Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?  

Leah Deeb: 3 1/2 years.

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

A couple of heavy life changing experiences, including the diagnosis of my Mother’s rare brain disease, put me in a place of soul searching.  My sister was into beading and had put a really nice kit together for me.  I was reluctant at first.  But after giving in, it sparked my creativity.  I began wire wrapping, making my own jump rings and creating chainmaille pieces.  I loved it!  In the back of my mind, I was very curious about lampworking.  I finally gave in and after trying it once, that was it.  My life has never been the same!  No, I have not taken any classes, as of yet. 

Were you interested in making beads before that?  

No.  I never dreamed it would be such a huge part of my life.

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

Yes, when I was a very young girl, my Gma and I took oil-painting lessons together from a very gifted artist.  Little did I know, I would be painting on a glass canvas, using glass as my brush!

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

Certainly!  I was pretty young when these were created.  Here are my oil paintings from 1981-82.  There were times that I missed working with oils. Then hot glass completely filled the void.

What has surprised you most about working with glass? 

I think what has surprised me the most is how the possibilities are endless and how versatile glass can be.   

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

Not sure I have a mentor, but there are numerous artists that I admire and have great respect for.   

Whose beads inspire you the most?

Michael Barley’s art is one of the very first that gave me heart palpitations.  

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

Yes, I do.  I sell them by themselves. 

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

Not at all.  With the encouragement of my family and friends and not knowing what to do with them all, I decided to give it a try.

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

Not as of yet.  Hopefully in the future as time permits. 

What was the biggest challenge you encountered?

This will sound strange, but learning to breathe correctly while creating. 

How do you feel you have benefited from the experience? 

I gained much better stringer control for detailed work. 

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

No, not currently.

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

Yes, I have 3 online sources:

My website:  www.beadsofpassion.net

My Etsy shop:  www.beadsofpassion.etsy.com

eBay:  http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/beadsofpassion

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

They are very supportive and interested to see what I am up to.  My Mother is so sweet.  She wears my beads all of the time.  I give them to her as gifts. The problem is, she does not want for you to remove any of them. No way can you switch them out!  She wants to wear all of them, all of the time, so she is loaded down with beads! 

What sort of set up do you have for making beads? (Type of torch, gas, kiln, etc.)

I have a triple mix GTT Lynx with 2 M-15 concentrators & a huge propane tank.  I use a digitally controlled Paragon kiln to anneal my beads. 

What type of glass do you use?  

I use many different glasses:  Effetre, Vetrofond, Double Helix, Lauscha, Precision, Striking Glass, Bullseye, Reichenbach, you name it!  Sometimes I switch gears and work borosilicate. 

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

I love working with different striking, silver laden glasses. 

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

Yes, it is very interesting to see all of the different reactions you can achieve with silver glass when using different bases and super heating. 

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

Tools of any kind!  I love tools with a passion!  Yet another reason lampworking is such a perfect fit.  Presses, pokers, brass shaper, shears, infinite marble mold, hot fingers… I could go on and on.  Favorite glass… Double Helix Terra, which is no longer made.

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

Corina’s “Passing the Flame” was my first purchased beadmaking book.  It is a very helpful book to have, especially when starting out. 

Do you have a favorite technique?

I really enjoy electroforming.  It adds such interesting texture and detail,  It transforms a piece into a one-of-a-kind work of art.  I love the process!  I also love making caps for my beads and riveting them on.  It gives my beads so much more dimension and character.  It is very gratifying seeing the entire process come together.

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

I like creating both sets and focal beads. It really depends on the mood I am in.

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

Not sure that they are considered signature beads, but what is seen most are my capped beads, which include my handmade & textured caps, that are riveted on.  Also my earthy tie dye beads and slider rings, along with my “Old Rugged Cross” collection.

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

Still working to overcome the summer heat.  Down the road, my new studio will have a different type of make-up air system to make things better.

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

The hardest is encasing without having bubbles.  The easiest would be plain spacer beads.

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

I always love making my cross beads.  Right now, I am enjoying creating my freeform coral reef beads and capped beads a lot! 

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

Yes, I do have them.  They are super rough and ugly, but special.

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

I think they are more defined with more character and depth.  More finished.

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

In the beginning, I had become a little too comfortable and passed my thumb directly through the flame.  It was pretty major and caught me by complete surprise.  The incident made me much more aware from that day forward.  Another incident occurred when my new kiln shelves were too elevated.  My kiln was pretty much full of beads.  As I opened the door to place another one inside, all of my beautiful hot beads began falling out all over the place.  Needless to say, I had custom kiln shelves made immediately!

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

Well, it wasn’t funny at the time, but soon after, the visual was ha-larious!  I had just got my new Foredom dremel, which is operated with a foot pedal.  I was using it to clean beads and had a little itch.  I used the hand that had the Foredom in it to rub my nose.  It caught my hair in a MAJOR way!  Yes, my pedal was to the metal!  It all happened so fast.  My mind did not react quick enough to take my foot off of the pedal.  It wound OH so tightly, all the way to my scalp, hurting like crazy.  It took forever to un-tangle.  That will not happen again!  (I hope.)

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

When I finally reached the point I was able to eyeball how much glass to use when using presses.  That was a biggie!

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

A tip to share… a great habit to get into is to “weld” your short to a new rod to avoid wasting glass or accumulating a big pile of shorts.

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?

There are sessions where I prefer just peace and quiet. Other days, a nice variety of music gets my creative juices flowing nicely. Daughtry definitely does it for me!

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

Take it slow and be easy on yourself.  Enjoy the journey. Most importantly, be safe with excellent ventilation.  Always keep your COE’s separate and well organized. 

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

I didn’t invent it, but put together a suction box to keep my fine silver foil from being sucked into my ventilation system.  It is not pretty, but it works perfectly!

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

Sure!  Here is my little slice of heaven… 

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

I try to spend at least 25-30 hours a week actually at the torch.  Not counting cleaning, etching, making caps and capping, stringing, photographing and listing them, etc.  It is never enough time.

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

I have a Fuji FinePix with a special macro lens along with daylight lighting. 

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 definitely a passion.  I so enjoy creating them.  It is my escape from the every day. 

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

I am honestly not sure.  Just keeping my eyes open. I hope to travel and attend shows in the future. Possibly having a large enough studio to have extra setups for small private classes. That is a dream of mine!

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

I have many favorite beads. One is my Tie Dye Flower Power bead and Vertebrae Bead.  Also my electroformed beads.  So much fun!