Cinjo Handmade is a one-woman, micro-business in the foothills of North Peoria, outside of Phoenix, Arizona. I grew up in the Phoenix area and returned here to retire in 2012 after a 31-year career as a chemical engineer in Texas and Illinois. Needing to keep busy in retirement, I decided to use my beading skills, honed during long Chicago winters, to make wind chimes paired with stained glass. I learned how to cut, drill and grind stained glass pieces and started the business in 2018.
In 2019, I discovered kiln-formed glass and fell in love! Kiln-formed glass is less likely to chip or break so it works much better for the wind chimes. Plus, there are so many design options! Kiln-formed glass is an art form that involves melting glass in a kiln at temperatures to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit and even beyond. The piece always starts out flat, in single or multiple layers and is then either slumped, draped, dropped or cast to form various shapes. Along the way, the glass is embellished, painted, combed or otherwise improved. Each piece is often fused in the kiln two or more times, each firing usually taking more than 10 hours, sometimes even days. There are many ways to create fused glass art; so many techniques, it would take more than a lifetime to learn them all. It’s very fun and you will often hear fused glass artists saying that the highlight of their day is opening that kiln to see the beautiful result.
Everything I sell is handmade, by me, in my home studio.
I'm combining my technical and analytical skills from years of operating chemical plants with my new-found and growing creative side. I don't really consider myself an "artist" but a "maker". I love learning and trying new techniques while keeping my pieces simple and pleasing. I create glass for the home and garden - wind chimes, sun-catchers, dishes, garden and yard art. In addition to selling online, I participate in markets and art shows in the Phoenix area. See my website and social media for my show schedule.
Wondering where the name "Cinjo" came from? I often get asked. My middle name is "Jo" so Cinjo stands for Cindy Jo. Simple, right?
Thanks for visiting Cinjo Handmade!
Cindy
