About
Hello!
My name is Ann Tudor and I am all about knitting! I create lampwork glass notions for knitters and crocheters, design notion pouches to put them in and teach knitting courses. Making and creating has always been part of my life and it has taken me down several artistic paths with knitting being a constant.
After being a lamp work glass artist for many years, my work has evolved into designs inspired by my whimsical glass items and my love of color.
My life has been a creative journey. My mother was an amazing seamstress. She could sew just about anything. I was not very interested in sewing but always fascinated by the fabric. In the 1990's when scrapbooking became a thing, I wanted to make the paper that was used more than doing the actual scrapbooking but had no idea how or who did that sort of thing. I now know that is called Surface Pattern Design and I absolutely love making patterns that are cheerful and happy.
Jewelry making has been a major part of my creative journey. Many years ago, I took a two hour glass bead making class at my local stain glass store. The technique is called Lampworking or Torchworking. Basically a rod of colored glass is melted in a torch and formed into different shapes. I fell in love with the process and started melting glass whenever I could. Eventually I started making beads for other jewelry designers, bought a bigger torch and moved into my home studio, otherwise known as the garage! I also had jewelry pieces included in several publications, such as Bead Unique and Belle Armoire.
November 2012 I left my “day job” to become a full time jewelry artist, or so I thought! On my first day of self employment, a friend took me to lunch to celebrate. As we were talking, I told her about a project that I had in my head. My idea was to make glass fish and put them inside a glass container and make a no maintenance aquarium. She asked me to make one for her to put on her desk at her new job she was starting in two weeks. After several tries, I figured it out and it started an entirely different path for me. I started doing Art Shows and selling in local art galleries.
As I was trying to get this new found art business going, I joined a business group that had many knit and crochet designers, indie yarn dyers and fiber people. One of them asked if I could make a sheep stitch marker. Since I am a knitter myself, it was very important to me that they be snag-free, light and functional as well as cute! After many tries, I made my first stitch marker. So again, after a suggestion from a friend, things started shifting very quickly. Soon more and more people wanted them and eventually focused on stitch markers and progress keepers!
Now things are coming full circle. I am able to use my glass work and expand those into designs that can be used on notion pouches to store the stitch markers!
My dear husband passed suddenly and my world had turned upside down. The rhythm of the needles and moving the stitches has given me comfort as I navigate through my grief. I know knitting has so many therapeutic benefits in addition to knowing how to create beautiful items so I am now teaching people how to knit and soon there will be courses for advanced skills.
I am so glad you are along for the ride!
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