Back in 2016, Mike built a 12′ x 16′ studio for me in our garden, just steps from our back door. I already had a large 20′ x 20′ studio, but it was in an old pole barn, unheated and often damp in winter.
Even with a heater nearby, I worked bundled up and my fingers would be stiff with cold. Worst of all, glass actually gets brittle with cold temperatures, so I had to use a heat gun to warm the glass before cutting it. My supplies would often freeze, which can ruin them. The garden studio doesn’t have built in heat, but it’s very easy to keep it warm with a small radiant heater. I continued using the big studio for storage, messy work with cement, and for big projects.
But when our daughter turned 16, we let her move into the garden studio. I thought I would be giving up the space for 2 years, certain she would choose to move out after graduation (like I did at that age.) But no, she loves it here and has no desire to live in a small apartment in the city or in shared housing. She turned 22 this spring. She’s attending college and has been working at the same job for four years, which barely pays enough for her basic expenses without rent. So, in 2024, I moved out of the big studio and into a corner of the garage while working on my largest commission to date. In summer, I spilled out into the driveway, working under a canopy. Meanwhile, Mike worked on transforming the big studio into a living space. Finally, in mid-July 2025, our daughter moved into her apartment and I am back to working in my little garden studio once again.
I actually have two large projects going simultaneously, so one is now set up in the garden studio while the other is in progress in the garage. When the community project is installed this fall, I will move the mural over to the small studio for winter work. And we will then work on turning the garage into another studio space, insulating the walls and adding better lighting and organization. Right now, it’s chaos.
I cannot tell you what a delight it is to return to this space, made just for me. The colors are my favorite combination, it is bright and cheerful with many windows, and it is entirely surrounded by garden. A pond is at the back with a waterfall gurgling and I enjoy a view of flowers on all sides. I moved my office space to this building so that I can do admin and virtual meetings here. The smaller loft holds tools and kit components and all of my shipping can be done here. This is far more organized and tidy than it has been so far.
Note: I have put my etsy store on indefinite hold. If you need anything, please reach out and I can put an order together for you. There are a few items in my shop here on the website, but I do have more items in stock and I can give you a more accurate shipping rate on multiple items. For instance, I have supplies on hand for some GOG projects and for Professional Installation. And I can create a tool bundle for anyone getting started with stained glass mosaic. Or I can send you thinset by the pound. I’m not a mosaic supplier, but I can help you get many of the things I recommend from my own inventory.
And, if you are local to me, the studio is open to the public by appointment, so reach out to schedule a visit! (East Grays Harbor County, WA, between Elma and Oakville.)
