Working over the flame, meet the Glassworker: Lampworking is a form of making glass beads that dates back to the 5th century BC, when beadmakers used the flame of an oil lamp to heat glass so that it could be moulded into shapes.
When Michele Bevis discovered lampworking about sixteen years ago, she was mesmerised, captivated by the viscous glass. She knew she had found a method of creating her own glass beads for her bespoke jewellery designs.
Now under the name emubeads, Michele’s handmade glass beads are individually forged by layering heated glass, shaping, mixing glass with metal and powder inclusions, sometimes combined with her hand forged silver components, all combined with exquisite artistry.
Michele is currently a FINALIST in the International Bead Biennial in Stourbridge, UK and is keeping her fingers crossed to be accepted as a FINALIST in Venice’s Jewellery Week!
Michele will be hosting a workshop onsite, recycling and up cycling beads – keep an eye on our Workshops page, we’ll be posting details as soon as they are finalised.