Featured Artisan -- Rosebud's Lampwork Beads

This week's featured artisan is Mallory of Rosebud's Lampwork Beads. An amazing lampwork artist, Mallory offers beautiful handcrafted glass beads, jewelry and more in her Etsy shop.

Tell me a little bit about you and what you do.
I am a retired special education teacher with a passion for melting glass. I make lampwork beads. I feel that making glass beads is challenging and exciting. I don't feel like I've begun to master the craft. Those unborn beads keep me excited about life!

What 3 phrases best describe your work?
funky, fun, affordable

What inspires you?
I think bright colors and patterns are the most inspiring things for me. When I see colors combined with an amazing pattern, I want to make that bead!

What drives you to create what you do?
I love a challenge. Making lampwork beads is a challenge because there is always something new to learn and to master.

What makes your work unique?
I like to make things that are one of a kind. I rarely repeat a bead. It's hard for me to make identical beads for a set for that reason. I love variety, and I love making that one of a kind bead.


What role does your work play in your life?
Making and marketing my beads is a predominant part of my life. I try to torch almost everyday. I do like to take, at least, one day off a week, but the marketing aspect of selling the beads, is ongoing and everyday.

What role would you like it to play?
I like what I do now. I would like to have to work less on marketing, but there's a lot of healthy, good competition out there. There are so many truly great lampwork bead artists. I really want to be more like them with less in the way of marketing.

How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
I feel that my work can only get better. I hope to continue to enjoy making lampwork glass beads. I also hope to bring more wire work and fiber into my pieces. One of these days, I hope to slow down a bit, too.

Where can we find you on the web?
Informational Website: http://www.rosebud101.com
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5181465
Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/rosebud101
1000Markets: http://www.1000markets.com/users/1078
Blog: http://www.rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/

Are you an artist or craftsperson? Would you like to be featured here? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment here with a link to your shop, and I'll be in touch about future opportunities.