Interview with shasglasscrafts

I was born in Columbus, Georgia when my father was in the army, but have lived in Tennessee all my life. As the oldest of 3 children, I was the rebellious, independent one. I have been married for 35 years (to the same great guy!) and we have 3 grown sons. I stayed home until the boys were in school, then helped some of the teachers with art projects and ran the fundraisers for the PTA. Having all boys gave me an excuse to do things with them like wade in the creek, play in the mud or slide down a hill in a cardboard box. I loved every minute of it!

I have always been interested in art and crafting. My mother and I used to do counted cross stitch and crewel embroidery. My grandmother was an accomplished artist and won blue ribbons every year at the state fair. She always had some craft project in the works and I was amazed at her ability to do well at so many things. I never got the hang of crochet or knitting, but I did learn to sew well enough to make curtains, pillows and comforter covers.

What is your professional backgound?

I have held several jobs. In order, they are: bank secretary/administrative assistant, skip tracer and collection agency office manager. I was bored with desk jobs so I worked as an auto auction runner, stocker, forklift and lift truck operator in an auto parts warehouse. My current position is household administrator and stained glass artisan.

What made you start working with glass and when?

In the early 1980’s we went on a tour of several Victorian homes that had been restored. Every one of them had beautiful beveled or leaded glass windows and transoms. I was fascinated and wanted a stained glass window for our house. It was too expensive for us at the time and I decided right then that I would learn how to do it myself. Finally in 1991 I signed up for a beginning stained glass class at a local studio. It just felt right and was so easy for me, thanks to a fantastic teacher.

Does your glass inspiration come from someplace special in your life?

My inspiration comes from a lot of places. Colors can inspire me, but nature is probably the most obvious inspiration if you look at my shop. I have even dreamed designs. Lately I have experimented with geometric shapes, bevels and glass roundels.

How would you describe glass?

Versatile, beautiful, breakable, potentially dangerous and expensive.

Is your studio all you want it to be?

It was until my husband stole some of my shelves for his junk that should be in the garage. And I need to reorganize my glass scraps. Other than that, I love my studio. The lighting is good, my work space is adequate and I don’t have a lot of distractions.

Do you prefer music or quiet when you are working on your craft?

I always grab my MP3 player when I head downstairs to my studio. If I’ve got a lot of glass to cut, Pink Floyd is my concentration music. My taste in music ranges from Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin to Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Billy Idol.

If you have a really bad glass day, what comforts you?

Heading outside and doing a little yardwork. I have to walk away from it for awhile.

If you have a really good glass day, do you celebrate?

I do a happy dance

The best part of working with glass?

It always feels good to see something I made hanging in someone else’s window!!

The best part of working with glass is soldering a copper foiled piece and making the perfect solder line. Soldering is the step that brings a piece together. I also love puttying a leaded panel or window and the smell of the turpentine and linseed oil. The same for grouting a mosaic, I think I like to make a mess.

All of my glass is hand-cut, I don’t own a saw. That gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I did it all by hand.

What is the worse part of working with glass?

Grinding my fingernails down along with the glass, getting cuts on my hands and fingers, grinding glass nuggets and shooting them across the room. It’s embarrassing to go out with black or blue grout stains on my fingers because my glove tore.

Can we have a few words of wisdom from you please?!

Never be afraid to try something new. Take a class and see if you are still interested. Just don’t go out and buy all the tools and materials for a new hobby or craft and decide afterward that you can’t do it.

I love to try new products or techniques. The challenge keeps me on my toes and makes my work better. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat!

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