About the Designers

Misty O'Neal - Manager and Jewelry Artist

Sylvia Coburn - Lampwork Glass Bead and Polymer Clay Artist

Barbara Carter - Dichroic and Fused Glass, and Precious Metal Clay Artist

INTRODUCTION

Silver Mist Studios was founded in 2004 by Sylvia Coburn and Misty O'Neal a mother-daughter team of artisans.

We were given the opportunity to start our own formal business when an independent investor saw some of our work and was convinced of its commercial and artistic promise. He has assisted us in setting up our business and with making business decisions.

How did we get our business name?

Well Sylvia's nickname when she was young was "Silver". Then Misty, well that isn't too hard to figure out... "Mist" comes from there.

We decided on "Studios" because we didn't want to limit ourselves as we like to dabble in all kinds of arts. This way we can expand our products if we like, and not be type casted as just “lampworkers”, or “jewelry artists”.

Every day we are growing. Not only are we building the business and getting new customers daily, but we are also producing new and jewelry pieces as we continue to expand our artistic and business horizons.

At Silver Mist Studios, we take immense pride in our art and you can be certain that each lampwork bead and piece of jewelry is 100% unique, constructed with only the finest materials available to us, and very carefully made with lots of love and intense devotion to the art. We invite you to learn more about our quality workmanship and high business ethics by reading our testimonials page; see for yourself what some of our satisfied customers have said about us. We invite you to join them and let us show you the same devotion and service that we continually proved to them.

For the past 15 years, I have always loved making beaded jewelry. When I was in high school, I remember making one strand seed bead necklaces with fishing line!

I had never really taken it very seriously until the last couple of years. I am 30 years old and disabled with a terminal illness called Muscular Dystrophy (Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I) I was diagnosed at 18mos. old and told I wouldn't live past the age of 3. I am wheelchair bound and limited on what I can do, but I am HERE and still going strong.

I needed something to do that was mentally stimulating and therapeutic and I began making jewelry again. But this time was taking it more seriously. I met some awesome people online as the jewelry community is wonderful! Several very kind people sent me free tools, beads, findings, etc. because they knew I was new, and couldn't afford a lot. They gave me lots of tips on how to perfect the art and make durable, and high quality jewelry.

My designs became more detailed, and I began using only the best quality components available to me.

My Mom and Aunt joined my dream adventure and we all have a very special role in this, we all each have our own things we specialize in and different artistic approaches. This way we are able to provide a broad range of collections.

I am a FIRM believer in that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON! Including the bad things. We never imagined we'd be running a successful business... and HERE WE ARE!

Sylvia Coburn (Misty's Mother) began crafting over 17 years ago. She started with doing counted cross stitch. She did some of the most magnificent pieces and would give them all to family members. Shortly that turned into many other crafts and art forms. From painting, decoupage, ceramics, etc. While Sylvia's 4 children were young she had little time for this, but it was her outlet. In recent years, she went on to get into glasswork. Including taking several stained glass classes and also making some beautiful and quite large stained glass panels. We have one still hanging up in our window of a teacup with roses. Quite intricate! She also went on to teach herself many other art forms. When our independent investor proposed she learn how to make lampwork glass beads and use a torch to do it, she jumped on the chance and took her first and only class 3yrs. ago at Blue Moon Glassworks in Austin. She furthered her knowledge all by self-learning with books, videos, and other lampwork artists locally. She loves creating lampwork glass beads and she is quite good. Properly cleaning, and annealing all in her digital kiln. She never really pursued actively selling her beads as Misty uses them in her jewelry pieces. Not to say that Sylvia never will. But at this time, we are just incorporating them into fine jewelry pieces! Sylvia has a large studio behind her home where she can get away, crank up the music and create to her heart’s content. While still caring for Misty, and her other children (only one 15yr. old still at home), and all of the family pets!

Barbara Carter is Sylvia's Sister and Misty's Aunt. She, like the rest of Silver Mist Studios crew is an artist at heart. She started as a floral designer, sculpting, and painting beautiful scenes... just to name a few of Barbara's talents. Barbara is the "Free Spirit" of the crew, with no boundaries of artistic vision. She lives at "Windy Hill Farm" out in Valley Spring, Texas. There she designed her home, that her and her husband built and have decorated it throughout. Her home will always be a work in progress and they constantly remodel it and have bigger and better ideas for it. Due to her sculpting background, she went on to work with PMC (Precious Metal Clay - 99.9% Fine Silver). She became a certified instructor November 2005. Barbara also became fascinated with the medium of Dichroic and Fused Glass. She has her own studio at her home, and it would be the perfect setup for teaching. So that is something she would like to offer in the future. Her current plans are to take a metalsmith class and start a new adventure, and broaden her knowledge and our product plan.