About Me

I'm really glad I’ve found glass. I love working with the elements. Fire for melting the earth's silica. Oxygen/air to feed the fire. And the non-stop river of creativity guiding my fingers. It is a medium that is so willing to explore with me. And it is a beautiful way for me to share my love of life itself.

About the Monarch beads and jewelry. - I’ve been flameworking since 1999 or somewhere around that here in Wisconsin, learning while working as an apprentice at a stained glass studio. We did wonderful projects there including church restorations and huge public works installations. My glass work is like a part of my body—like a hand or sense of smell. I use it and love to have it around, but it's only one part of an entity that makes up my life as a whole. There's also gardens and camping and travel, and having a wonderful dinner with friends. So this simply means I am also off doing and being a thousand other things, much like the butterflies I love so much.

As for the technical side of things, I take my playing very seriously, conscious of the importance of selling a piece that has integrity. I properly anneal, use high-quality materials like pure gold and Venetian glass (mainly Effetre for you techies), and do my very best to get everything shipped lickety-split. I have been working with glass in various forms since 1998, and we've got a good understanding of each other. It’s probable that my designs will keep morphing and becoming better refined. I am never satisfied and always striving to reach the next plateau of craftsmanship. It makes for a very satisfying way of life. Thank you so much for sharing this little bit of it with me. You're always welcome!