Featured Artist~Nikki of Bastille Bleu

From time to time, I like to showcase fabulous artists that I come across here on my blog. There are just so many talented people out there. I came across Nikki's work and was stunned to find out that she is a True Blue self taught lampwork artist. She hasn't taken not one class! I think her work is pretty terrific. Here is a little bit about Nikki, her work and where you can find her stuff....

1. How long have you been making beads and/or jewelry? I've been making glass beads for close to three years now, complete self-taught but saving up to take some classes from some of the well-respected and talented instructors out there.

2. What has been the most challenging aspect of your work/ business? I think the most challenging part is trying to decipher how someone else make a particular bead or design and trying to try it out for myself with my own spin on it, and learning this craft from reading about it, watching videos, buying tutorials, lots of practice, learning from my successful moments and "what was I thinking" moments.

3. What do you like best about your work? I love the creative aspect that lampworking provides me and the fact that I can do what I love, at home in my own studio! I feel very blessed.

4. Where can people find your work? My lampwork beads and jewelry are primarily being sold on Etsy.com. My lampwork bead shop at http://www.bastillebleu.etsy.com, and my Lampwork Jewelry shop at http://www.bastillebleubijoux.etsy.com. I also occasionally sell my beads and jewelry at local venues in my area when the opportunity presents itself.

5. Who or what inspires you? There are so many artists who's glasswork truly inspires me such as Kimberly Affleck, Corina Tettinger, Lina Khan, Beatice Killeen (Fried Peas Lampwork), Vickie Miller (HipKittyBeads), Kandice Seeber, Kristine Dery (Krissy Beads)... just to name a few, and of BellaBeadJewelry! Im also inspired by things I love ..... simplicity, holidays, Mary Engelbreit Designs, animals, colors, nature, and sometimes even by a clothing catalog or a dream.

6. What is a fun fact about you? Im a huge fan of history (especially Medieval History) and actually belong to a world-wide organization called the Society of Creative Anachronism (www.sca.org) where we have fun re-creating the European Middle Ages by dressing in appropriate clothing of a specific time period (between 600 - 1600th century), learning and living the daily activities, skills, arts, combat, and entertainment of the Middle Ages, but without all the unpleasantness of the plague, famine, pillaging, etc... and all during a weekend camping event, and on occasion, sometimes longer which are typically known as "wars".