My Glassworking Adventure: A New Chapter

This is a story about following your dreams and listening to that voice — that urge — to try something new.

Much like how I first started making jewelry, my journey into glassmaking began in an unexpected way. I had been crafting jewelry, attending events, and selling online for about two years when I became fascinated with handmade glass components. I felt like something was missing in my work. I'd search for unique beads and interesting pieces, but there was always something I couldn't find — or couldn't afford. On a whim, I posted on a local Ithaca forum asking if anyone would be willing to let me try glassmaking or teach me a little about the art. While many people recommended the Corning Museum of Glass, one person responded with an unexpected offer: they had an entire studio's worth of equipment and needed somewhere to store it. My dad's shop turned out to be the perfect solution. They brought everything in, showed me the ropes — and eventually, I bought the whole setup from them.

Fast forward to April 2024: the artist helped me set up the studio with a kiln, torch, oxygen, and everything in between. I told him I wanted to make beads and jewelry components, and he recommended starting with borosilicate glass. For those unfamiliar with "boro," as I was back then, it's an exceptionally durable and hard glass — the same material used in Pyrex measuring cups. Part of what makes it so sturdy is its low Coefficient of Expansion (COE), which measures how much a material expands as temperature increases. Without getting too technical, working with boro is a lot like working with taffy: tough, stretchy, and resistant. It's also a challenging glass for beginners, or at least it was for me. I gave it a real effort, but eventually ran out of oxygen and wasn't sure how to handle the large tank. Then we moved, and the kiln and torch collected dust…

…until about a year later, in 2025, when I discovered an incredible lampworking artist on Etsy — PetrovnaLampwork, based in Bulgaria — whose intricate beads and jewelry stopped me in my tracks. I ordered some of their work to use in my own pieces, particularly some glass strawberries I needed for an upcoming festival. They were stunning. And just like that, the itch was back.

Strawberry earrings featuring beads by PetrovnaLampwork

I figured out how to get more oxygen, started watching tutorials on soft glass, and everything changed. Soft glass sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from boro: where boro has a COE of 33, soft glass starts at 96 (I work with COE 104 specifically, since different glass types can't be mixed). If boro was like taffy, soft glass is like honey — fluid, delicate, and responsive to gravity and movement. It clicked almost immediately, it felt a lot like painting (which I was familiar with). I started making beads, watching videos, reading everything I could find, daydreaming, and talking about glass to anyone who would listen. On weekends without shows, I was in the shop practicing and learning. Starting around October 2025, I began tracking my progress by adding small beads to a long leather cord — something I plan to bring to events to show the journey.

Since then, I've learned to make implosion pendants (still refining those!), glass owls, frogs, and other little animals, and I've been experimenting with color combinations in ways I never expected. I feel like the world of jewelry-making has opened up completely — like I can create anything I set my mind to. The passion hasn't faded for a single moment.

My studio is still in my dad's shop, which means I get to see him nearly every week during the off-season. I also post weekly kiln-opening videos on TikTok and Instagram where I share and talk about what I've been making.

One of my latest batches of beads (4/20/2026)

Looking ahead, I'm excited to keep improving with sculpted fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and animals. I'd also love to revisit borosilicate glass someday — there's so much more to explore with it. And one goal that's especially close to my heart: learning to make memorial pendants with cremains. I think it's a truly beautiful way to honor a loved one or a beloved pet.