About Suzanne
In 1992 I graduated in design at the University of Derby, specialising in the manufacture and design of jewellery.
My discovery and exploration of the art of lampworking has drawn me towards the use of glass as a medium to incorporate into my jewellery designs to inject colour and contrast to the silver and other materials used.
In April 2004 I set up my business 'Suzanne - Glass Beads & Jewellery Designer'.
'Lampworking is a technique that enables me to design and individually make beautiful beads with intricate detail, making each bead unique. Colour is what inspires my designs, from the brightest oranges to the coolest blues. The combinations evolve through experimentation inspired by nature, fabrics and fashion.'
Designs begin by melting a rod of Murano glass in the flame of a high temperature torch and manipulating the molten glass into a variety of shapes and sizes. Surface decoration is applied by adding detail such as dots, stripes and spiral trails with finer pieces of glass called stringers, building up layers of opaque and translucent colours, from which the combinations are endless. The finished beads are annealed in a kiln for 24 hours which makes them very strong and durable. The inclusion of other techniques such as etching, fine silver, silver leaf detail and enamelling in my most recent designs has added new textures and subtle colours to my beads.
