Here's my story... I actually fell in LOVE with glass back in a junior high art class. We only did one glass project, but I always remembered it. It’s one of the few art projects I’ve kept all these years. So, when I was looking for a hobby as a stay-at-home mom, I knew I had to find a way to work with glass again. I found a starter kit online, and everything started from there. I used what I remembered, followed the book that came with the kit, and read a TON of information on glass forums. I soldered my first project on a piece of cardboard on top of my washing machine. Let me tell you... it was not easy—especially with the curved top! But I made it through, and even though it’s not perfect, I kept that first project. It still sits on a bookcase in my living room as a constant reminder of how far I've come.

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So yes, my start wasn’t glamorous, but I’ve progressed over the years. After the washing machine, my husband built me a workbench in the laundry room. When I outgrew that, I took over what was supposed to be an office in our basement. That worked great for a long time, but after a flood in 2008, we had to rip out all the carpeting in our rec room—so guess who got to expand her glass studio! My husband kept his man cave, but my shop got about three times bigger!

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My husband and I also run a sign, T-shirt, and decal business from our home, Stephen Edward Graphics. We started in 2009, and it really took off. In 2013, we moved out to the country to expand, but because of the move, my glass studio had to be packed up. I patiently waited (not so patiently at times) for about five years until we were able to convert the garage into my glass studio. The new studio is finally finished, and I'm officially back breaking glass! I can’t wait to show you all the ideas that have been swimming around in my brain all these years!