Hi there, my name is Bobbie Jenkins and I am a Lampwork Glass Bead Artist. I live in Falmouth, (Cape Cod) Massachusetts. I am surrounded with great beaches and quaint little towns and many inspiring artists.

When I was young I was brought up on the Cape. My dad and I did a lot of fishing, clamming, quahogs, crabbing and sometimes even get a few lobsters. I just loved being outdoors.

At the age of ten, I decided that I wanted to oil paint and took lessons and loved capturing the beauty and the nature of the landscapes and the ocean on canvas. We later had to move from the Cape but I still continued on painting and also did many other crafts.

Later on in life, with a marriage to a wonderful husband Jerry and two beautiful children (Jerry Jr. & Karen), I had the opportunity to learn stained glass. I always thought that glass was the most beautiful object to work with and I was delighted to design stained glass windows that fit into kitchen cabinets.

As time went by I started making jewelry for my daughter and her friends. It was my daughter who introduced me to glass beads. While she was on a business trip in Nebraska she went into a co-op shop to browse and noticed the glass beads and inquired about them and thought, "My mother could do that." When she came back from her trip she quickly told me all about the beads that she saw. It so happened that there was a bead show the next week in my town and of course I attended and could not believe my eyes at how creative you could get with glass and I immediately signed up for a class.

I have taken quite a few classes from the best: Kate Fowle Melaney, Corina Tettinger, Jim Smercich, and Loren Stump. I believe that it never hurts to lean different techniques from everyone. It broadens your mind and you can only get more creative. I just love that!

I have been making beads since the year 2000 and doing many shows. When I receive a compliment on my beads that brings me a lot of gratification. I enjoy being at the torch and letting my imagination run away with me. I think I have finally found my niche in life and I expect that I will be making my beads for the rest of my life.

I am a member of the Society of Glass Beads (the Boston Chapter), The International Society of Glass Beads, and the Bead Designer International.

~Bobbie
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