Glass Bead Making Workshop 27 May 2024

🔥 Step into the World of Hot Glass! 🔥

Unleash your inner artisan with our captivating Lampwork bead-making workshop!

Discover the ancient, enchanting process of melting glass into stunning beads that mesmerize the beholder. Led by experienced instructors Ursula Bates and Gabby Sutherland, our workshops cater to everyone, from eager beginners to seasoned creatives – no prior experience required.

Dive deep into the art of manipulating glass, playing with shape, color and adding intricate detail and patterns to craft unique designs. With comprehensive instruction covering everything from safety protocols to decorative techniques. Our structured class format ensures the perfect balance between informative demonstrations and hands-on practice. And with a relaxing break halfway through, complete with complimentary refreshments, you'll have plenty of energy to fuel your creative journey.

We break for 30 - 45 mins for a recharge and indulge in the delicious complimentary fruit, snacks and refreshments. You will have the opportunity to mingling with fellow creators.

All tools and materials are provided, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience. Plus, anything you create during the workshop will be expertly fired in the kiln and sent to you, ready for you to showcase or wear with pride or gift to a loved one. We can make up friendship bracelets for groups of friends that do the workshop together where individual beads are shared with each person in the friendship group as a keepsake to treasure forever.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the art of Lampwork bead making in a welcoming and supportive environment. We offer small class sizes of 6 and we usually book out quickly, so reserve your spot now and unlock the magic of working with hot glass! We are also offering a four session extension course following this workshop.

Prepare for the workshop

• We provide all equipment and materials

• Please do not wear loose, flowy sleeves

• Closed-in shoes required    

• Long hair must be tied back    

• Please bring a water bottle. It is important to stay hydrated. We provide light snacks, tea and coffee. 

• Please bring a pair of prescription sunglasses if needed. We have spare tinted safety glasses but none with prescription.

Class Location

Sonder Studio Gallery Unit 20 / 5 Taylor Court Cooroy
Many people get lost trying to find us. The Cooroy Business Park is near the north bound, Cooroy exit on the Bruce Highway. Take the Holt Road turn, then right into Taylor Court. Once you've arrived, drive around to the exit row and look for the unit 20 sign on the building. Park in any visitor car park. 

About the teachers

Ursula Bates, a glass bead artist and living in Queesland. She is the founder of Make Beads Not War and The Little Glass House and has been working and perfecting her skills since early 2006. She has been teaching beginner and advance techniques for over 4 years. Ursula beads are made with patience, precision, skill and a genuine love of working with hot glass.

“Today I teach lots of students and i am still a perpetual student. I love teaching them to
move from the first step of lighting the torch to actually forming and decorating a bead.
Each time I introduce a new person to bead making, it takes me back to my very first experiences and the moment I said - WOW!. Watching students on the torch, mesmerised by the exciting properties of glass continues to inspire me”.

Gabby Sutherland, a former student of Ursula, assists in the class. Gabby is the founder of Sonder Studio Gallery and was hooked on molten glass from the first moment she tried it. After acquiring a large kiln, Gabby intends to expand the glass workshops to include other techniques such as slumping and fusing. She is also exploring exciting projects to transform discarded glass into jewellery and to complimenting her youth work / education background she is researching the therapeutic benefits of glass making.