School of Glass

This is our third season of classes at the Moon Marble Company. Our teachers are seasoned glass workers with many hours of torch time. All beginner classes will cover work safety and equipment set up. Classes will start at 9:00 A.M. and end at 4:00 P.M. A lunch break will be taken. Arrangements will be made to eat as a group at one of our local restaurants. This is not mandatory, however , it is a good time to share ideas and take a break. We will supply all equipment, tools, glass, and supplies for your class projects. Each class is designed to have only eight students. We must have at least six students to have a class go as scheduled. Teachers will only instruct those techniques that are safe and acceptable. A waiver is to be signed by the student for each class.. The classes are designed to give the student a good idea of what glass working involves. The Moon Marble Company has been in business since 1997 teaching kids and adults how to play marbles and demonstrating marble making. We have had visitors from every State and 35 countries. The Moon Marble Company is located in Bonner Springs Kansas, a small hometown community west of Kansas City.

Class Schedule

Sorry, there are no classes scheduled at this time. 

Check back in the Fall for the next series of classes. 

All classes are on Saturday's from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

Class Descriptions

Bead Making # 101 Beginning Beadmaking: This class teaches the basics of studio safety and set up Students will learn basic shapes such as round ,barrel, bicone, and heart, as well as simple decorating techniques such as dots, stripes, twisties and other simplified techniques for the ultimate beginner or beadmaker needing to brush up on skills. All materials are provided and students keep all beads made during class.
Bead Making # 102 Intermediate Beadmaking: This class covers more tasking skills such as hollows, discs, and bicones, as well as working with frits and silver foils. Focus here is on consistent shaping and attention to detail. Beginning sculptural techniques will be explored. All materials are provided and students keep all beads made during class.
Marbles I: Beginning Marbles: This class covers safety, tools, and setup as well as forming the sphere. Some design techniques will be tried and the student will have time to design and create their own marble. Students keep all marbles that they make during the class.
Marbles II: This class is for those ready to learn some additional glass and design techniques, such as dots and raking. Use of frit and stringers will be explored. Pulling simple canes and ribbons will also be taught. Students will also learn to work with aventurine. All materials are provided and students will keep the work they produce.
Making the Hollow Form:  Hollow forms and what to do with them. Practice, practice, practice. Making hollow beads can be a challenge and a joy. Learn different techniques to build discs and make them meet in the middle. Then, learn how to decorate them and make bead creations that are all your own....
 

Hollow Beads by Sara Sally LaGrand

About the Teachers
 

Sara Sally LaGrand has been making jewelry for 12 plus years and glass working for over 9 years. She has studied with many glass workers in the United States and Italy. She has won first place in the 2004 Bead Dreams contest hosted by Bead and Button Magazine as well as runner up “Best in Show” for all categories. Sara’s work has been featured in “1000 Glass Beads” published by Lark Books Bead Unique Magazine and the 2006 Bead Calendar. Her work is found in galleries and museum shops as well as the Moon Marble Company. Sara is current President of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and has been a member since 2002.

Bruce Breslow is a self taught hot glass artist starting work in 1997 after his wife Sharron gave him a hot head torch for a Holiday gift. Bruce learned more from Jerry Park, Mike Edmondson, Bruce Troeh and Drew Fritts, as well as many other artists that frequent the “Marble Crazy Event”. He attended the Pittsburgh Glass Center in 2001 where he studied with Mark Matthews. He has been featured in many newspapers and magazines for his work and for the creation of the Moon Marble Company. His work is sold at the Moon Marble Company and at the Smokey Hill River Festival as well as many other art shows. Bruce has works on permanent display at Wheaton Village Museum, the Sandburg Museum, and elsewhere. He also has marbles featured in Mark Block’s “Book of Contemporary Glass and Modern Marbles, Spheres & Orbs”.
 

Brian Heikes has been involved in glass and jewelry since 1988. First he worked as a jeweler for eight years, then stained glass, later glass slumping and lastly torch work. He demonstrated marble making for close to 8,000 school kids in 2005. ”That’s a lot of torch time.” He has developed some very nice techniques and styles. Brian has taught glass classes for several years at Bearden's Glass, He sells his work at art shows throughout Kansas and Missouri. His work is also sold at the Moon Marble Company

Guest Teachers

Mark Matthews is notably recognized for his work in glass, especially in glass spheres. Working with only one assistant, each piece is meticulously worked and signed by the artist.  Highly collected and valued, Matthews’ work has been published in many books and is held in museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio and the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

David Salazar has had almost thirty years of experience in glassworking.  His interest in glass began with making scientific glassware in college.  In 1972, he apprenticed at Lundberg Studios and there was able to explore the more creative aspects of designing and torchwork.  He left the studio 10 years later to work on his own.  David Salazar's marbles and paperweights depict nature in great depth with multi-layered designs.  He uses glassblowing techniques as well as torchworking.  He has had his work featured in Smithsonian Magazine and in L.H.Selman's book All About Paperweights.  He has also been featured in many collectors catalogues and has his work for sale and exhibited in the Bergstrom Collection in Neenah, Wisconsin, the Chicago Museum of Art, the Whaler in Maui, Seekers in Cambria, California, The Nature Company, Gumps in San Francisco, as well as the Moon Marble Company.          

Dan Grumbling

Chris Rice

Cal Sugita

Philip Vogelpohl