Mimi Huszer Fagnant has been a professional craft designer and craft teacher since 1977. Early on, she specialized in quilting, stenciling and tole painting. For 17 years, working as a designer at a bead manufacturing factory, she learned the jewelry business. She worked with colorists developing bead colors, with mold makers and model makers to create new products. Kit design, direction writing and demonstrating was a big part of her job to promote exciting new products and share ideas about what to do with the beads. All along this journey, her love for glass was obvious, having a marble collection, blown glass ball collection and a paper weight collection. Glass and beads finally collided in 2004, when Mimi started making her own glass beads. This technique is called lampworking or flameworking.
Mimi uses propane and oxygen torches to melt glass rods of many colors. The molten glass is coaxed into limitless shapes using tools and varying the temperature of the glass. Mimi spends much time creating sculptural glass pieces as well as beads. These mini sculptures are used in fairy gardens, mobiles, ornaments and sun catchers. Many of her beads are used as pendants, such as her trumpet flowers, large shells, sterling lined beads and hearts. Mimi has found her true passion in lampworking. Every time she sits at the torch there is something new she wants to try or further develop, thus her product line is ever changing. Currently her focus has been creating aquarium, underwater and "beachy" themed beads. Most of her work is sold at Artists' Cooperative Gallery of Westerly and local Craft Fairs and Bead shows.
Phone: 401-884-4107
email: lilacwind@cox.net