Kerry Melson I work with Jewelry designs using handtorched Lampwork Beads (made by me!)  and other jewelry creations using Gemstones, Czech Glass, and Swarovski Crystals. I got started when my mom had bought several tubes of vintage beads at an outdoor flea market in New York City in 2001 and was beginning to become a jewelry designer. Being an avid jewelry lover, I was interested and started making earrings out of the beads we had available. Earring designing turned into bracelet and necklace design until my mom and I had started our business. I was intrigued by these very colorful "bumpy" beads I was using in some of my designs and yearned to make some with my own color combinations. I found out they were called "Lampwork Beads." I located a glass studio in Orlando called Flametree Glass. They have had many accomplished Lampwork artists give workshops, and I was fortunate enough to learn from some of the best.   I love being a jewelry designer/glass artist because I like having the freedom to create any color combination I wish - whether it is specifically to match a special outfit or just because it pleases me; it's my vision or idea brought to life. I have been designing jewelry for 4 years and doing Lampwork Glass for 2 years.  I am inspired by looking at fashion magazines, catalogues, even wallpaper. I find myself studying the print on fabric and think to myself, "How would those colors translate to a bead?" or "I never thought of putting those colors together!!"  One technique in Lampworking that I love is called "Encased Florals." These are beads in which the artist creates beautiful flowers that seem to float inside the bead. I am still practicing!! The art of Lampworking gets its name from ancient Roman times when artisans would melt glass in the burning flame of a lamp to create beautiful glass beads. Today the tradition is carried on by glass bead artisans who melt glass rods in the flame of modern day torches. Lampwork beads from China are now widely circulated, but these beads have not been through the process of annealing. In short, this is a process whereby glass beads are placed in a very hot kiln after they are made and fired to about 940 degrees. The kiln temperature cools very slowly and stabilizes the molecules in the glass making it very strong and durable. I have a degree in education from Florida Southern College and spent several years teaching. I now design jewelry full-time with my wonderful mom, Susan. I have been published in Bead Style Magazine (June/July 2006) and will be published in a book from Martingale Publishing called "Beaded Necklaces" due out Summer 2007.