Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Evelyn Duberry: I’ve been making beads part-time since 2006.

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

I was looking for a new hobby so I started researching fused glass on the internet when I stumbled onto the community of glass beadmakers on the Wet Canvas forum.  Previous to that it had never occurred to me that I might be able to make my own glass beads!

I’ve never taken a class – by choice - as I wanted to develop my own style first with limited outside influence. Now that I’m more confident with my preferred styles, I hope to take a class soon.

Were you interested in making beads before that?

Yup, I’ve always loved beads – especially glass beads.  I also used to make my own beads from polymer clay.

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

I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon and I’ve always been crafty – sometimes I think I’ve tried just about every craft medium out there… I’ve also been making or modifying jewelry since high school.  Glass is first and only craft to have captured my interest for this long.

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

Wish I could but they’re either long gone… or perhaps in a box of old photos somewhere in my storage room (y’know, pre-digital days).

What has surprised you most about working with glass?

How addictive an art form it is, how completely I enjoy the process of melting glass, and finally what an incredibly supportive and open community glass beadmakers from around the world have developed.

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

No one specific, however, I wouldn’t be where I am now without the ongoing support and sharing of the online communities of glass beadmakers on Wet Canvas and LampworkEtc.

Whose beads inspire you the most?

Lavender Creek, Holly Cooper, Naos, Right Brain Beads – their beads seem to have little bits of their souls wrapped up inside them…

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

For the past few years I’ve mostly sold beads on their own or perhaps as a focal wired into a pendant.  I’ve just started making jewelry again, this time with my own beads.

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

I think it was in the back of mind as a possible eventuality but mostly I was just completely consumed by the process of learning how to work glass.  I had brought two of my beads into the office for donation to a charity auction and was floored when I received my first order, and then another!

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

Yes, I try to do two big shows per year – the Ottawa Glass Bead Artists (http://ottawaglassbeadartists.com/) show in November and Ottawa’s outdoor New Arts Festival (http://artinfoboy.org/) each June.

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

Moving from the single fuel HotHead to a dual fuel MegaMinor torch was my biggest challenge – I completely underestimated how much time and practice it would take for this transition – I essentially had to relearn how to do everything!  There were several torch sessions where I was nearly in tears because it seemed I no longer could get the glass to do anything I wanted.  It took me about 4-6 months to adjust to the new torch but now I couldn’t go back.

What I enjoy most?  Watching women connect with a particular goddess bead.  I’ve come to realize that they are perceived as a kind of a personal amulet.  I’ve watched customers be immediately drawn to one particular goddess, put it down, go over my whole table and then return to purchase that first goddess.  Also, their smile when it’s finally in their hands as their own is fantastic.  My other beads just don’t get that depth of reaction.

How do you feel you have benefited from the experience? 

Changing torches was a necessary skill to learn – the Mega allows me to work bigger, faster and longer which means I can make more complex beads.  I’ve become a better beadmaker now that I’m no longer dealing with the restrictions associated with a simpler/beginner torch.

Do you have any tips for first time exhibitors?

Yes, GET HELP!  Shows are a lot of fun but also an incredible amount of work and I couldn’t do it without the support of my friends and family – I call them Team ShebaMakeda!

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

Yes, I have an online store: http://ShebaMakeda.etsy.com plus you can also buy my beads in person at the Glass Shoppe Studio (http://www.theglassshoppestudio.com/).  Most people just email or call me though with their requests.

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

My website:  www.ShebaMakeda.com and my Etsy store: http://ShebaMakeda.etsy.com.  I’ve dipped my toes into eBay and hope to try it again soon. 

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

At first they mostly amused themselves with calling me crazy and telling me I was going to burn the house down (or blow myself up), LOL.  Since I started making some decent beads they’re now my biggest fans.  My son scopes out beads to add to his collection every time I empty the kiln and my sister does my best marking!

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

I use a Nortel MegaMinor torch with a 5lb refillable propane tank and a 5lpm Devilbiss oxygen concentrator.  My kiln is an Arrow Springs AF138 with a stand alone Bartlett controller.

What type of glass do you use?

Anything that strikes my fancy! Mostly I use Moretti/Effetre 104COE glass with some Vetrofond, Creation is Messy and Double Helix mixed in.  I also have specific colors of 96COE glass cane from Reichenbach, Zimmerman and Gaffer that I also love.  And then there’s the stash of R4, shampoo glass, Bullseye and borosilicate that I haven’t even got around to playing with yet.  Mostly I just stroke them and tell them how pretty they are and not to worry I’ll play with them too eventually.  And of course, anything made of glass that breaks in my house is also fair game… ;-)

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

I mostly use clear, white glass or some other standard color as a base and then add frit. I have a lot of frit, a whole bookcase full actually – I LOVE that stuff as it allows me to create a whole custom palette for my beads. 

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

Absolutely!  Starting with neutral bases like white, black or clear and adding various grinds of frit, enamels and/or metals allows me to create all kinds of wonderful color combinations and reactions for a look that is uniquely mine.

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

High on my list of faves are the two reactive 96 rakus (R106 & R108) from Reichenbach – I love how many colors and reactions I can pull from one of those deceptively boring beige rods.

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

Beads of Glass was my first lampworking book and I still love it to pieces.  Corina’s stringer dvd runs a close second.  It finally demystified stringer techniques for me.

Do you have a favorite technique?

Reduction – I reduce everything!

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

I’m a focal person who’s trying to get more into making sets. 

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

Goddess beads have become my signature beads purely by accident. I was (and still am) completely inspired by Theresa (Lavender Creek) from Germany’s soulful goddess beads and decided to try making one of my own.  From my very first attempt, they were incredibly easy for me to make and imbue with my own style so I’ve just never stopped.  My customers really seem to respond to them on a very personal level as well, especially my pregnant goddesses.

I go through phases where I make other styles of beads but always come back to making goddess beads – I'm most at peace when making them.

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

Hollows!  And I still can’t make a decent one.

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

Hardest: Dot beads – they bore me to tears so I don’t practice them very often but at the same time I try to make at least one per torching session since I think that kind of precision and skill is good for me to learn.

Easiest: Sculpting- it came completely naturally to me.  I think I made one round bead my first torch session and then immediately began squishing, raking and poking everything I melted onto the mandrel until I finally learned enough heat control to properly sculpt molten glass.

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

Goddess beads and encased florals (which I rarely make due to my lack of patience) are my faves.  Technique wise – anything combining frit and metals…

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

Of course and I still love them even though they completely suck.  They make me smile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/4936246735/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/2133302858/in/set-72157603536648469/

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

I think I’ve finally passed the experimental stage where I wanted to try every technique out there and I’m finally getting comfortable with what kinds of beads I most like to make, perfecting my designs and imbuing them with my own personal style.

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

Lighting the torch at home for the very first time – it sat on my dining room looking at me for 2 full weeks before I could bring myself to light it and actually melt some glass.  The time my Hothead shot flames out the side of the head (it wasn’t tightened properly) runs a close second.

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

Yup. First time I burned my finger making a bead I instinctively stuck my finger in my mouth.  I’ll never do that again!  The taste of my own charred flesh is seared in my memory for ever!!  <<gaggg>>  Ok, that was probably more gross than funny but the memory makes me laugh…

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

The first time I figured out how to control reduction was pretty darned cool – it’s formed the basis for a lot of my work.  I was so impressed I use those particular beads on the back of my business card.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/1918296244/in/set-72157603520592006/

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

Not really, I rarely do the same thing twice.

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?

It depends entirely on my mood, sometimes music (usually R&B), sometimes silence, sometimes I just watch tv.

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

Make what you love. Don’t worry about the latest popular designs or what will/won’t sell or the latest fancy glass or any “rules” about what you are vs. aren’t supposed to do.  Glass is completely personal so shut out all that noise, sit in front of your torch, melt some glass and create from deep within your heart.

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

I invented the butter knife as the ultimate lampwork sculpting tool.  ;-)

In all seriousness buying a Foredom to clean my beads was the best repurposing ever.  It’s complete overkill of course (at least until I also start using it for jewelry design) but in terms of my health it was an excellent purchase!  I generally make beads over a period of weeks or months and then clean them all at one go (usually a few days before a show, lol) – my hands used to ache for hours afterwards when using the dremel but now I can easily clean a huge pile of beads with no issues. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/4936770992/

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

Sure! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/3307265975/in/set-72157611984079569/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/3158993224/in/set-72157611984079569/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/4936776370/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/4936183447/

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

I work full time plus I have to be in the right mood to torch so I don’t get much beadmaking time at all.  I’m lucky if I can get a few evenings in a month.  I wish I had the time to torch more.

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

I’ve been using a Canon PowerShot A560 for the last few years and just switched to a Fuji FinePix S1600.  I’m still testing the new camera out…  There are a ton of photograpy tuts online (free and paid) just google them.  Best tip I can think of is buy a camera with excellent macro capabilities – it makes all the difference.

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?

For me lampworking has become a passion and something I NEED to do in order to feel complete and balanced in my life.  Luckily, I don’t have to make a living at it so I have the luxury of making exactly what I want, when I want… the icing on the cake is that people actually want to buy my beads.

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

I keep wanting to go bigger so I find I’m slowly beginning to move away from beads towards larger sculpted pieces that can be framed or secured on a stand.  At the same time though, the urge to make jewelry is coming back to me and I’m also making smaller sets of beads… we’ll see which side of the battle wins. 

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

I think this Woodland Moss Goddess is the best bead I’ve ever made.  It sold almost immediately and I always wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have kept it…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebamakeda/3451634042/in/set-72157616023691707/