WHO ARE WE?
The Glass of Joy is the home of lampwork glass made by Joy McMillan. Joy has been lampworking for almost 20 years, initially as a hobby, then making beads, stitch markers, jewellery and more. In 2022 Joy had work included in the Sheffield Millennium Gallery Handmade for Christmas exhibition.
Behind the scenes of The Glass Of Joy is Bobbie Naylor. We got together back in 2003, and we’ve lived and worked together for most of that time. One of the delights of working with your partner is that you get to talk about work a lot, and that leads to lots of possibilities. We had lots of great ideas which weren’t a perfect fit for our existing businesses (The Knitting Goddess and The Unruly Stitch) so The Glass Of Joy was born.
Bobbie isn’t melting glass yet, as designing and embroidering for The Unruly Stitch keeps her busy. Thankfully she always has time to suggest ideas and get involved in many of the jobs which go on in the background.
WHY GLASS?
Lampworking involves using a torch to melt and shape glass. The possibilities are endless and fascinating.
Glass is an amazing material. It’s so much part of our every day lives that we don’t notice it, let alone appreciate it. It’s invisible. It’s phone screen and drinking glasses and so much more.
We want to make things which become treasured possessions. That means jewellery which will be worn for years, or barware which makes every drink extra special. Choosing glass is choosing a material which could last for centuries or more. Glass beads have been traced back to the Ancient Egyptians in 1365B.C.
Glass can be very elegant and sophisticated. It can also be playful. Our glass pins and plant decorations have a whimsical quality, making them perfect as a treat for you or gift for someone special.
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
We make the things we sell. That gives us the luxury of being able to source the best materials for the job and to make small batches of things. We’ll never be about mass production as that doesn’t suit the way we do things. We’re about the joy of hand crafted items and the pleasure those bring.
There’s something special about objects which appeal to multiple senses, and glass lends itself to that. How glass looks is often a huge part of its appeal. It can be transparent, frosted or opaque. It can reflect and bounce light, making it the perfect material for decorations from winter icicles to colourful sun catchers.
Glass can be very elegant and sophisticated. It can also be playful. Our glass pins and plant decorations have a whimsical quality, making them perfect as a treat for you or gift for someone special.
