The playful, "Jester" script says
a lot about me, and where I am right now.....
~~~~~~ I come from a long line of crafters
and artists. My Mom used to tell my sister
and I stories about being rolled in our strollers
to deliver finished artwork. A weekly trip
was made to deliver handmade porcelain flowers
that she and her Mother had finished. Could
say that my sister and I lived art from an
early age!
We "Collins'" women tried it all
at least once! Ceramics, painting, doll-making,
enameling, sewing of all kinds, plastic canvas....
you name it, we did it. Lots of our art found
its way into art and craft shows, and into
gift packages over the years.
~~~~~~~"Grannie" was famous for
knitting intricate animals into sweaters,
and making a mighty fine poodle skirt! "Mommie"
could make your skin get goosebumps over
her amazing ceramic pieces, and my sister,
she used to create some of the best bingo
crafts that you ever laid eyes on! I think
you have the idea of where the ability to
create came from, but there is so much more
that goes into every glass bead.
~~~~~~ The creation of each bead takes a
little bit of every skill and talent I've
learned, but it also incorporates a bit of
the creative childs' soul in me............................
~~~~~~~ I started Angel Craft Studio in 1981.
It has always been a home-based business
that has offered various handmade crafts.
Finished ceramic products and dolls of all
kinds have been my most stable product lines,
along with more recent additions of handmade
greeting cards and papers. In order to increase
sales, I learned, also from my Mom, Grannie
and sister, to combine art media. Often you
would find among my product lines ... a doll
with intricate gemstone beadwork, a ceramic
vase with a fashion doll created on the outside,
or a greeting card made from an old CD covered
in leather! And then, I saw an article about
lampworked glass beads!
~~~~~ I read every article I could find,
and in 1997, I taught myself the art of Lampworking
glass.
Everything I had learned came together in
the first flame and melted glass!
The mysteries and the magic of glass hit
a real cord in that "childs' soul, and
I had found my niche.
To me, each and every one of my beads is
a miniature sculpture.... Full of all the
rich frames of reference given to me by those
who came before....... My work is an extension
of their love, and in my sisters' case, continued
love and support.......... Thanks Renee'!
Angel Craft Studio Lampworked Glass beads
have been made using a Bethlehem Burner torch
for the last three years, although for the
first four years I worked on a HotHead torch.
According to one local supplier, Wale Apparatus,
who saw my work from the small HotHead torch,
I had far surpassed what they thought was
possible. The need to produce more beads
and faster, led me to upgrade to an oxygen/propane
system from the single gas one I was using.
~~~~~~ I use a computer controlled table-top
kiln to anneal each and every bead, and also
to fire gold and decals onto beads from time
to time. Still mixing media, I also use pearl
powders on some beads, and use beads to decorate
handmade books and cards........
My beads are offered on eBay and here on my website. They are also in collections or jewelry designs around the world; including the United Kingdom, Africa, New Zealand , and the U.S. Virgin Islands! Ornamental, sculptural beads have been accepted by the White House for the Christmas Tree three years in a row. They have been in juried shows, and have been sold in the Bead and Button magazine Auctions for Breast Cancer.
Some of my most recent publications and works contributed can be found here at Fire Mountain Gems in the Circle of Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Necklace for 2004 .............Circle of Hope ..... If you scroll down the page you'll see the beads that they used. The finished necklace is at the link at the bottom of the Fire Mountain page....Cicle of Hope IV Bead Designers.
There's a saying which means a lot to me
and I try to follow through every year...
PAY IT FORWARD! I've been very fortunate to have a great
family, friends and a supportive husband
and dog-baby too. My Fire Mountain donations
are one way that I pay it forward, but my
biggest love is the HOPE Bracelet Project.
The project helps women of Yetabon, Ethiopia
to work towards self-sufficiency. Beadmakers
and suppliers from all over the world have
donated all of the materials necessary for
the women to create one of a kind bracelets!
When auctioned at Trice Jewelers' in Denver,
Co., all of the money generated to used by
the school in Yetabon!!!! Please read more
here.......Hope Bracelet Project
Angel Craft Studio Art Glass Beads ...... Web Site Designer ... Jacqui Collins-Parker....