Welcome, and Thanks for Stopping By!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

I'm Leah Holmes, a glass bead maker (lampworker) and silversmith here in Diamondhead, Mississippi. My bead-making journey began 16 years ago in 2005 as a form of stress-relief during the final stages of my doctoral work in British Literature (my focus was Dickens / Victoriana). Upon discovering the joys of playing with fire, I quickly halted progress on my dissertation and "course corrected" into a joyously balanced life of both academics/part-time college teaching *and* glass art studio work--perhaps the best move I've made (short of marrying my darling husband, of course!).  

For me, lampworking (so called because back in Jesus' day, artisans melted glass in the flame of an oil lamp) is not merely a job; it is a passion! It is the most exciting, challenging, and unique form of self-expression that I’ve ever experienced: a tilt of the hand here, slightly more gravity there, just a bump of heat now, one more mili-second of pause then--all of it is the alluring, seductive, and yes--just a tad dangerous--dance between heat, gravity, and skills--instincts cultivated over 1000s of solitary hours at the torch. I try to remember (though it's hard) that every error, cracked bead, smudged pattern, or ugly color scheme is just another "secret lesson of the fire"--another step on the journey towards improving my level of mastery over this fascinating art form (but don't ask me if I *really* feel this way the split second one of my beloved beadies explodes like an atom bomb on my work table from thermal shock! (Oh yes... there are tears . . . lots of tears!).

For me, glass beads are one of those rare artifacts that can, in a lasting way, preserve the essence or "fingerprint" of a particular artist's style. I hope that my perspective will manifest clearly, and that maybe a particular design, pattern, or color scheme will resonate with your own personality. Ultimately, I think it's that connection between the glass artist's hand-fired bead jewelry and one's own unique style--that makes glass beads (and the art of lampworking) so incredibly beautiful, and so beautifully worthwhile. 

Cheers, 

Leah