“I was born and raised in Germany, worked as a Technical Laboratorist and studied sculptural work at the The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich before occasional visits to a certain website opened my eyes to my true calling: glass.

I have been an artist all my life. I can't remember when I wasn't drawing, writing or making something. I have always been enthusiastic about glass art and collected all sorts of little glass sculptures and items over the years. Once the cabinets in my living room were full of it I started to make lamp work glass beads and jewellery. I knew that this was where I wanted to be: designing and creating art to wear.

I was initially a self-taught lamp work bead artist and worked at this while still living in Germany. It was after I moved to New Zealand several years ago with my partner Rud, that I found the time and inspiration to do full time lampworking and to develop my present skills. Rud helps with the beads and does most of the jewellery design and making. I am gleefully consumed with the drive to create small, intimate objects in glass. Manipulating hot glass is an exciting, joyful process. The possibilities are endless and there is not a day where I do not learn something more or try something new.
We hand make our beads and jewellery in our studio with an oxygen-propane surface mix torch using glass from Italy, Germany, the USA, and New Zealand. The beads are properly kiln-annealed and hand-cleaned.

We are proud to have our work represented in several collections all over the world.
Our work and story was featured in the renowned NZ House & Garden Magazine in July 2005.
We have also been featured in the American Glass Line Magazine February/March 2005 edition, and have work being published in the Bead Review 2005 (The Art Of Beadmaking)
We have been invited artists in the eastcapeART Gisborne Working Artfest 2006.

Note that the jewellery in the photographs is but a sample of the jewellery made by Astrid. The beads of the actual jewellery are the same number, size, quality, and shape. The stringing of the jewellery, sequence of beads, silver, bangles, tags, chains, clasps, etc is the same. But each bead may appear slightly different from the one in the sample photograph. The beads are individually handmade and one of a kind. It is impossible to reproduce a decorated bead exactly.

All of the glass beads used in our jewellery have been properly kiln annealed for strength and durability. The glass is sturdy, however, the wearer should keep in mind it is glass, and may crack or break if handled improperly or roughly. In most cases, these glass beads are one of a kind and cannot be replaced nor any refund will be given.