When You Have A Dream
Welcome to Blown Glass Creations! Crafting a dream is a journey filled with challenges and triumphs, and I’m excited to share a glimpse of our path to realization with you. May our story inspire you to pursue your own dreams with passion and determination.
Welcome To Blown Glass Creations
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6pm to 9pm.
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Where It Began
Seeking to invigorate my life and art after my youngest child moved out, I chose to pursue a Master’s in Art Education at Texas Tech. This decision was influenced by several factors: positive feedback from friends with the same major, the program’s location in Texas (not online), and the appealing structure where half of the credits come from hands-on art-making classes.
The first semester of this major took place in Junction, TX, at a facility reminiscent of a summer camp, serving as TTU’s hub for science and art research. Since the early 1970s, it functioned as an art retreat in the summer and a science/research center throughout the year. It offered a perfect countryside escape with amenities like a pool, river, hiking trails, and three meals a day.
Accommodations were camp-style, with bunk beds and communal showers, which was fine by me given the like-minded company. Everyone got a whole bunk, top and bottom, ideal for storing art supplies. This place was an art think tank, featuring ceramics, jewelry making, painting, mural creation, and glass blowing. First-year students had to take a mandatory painting class, known informally as “the crying class,” exploring the reasons behind painting while studying famous modern artists and the significance of their work. We ventured into each other’s classes, learning bits from each, but the glass blowing sessions at night were particularly captivating. We’d gather, mosquito repellent in tow, to watch students shape glass until 10 PM. The professor would craft the last piece, which was then raffled off nightly. This experience left a lasting impact on me, leading me to spend the next two summers mastering glass blowing.
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6 to 9 pm.
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After earning my Master’s in Art Education, the glass blowing class was discontinued. An undergraduate colleague and I searched for a place to continue our practice, only to be met with steep prices or outright refusal. Our search led us to Santa Fe, New Mexico, renowned for its glass blowing studios. Initially, we faced high fees again until one recommendation led us to Prairie Dog Glass. The owner, Patrick, asked us to demonstrate our skills. Recognizing we weren’t professionals but had a solid foundation in the basics and safety, he saw potential in us. Patrick rallied the local artists, proposing we assist in their projects for two hours in exchange for equivalent lessons, and monetary transactions. This arrangement allowed us to collaborate with esteemed artists across Santa Fe, providing an invaluable experience.
For the past six years, I’ve been commuting to New Mexico every few months, dedicating three to five days each visit to hone my craft. By setting up local booths, I began to cover my travel expenses and even considered establishing my own studio. This ambition solidified my standing within the New Mexico glass blowing community, a closely-knit group that extended invitations to work alongside them and assisted in sourcing equipment for my studio. I’m incredibly grateful for this camaraderie, particularly to Patrick, who aided my husband in the technical aspects of setting up our shop.
I owe immense gratitude to many, including my husband Tracy, for his enduring support through our frequent trips to New Mexico, his companionship, and his efforts in building the studio, and to Patrick and the entire artist community in New Mexico for their generous hospitality, mentorship, and unwavering support. Now, it’s my turn to contribute to my community, share my knowledge of glass blowing, and reciprocate the kindness shown to me by those visiting artists.
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6 to 9 pm.
Book Some Time!
Building The Dream
Hot shop beginnings July 2022
My glass blowing friends shared photos of a hot shop for sale that turned out to be the most equipped shop I had encountered in the United States. Despite its age and the need for refurbishment, with extensive advice from blown glass artist and shop owner Patrick Morrisey of Prairie Dog Glass in New Mexico, and the artist Stephon, who discovered the shop for me, it was clear this was the right choice for me!
December 23, 2022
After six months of negotiations, securing the necessary funds, and arranging a delivery system, the day finally arrived for the hot shop to make its way to Burnet, Texas.
The excitement was palpable in my voice; the journey to get the shop to this point was fraught with stress and challenges. As can happen, some additional challenges set us back an additional six weeks. Doubt crept in, especially when I learned other buyers were interested in the shop, and maintaining a positive mindset became a daily effort for both me and my husband, whose outlooks have been tempered by past disappointments. Shipping presented its own nightmares, but fortunately, my husband’s experience as a truck driver and dispatcher proved invaluable in overcoming these hurdles. Additionally, the artist selling the shop, a woman, was keen on ensuring it passed into another woman’s hands, which brought her into close collaboration with me throughout this process.
It's HERE!!!!
That six months had been an intense, emotional journey, fluctuating between highs of acquiring the shop and lows stemming from issues like shipping logistics, financial hurdles, the complexity of assembling the shop, fear of failure, navigating the unknown, city permits, deed restrictions, and self-doubt. Despite these challenges, I focused on moving forward, surrounding myself with people who brought knowledge, positivity, and encouragement. I also dedicated effort to improve both my physical and mental well-being, aiming to infuse my life with positivity. The involvement of my son-in-law Pedro, who helped with moving, signifies how this project has evolved into a family endeavor, with another son-in-law, Jared—a skilled electrician and handyman—set to contribute soon. Even my dog Gigi is showing excitement in the latest video!
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6 to 9 pm.
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Looking Back
December 2022 Through June 2023
Hotshop Progress
Progress was very slow, largely due to the time-consuming process of securing building permits, budgeting, and sorting through equipment while realizing the enormity of the task at hand. I felt overwhelmed by the need to rent a shop in New Mexico every other month to keep my glass sales going, in addition to having product to sell for each monthly booth. Maintaining focus on the next steps for getting the shop ready and staying optimistic has been challenging.
This would become the future home of Blown Glass Creations
There was a lot of “sweat equity” in this project!
Little by little, progress!
A health scare with my husband marked a pivotal moment, propelling our project forward. His recovery was a wake-up call, leading him to take a month off work and begin clearing a densely overgrown area for the shop—a task that energized both of us. However, as with any construction, challenges in execution arose. A friend assisted Tracy with the heavy lifting, while I navigated the permit process, discovering along the way that the city officials responded more favorably to men—a frustrating lesson.
This experience has been a profound journey of self-discovery. Balancing glass sales, booth promotions, gallery sales, and daily progress on the shop extended the timeline beyond my initial expectations. Keeping both my and my husband’s spirits high became another critical task on my growing list.
The chosen site for the hot shop holds sentimental value—it was a garden we created 23 years ago after my mother passed away. Tracy built a gazebo there, and we fenced off the area, planting flowers and using it for various family events. Over the years, as life with four children and our careers took precedence, the garden became overgrown. Deciding to repurpose this space for the shop felt fitting, though we preserved the gazebo by relocating it to my younger daughter’s backyard, providing a cool retreat from the hot Texas summers.
COVID threw us for a loop when our daughter and her family moved in while their new home was under construction. Once they settled into their own place, their former space in our home turned into a catch-all area. It was definitely time to get everything back in order.
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6 to 9 pm.
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Amidst the cleanup, we unearthed some intriguing items: my husband’s graduation gown, tragically chewed up, a cross stitch crafted by my mother, and all the Christmas stockings I had misplaced for years, along with other cherished mementos.
Garden area cleaned August 2023
Stumps turned into a metaphor for the work that lay ahead. The drought had hardened the ground, making our grass suffer. While my husband tackled the cleanup, I supported him by providing water, food, and plenty of encouragement.
Due to the combination of extreme heat and the tools scattered around, my granddaughter Avi could only watch the action from the window. She loves “big trucks,” like cement trucks, and was thrilled to see the workers, who were exceptionally quick and finished the job in a day. We had to slow down the pace due to recent changes in permit regulations, which required us to double-check with city hall. This resulted in us ending up with more cement than necessary, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we used the excess to create some lovely patios.
Eager To See What We’ve Created? We’re Open Tuesdays & Thursdays From 6 to 9 pm.
Book Some Time!
Amidst the building frustrations, I wanted to maintain a positive outlook and decided to permanently bless the structure. I chose scriptures from the Bible that focus on foundations, writing them on each corner and the center of the building to anchor and sanctify our new space.
The building went up in just a few days, thanks to some old friends of my husband who rallied to help. These workers, the best in the area, were also my former students, which brought an additional layer of blessings to the project. Their expertise and camaraderie made the construction process both efficient and meaningful.
Due to power company restrictions, we had to run the electrical power underground from the front of the house to the building. My son-in-law, Jared, showcased his brilliance by installing all the electrical components in the shop. Over one weekend, Jared and my husband installed all the conduits and outlets. We then dug trenches to lay the underground electrical cables. My favorite photo from the project is of my husband lying in the ditch, working hard to dig a hole through to the main electrical box under the concrete. It’s a memorable snapshot of the dedication that went into this project.
We’re Open And Ready To Share All We Are Creating! If You Would Like To Watch, Shop or Learn How To Blow Glass, Come On By!
