Hi, I’m Carole

A tenacious, loving, and energetic artist who enjoys grabbing her torch and melting things.

Early on

I began studying jewelry while I was in high school. I was fortunate enough to attend a school that had a jewelry department and I worked with the instructor 3 hours a day.
My family encouraged me and set me up with a mini fabrication area where I sat cross-legged and melted a lot of silver.
(I encourage every shy young person to learn to make jewelry).
I attended The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts then taught high school art for 15 years
— then I fell in love with glass!!!!

I was introduced to soft glass by Robert & Kari Madera and spent every spare moment at the torch.
I eventually bought their bead store and added a community Fabrication shop and a 50+ class line up.
As String Bead we travelled and taught workshops for years.

New Beginnings

In 2018 the town we lived in, Paradise California, burned up in the “Camp” fire. We lost our house and our jewelry fabrication shop which included a 20 station classroom.
40 years worth of work, tools, molds, and art & jewelry supplies gone.
After moving our family to Petaluma we decided that we needed to move our jewelry fabrication technique into the new millennium.
We invested in 2 3D printers, an Orion Pulse Arc welder, and a computer system capable of handling the programs needed to work efficiently and creatively.
I have spent the last 4 years trying to master those techniques.
The “new me” has also been studying borosilicate glass sculpture during that time.
—But that is all secondary to my true love...

Currently

I had spent years researching micromosaics and was in the process of compiling a book (with all my notes and research hand written) when they all burnt up.
After the dust settled from the 2018 blood bath, my husband, Craig, and I went to Italy so I could study micromosaics!!!
I studied under Gabrielle Warr and Luciana Notturni at the Ravenna School of Mosaic Arts. It was the coolest time ever and Craig and I lost our hearts to Ravenna.
Then from there we went to Venice where Brenda of VenetianBeadShop.com took us to every glass studio, museum, and tool maker on the island of Murano.
Also the Orsoni Furnace where I enrolled in another micromosaic class but had to put it off due to the pandemic.
Then on to Rome where we were privileged to spend time at the Vatican Micromosaic Atelier.
Later, in Florence we visited Travisari Studios and brought home pounds of Filati.

So it’s getting on 5 years and now its time to face the public again
and renew my love of teaching and to share all the new and old techniques
with those of you who “want to know” as badly as I did – and do!