How I Started Glassblowing

I’m often asked where or how I learned to blow glass. If you are interested for yourself, I suggest finding a local class to begin with. There are also online classes and demos. Revere is a well known company for that but there are growing glass communities on YouTube, Twitch, and KICK.

Here is My story:

When I was 12, I babysat for a woman who made beads in her basement. I got to watch her work sometimes and eventually she started having me clean her workspace as well. I loved her beads and bought a few from her but never considered the craft myself.

At 18, I moved from Idaho to Oregon and I met Scott. We collected glass together. We met glassblowers and hung out in their studios to watch them work. In 2014, We used student loans to take classes, get private demos, buy our own equipment, and rent shop space alongside professional torch workers.

I was always crafty, but glass wasn’t my first choice and I really doubted my ability to create a career out of it. Scott was insistent that I had the eye for detail that would make me stand out in an industry dominated by men.

We ended up moving, a lot. Renting space at different workshops, or working in garages. We sold at markets or did wholesale with head-shops. It was a semi-homeless, barely scraping by sort of life for a few years. Eventually we ran out of options and moved to Idaho, where I’m from originally. The cost of living, at the time, was much more reasonable.

We decided to get married and have babies and Scott started working a regular job. I nearly gave up on glassblowing and then in 2020, while I was stuck at home, I started posting more work online. We had a tiny shed to blow glass in that was incredibly uncomfortable but we made it work. I started my own website and things really took off.

In 2021, we moved into a bigger house to have our third child. I now have a two-car-garage to work in. I continue to learn through trial and error, watching YouTube demos, and reading tutorials from The Flow and Glass Line (who I’ve also written articles for).

I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work from home and be creative at the same time.