about me

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=475 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="601d6263.jpg"> <div> <B>CABARI  BEADS</B></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CabariBeads"><U>Home</U></A>     <A HREF="http://www.etsy.com/shop/patriciasglass" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.etsy.com/shop/patriciasglass"><U>shop</U></A>    <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="tutorials"><U>tutorials</U></A>     <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="gallery"><U>gallery</U></A>   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="my midsummer nights dream"><U>my midsummer nights dream</U></A>     <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="links"><U>links</U></A>    <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="contact me"><U>contact</U></A></div> <bR> <div>  <IMG SRC="561e75c0.jpg" border=0 width="231" height="348" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003366" FACE="CAC Camelot" >         </FONT></div> <div>                  </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> <U>about </U></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="60100c00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B>Hi - My name is  Patty Miller and  I love melting glass.  I have  enjoyed multiple art mediums as life has led me down various paths of artistic endeavors and eventually into jewelry design 14 years ago.  Six years ago a friend introduced me to lampworking and it has been true love ever since.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Working with glass is about light and color. The constant challenge of the glass in the flame and then the kiln - getting  it to do what you want and loving what it does on it's own. That  keeps me from ever getting bored with this awesome medium.   My  beads and fused glass pieces become the focals in my own jewelry as well as being for sale. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>My beads are handcrafted one-by-one in my home studio in Knoxville, Tennesee, are always carefully cleaned, and kiln annealed to ensure you enjoy your purchase for years to come.  Unless otherwise noted in my item description, my beads are all created on 3/32" mandrels. My beads are made from Effetre (Moretti), Vetrofond, CIM, Reichenbach, Double Helix, and/or Lauscha glass, then annealed in a digitally controlled kiln for lasting durability. I use a Nortel Mid Range  Burner torch fueled with propane and my oxygen source is an Airsep 5LPM oxygen concentrator.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Fused glass designs made in the kiln can be very tiny or very large - very simple or very intricate and complex. After I design a piece it is put in the kiln and fired through a 4 phase cycle and the glass is  annealed in the process. The firing temperatures and holding times can vary causing different results in appearance and shape which are used as part of the design process. </B></div> <div> <B>My jewelry incorporates only the finest components: no plated metal, my own handmade glass beads, sterling silver, copper,brass,gold-filled, ornate Bali and Thai silver, genuine gemstones and Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls,etc. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I love glass and metals together so I work to incorporate my glasswork with silver smithing and precious metal clay. There is no limit to what you can do with silver clay and now there is bronze and copper clay as well!  I love the earthiness of the bronze and copper and will be playing with them for sure!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I am a current member of International  Society of Glass Beadmakers through my local chapter </B><A HREF="http://smokymountainfirecrackers.org/default.aspx" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://smokymountainfirecrackers.org/def"><U><B>The Smoky Mountain firecrackers</B></U></A><B>. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I took a great kiln fusing class with glass master  </B><A HREF="http://warmglass.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://warmglass.com/"><U><B>Brad Walker</B></U></A><B>  at Arrowmnont School of Arts and Crafts.</B></div> <div> <B>I have taken a class with Plum Loco in arch 2009 which challenged me and helped me develop a fearlessness of the glass cracking so I can focus on creativity. </B></div> <div> <B>I also got to be studio wench for a class in November  2009 with </B><B> </B><A HREF="http://envisionsf.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://envisionsf.com/"><U><B>Haley Tang</B></U></A><B>-the silver glass queen and picked up a few tips there!  ;o)   </B></div> <div> <B>I am hoping to add more to the list as there is always something new and exciting to learn. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I am also a member of  the online artist communities  Lampwork Etc., Wet Canvas, Society of International Jewelry Artisans and </B><B>I am  published in </B><A HREF="http://www.theannealermagazine.com/SeptemberJewelryDesigner.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theannealermagazine.com/Septe"><U><B>The Annealer Magazine.com as the  featured jewelry designer</B></U></A><B>. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>You can see my gallery of work at   </B><A HREF="http://www.beadartists.org/Gal514_Patricias_Gallery.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.beadartists.org/Gal514_Patric"><U><B>Bead Artists.org</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>