flowingglass's Profile

Bio

Greetings from beautiful northern Minnesota! I have a small but growing fusing and flameworking studio in a converted spare bedroom in my basement. Warm glass work has intrigued me for a long time, but until recently I haven't been fortunate enough to have the time and space to be able to pursue it. Nothing lasts forever, happily enough, and at long last I am able to spend some time exploring this new world. Finding out where it will lead me next is a fascinating adventure, of which Etsy is the latest path.
I've been making most of my own jewelry for a couple of years, experimenting with a variety of stone, glass and natural beads and numerous types of stringing materials. When my daughter asked me where I find things, I answered "everywhere!" ...Even a sporting goods shop can yield some interesting embellishments if you keep your eyes open, and since outdoor pursuits are a very big deal in our area of the world, being able to entertain myself in the "man" stores is quite helpful, indeed. :-)
I work as a school librarian in my day job, as odd a combination as I know that might sound. The reality is that the process of working with glass--both flameworking and fusing--trying one thing and another and seeing what results, then taking those stunning little surprises and combining them with other handmade items such as handdyed silk cord, ribbon, etc., is very calming. I can close the door to my studio, bring up my favorite tunes on the desktop and suspend time and stress for long hours at a go. I can even forget how many books are overdue or what teacher needs what collection pulled by what time (?)!! It's great...I can't wait to see what will be just around the next corner!

--ABOUT THE CORDS AND NECKLACES--
Just as an aside, I personally like necklaces that are adjustable in length...today's neckline might call for something next door to a choker, but tomorrow's might need an adornment that's a bit longer....unfinished cords or ribbons provide that flexibility. In either case, I use high-quality materials, hand-worked when possible and cost effective, and take care to use careful fusing and annealing cycles to ensure that the glass focal components are durable and long-wearing. If you see a pendant you like, but the necklace doesn't excite you, just convo me and we can work it out!

--ABOUT PACKAGING--
In my efforts to be environmentally conscious, I do try to reuse packaging whenever possible. Obviously the most important thing is to get your item to you in perfect condition, but if I can do that in a way that doesn't add more disposable products to the world, then I feel like that's a good thing. See my shipping information for more details. If you need or want special gift wrapping, just let me know and I can do that!

Female, Born on October 6

Favorite Materials

handworked glass, silk, stone, silver and gold