Patricia Santana -Lampwork Art Glass Beads and Jewelry

Patricia Santana Studio
Handcrafted Art Glass Beads and Jewelry by Patricia Santana

Last Updated 05/22/2008 , 04:07 AM

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To start learning about Lampworking

A few times a week I get an email from someone aspiring to take up lamworking. Or to learn about lampwork, so that they can decide whether they want to try it or not.

Here is a common email exchange to the most common question "HI, I love your beads! I want to learn lampworking too, but I don't even know where to start! Can you help me?" Here's what I usually answer...I've put it down in pretty much the un-organized manner it comes to my mind when I answer the email...(one day I'll clean this up and organize it!- PROMISE!)

Hi <insert your name here>!

Thanks for your compliments! I have plenty of advice - but I have to run out of the office right now~! I'll get back to you tomorrow!
Meanwhile...this is the best book out there for lampworking that I know of (but not the only one!), pricey, yes, but worth every penny...I took it EVERYWHERE for the first 3 months...read every word over and over...
http://www.corinabeads.com/Print.html
And yes, don't despair...you CAN teach yourself!
Back tomorrow!

Patricia

Then it usually takes more than one day to get to write the next email...."TOMORROW" is always a bit optimistic for me...

Hi <insert your name here>,
Sorry it took a few days to get back to you...(But at least I didn't forget!) It was just a little hectic around here...(this is usually always true too!)

OK, so to teach yourself, one of the best resources out there is actually Corina Tettingers book (which you already may have.) Then there is a few fabulous websites with tons of information you can research....
(all in no particular order!)

Wet Canvas has a Glass Art forum http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/channels.php?s=&channel_id=40, with three sub-fora, the Technical, Showcase and the LOBBY. The technical section has a few "sticky" posts, that are always at the top in the forum, and they contain GREAT information for the beginner. Here is the link for that: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=93

The information is free, and there is quite a large community of folks out there eager to help each other out.
Then there is the ISGB, International Society of Glass Beadmakers, they also have a forum, educational resources, safety information and much else: http://www.isgb.org/

Cindy Jenkins is a famous glass bead maker, and author of one of the first good books on contemporary glass bead making. She also invented the HOT HEAD, the beginners torch many people start out with. Here is a link to her stuff: http://www.hotheadsource.com/

Here are two other forums (I know of) which could be helpful:
http://www.artglassforum.com/
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/

And this website to a fellow lampworker, Melinda Melanson has a collection of great tutorials: http://www.cauldroncreations.com/tutorialindex.html

And last, but definitely not least, this is the links page on another fellow beadmaker's website Kandice Seeber (I love her work!), she has one of the best organized, most comprehensive links to all sorts of lampworking resources that will help you out:
http://www.lampwork.net/soozlinkslist.html

Oh, and here is one more...similar...lots of well organized resources here: http://lampworkglassbeads.com/

I hope this is helpful! If you decide to join Wet Canvas or LampworkEtc (they are both free), introduce yourself in the "lobby" and you will be warmly greeted!
Good luck , and feel free to email me if you have any more questions!
~Patricia

So, if you've read this, you pretty much know what I would answer you. Take a look and dig around the links, and link collections I pointed you to...Many questions will be answered, and hopefully you'll be on your way to starting this captivating, fascinating, mesmerizing, and wallet-draining activity of lampworking. Oh, and if you STILL have questions...yep- I'd still be happy to answer them!

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