AOTM October 2009 - Pam Purslow

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Pamela Purslow

I first came across beadmaking when I was making jewellery from fused glass, but wanted to put a hole through the centre as I was put off by drilling and gluing to attach silver posts, bails etc. I was "surfing the net" and I came across a very friendly and helpful lampworker. After a few questions and tips I bought a couple of dedicated books on the subject of lampworking and within weeks bough my first kit.



I made my first beads in my garage on a hot head in 2006, no one looking over my shoulder or guiding me I lit my starter touch and off I went and have never looked back.



My first class was in Belgium with Sarah Hornik, I have since attended a class with Diana East and Sally Carver in Diana's Enderby Studio.



Some of the beads makers I admire are Laura Sparling for her precision and focus, I say to myself one day I will have the discipline to execute such meticulously made beads.
I love the colour combinations of Sarah Hornik beads.
Diana East for her vision.
Shari Slonski for her design and clarity.
Anastasia- fantastic design and shape of beads.
There are also so many of our own bead makers on this forum whose work I admire but to name them I would surely offend those I have missed out.



My inspiration comes from colour and movement, the way the wind blows, the water runs etc. can change the mood of my beads. I also like to use this movement in my beads by dragging adjacent colours or shaping the encased layer and twisting the molten glass.


I mainly make beads using transparent glass and do a lot of encasing as I love the fact that what is encased is magnified. I think I am known by a few for my ripple beads so I guess these could be my signature bead.




Iwould really like to master the art of very fine stringer work which I guess would open up more designs for me.

I am most proud of this bead



mainly because it came out exactly as I planned it, which so rarely happens with so many of my beads.

My head is full of so many ideas that I flit from one design to another. I think if you were to say a trait of my personality that is "reflected" in my beads you could say simple and yet I use a number of techniques within the design  of each bead and like my pesonality I am what you see, uncomplicated, staight forward but with hidden depth.



I am working on floral design beads of all sorts at the moment. I am also trying to get my head around big hole beads (I find these quite a challenge as I like delicate rather than chunky beads).
I also want to work more with enamels and improve my stringer work for future bead designs I have sketched.




I regularly sell my jewellery at the local "Made In Shropshire" craft fair (www.madeinshropshire.co.uk )
I have attended various bead fairs but I mainly sell my beads on my website: www.mapleglass.co.uk