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

At first I tried out all those basic techniques like triangles, encasings, flowers, dots, tubes, squeezed, frogs, eyes, … after some years you try to find your own style. I asked myself “what would you like to wear?”

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

The first time I put on the flame at my torch.

Do you listen to music when you work, or prefer complete silence? If you listen to music what is your favorite type of music or artist to listen to while you work?

I love to listen to audio books. Need a lot of them … because you want to hear the books only once … not like music where you listen to songs over and over.

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

No.

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

Currently my studio is only a kind of  temporary solution. I will move this summer/autumn (again! within one year) into a new house, where I can hopefully set up a more permanent lampworking studio.

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

It depends … 4 – 8 hours – too little!!!!! Too little!!!!! Too little!!!!!

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?

It is a passion. Meditation. A kind of way to express myself. Selling my beads motivates me a lot and covers the costs.

Do you have a favorite bead, a “best bead.” Can you share a photograph?

I love this set … it reminds me of Thailand, where I stayed for an extended period of time over two winter seasons.