SPOTLIGHT ON ... DESIGNER
January 2006

Our featured designer for this month is Patti Genack of Whim Wham Beads.

Hi, I'm Patti Genack, who by the kindness of the Soft Flex® Company folks is their designer of the month. I am a lampworker that makes sculptural glass beads with soft glass. Soft glass means that I am working with glass that melts at a pretty low temperature (about 1202 degrees Fahrenheit). I've been making beads for about 8 years. Before beads I made mixed media sculpture and drew life size figurative charcoals. Oh and I have a Masters of Fine Art in Printmaking. All that experience does come into play with making beads. It all helps as I sit around with a fabulous torch and melt glass pulling, pushing and adding more glass to create sculptural forms. Hot glass has amazing "plastic" capabilities. It also comes in a fabulous palette of colors. The fun doesn't stop there since there are all sorts of things that can be added to glass for texture, sparkle, and color. I hope this sounds like I'm a happy artist because I am.

Soft Flex® Company is showcasing my glass toggles and my petroglyph inspired beads. Some other beads that I make are glass ponies, cowboy boots and catfish... I am fond of some color combinations in my beads and use dots, stringers and many other glass techniques to layer colors. I also use foils like fine silver, gold, and platinum in many of these beads. You will also see little specks of different colors in the beads. Those specs are ground up bits of glass called frit.

I make beads and beads are for stringing and making jewelry. I think I am the luckiest person because I am an artist creating beads that I sell to other artists who make them into jewelry. I don't think there are many other artisans/businesses like mine. Of course that is where the Soft Flex® Wire comes in.

My glass clasps are both the center piece bead and a clasp that is worn in the front. The petroglyph beads are the fun beads though. Their headdresses are Soft Flex® Wire (.019) crimped on. Sometimes I "curl" and shape the Soft Flex® Wire just a bit like curling ribbon, then small beads are crimped onto the Soft Flex® Wire. They are so entertaining because they move when you wear them. Little kinetic sculptures you know... I always get comments when I wear mine. Many customers come back to tell me stories about their little shamans and goddesses too.

The petroglyph necklace (shown above) is convertible. It has a removable back that can be worn as either an extension for a long necklace, a choker, or as a double bracelet.