There’s this great little art glass studio here in Sacramento, owned by Shannon Morgan. An unknown number of artists participate in Girl Glass, work collaboratively on projects, from paperweights to goblets, pumpkins and vessels. My friend Sandy Pratali has been apprenticing at Girl Glass for almost five years now, and is very good (she might disagree with me on this point, but I’m right) at making shiny, pretty things. I have the good fortune to get to go hang out with her and the glass people whenever I like. And oh, how I like.

At Girl Glass, there are a dozen cats and four dogs. Upon entering, it’s a little overwhelming. My first time there was at dinnertime, so the menagerie was a little more aggressive than usual, and it’s freaky to be approached by that many hungry cats. Don’t worry, they’re not hungry for long- they truly live a blessed existence. They’re all rescued and have bright, shiny personalities. My favorite is Dimitri, the three-legged long-haired ginger and white kitty. Evidently he tussled with a fox at a young age and had to have his front right leg amputated. Don’t tell him that though, he gets around just fine. He’s also super cuddly, so between being the undercat and incredibly lovey, I didn’t stand a chance. I’m all his.

The multi-acre grounds at Girl Glass are lush like a jungle, with beautiful glass pieces tucked in every cranny. It’s really a sight to behold. Everything there is vibrating with life force. The energy in the hot shop can only be described as lovely. The artists work together, sometimes there’s music, sometimes not, but it’s always a dance. It’s hypnotic, to be with these women who know so well what they’re doing, to be surrounded by so much JUICE. It’s impossible not to be inspired.

Sandy and Shannon are preparing to head off as vendors to a renaissance faire in Bristol later this month, so they are mass-producing glass right now, spending tons of time in the studio churning out more of this incredible glass. Goblets, mostly. Oh lord, the goblets. They are so pretty they make your eyes water, with their ethereal color gradations and gold leaf swirls.

Last night I got to go hang out in the shop, it was a ‘fun night’, where everyone was just hanging out, if there were guitars it’d have been a jam session, but it was a glass blowing freeform yummy storm. I got to make two paperweights. I know, I’m a Seattleite, home of The Patch himself (Dale Chihuly) and thousands of his peers, and I have to come to Sacramento to learn to blow glass?? Er, to sculpt glass? I didn’t do any blowing, that doesn’t come until you’ve made over 200 paperweights. Anyhow. It was amazing. Those people make it look easy, and it is NOT EASY. It is heavy, fast paced, HOT HOT HOT and it’s a whole lot of details to remember. All of this is compounded by the fact that you have to remember Everything, or you’ll potentially really burn yourself or someone else, or at least ruin that incredibly beautiful thing you’re making. The pressure!

Tomorrow we’ll get to go get our glass out of the cooling-down machine, I think it’s called a Lear. Leer? Annealing leer! I can hardly wait. Don’t tell my mom I made her a paperweight for mothers’ day, it’s a surprise.