Meet Susanne from Babs Beads & Design

Please introduce us to who you are.
I’m a part time lampworker who lives in Sweden with my husband and two children. This January I turned 41. I found lampworking during a long period of illness two years ago, and I never want to stop melting that glass again!


Where in the world are you and what is the best thing about where you live?
I live in Uppsala, the fourth biggest town in Sweden. It’s about 80 kilometers from Stockholm. I’ve lived here since 1988 when I came to study at the university (Swedens oldest). I still haven’t left…

Uppsala is just the place where I happen to live. I'd like to move from here one day but I would probably never leave Sweden to live in another country. Although the winters are cold and dark, the spring- and summertime is fantastic! I love all the unspoiled nature we have in Sweden. The big forests, the sea, the lakes…



Tell us a little about your craft and why you love it.
Lampwork – the noble art of melting glass by an open flame – is fantastic! I’m a creative person who does all kinds of craft, but this is the one that really makes me happy. I’ve always been interested in the forming of glass, but until recently I believed that you had to become a glassblower to get to do that. And then I by accident found out about lampwork.


I love it because the glass is so beautiful in so many colours. I love the three dimensional aspect of it. I love the concentration it takes. And last, but not least, I love the endless possibilities the glass offers.


What is the most expensive supply you have purchased for your craft?
The most expensive investment is the kiln. It’s a kind of oven where I put my beads when they’re finished. The kiln has a digital control that’s programmed to slowly cool off the beads. This is to prevent them from cracking and no lampworker should sell beads that are not kiln annealed. It’s a code of honour. :-)

The second most expensive investment is the torch. I’ve got one that runs on propane and oxygen.

Me in the studio with both the kiln and the torch showing. And my pretty, pretty safety glasses!

Could you please tell us about a person in your life that has inspired you?
I’m inspired by anyone who follows her heart and is not intimidated by “what society thinks”. It’s hard to go your own way, breaking conventions. There are always people there, ready to tell you it will never work.

People who defy that are inspirering.