NEW: 90-minute taster sessions now available - please check the voucher page for details! 

I have been working in education for over ten years, and teaching glass bead making allows me to combine my love for teaching with my love for glass. Come and visit me at my studio for a day of learning and playing - and lots of tea and biscuits! Gift vouchers for tuition (as well as for beads and jewellery) are now available - look for 'Gift Vouchers' in the left-hand menu. There are also two special new courses - Teach the Teachers and Ring Top Tuition, with a number of dates to choose from, they both have their own page, so please use the drop-down menu above to access it. 

Photo above by David Tait 

 Beginners' classes

Classes will be six hours, 10am-4pm, and are £120 for the day (or £200 for two people sharing) - this includes lunch in the award-winning Castle Inn, the pub across the road, and, should you need it, pick up from the train station in Sheffield. You will receive bound notes with lots of hints and tips to take away with you. On the day, we will cover:

- Health & Safety regulations and advice

- Information about torches (I have a Nortel Mega Minor and a Nortel Midrange with Minor on top, plus option of setting up a Hothead), oxygen concentrator, various types of mandrels, bead release, etc.

- Making basic round beads

- Decoration using dots, stripes and swirls

- Hand-shaping beads through use of marver and presses 

- Pulling stringer and using frit

- Advice on suppliers and set-ups available, in case you want to take the hobby forward.

These beads were made during a one-day beginner session by Wendy - aren't they great?

 

Sculptural Tuition

These sessions are for the more advanced beadmaker who wants to have a go at sculptural beads. We'll be making roses, butterflies and/or fairies, with the odd calla lily thrown in, depending on time and preference. You will learn how to pull petals as you go along, using all your fifteen fingers and two-and-a-half hands ;o) Some basic dexterity is required for this session. Again, a 6-hour day is £120 (or £200 for two people sharing), or half a day (3 hours) for £60 pp.

Tailored one-to-one

You call the shots - start from scratch and finish with a pandora bead, working on your stringer work, learning to blow shards, make murrini, explore presses, work with big-hole mandrels...you name it, we'll play with it! Available by the day (6 hours incl. lunch, £120) or half day (3 hours, no lunch, £60).

I am hoping to offer Studio hire from August 2010.

If you are interested, please email me at mail@littlecastledesigns.co.uk