Designsbylesliebrown's Profile

Bio

Beauty and possibilities........ that is what I feel about every piece of jewelry I create and I appreciate the opportunity to share this with you.

I started working with fused glass in the Fall of 2002 when I took a local class in Annapolis, MD. I was hooked and haven't looked back since. I have taken classes as far away as Wisconsin and Las Vegas and love the people that I meet as much as the new skills and techniques that I learn. I won 3rd place in the 2008 Gallery of Excellence professional jewelry category sponsored by the GlassCraftsman Magazine.

All of my pieces are made by me in my home studio. Each piece is one of a kind. I think of my jewelry as wearable art. I love that the same piece of jewelry will look very different on each person. It is as if the glass has a life of its own.

I design my fused pieces as a 5X5 inch canvas, creating a design of glass which is then fired in the kiln. After this first fusing I cut out my individual pieces destined to be a pendant or earrings with a diamond ring band saw. Each piece is then cold worked on a grinder. I smooth out the sides and make subtle changes in shape. Then the pieces go back in the kiln. I will sometimes work them again and put them in the kiln for a 3rd time.

After the pieces are finished in the kiln, I drill holes in them, which is the final step before the wire wrapping.

I create a bail with my silver wrapping, using two contiguous pieces of sterling silver wire. I then add beads onto some of the pieces with a separate piece of sterling silver wire. I coat the back of the piece where the wires are tied off with a silicone so as to make a smooth surface that feels good against skin and will not catch on clothing.

I hope you will enjoy and appreciate the process that goes into each piece of art that I create. Please contact me for a wholesale catalog.

Leslie Brown

Female

Favorite Materials

Glass, sterling silver and fine silver