Meet This Month's Featured Artist

Hello

I am Deanna Chase of CD_Lampwork here on Justbeads. I am a California native, transplanted in a tiny town in South East Louisiana. Back in February of 2003 Greg (hubby) and I quit our jobs, sold our house and practically everything in it and moved into an RV to travel the country. For four and a half years we did just that. We traveled from coast to coast, working odd jobs. This is where my lampworking roots begins.

Greg had been lampworking for over three years by that time already. He continued to purse his passion for lampworking while we were on the road and I ran the business of of things for him. In Fall of 2003 we started meeting up with other lampworkers in our travels. That was when I caught the bead bug. I got a few mini lessons from friends on the road. Two that stand out in my mind are Anne Scherm Baldwin and Kaye Husko. I practiced lampworking for about a year, making things here and there and then in 2005 Greg and I gave up all of our odd jobs and started lampworking full time.

Since January of 2005 we have been making our sole living off of lampwork beads and marbles. In June of 2007 we decided we were out growing our RV and got serious about settling down in a house again. The driving force behind that decision was to have a bigger work space and a stationary studio. So by Aug 1st 2007, we bought a house and had our studio ready to go by Aug 2nd. We couldn't be happier. I know without a doubt if we hadn't moved into that RV I would not be making beads today and would not have the joy of working from my home studio.

I still run all of the business end of things and in my spare time I also write. I am working on a paranormal fiction novel. I do still have a travel bug, but am content to be right where I am for the time being. I'd love to spend a few years just traveling around Europe. We both think that might be our next adventure. Maybe in a few years.

In the mean time, you can find me torching away in my beloved studio, making florals, fairies, dragons, and whatever else catches my attention on any particular day. Thanks to all the wonderful people I have met here on Justbeads!

Deanna

Please visit my current auctions here at JustBeads.com