Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Shelby Ring: About 6 years.

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

My father had collected African trade beads, which I found fascinating, particularly the millefiori style.  He had started the collection while I was away at college and when I first saw the beads I was entranced – and suddenly it seemed much more reasonable that land could be bought and sold for “just” glass beads.  After my father died in 2006, he left the collection to his third wife.  Soon after that, I stumbled across a class / demo on millefiori, and I decided to take it even though I realized the technique would be way beyond my non existent capabilities – I really just planned on watching from the back of the room.  But life has a funny way of working out, the actual instructor had to cancel at the very last minute.  But the person who had set up the equipment had just started bead making and offered to teach the two of us how to make a bead.  We spent maybe two hours on it and I was entranced.  Within 48 hours I had a “birthday shopping” list of torch and other basic materials, and soon after I was torching.

Were you interested in making beads before that?

I’m not a particularly a girly girl, and beaded jewelry hadn’t caught my attention, so not so much.  I’m in the minority among beadmakers – so many people come to glass beads because they are already working with them and want to make their own.

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

Yes, I have an artistic history and it has very much affected my work.  For years I worked as a graphic artist and then as an animator.  I’m aware of a traditional sense of composition, balance and line and the use (and importance!) of empty space.  And I find my experience in animation gives me a sense of rhythm that, funnily enough, translates in to the fixed canvas of glass.   When it is successful, it can create a sense of flow and possibility of movement, even on solid glass. 

What has surprised you most about working with glass?

How meditative it is.  It is an incredibly restful and centering thing to do.  Although there is this very hot torch, I find it soothing and calming to work with.

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

I haven’t really found a mentor – at least not yet.

Whose beads inspire you the most?

I think JC Herrell has been my single largest inspiration.  I love both her work with enamels and am awed by her stringer control.  She combines a search for technical excellence with a creative path that speaks to me.

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

I prefer to sell the beads by themselves, since I find making beads much more fun than making jewelry.  That said, I started making jewelry after I got the “these are lovely, but what do you do with them?” questions a few too many times. 

As part of my campaign to avoid jewelry making, I spent several years encouraging my mother to make jewelry.  She dabbled in a couple different types of jewelry, until she met metal smithing and is now addicted!  It’s a great synergy and it is really fun to go back and forth. 

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

I had no plans at all to sell when I started. I had taken a break from my freelance career to take care of some family issues, and so when I needed to start working again, I decided to try selling my beads.  My friends and family really encouraged my selling, and I’d worked freelance most of my career so I had an idea of what I was getting into.

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

Yes, several, and I just participated in my first “real” bead show this November.

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

I think my biggest challenge was wanting to jump in right away. I heard from several people that one should always visit a show before participating.  Once I had the idea of doing them, and then found ones that might accept me, I didn’t want to visit one show and have to wait 6 months or a year before doing. So I’ve done a couple “cheap” shows that cost me little in money but had almost no attendance, shows that if I’d spent five minutes there before signing up, I would not have done. So definitely follow the great advice I ignored ;-)

What I enjoyed the most was talking to people about what they see in my work, seeing first reactions.  For example I scuba dive; scuba and photography are my other passions.  So sometimes I make beads that are underwater landscape inspired, and I do that consciously.  But I’ve learned that I also make “fish” beads – people will say “don’t you see the fish?  Here’s his eye…”  That is completely unintentional on my part.

How do you feel you have benefited from the experience? 

I’m a natural introvert, so it’s pushed me to be more outgoing, dealing with all kinds of people.  And it gives me a better idea of what interests people in the work I do – I think we can be very unaware of the impact of our own creations. And that’s both ways, some things I love are not popular and some of my least favorite beads get lots of attention.

I’ve also learned that you have to find the right shows.  To be successful at a show, the show itself needs a certain number of visitors, visitors who want to shop and visitors who are looking for what you are selling at the price you can sell it at.

I’ve learned something from every show, even the “bad” ones.  I’ve done maybe 5 shows, and I always learn something about my display that I want to change.

Do you have any tips for first time exhibitors?

Set goals beforehand – and particularly for your first shows, set at least some goals that are not money related – meeting people, getting feedback on your work, adding x addresses to your mailing list etc.  When counting the “cost” of the show, make sure to include the cost of all the non-show things you might need, like displays, banners, and business cards.  They can increase the cost of the show, even if you can use them again in the future.  Also count your time – time out of the studio is a cost!

If you’ve got a friend who also does work that would fit a show that you are interested in, it’s really great to split a table the first time or two.  It reduces your cost, but even more it gives you a partner in everything show related – and someone to talk to if you didn’t do your show research and it’s slow!

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

I have sold through a store that focuses on selling local artisan creations, but I don’t place items with them regularly.

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 have a shop on Etsy, www.shedbeads.etsy.com

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

I am very, very lucky to have the support of the people closest to me.  My husband will look at every single new bead (well at least those that passed my quality control, I do edit before he sees them) when he gets back from a trip, I think my mother has almost every bead in my Etsy shop favorited, and my closest friends love to see what I do.  I know that is not always the case, and I am very grateful for it.

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

I have a GTT Lynx that I am running on propane and an Integra oxygen concentrator. I do have a small O2 bottle if I want a hotter flame, but since I have to take it to be filled myself, that doesn’t happen often.  And I anneal with a Glass Hive kiln.

What type of glass do you use?

I have a bit of an acquisitive streak when it comes to glass; I want it all!  I have (in COE order) boro, Bullseye, 96 COE, 104 and a nice sampler of Satake.  Most of my work to date is in 104.  I have started using more 96 COE glass – I love the veiled cane made by GGGlass, and that really needs to be worked with Reichenbach and Gaffer glass.

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

Too many?  I often go through my beads, see something and think “that’s nice, I should more of those, I’d like to explore that idea in more detail” but it often becomes a case of “so much glass, too little time”.  I love blues in general, and since I’m drawn to underwater scenes I love the semi transparent blues that I can layer to create a sense of depth.

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

One I do like is the reaction between ivory / coral / yellow and blues.  The thin black line created by placing these two color groups next to each other gives an elegance and impression of technical control that I found particularly helpful in the first years!

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

Lots!  I’m a bit of a techno nerd, and like to try all the options before choosing.  For bead release I love Krag Mudd - both because it is so easy to get the beads off the mandrel and for the very “clean” look of the bead hole on transparent beads.  I’ll use another bead release if I am doing a large sculptural bead though, it doesn’t always hold up to hours of abuse.  I use shards and murrini in almost every bead, so while I make my own I like the variety of purchasing them.  For shards, I really like Avenue Beads.  For murrini, I mostly buy from Lori & Kim, Fyrebeadz, Jet Age Studios and Chase Designs. Note that I said mostly – I am always looking for more!

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

My favorite source of information has probably been Lampworketc.com, and internet forum that is mostly glass beadmakers.  Most questions have been answered somewhere in the forums, so I did lots and lots of reading there when I was choosing equipment or answering basic “how to” questions.  I also have several of the great beginner books, but by the time they arrived, I’d managed to get many questions answered!

Do you have a favorite technique?

I don’t know if it is really a technique, but I am fascinated by transparency, translucency and layers.  A huge percentage of my beads are about exploring this – so semitransparent glass, encasing, enamels applied thin, and layered shards are all a big part of my beads

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

I am very much a focal person.  I am in awe of those that can always make beads the same size with designs that are consistent.  I’ll start out with the intention of repeating a bead and halfway through have an idea of using a bit of this and that.  It’s only after I’ve put the bead in the kiln that I remember I had started out with a specific plan.

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 don’t know if I have a signature bead but I have been told that I’ve developed a signature style.  I do many beads that I see as “abstract landscapes” either underwater or mountain views.  It was something that I started doing unconsciously, it was just part of my work.  Once I recognized it (partly because other people pointed it out) I worked on it and pulled it to the forefront.

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

I think not having a mentor or not being around other glassmakers can have both a negative and a positive side.  I never expected something to be easy or hard, so I haven’t been too frustrated by learning – or not learning any one technique.  And I’ve definitely leaped into trying things that were beyond me!

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

I think scrollwork is one of the hardest techniques for me

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

Actually, I have to say I’m not drawn to any single technique.  When I think of the beads that really pull me in they are very different – JC Herrell’s work with enamels and David Sivers beads are two that come to mind, and I don’t know if you could be more opposed! 

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

Yes, I do have those beads, though I keep fewer and fewer of them as time goes on.  I was so proud of those wonky beads with badly placed and dangerously raised dots!

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

Well, the technical skill level has grown.  It’s funny because I don’t notice the change on a daily or monthly level.  But I do a show in Steamboat Springs once a year, where my mother lives.  People often wear previous year’s purchases, and I can really see the change in my control and difference between what my “best bead” is this year and what it was last year.

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

I don’t have much fear around the torch, so my scariest moments are all ones where I realize I’m burning myself – that I’ve picked the hot part of the rod.  Things can go flying across the room at that point.

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

I think I incorporate things into my work slowly.  When I take classes, I’ll practice some techniques when I get home, but then I’ll forget about what I learned for a while.  Then a couple months later I might try integrating a technique I learned in a new way.

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

I really feel like things have been done for so long in this medium, that I’m still borrowing from everyone else.

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

Generally I like to have music or something to listen to while working.  I’ll listen to the news or informative talks, the TED talks are wonderful (ted.com).  I will also “listen” to TV shows – I like long series that have simple stories so I don’t actually need to watch to understand – so that you know what’s going on without having to see anything!

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

Go for it.  Do what feels right and push beyond what you know you can do well.  Allow yourself experimentation, and failed experiments.  Also make what you’re drawn to make – and it might not be the kind of beads you appreciated the most before you started lampworking. 

But practice is huge.  I find muscle memory is a large part of working with glass.  If I take a vacation for a week or two, I notice that there are several days of rather mediocre creations, and even the basics take a while to get a feel for again.  So if you’re starting out, and have the possibility, working every day is helpful.  Even if it is only for short sessions like half an hour - you see more advancement than a 4 hour session one day a week.  And you can practice turning a mandrel evenly anywhere!

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

Not I – and I learned about using kitchen utensils, particularly butter knives, from LampworkEtc.com. 

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

It varies and it rarely feels like enough!  There are times that I am in production mode and will spend 8-10 hours a day in the studio.  Then I can go through periods where I can’t get into the studio at all.  I probably average 30 to 35 hours of just studio time. 

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

Glass is one of the hardest surfaces to photograph!  Biggest tip – get a tripod and use a long exposure to photograph beads.  Using a long exposure will allow you to use dimmer lighting, which will reduce the “hot spots” or spots of high glare and reflection.  For the same reason, try to diffuse your light source, it doesn’t have to be fancy, white tissue paper or wax paper between your bead and the light source will help reduce hot spots.

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!  There are days when glass is all about play, and there are days when I am trying to repeat previous themes.  And then, of course, once one adds a business side, there is a lot of time spent on more mundane tasks like photographing beads and creating listing, responding to questions, shipping sales (for on line sales) and pricing and preparing displays for shows.

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

I think glasswork will always be part of my creative palette.  I have ideas to combine it with my photography to have a discussion between these two mediums.  I really enjoy doing sculptural pieces, and would like to do more of that and larger pieces