Barb Ackemann has been melting glass in her basement since early 2004, creating both lampworked beads and fused dichroic glass jewelry and barrettes. She called her line "Barb's Bits of Color" and offered her work at the Brattleboro Farmers' Market and at various craft fairs. Greg Worden of Vermont Artisan's in Brattleboro carries Barb's barrettes, both in the store on Main Street and on the website, BuyVermontArt.com
Upon completing a Masters program at the Marlboro College Graduate Center Barb launched a web design and development business which she named Iris Lines, focusing on the strategic survival advantage of the flower's runway markers. Ready to take her glass work to the web, she registered this domain "irisbeads.com" and began the switch from doing business as "Barb's Bits of Color" to doing business as "Iris Beads"
She continues to sandwich glass work and the Brattleboro Farmers' Market and various craft fairs in between web design jobs and travelling with her musician husband Scott Ainslie. While her studio is not set up for classes or "open studio" tours, she has been known to spread her wares on the dining room table for folks who call ahead and make arrangements!