Ursula Wolsoncroft

My name is Ursula Bates and I create designer lampwork glass beads for use in jewellery designs. All of my beads are made in my studio in Nambour, Queensland, and they are properly annealed in a digitally controlled kiln for strength and durability. My beads are of the highest quality and are made with patience, precision, skill and a genuine love of working with hot glass.

Glass is an amazing and mysterious material that has fascinated me all of my life. Sitting in church, I stared with awe at the beautiful patterns and designs of stained glass windows. Later in life I started collecting colourful glass bottles, arranging them on windowsills.

Bead making is all about experimentation, and after you've learned quite a bit and feel comfortable working with glass, you'll no doubt find yourself thinking, "...hey, but what if I tried this or that together?". Not everything will work and things don't go to plan, but trying things out is how you develop your skills and create your own designs. Combining different techniques is part of the fun of glass bead making.

​My own recent beadmaking has focused on pushing the limits of glass through glass sculpture, developing my own stud earring designs that are miniature works of art for your ears. This technique has been self-taught by many hours of trial and error. Through continuous exploration of my personal relationship with glass, I've searched for my own creative voice and design that I am very proud of.