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About Me - Leisa Zoeller
I started making jewellery as a hobby to 'relieve stress' in
2000, beginning with simple stringing and weaving. As my
skill and my interest grew I found that I could not
seem to find the beads that I wanted within my few sources
around Brisbane Australia. Some months (and trips to Sydney)
later I realised that I may have to either import the beads
I wanted from overseas (expensive), or potentially somehow
'make' them myself.
With a half cocked idea in my head I began researching the
internet. What a plethora of information I found. Stumbling
through the jungle of information, not entirely sure what it
was that I was looking for, I came across glass bead making,
or 'lampworking'.
What an epiphany for me! Reading about the process of
melting and shaping hot glass awakened all of my childhood
fascination with fire and glass blowing. I set about finding
out what I needed to do to start making my own glass beads.
It was at this point that I got stalled. Why? With all the
reading I had done I had become convinced that I needed
everything at once. An Oxygen/Propane torch with a proper
studio, complete with exhaust extractors, a kiln for
annealing and kilos and kilos of different types of glass.
Daunting to say the least. I didn't have the money for all
of that so put it into the back of my head as something to
save towards and dream for.
In 2005 I attended the
Bead and Gem Show here in Brisbane. It was
fantastic. At this show I met Cathy and Penell from
Chockadoo in Sydney. They explained to me that I didn't
necessarily need all of that stuff to begin making glass
beads. I just needed the basics. They supplied me with a
basic kit of an inexpensive single fuel torch (the good old
Hot Head), connectors to attach it to my BBQ gas bottle, a
book on how to make glass beads, some mandrels, bead
release, a selection of Moretti (Italian) and Bullseye
(American) Glass and a list of basic safety needs (glasses,
fire extinguisher, vermiculite etc.). All for something in
the region of $150! Penell suggested that to get into it I
just "pull up a milk crate, attach my torch, open the garage
door for a through breeze for ventilation, and have a try".
I've never looked back.
From the moment I lit the torch and melted that first blob
of hot glass I knew that I had found my passion. Making
glass beads has become an obsession and a joy. It takes me
to a place where I can be creative and free thinking.
Every bead I make, even the dodgy misshapen unlovable ones
contain a small part of my energy and vitality.
I'm still very definitely learning with this art form, and
practice practice is the key. But I'm proud to share with
you some of my successes either made into jewellery or sold
individually.
Thankyou for your interest!
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