My name is Laura Sparling and I've been making glass beads since 2004.
A few years ago I saw an advert in the back of an American beadwork magazine that showed equipment for making your own glass beads. I was intrigued, to say the least!
I did a lot of research, bought some books and studied the subject for weeks and weeks. Eventually I took the plunge and set myself up in the back garden with my Dad's old Black & Decker Workmate and Horace, my beloved Hot Head torch.
After many happy hours of melting I decided that beadmaking was something that I really wanted to pursue further. I moved inside and worked on a camping table in the kitchen and then I eventually moved my beadmaking into the old shed in the back garden and switched Horace for a Carlisle Mini CC torch that Corina Tettinger kindly gave me as a gift.
I used to make beads as a way of relaxing after work and I sold them on eBay to make some money to buy new glass and tools with. People seemed to like my work and it soon became a little business. In 2006 I took the plunge and decided to make beads my full time job.
I used to make beads as a way of relaxing after work and I sold them on eBay to make some money to buy new glass and tools with. People seemed to like my work and it soon became a little business. In 2006 I took the plunge and decided to make beads my full time job.