My name is Karen Baildon and I live in Cheshire with my husband Mark and 3 cats – a black and white moggy called Rosie and two blue-eyed, snow-spotted Bengal sisters called Mili and Mala.

I first learned to make lampwork beads in August 2007 in Adelaide South Australia where I had my first lesson with Sharon Griffiths of Beads Indeed. I then spent a happy 3 weeks practising on a little hothead torch alongside my best friend Sally.

On returning home to England, I spent 3 months dreaming about glass and beads until I was finally able to take another lesson with the very talented Mike Poole of Tillerman Beads and to set up my own studio in a tiny rented shop close to home, taking the decision to work on a minor torch with propane and an oxycon (a former medical oxygen generator which is used to increase the heat of the torch). I also invested in a Paragon SC2 kiln which enables me to anneal my beads and ensure that, with care, they will last a lifetime.  I am registered as a self representing artist (No B118). Click here for more information about the SRA scheme.

I am continuing to learn my art and have recently taken a further lesson with Pauline Holt (JazzyLily). I am shortly to have an intro lesson with the wonderfully talented Claire Morris of Rowanberry Glass Art and will be attending a two-day workshop at the end of November with Sally Carver (Red Hot Sal) and Leigh Armstrong (Magick Minx). I also continue to learn a lot from my lovely and generous friends on Frit Happens! to whom I am very grateful.

I make my beads from soft glass including Effetre/Moretti (Italian), Vetrofond (Italian), Lauscha (German), CiM (Creation is Messy – Chinese), Plowden & Thompson (UK) and also some of the more expensive reactive glasses from Double Helix and Precision (USA).    

Lampworking has quickly become an obsession.  I love colour but cannot paint or draw. With glass I have found a medium that I feel comfortable with. There is nothing quite like watching glass melting in a flame – it is mesmerising! When I was small, I used to dream about discovering a new colour that no-one had ever seen before (obviously before I studied any physics!) and I love the way you can combine, swirl and layer glass to get some very interesting colour effects. 

I have also designed and made jewellery for a number of years and it was through jewellery-making that I first discovered lampworking. Having bought many beautiful artisan beads from fabulous UK and US bead makers, I realised that what I really wanted was to create my own lampwork beads to showcase within my own jewellery.