Let's see... a little about me....I started making lampwork glass beads in September, 2001.  I have taken several classes from people with very diverse styles, so I'm hoping that my work reflects the influences of others, but looks like something all my own.

I took my first glass class from Craig Milliron at Arrow Springs - he's awesome!  It was a great class.  My second was July of 2002 with Kate Fowle at Jim Kervin's house.  I didn't take my camera, but I met Jiley - which led to my boro class later.  And in 2006, I did take another class with Kate and I do have a picture of her further down.  In fact, I took a picture of Craig in that class too, just so I'd have all my teachers:

 

The next class I took was from Corina in September 2002.  It's amazing how much I learned and how much better I got at making beads.  My friend Linda is the one standing on the far right (I'm left, right over Corina's shoulder).  I've made lots of friends in classes - that's one of the best things about  making beads.... lots of great people : )

The next class I took was from Lauri and Jiley sometime in 2003....  Lauri is at the torch, Jiley is in the teal shirt, far left.   This is the class where we got to torch in the dark all afternoon.   Must have been December 2002 or Jan 2003.  It was an extremely fun class.  Lauri and Jiley are sarcastic - they share my kind of humor.

And then the marble class from George O'Grady in the summer of 2003.... I do not like working off mandrel... I like beads!!

Also in the summer of 2003 - Kim Osibin's class.  We did lots of big stuff - not that I do a lot of it now, but at least I get it.... and fuming and other fun stuff.  I have made my own millefiore a few times now... thanks Kim!

And in November of 2003, Jim Smircich came to visit Arrow Springs.... I learned a lot about how to read the heat in my glass.  I use what I learned all the time - but wish I could get the hang of shaping big beads.  Tom and Linda took the class with me, so it was even more fun. 

Hey!  Where are the beads?

Silversmith class at CCA - summer 2004
 I made other stuff too, but I'd have to round it up, and I can't find it all.  Of course I don't remember much from the class, but I do have lots of new equipment : )

The Gathering in Portland Oregon - July 2004

Back row - Nicole, Nicole, me, Jamilyn, Vikki, Sarah
Front row - Jennifer, Kalera, Lori, Linda

Finally - I get to update with a new class!  September, 2004 Sharon Peter's class - what fun!  Everyone talks about how funny Sharon is, but really she's a very good, patient teacher.  The class was so much fun!

Sharon teaching class - that's Irene, Jelveh (Jelveh Designs) , and Mary (left to right) behind her.

 

Beads I made and won - the gray cat in the middle is Sharon's that I won.....

Boy, was the bead toss fun... everyone started a bead and when the Beatles song was over, you passed it to your left - it kept going around the table until all 9 people added to it and it got back to you.... talk about some funky goofy beads!

And now for my BUSY! February 2005......
FEB 12-13
It started with a weekend class learning to do Japanese style beads with a volcano torch and Satake glass.

Akihiro Okama with Emiko.

 

I bought Aki's bead on the left and tried to make one - on the right

And here's a picture of Ryo Ono with a bunch of classmates (including Kim Sullivan, Emiko, Alex Shapiro, Janice Peacock, Andru, Shirley Cook...) making a core vessel.

Here's the bead I bought from him and the core vessel he taught us to make (mine's a bit wonky, but it stands.....)  He makes twisties in a way I've never seen before - it was very cool. 

FEB 19-20
The next weekend I took Larry Scott's class at Arrow Springs.  A picture of Larry at work

and one of Larry's class beads (left) and the bead I made in class (right)
            

FEB 26-27
And then the following weekend, I took Kate McKinnon's class in Pacific Grove.  I went with my friends Linda, Lori, and Sarah and my sister Alexis.  We had a great time, but it was more like a slumber party than a class, though I did learn a lot about PMC and I did make a garden bracelet.

And a picture from our walk on the first morning - Kate made us breakfast and then cleaned up while we went for a short walk along the beach.

MARCH 5-6, 2005
And then, because I'm a glutton for punishment, I went to a class for the 4th weekend in a row at Arrow Springs with Alethia Donothan.  Whew!  I need a vacation!!

And then, the set of class beads I made - we started by playing with silver (blue at 11:00 and the next 3) and then we played with enamels (vessel shaped one) and fuming (gold and green - some of my fuming came off in the kiln) and then copper (next 2) and then the "can't mess it up bead".  Alethia made the one in the middle with the paladium - she made a bead for everyone in the class.

OCTOBER 29-30, 2005
Finally, time for another class.... this one with Andrea Guarino!  It was a wonderful class - I learned so much and went out and bought a bunch of equipment.... Craig loves it when I do that : )

Andrea at the grinding wheel with her husband, Whit.  We all wanted a Whit by the end of class - he makes tools, cleaned up after us, had a good sense of humor, was a sweetheart to Andrea..... they make a great team!

Top left is a nautilus bead, then the salmon egg bead in red and the seagarden bead on the top right. 
On the bottom is a galaxy bead and then a galaxy within bead - all of them were so much fun to do and all such different techniques.  This was an awesome class!!!

October 2006 - Michael Barley

Wow.  A year between classes? 
Michael with Lisa and Linda behind him.... I have loved all my classes (well, almost all of them) and I've had some great teachers, but this was my favorite.  There's just something about Michael - maybe it's that I've been wanting to take his class for so long and I finally got to do it.  Or maybe it's that I learned to encase in a way that won't smear flowers.  Or maybe it's that I made good bicones (finally)!  Or maybe it's his attitude... I just felt like I learned so much and had so much fun.  Okay, I'll stop gushing.

Beads I made in class:
Harlequin, Chrysalis, Utah, Georgia Peach, typical Barley (this one was the first one, before I got the hang of the shaping thing....)

November 2006 - Kate Fowle-Meleney

Kate was complaining that no one ever got pictures of her smiling, so I took lots so I could get a good one. 

The first day we made blanks so we could paint and we played with enamels.  I didn't do much bead making.... but the second day we played with metals and enamels and I did manage to make a few beads : )

I also had a picture taken of me (left), Tom, and Linda at the class!  I figure since I like to talk about them, you might as well know what we all look like these days.  Of course, I've been up since 4:45 and we're in a warehouse, so we're dressed (hair and make up and all) accordingly. 

Besides taking classes and making beads, I also teach high school math, which is something that I love!

Thanks for taking the time to look at my website. 
I hope you enjoyed it!

Kimberly

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