Susan Herriford
Karla Heinz
For as long as I can remember, art has been part of my life with early memories of finding happiness in paint by number canvases. I have enjoyed exploring many mediums including oil painting, tole painting, cake decorating, ceramics, cross-stitch, and embroidery. While living in Alaska, I fell in love with paper arts including rubber stamping, card making, and scrapbooking. This passion inspired the venture of opening a small-town paper craft store when we moved from Alaska to Connecticut. This store became a favorite community gathering place for local paper art enthusiasts who started as shop patrons but quickly became an extension of my family.
During a winter getaway to PebbleCreek, I was introduced to glass art and the Creative Arts Center by my sister-in-law, an avid glass artist. I was impressed by the facility and captivated by the creative energy and welcoming presence of the center’s community of artists. At the time, my husband, Gregg, and I were planning to retire, and I was mourning the idea of leaving my store and the family of artists I had collected over the previous 10 years. Visiting the Creative Art Center enabled me to visualize a life here in this desert paradise.
Gregg and I moved to PebbleCreek in 2015, and I quickly became an active member of the Glass Arts Club. While I still dabble in paper crafting, I am finding a true passion for glass. I enjoy expanding my skills through enrolling in advanced glass courses and love reading articles and blogs on how to improve and learn new techniques. My most recent class was a three-day intensive course on landscape painting with glass.
Being a member of the Glass Club has been a constant source of inspiration. Serving as vice president in 2018 and 2019 has been a rewarding way to give back to the club and share my knowledge with new glass enthusiasts. Teaching classes and techniques at the Creative Art Center fills my cup and makes me feel at home with my tribe. As well as mentorship, I also provide a source for glass supplies. You can find my glass creations and many other treasures in the gallery at the Creative Art Center and at the annual holiday festival. If you are interested in learning more about the art of glass, come visit us at the PebbleCreek Glass Arts Club.