Hi, my name is Manuela and I live in Germany in a little town called Ratzeburg near Hamburg. I discovered the art of glass beadmaking in summer 2004 and learned the basics in my first workshop with Liane Jähde. I attended several other workshops to improve my skills. Creating unique wonderful art in my little studio has become a real passion for me and I love doing it. What fascinates me in glass? It´s the material itself, this symbiosis with the flame, this mystery called glass. Creating a small wonderful world in a bead is so exciting - you have so many possibilities to fantacize to the full. It´s simply magic. Glass beads are dating back to some centuries ago. The old techniques of the Egyptians and Phoenicians have been mastered by the Venetians and became today one of the most exciting form of contemporary art. The basic idea is to melt glass on a steel rod, decorate it with stringers, precious metals, enamels or perhaps some secret ingredients using a number of techniques to create something unique. I use only high quality Italian and German glass and as soon as each bead is completed it goes straight into the kiln to assure durability. I´m interested in textures, in overlaying colours creating depth and in all kind of experimentations. Thanks for visiting. Classes 2004: Liane Jähde, Dora Schubert 2005: Pati Walton, Michael Barley - beadventures Ireland, James Smircich 2006: Michi Suzuki, Andrea Guarino (Port Townsend), Evan Hollander, Kristina Logan, Diana East and Bronwen Heilman 2007: Kimberley Affleck, Lucio Bubacco, Loren Stump 2008: Jens Gussek, Kilnformed Glass; Kate McKinnon, Silversmithing, Class in France 2009: John Kobuki Publications Beading Times (2006) The Flow, Vol. 3, Issue 4 - 2nd Annual Woman in Glass (2006) Glas...Perlen...eigenArt (2008) Bead Review 3 (2008) The Flow Winter 2008 Vlammend Glass 2009 Exhibitions: 2008 - Vorsicht Glas? Glas handle with care? (TGK - Deutschland) 2009 Pismo Gallery Bead Invitational, Denver, USA 2010 Pismo Gallery Bead Invitational, Denver, USA Convergence II, Adorning the past, present and retend, Wanderausstellung durch die USA Tempest - International Invitational Glass Bead Exhibition, UK Frauenau - Galerie am Museum - "Aus Glas wird Schmuck 2010" Mustin - Dörfer zeigen Kunst