Greetings! Let me quickly introduce myself. Yes, as a matter of fact, my name is Coco. If you're like me, most of the other Coco’s you know are pets. But I’m not a pet; nor am I a robot. However, I am a not-so-little old lady, in tennis shoes and jeans, who just happens to be a stained-glass artist who wants to make the perfect gift for your special someone, or better yet, to create the eye-catching piece you need to complete your home décor.
MY BACKGROUND
Once upon a time, a long, long, long time ago, I was born and raised in New Orleans, which at the time was a vibrant Catholic city steeped in the arts—visual, performing, and culinary. However, I now live in a remote area of the Northern Woods of Maine, where I'm surrounded by pristine wilderness, beautiful sunsets, and plenty of wildlife. (Think Northwoods Law crossed with Maine Cabin Masters.) My husband and I will soon celebrate our 50th anniversary, so my primary role over the past several decades has been, and continues to be, Wife, Mom of 5, and “Nutty” (Grandma) to 7. My life’s story is a long winding road and full of unusual adventures as a military wife (for 20 years), but at least for now, I’ll spare you those details and talk about my glass experience and what I can do for you, instead.
MY HISTORY WITH GLASS
In 1982, I was introduced to the craft of stained glass and was instantly hooked on glass as an art medium. Since then, I have evolved from a hobbyist to a skilled artisan and teacher, and then to a designer and artist. If you can imagine something in glass, I can probably make it, or I know someone in the industry that can. Now, I spend most of my studio time creating custom artwork for people who want their visions to come alive in glass, and when there is a lull, I design and create new projects with a general appeal to list in my shop.
WHO AM I?
One of my life philosophies is that “Win/Win” isn’t good enough if a “Win/Win/Win/W…” is possible. So not only do I create heirloom quality glass artwork, but I also make the patterns for my pieces available in case you’d like to make it yourself or you’d rather take it to a local glass artist to make it for you so you can avoid the cost of shipping. And, if you’re a glass hobbyist or just experimenting with glass as a medium, I also sell component kits comprised of special embellishments, like pre-formed wire or kiln-formed inclusions that go with a pattern. If you’d like a DIY kit that includes all the materials for a specific pattern, just let me know and I’ll see what I can do. (But beware, creating with glass can become addictive, not to mention expensive.)
Besides my family and friends, my most important values are my Catholic Faith, my creativity/innovation, my ability to connect with people, my love for learning new skills or using new tools, and my desire to repurpose or up-cycle trash into treasure—all of which influences my artwork.
As a creative, I'm eager to put my talents at your service, so if a light bulb has gone off in your head, don’t hesitate to contact me with your idea. I promise if for any reason I think a fellow glass artist might be better suited to make your idea a reality, I promise I’ll recommend them. Otherwise, I’ll relish taking on the challenge myself. Inquiring about custom work costs you nothing, so if you’re curious, just ask? I’ve been told by past clients that I am user friendly.
!!! WARNING !!! !!! POSSIBLE TMI (Too-Much-Information) ALERT!!!
Only read these next two paragraphs if you’re curious about why I spend my time creating. Otherwise, feel free to skip to the end.
I believe that when God created me, one of the gifts or talents He gave me was creativity and over the years I’ve cooperated with His gift by developing my skills in the artistic practice of making stained glass. Prayer is an integral part of my process from getting inspired while I design, to innovation while I engineer a structurally sound assembly, to intention as I complete a piece and prepare it to be shipped to its permanent home. I am convinced all beautiful things point us to our creator, some more subtly than others. By creating beautiful things, I’m attempting to point to the truth about a good and generous God who loves us and deserves our love in return.
As you may have guessed by now, I’m well into my retirement years, but I still have the idealistic and generous spirit of someone who is young at heart. And I still dream…My all-time favorite summer was the year I went to summer camp for 4 weeks. So I “work” in order to give our grands a similar experience. When you buy from this shop you help me make my dreams come true for them.
So, enjoy browsing through the listings in my store and hopefully what you see brings a smile to your face and a glimmer of peace and joy into your surroundings. If you see something that tickles your fancy, please share it on social media; or if something makes you think of a friend or family member, please send them the link and let them know you were thinking of them; or if you want to treat yourself, you can always “Make my day” and hit the buy button.
Thanks in advance for whatever you decide to do…And kudos for buying handmade!
