How Did I Start This?

So, how did I get interested in lampworking, you ask? What's that? You didn't ask? That's okay, I'm happy to tell you anyhow.

Several years ago I saw Deanna Griffin Dove demonstrating her lampworking on the Lynette Jennings show. Until then it had never even occurred to me that people actually made glass beads. I guess I just thought they were made in factories with fancy equipment, or maybe I just really didn't think of it at all. When I saw one being made by Deanna I was intrigued. I really thought I'd like to do that myself but I thought it seemed too complicated, and I wouldn't even begin to know where to start with something like that, so I didn't think much more about it.

Later, a friend of mine, a fellow homeschooling mom, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at one point during her fight a bunch of us from our circle of friends decided to show our support by creating a big beautiful string of beads for her. Jan was a bead lover, and several of us remembered getting beads from her at one of our weekend gatherings. Each of us contributed a bead or two to string together. I remembered the lampwork bead I'd seen on the show before and wished I could make something beautiful like that for Jan. Instead I made two very amateurishly, yet lovingly, done polymer clay beads, and enjoyed making them so much I was determined that I would find a way to learn to make glass beads. I took a class for beginners, bought some equipment to start, and I was on my way.

Jan lost her fight with breast cancer, but her life still touches mine today, and lampworking is just one of the ways.

So, I'm lampworking because I've been inspired by others. My lampworking changes and grows as a result of still more inspiration from others, and maybe they don't even know how they've inspired me. Everything we do sends ripples out into the lives of others, and here I am sharing a couple of ripples with you. Maybe now you'll be inspired to try something new too.