Clare Scott
In 2007 I left my Veterinary Nursing career to have a think about what I wanted to do with my life....
I have always been creative and realised I needed an outlet for my creativity.
I spent night after night on the internet, scouring the prospectuses of local colleges as I wanted to study jewellery design.... or so I thought.
Luckily I came across a local jewellery maker (I know know she is a Lampworker!!) - Anna Richards @ Beads on Toast. I asked if she knew of any jewellery courses in the area. She replied saying she didn`t know of any but she ran lampworking courses. LAMPWORKING COURSES?! Now THAT sounded interesting!! So I looked into it.....playing with glass over a big hot torch! FUN! I never knew you could actually make glass beads!! I pestered the life out of poor Anna for information about this amazing subject (thankyou SOO much!) and decided to take my own path. Ever since that day I have been a complete hermit - with my head in glassy books, reading up on techiques on forums, trawling the internet for video tutorials etc etc...
Next step was annealing my beads whilst I saved up for a kiln.... huge thanks to Helen Prole @ Beady Bugs for your kiln space.
I was given a 'hothead' torch for my 28th Birthday in April 2007. I instantly knew making beads was for me and quickly upgraded my setup to a Nortel Minor burner running on bulk propane and Oxygen.
I have been making beads full time since May this year.
I still have so much to learn....
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My first ever bead was made in my mum`s garage over my first 'hothead' torch (I am very grateful to you mum – couldn`t do this without ya!)
My Studio is now in the conservatory (I have completely taken over), home is in Barkston Ash, near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
I've not taken any classes, instead, I have learnt from books, video tutorials, an e-tutorial, experimentation etc, etc!
Bead makers I admire are ultimately the late Shannon Hill (RIP) and Trey Cornette. Their skill and control fascinates me. I have great admiration for glassblower John Ditchfield www.glasform.com and try to visit his studio as often as possible, which usually ends in a purchase or two... I would give anything to have a studio workshop and onsite gallery. He produces glass ornaments with such amazing metallic colours and iridescence.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/288-1.jpg)
My wonderful customers give me the determination to create beads everyday. Their encouraging comments and fantastic pictures of their creations are a huge inspiration. I am so grateful to you all.
I grew up in Cornwall, overlooking the sea, so I guess I am influenced greatly by flowing water and nature i.e. seasonal colour changes and textures.
Sometimes ideas just bounce into my head from no-where when I learn about a glass and how it reacts. Sometimes just looking at a rod of Psyche by Double Helix (my all time favourite glass) is inspiration enough.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/283-1.jpg)
I am completely an utterly osbsessed with reactive silver glass. I use heaps of glass mainly by Double helix, to a lesser amount TAG and GT Glassworks. I use my own shards in all my beads, if I had a signature bead – a chunky shard bead would be it!
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/284-1.jpg)
I would love to create larger objects with borosilicate glass – and have the setup to go with it..... !!
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/289-1.jpg)
A silver cored bead made from a Champagne bottle is the bead I am most proud of.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/281-1.jpg)
or
My 'Ethereal' beads.
Eve Smith created a beautiful necklace from them, they appeared on the front page of Beads & Beyond magazine last month.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/282-1.jpg)
Emotion, adventure, spirituality and curiosity are a few of my personality traits that come out in my beads - with hopefully a sprinkling of sophistication!
I am very much a perfectionist and am told this trait can be seen in my beads – or rather the ones I sell as 'seconds'. At a past bead fair at Haydock, Dragonfly Lynne told me to change to sign on my 'imperfect' beads to 'orphans' I thought it was so funny!
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/287-1.jpg)
I am currently rapidly working through my orders and commissions for the Christmas period, so I will be able to concentrate on producing more original designs.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/285-1.jpg)
I sell my beads purely through my website, my Etsy & Artfire shops. I have sold my jewellery through Galleries in the past but I really don`t think it is worth my while when they take their commission.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u197/northernsockmonkeys/286-1.jpg)
My bead website - http://www.beadsbyclaredscott.co.uk
My jewellery website - http://www.clarescott.co.uk
My blog – http://www.beadsbyclarescott.blogspot.com
My etsy shop – http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5118025
Please do get in touch – claredscott@hotmail.com