I had a fun and eye-opening moment recently when two ladies visited my studio. One friend turned to the other, holding one of my lampwork glass jewelry necklaces in her hand, and said, “I took a class in this. I can do this!” I wanted to scream, “No, you can’t!! This is hard!”

I’ve been melting glass and designing my glass art for over 20 years. I’ve spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars taking classes and studying glass all over the world.

Recently, I’ve been so impressed with the hard work a potter friend of mine puts into each of his very detailed and unique designs of clay art. I’ve watched as people casually grab his exquisite designs and roll them around like a paper cup. They have no idea of the long hours and loving hands that created this clay design. I mentioned this to him, and his response was, “It’s OK, Darleen, they are admiring my work.” I loved his attitude, and it made me reflect.

Now, no matter what the comments are when someone is studying my art glass – I think, It’s OK, Darleen, they are admiring your hard work.

So, the next time you see a piece of handmade glass art, remember there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. Each piece has a story, a journey of patience, skill, and passion. And I’m thrilled to share that journey with all of you.