About your Bead maker Nancy Johncox,
Wecome to Nance On Fire! 
Since childhood I have always loved creating art through many avenues such as drawing, painting, sewing, ceramics and stain glass. In 2002 I came across Lampwork beads on the internet, it fascinated me to no end, so I decided to take a lampworking class. After that I knew I was hooked forever and set up a lampworking studio. I fell in love with the whole process, working with hot glass, its endless creativity and never ending learning experiences. My previous employment for the past 25 years has been in the graphic arts/printing field and working as a drafting/design technician for architectural and engineering firms. Becoming a Lampwork artist was a natural fit for me, and I am very fortunate to have found my niche. My husband Dave, our two black labs and two cats happily reside in upstate New York, close to the beautiful Finger Lakes region and Lake Ontario. I love living in this area because it offers me so much inspiration and ideas that I can incorporate into my glass art and beads.
Lampworking or Flameworking has been practiced since ancient times. Early lampworking was done in the flame of an oil lamp. Today's process is working with glass rods and tubing using a oxygen/propane mix torch to melt and shape the glass by using either a glass punty or on a stainless steel rod called a mandrel or blowing through a hollow metal tube to shape the molten glass. Each bead that I make is created individually using glass rods imported from Murano, Italy (Effetre/Moretti glass) and Lauscha glass from Germany. I like to incorporate different materials into my glass beads such as silver, copper foil, gold leaf, enamels to create different effects. After each bead is made I place them into a temperature controlled kiln to be properly annealed to give the glass long lasting durability and strength.
Lampwork Education:
Lots and Lots practice and time on the torch, lots of good lampworking books!
2003 Studio at Corning Museum of Glass - Caitlin Hyde
2004 Stumpchuck studio, Loren Stump - Sacramento, CA, He's the master with glass, and a great teacher.
Too be continued!
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