Studio Notes – January 2026

This month, my studio has been buzzing with activity. I have a fresh tank of oxygen, new inspiration, and a renewed sense of focus. My plan for this year is to focus on one thing each month. That might be a single style of bead, a jewelry theme, or even one colour of glass.

Focus can be tricky for me. I’m easily drawn to the “bright shiny object” that catches my eye! I’ll sit down at my torch or workbench with a clear plan, and then something new steals my attention. This year, I’m trying something different. Instead of fighting those moments, I’m going to use them as ideas for the following month. At the very least, I’ll have plenty of creative content to build from going forward.

What I’m most excited about is that, as of this month, I’m officially working part-time at my full-time job. I’m easing into full retirement from my 9–5 office life, with January 2027 circled on the calendar. The thought of having more time for my studio and this creative business fills me with joy and anticipation.

This post is also the first in a new monthly series I’m calling Studio Notes. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening at my workbench, the colours I’m drawn to, the techniques I’m exploring, and the creative sparks that keep me inspired.

And this month, it’s all about pastels.

I used to love working with pastel colours but drifted away for a while to focus on transparent glass. Etching transparent beads gives me a soft effect, but nothing compares to the soft, creamy hues of true pastel coloured glass rods.

Pastel rods melt quickly, so I have to work in a cooler flame or risk scorching the colour right out of the glass. That’s a challenge for me, since I naturally love working hot! After a few melted experiments, I finally found the sweet spot where the glass stays rich and luminous.

Here’s a glimpse of what came out of the torch this month:

Of course, focus isn’t always my strong suit, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While taking a break from the pastels, I couldn’t resist experimenting with some of my reactive glasses. And oh boy, did they come alive!

One glass in particular turned out to be a rainbow of colour. I’m still deciding what to create with these beads, maybe a necklace or a set of long drop earrings? There are just enough for a bracelet too. I’ll definitely need to hunt for more of this glass since I only had one rod to start with.

These new focal beads were such fun to make and will become beautiful pendants. I can already picture them hanging from a bold chain or a beaded cord.

What do you think, how would you design with them?

You can take a look at these new pieces in my What’s New collection here.