So… what’s the story behind the name “Uglibeads”?

Uglibeads relates to my belief that in order to learn, we have to make mistakes. A person doesn’t just sit down at the torch and make beautiful beads right away. It takes time… and lots and lots of ugly beads. Sometimes with my art I look back and think, “Did I do that?” Not only will I admit to having made some of the ugliest beads on the planet, I’m growing as an artist because of them!

I have loved beads and jewelry for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school I did a pretty good business making origami earrings out of Mojo wrappers. Of course, recesses were spent making friendship bracelets. One Christmas, a bead loom arrived, and I was hooked. There were many trips to the bead store to spend my allowance on new colors of shiny seed beads. Eventually my love extended to larger, more interesting beads from around the world, and sometimes I made jewelry with them, but mostly I hoarded them and brought them out once in a while to sift through them and admire their beauty. There is something about a bead that you can't explain… but it draws you in. When I discovered that you can make your own glass beads, I stopped making jewelry and focused exclusively on making and selling beads for jewelry designers.

Creating unique glass beads is a joyful process for me. When I sit down at the torch and the music is playing, I'm lost in a world of color, mesmerized by the flow of molten glass. I've been making glass beads since 2001, and I still love it as much as I did the first time I sat behind a torch. I love it when people find a personal connection to my beads… that's what gives them life, and ensures that they'll be cherished for years to come. Thank you for visiting!

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Check out my other hangouts online!
BLOG: http://www.uglibeads.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/uglibeads
Instagram: @jules_sontag
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