The featured artist for the month is Wendy Bergamin of Melbourne.

How long have you been Lampworking?
I have been lampworking since January 2004.

What torch do you have?
I have a Nortel “Magor B” Torch which is a magor torch with a minor on top.

What is yor favourite glass to work with?
I like working with Effetre most of all but I also like the Double Helix silvered glasses as I like the reactions that can be acheived with them.

If you could be a glass rod which one would it be and why?
Hmm, reminds me a bit of that phone call between Charles and Camilla. I’d like to be the glass rod that has just been purchased with all of the possibilties still in the imagination, just waiting to be explored. Then, when doing so, producing even more unexpected and brilliant reactions.

Who is the most inspirational teacher you have done a workshop with?
Gee, that is a hard one. I have found that I have learnt something new with everyone I have taken a workshop with. I just did an electroforming workshop with Kate Fowle Meleny and she is amazingly generous with her knowledge and contacts and materials.

what is your favourite technique?
I would have to say anything that requires a dot or a spot. I know, that is obvious as all glass bead designs, other than ‘organics’ require dots and spots.
Sometimes I will make some floral beads and then I think that if I never have to make another floral bead it will be too soon. I go to making structured dot and spot designs and then find myself coming back to florals and really enjoying it. I guess I like to try lots of different techniques rather than just using one over and over again just in different colours.

Whose lampwork beads do you admire?
I just bought a couple of Wayne Robbins beads. He works in borosillicate and makes the most amazing frogs. He is a very happy and laid-backed artist and I think this must be partly due to his ability but also to the fact that his work is so unique that it is unlikely to be mass produced in some far off country.

Where do you find your inspiration?
In art books and by Googling images of flowers and landscapes. Sometimes just in my mind when I start something and it gives me an idea for a different design.

How often do you torch a week?
Nearly every day, though sometimes I get a bit slack and leave it for a day or two. That makes me eager to get back to it. I usually work for at least 5 hours a day.

What exciting places has lampworking taken you?
All around Australia and to America and Hong Kong.

Do you have work in galleries?
Yes, at the Kirra Gallery at Federation Square in Melbourne and at a couple of jewellery shops and a gallery in Port Douglas. Also in a couple of galleries and shops in America. I also have one of my goddesses in the Kobe Glass Museum in Japan and the Glass and Bead Museum in Canada.

What did you want to be when you grew up? are you close?
I always wanted to do something in the art field. I was a secondary school arts and crafts teacher for 13 years (I majored in ceramics and did wheel thrown pottery and sculpture) and then I beaded wedding dresses and entered the Gown of the Year quest twice and was a finalist both times. Then I designed and made children’s clothes for a few years, then teddy bears and now beads.

What technique do you still want to learn?
I would like to try a bit more borosillicate glass and I would like to make more marbles and paperweights.

Who would you like to do a workshop with?
I would like to do a workshop with Wayne Robbins and Lewis Wilson and to do some coldwork on beads.

Wendy can be contacted via her website Beargamin Beads

Have you seen the movie “The Kid’ with Bruce Willis? I loved this movie it was on agin last weekend as the Sunday afternoon Disney Movie. A great way to spend the afternoon finishing the weekend with a feelgood movie.

The general idea of the movie is a man who is very cynical about life and is visited by his 8 year old self. Which forces him to look back on his life and what his dreams were at that age. His 8 year old self is disgusted with himself because he is not a pilot and does not own a dog and also single. I am not going to tell you how the movie ends but I think its worth seeing.

What this movie led me to question is “What I wanted to be when I grew up”? and If my 8 year old self was to come visit would they be happy with how I turned out?

Well when I was 8, my lifes dream was to own a Lollie shop, one of those olf fashioned English Lollie shops that had jars of lollies all around the walls. It was a happy dream I liked lollies and the jars always made me happy and smile.

So jump forward 26 years and do I own a lollie shop?

Welllll not exactly. The simple answer is no. But I do have those shelves and jars full of what look like lollies but are instead beads. So perhaps in part I did grow up to be what I wanted I just can;t eat the contents of the jars. I still get happy and smile on my face so the feeling of the dream is the same.

Would my 8 year old self be happy with the outcome. I think they would have a hell of alot of fun playing in my studio. I think I got the healthy version of my original dream, its a good thing I can;t eat those beads.

Last year when I went to New York I visited the M & M shop and along the walls were massive tubes of M & M’s colour coordinated these reminded me of all my tubes of seedbeads that I had sitting on my shelves at home.

So I ask you what did you want to be when you grew up and would your 8 year old self be happy with what you have become?

What a wonderful book full of lots of stunning eye candy.

I never knew it was possible to make so many beautiful buttons. The book is very easy to read with lots of beautiful photos, Instructions and graphs are very easy to follow.

The book is broken down into 5 sections
*Needle Lace Buttons
*Braid Buttons
*Crocheted Buttons
*Frog Closures
*Fabric and Ribbon Buttons

I can picture some of these stunning buttons as closures for an elaborate seed bead project or made up and simply worn as pendants. There are so many possibilties that you can use these for other then just buttons!

You will not be disappointed with the purchase of this book.

Well its nearly the end of the financial year. Time to stocktake and do all the paperwork for the tax man.

To minimise the amount of counting I have to do I am doing a End of Financial year Sale.

15% Discount store wide.

Well I don;t know if you would find this fish in the sea as I think it more of a tropical fish, but it would certainly look good in your fish tank.

Its a fused dichroic glass cabochon with a fish that has been handetched into the glass. Perhaps you have a sea themed piece of jewellery in the works or just love fish.