Welcome to Cave Dweller Beads

(formerly Glass Galore)

Handmade Glass Beads

by Vera Wieland

6556 SW Alden Street
Portland, Oregon 97223
503-246-7199
vera@glassgalore.com

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Artist's Statement

I was born in Holland and came to the United States in 1956. I experimented with painting, rug weaving and basketmaking before discovering the exciting world of glass in 1978. I then worked with stained glass for twenty years, primarily selling at Portland Saturday Market.

In 1997, I started experimenting with hot glass and consequently became totally absorbed in making glass beads. Since 1999 I have been successfully selling them at bead shows across the country.

My beads, which are all priced under $10, are ideal for complementing other focal beads, for creating your own jewelry or for embellishing other projects.

Method

I create each glass bead individually over a surface-mix torch fueled with propane and oxygen, a process known as lampworking. The temperature ranges from 1200 to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. I use Effetre glass rods from Venice, Bullseye rods from Portland, Oregon, and Olympic rods from Seattle, Washington. I wind molten glass around a specially-prepared steel mandrel to form a base bead and then shape and decorate it to achieve the desired effect. The finished bead is cooled slowly in a kiln for about six hours starting at 960 degrees.