Umm kinda a long story....The Short, I fell in love with lampworking, the fire, the molten glass, all the colors and feel of it.....and well it was way to bloody expensive to just do for Fun as a military wife. Just wasnt going to happen.
The long: I used to be landlord, had my own company managing rentals as side biz while I went to school and tried to be a "developer"(ps that was tons of work and never worked out) One of my tenants moved out, went over to inspect the house so I could give her deposit back...and she left a LOT of trash which is pretty common. A box of books caught my eye....so I nosed a bit. Well there was a like three boxs of glass sheets mostly 12x12's and 12x24's I didnt know it then but like a grand worth of "raw" stained glass. Gorgeous stuff the colors how they changed in the light... so I grabbed it(and the books and a funky wind chime that I still have lol) not a clue really what I was going to do with it. (when I called her to get her new address and tell her I was good on condition of the place, I did ask about it she said it most of the stuff out there was from like two RM's ago and haddnt talked to them in a year. "sure have it" was her reaction)
So I started looking into what I had...and maybe two months later found a used stain glass set up on CL. I did stained glass as a hobby for years... until I got pregnant. The cane you use in SG is like 40% Lead. So I stopped on the doctors advise. Then you have a new baby kinda busy...then SG is HORRIBLE about glass shards they will be everywhere the nasty tiny ones you dont really see. And any project takes at best days but many months at a hobby level.... And well baby stopped that hobby...I still have everything and I did finish the piece I was in the middle of when I found out I was but...thats the last piece I've done.
So family trip to the renaissance fair and there was a lampworker there...and I spent all day talking to him. Hubby and the Kids saw the rest of the fair..I just wanted to talk to him and watch the glass melt.
That was that...went home read forums, researched and read...I was having dreams of torching before I ever ordered let alone touched a torch. Came up with a plan and told the hubby this is what I am doing....it's going to cost 2.5k just to get started a bare bones, basic kiln, basic torch, tools and glass to play with(the Cheap glass at that) and I'm going to sell what I make. He of course balked a bit but I won :)
Aug 2 2011 I fired my torch up for the first time...Oct 2011 I opened my company. Welcome to look at my first few sales sales was pretty rough back then(price was much lower then) ...and my photography, was HORRIBLE, promotion sucked.. and seo what? So many changes :)
