Pulling much of my inspiration from the ocean, fantasy books and European design styling, I start with colour and the rest flows from there. I’ve had an obsession with glass my entire life – being entranced by my grandma’s glass paper weight collection and digging up bits of pottery and glass from my backyard as a child – now I melt it in my kiln (fused glass) and shape it with a torch (lampworking) in the studio.

I used to play with mum’s costume jewelry when I was little and growing up I went with her to art shows and was fascinated by jewelry artists’ work. Many years ago I started making my own jewelry, beginning with seed beads and a loom then working toward larger beads and gemstones. Now I use my glass work as a base and embellish with other sparkling baubles. I keep exploring new glass techniques like adding frits, placing metal inside my glass and even the addition of fused decals. I strive to enhance my work everyday and only put out work I would gladly wear and purchase myself. I aim to keep my costs low so that everyone can afford to wear and enjoy my work.

I use lampworking to make large focal beads for some of my jewelry. I’ll form the glass beads on rods in front of the torch then anneal them in a kiln to ensure durability.

Fused glass is a term used to describe glass that has been fired (heat-processed) in a kiln at a range of high temperatures from 593 °C (1,099 °F) to 816 °C (1,501 °F). There are 3 main distinctions for temperature application and the resulting effect on the glass.

Firing in the lower ranges of these temperatures 593–677 °C (1099–1251 °F) is called slumping.
Firing in the middle ranges of these temperatures 677–732 °C (1251–1350 °F) is considered tack fusing.
Firing the glass at the higher spectrum of this range 732–816 °C (1350–1501 °F) is a full fuse.

Most of my jewelry is done with tack fusing and full fusing. Slumping, for the most part, is for more sculptural work such as vases and dishes etc.

I start by layering several sheets of glass, often using different colors to create patterns or simple images. The stack is then placed inside my glass kiln and then heated through a series of ramps (rapid heating cycles) and soaks (holding the temperature at a specific point) until the separate pieces bond together. The longer the kiln is held at the high temperatures the more thoroughly the stack will fuse, eventually softening and rounding the edges of the original shape. Once the desired effect has been achieved, the kiln temperature will be brought down quickly in order to avoid devitrification. It is then allowed to cool slowly over a specified time, soaking at specified temperature ranges which are essential to the annealing process. This prevents uneven cooling and breakage and produces a strong finished product.