Our Story

Weaving Stories

in Glass

I am a craft worker specialising in creating personalised glass jewellery. I take inspiration for my designs from historical pieces and nature and use hand crafted glass beads, sea glass, stone and wood to produce pieces of jewellery with a past or history.

My background is in archaeology and my interest stems from research I did while completing a PhD on medieval Ireland. I wanted to explore how artisans in the past worked with glass and metal in crafting personal jewellery and how they were used as heirloom pieces, amulets and talismans.

The pieces I make are based on ancient and traditional designs reworded as bespoke contemporary pieces. I also take orders for commissioned pieces.

I have given talks and demonstrations on glass working, ancient technologies, artisans and traditional crafts at Irish Walled Towns Network Festivals, Heritage week and local history events and medieval fair. Many of the pieces I make are based on ancient and traditional designs and bespoke contemporary pieces. I make replicas of bead strings and other jewellery worn in the past both in Ireland and in other cultures.

Commissioned pieces include remembrance and personal memory bead strings. Remembrance beads are made from cremation ashes. Memory beads are made by including within the glass a small amount of sand, grit, tiny stones or soil from a special, personal or hallowed place.

This could be a beach, a lane or road or even a family garden. These beads can be bought as keepsakes of your own ‘hallowed spaces’ if you like. They would make ideal gifts to send overseas or those in care homes particularly now when travel to one’s home place/town/country and so on is restricted.

My family loved the memory beads you made for my family from sand from the Aran Islands and Connemara. I like the fact they are all different yet similar, like a family. My kids have picked theirs already and my sister was very touched. One of the beads made with the Aran Islands sand will go to my uncle in Alaska who emigrated to there from the Aran Islands.

Fiona McDonagh

I love my necklace and earrings set really unique colours really captures the Autumn woodlands and its great to know its individual

Deirdre Costello

I love the beads you made from my father’s cremation ashes, they are a treasured keepsake and the colour is perfect, it captures exactly what I wanted.

Joyce Redmond

I have hung some of the beads you made from my brother’s cremation ashes in my car and I love that I am able to have this keepsake of him to bring with me on my travels.

Stephen Kay

I really love the beads you made from my Dad’s ashes, they give me great comfort and keep his memory alive for me. They are exquisite and really special to have something of him with me forever.

Michelle Lucas