Lampworking, also known as Flameworking:

The technology for glass beadmaking is among the oldest human arts, dating back 30,000 years.
Glass beads have been dated back to Phoenician times.
Lampworking is a type of glassblowing that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with a variety of tools and hand movements. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking, as the modern practice no longer uses oil-fueled lamps. Although the art form has been practiced since ancient times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid 19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today.
Early lampworking was done in the flame of an oil lamp, with the artist blowing air into the flame through a pipe. Most artists today use torches that burn either propane or natural gas, or in some countries butane, for the fuel gas, with either air or pure oxygen (which can be produced by an oxygen concentrator) as the oxidizer.
In addition to beads and artwork, lampworking/flameworking is used to create scientific tools, particularly for chemistry.

11 Essentials for Beginner Lampworkers 

The things you need to get started making glass beads

1. Ventilation fan and hood (my opinion, no less than 400 cfm when using 1 minor torch)
2. Torch and air/gas hoses (either tanked oxy or use a conecentrator/generator)
3. Fuel (MAPP gas, Natural or Propane/Oxygen, depending on your torch and glass)
4. Kiln (digital controller preferred to pyrometer)
5. Rose didymium glasses (NOT clear safety glasses)
6. Mandrels
7. Bead release
8. Glass rods (start with soft glass such as Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, Creation Is Messy)
9. Shaping tools (at minimum, a graphite marver and a brass "stump shaper" tool)
10. Rod nipper tool
11. Long-nose pliers or large tweezers (for pulling stringers)

Recommended reading:

Contemporary Lampworking ’Äì A Practical Guide to Shaping Glass in the Flame by Bandhu Scott Dunham
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Glass Beadmaking by James Kervin
Passing the Flame ’Äì A Beadmakers Guide to Detail and Design by Corina Tettinger

Suppliers in Canada:
Nortel Manufacturing 2040 Ellesmere Rd,  www.nortelmanufacturing.com
Nortel makes the Minor, Mega Minor and other Lampworking/Flameworking torches
They sell glass, kilns/annealers, books, tools, oxy concentrators.
http://www.lauschalady.com- sells Lauscha glass in Canada. Also sells Double Helix (104 coe)
http://www.fantasyinglass.com- 703 The Queensway sells Bullseye, System 96, tools, equipment for use with Bullseye glass
In the States :
http://www.arrowsprings.com
http://www.frantzartglass.com
http://glassalchemy.com/
http://www.northstarglass.com/
http://www.taglass.com/