Hello! We are the Campbell's - My name is Chou and my husband's name is Jeff. We invite you to look at our partially finished small lampwork studio, in our over sized garage. On November 11, 2007, we decided to clean and get our studio in gear. We need to install a vent for venataltion. Here are a few photos below.
We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment for about a year-an-a-half. I made my very first lampwork bead in October 2004 in our large kitchen (we didn't have a kitchen table). I was self taught from a kit that Jeff bought me from Hobby Lobby, the best investment he bought. I believe the kit then was around $125.00 - $130.00.
October 2005 we moved into our house (we rented for about a year) and I had all my lampwork items all boxed up. We Closed on our house 8 August of 2007. My husband surprised me and bought me a new torch, oxygen tank (hospital tanks), and hose, etc.. Through the years (2 years) I have been buying supplies like my rods, moretti, effetre, vetrofound, bulls eye, and Borocilicate glass, along with tools, and presses. I have a very old kiln but it still works great...Our next investment will be a new control able kiln. I have not made a glass bead for 2 years, but it was fun lighting the torch up and making a cauldron bead! (I will post it when I get a chance).
The spring of 2006 Jeff wanted to take one class. I called the local "Glass Studio" in Belleville, IL; booked a class for both of us, our instructor asked if we had lessons before, both of use said no. He was very impressed in our work. That was Jeff's first time making a glass bead. Jeff makes perfect dots and I make perfect round beads, says our instructor- Larry Hesterberg. I tease Jeff a lot how does he do perfect dots and at the time mine were lop-sided. I told Jeff we will have to switch off, he make the dots and I will make the rounds. Jeff was a bit leary about making beads in the apartment, that is okay, Jeff can fiddle with the better tank in the studio.
We have a very old furnace in the garage and it works, turning it on it sure sounds like the garage is about to BLOW up. However, our insurance company will not insure the detached garage if we use the old furnace so it is off! Between removing the old furnace and removing the oil tank. The garage of course is COLD! The hold up? We need a over the range hood for ventalation and getting the old furnace moved out. We will need to purchase high end heaters for the garage.
This is our delay in getting started in lampworking!!
Till the next time...Happy Holidays 2007!
