I bought a little dot-stack bead from someone on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, CA back in 1999 and wanted to learn how it was made. About a year later, my wife (then fiance!) talked my fam into buying me a glassblowing class for xmas.

Quit my day job shortly after the class to intern for a glassblower and worked at the furnace part- to full-time for two+ years in a number of different shops around MA. While working for Josh Simpson, got interested in flameworking by this Japanese girl who was hanging out at Josh's for a couple weeks. Met Sally Prasch (good friend of Josh), who showed me her studio, lent me Bandhu's book(s), and gave me some rods of boro.

I took a survey of beadmaking at Worcester Center for Crafts ( to Tom) and quit working at the furnace. Traded coldworking (picked up some good skills while working for Josh!) for torch time in Boston and TA'ed a lot at same studio.

The rest is scattered around this forum (and the old one too.)