I’ve met many very very talented artists on etsy in the teams that I belong. I’ll be highlighting some of them in the coming weeks on my blog.
Today’s etsy artist profile belongs to Lynne of Fireball Beads on etsy, a talented fellow member of the Artisan Beaders Street Team on etsy.
Lynne is participating in a One World One Heart promotion where you can enter to win her 1000 Veils Heart. To enter her contest, and win the heart pictured below, click this link:
http://islandgirlsinsights.
Shop name: islandgirl.etsy.com
Name: D Lynne Bowland
Where else can we find you and your work?
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandgirl-le/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/islandgilr
Facebook: look for D Lynne Bowland
I sell at a number of galleries in Canada and Coastal Maine.
Blog: http://islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.com/ and
http://www.fireballbeeds.com/daily.html
Tutorials or informational articles that you have written:
I have a couple of tuts in Glassline magazine and one in the Flow none of those are on line… However I also have a couple on my website here….
http://www.fireballbeeds.com/tutorials.html
Location:
I live on a Canadian island on the Western end of the Bay of Fundy… just off the Coast of Maine. It’s 10 miles by 3 miles and has a free 20 minute government ferry that runs from6 am to 10:30 pm… so one cannot stay out late and party! or you turn into a pumpkin.
What are your jewelry beginnings? Where did you start and how did youprogress to work you are creating today?
I took my first Handformed Metals class in about ’92 or ’93. I also took a blacksmith class about the same time. I actually volunteered in a forge on one of those ‘old town streets’ in Saskatchewan for about 4 years on Sundays once a month. My first true silvesmithing class was in about 1997. When I moved to NB (2001)I switched from doing predominantly fusing to beads … I found in the gallery that I ran summers that jewellery was the easiest thing to sell so … I developed skills to make my beads into saleable jewellery.
What are your favorite materials?
My beads, silver wire & silver beads.. I like forging would like to get more forged silver in my finished pieces.
What inspires you?
I’m on a nature kick right now… seascapes and flowers… When I did stained glass I did a lot of birds.
How do you describe your design style?
My fusing was called funky, but I’m not sure if I can claim funky as an adjective for my beads and jewellery. 
What artists have influenced you, and how?
I saw some of Heather Trimlet’s beads in a display case before I started making beads… I think it was her beads that really made me want to do flameworking/lampworking. I really started doing the glass beads before there was much instructional material available so I claim to be self taught… I made wonky off center beads for about 5 years before I even saw another glass bead made by a north American glass artist. Living in the middle of nowhere to get to a class is very expensive. If I want to handpick my own class the nearest supply store is probably about a 17 hour drive (actually Boston would be closer but I don’t know what’s available there!)
What was your biggest art/craft related mistake?
I can’t think of any one thing… I know I had quite a few large fused pieces break… not always because of something that I did wrong.. most jewellery if it’s fugly can be taken apart without major monitary loss.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? What do youwish someone would have told you when you first started selling online?
I’m still not convinced that selling on line is a good idea. I sell 98% more through galleries than I do on line and even with the commissions to galleries I think it’s better money for the time invested!
How do you spend time when you are NOT creating?
Trying to keep upto date on the computer.. I run a seasonal gallery 3 months every summer 7 days a week… I read and I knit.. I also still do leaded glass comissions.
Where have you been published or profiled?
I’ve done articles for the Flow and Glassline. I’ve been featured numerous times in the Craft Factor a SK craft council publication… not sure if I’ve been featured in any blogs or not. The local paper The Courier did an article on me the year I opened the gallery here. I designed and made the awards for the World Junior Vollyball Championship in 1999. (picture on one of the awards is one of the pictures) the images I’m using are all on flickr.
Thanks Lynne!
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Great profile! Glad to learn more about our newest member.
Great read. It’s nice to get to know you a little better Lynne!
Awesome interview! I’ve nominated you for the Lemonade award!
http://coloraddictionblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/awarded-thank-you.html
Great article! I’m happy to learn more about you Lynne!
cool beans!!! Hiya Lynne!!!
Great interview as always Kristy!! HUGS!!
Thanks for the blog… Should have got my husband to write it than I would have learned something about me that I didn’t already know!
Snicker
Welcome to the group Lynne! Loved reading about you.
Marcy