About Us
Welcome!
Welcome to my new website! It’s not a shopping site at the moment – my lampwork jewellery doesn’t hang around for very long in the shop, and much of what I make is commissioned by my customers. So when I show new products here you may not be able to buy that exact item, but remember I can always make something similar for you. One of the beauties of handmade lampwork is that no two beads are identical!
My name is Helen Wright and in the picturesque town of Holt, I practice an ancient craft. In my brick and flint studio you’ll find me working glass using an ancient lampworking technique that produces one-of-a-kind glass beads, pendants and earrings.
At Seahorse Studio you can buy individual beads and hand-made jewellery and I also take commissions for pieces in any shade or colour scheme you desire.
I make the beads by melting glass rods in the torch flame, which reaches about 1000 degrees centigrade, and winding the hot glass round a metal rod called a mandrel. It’s a different technique to blowing glass, but just as old. After being formed, shaped and decorated in the flame, I anneal the beads in a digitally controlled kiln, so they cool down at the correct rate to make them robust. I then use them to make unique pieces of jewellery. No two beads are alike – that’s the beauty of hand-made work.
Since it opened in 2014 Seahorse Studio has become a showcase for many local artists. I intended the building just as my workshop, as I didn’t have room at home. But I live next door to another glass artist, Hazel Millington, whose colourful fused glass was well established in Norfolk, so I asked her if she would like to have some in my studio. After that, it grew organically – local artists called in and we got talking. I now have a fantastic selection of work including hand painted glass by Fran McCaskill, enamel earrings by Kaz Baildon, copper foil work (stained glass) by Suzanne Phillips, hand painted silks by Mims Grogan, cards by photographer Jo Latham and designer Izzy Rainey and tatting by Anne Poole.
New in: hand made cards and fabric collage pictures by Helen Zalewski, stunning glass wave sculptures by Holt artist Terrie Clifft and beautiful clocks fashioned from reclaimed wood by her husband Ian.
You will also find a wonderful collection of felting – all fair trade from Nepal – fabulous flowers and animals of all shapes and sizes!
I love to stock beautiful things that you won’t find everywhere else. In fact many of them you won’t find anywhere else – they really are one of a kind.
I’m always finding new artists whose work I admire so I will be able to show you their work as it arrives in the studio. Check out the What’s New page.
Dog friendly!
And if you are visiting don’t forget I’m super dog-friendly: my black lab Carlo (My customer relations manager) will greet you at the door and try to extract a bit of fuss but don’t let that stop you bringing your own dog(s) to meet me!
If you’re not keen on the other hand just let me know and he can pop back into his own space out of your way.
