Lampwork Beads, the Artists behind them and my connection.

As I was diving into my bead stash I came across some Lampwork beads that I had bought and had stored away. I realized that I still have no idea what to do with them. When I buy Lampwork beads, a rarity because they can be so expensive, I buy them because they make me feel something. Either it brings back feelings from my childhood in the country, or where I want to go in the future as a wife and mother. Yes, I dream ideally.

As I admired these beads, and pondered once again how to use them, I thought how each bead is different from another. I have one that look like a southern woman in a purple dress and matching hat holding some flowers. (I bought that one because it's feels like who I want to be, having garden parties in the back yard... a little bit like Gone with the Wind so to speak). I have another that looks like a blue-green mermaid with brown hair an . (That made me feel like a kid again watching The Little Mermaid). I also have one that looks like a roasted turkey. (I think I was hungry at the time, but it also says something about my sense of humor).

Each bead so different from the other. Each bead made by a different artist.I had the pleasure of meeting two of the artist that made the beads.

One make the woman and one made the turkey. The artist who made the woman was very quiet and sweet. She was in her fifties and seemed like the type to crocheted doilies if she wasn't making beads. Her color choices where also soft and subtle. I had bought this bead long before I even met her, but now I can see how her personality transferred into the bead and made a connection with me and the dream of having quite garden parties.

The turkey bead I had bought after I had met the artist at a bead show. She was loud and playful and if you weren't prepared before hand she could come off as way over the top. I loved her sense of humor. Her outlook on life was 'it's all stage and look at me I'm the only one dancing'. Just crazy. We had a good time talking, laughing and making jokes. Then after looking at the beads she made I asked what was the craziest bead she had. That was when she pulled out the turkey. She explained how she wanted to make it look more roasted and something about a cat, but next thing I know I'm walking away with a bag and a 3" turkey in it. My husband must have thought I had gone off my rocker myself and kept asking what I was going to do with it. It's been almost two years and I still don't know.

Each bead so different from another. Each artist so different from each other. I felt a connection with them, even though I may never see them again, but it's like a friend has been made. I'll always remember them through these beads.

As I put the beads away I thought about how I could and should display them. It has to be something that says that it's equal to the artists who made them. One more day of pondering. I'll decide what to do with them tomorrow.