Heartland artist Laura Leach has been designing
jewelry since 2001 and making her own
handcrafted lampwork beads for almost 6 years.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
with a degree in English and Advertising, she’s
always craved the kind of creative outlet she's
found in making beads and jewelry. Her love for
the landscape, wildlife and spirit of the Midwest is
reflected in each piece she creates. She loves
the challenge and adventure every new beading
project brings and finds joy in each finished
piece.
Why Hot Glass?
After buying many, many lampwork beads on e-
Bay, Laura’s husband surprised her by signing
her up for a hot glass bead class with president
of the Midwest Lampworker’s Guild, Margie
Shanahan. His encouragement led her to new
avenues of creative expression and has opened
doors she never dreamed. Laura's studied
under art glass artists Kelly Shatto, Sharon
Peters and Pati Walton. Her client list has
included Omaha’s Elisa Ilana and is currently the
chief lampwork bead artist for EK Designs, a
premier jewelry design firm out of Boston; her
beads can be seen in over 50 specialty stores
and boutiques throughout the United States.
Quality, not Quantity
Laura’s own custom designs are created with the
finest of precious metals, Austrian crystals, and
her exclusive, handmade one-of-a-kind glass
beads. Her beads are made with Italian
Moretti/Effetre, Lauscha and Bullseye glass and
digitally kiln-annealed for strength and
durability. No two pieces are ever alike. Her goal
is to make lovely, cherished heirloom pieces to
pass down for generations.
A member of the International Society of Glass
Beadmakers and Midwest Lampworker’s Guild,
Laura’s other artistic mediums include
photography, paper arts, watercolor painting and
graphic design, as well as writing poetry and
short stories. She resides in Omaha with
husband Lane, children Chloe, Anna and
Bradley and beloved cats Bubba and Hildi.
(Click on the highlighted names to go to
the websites)
