Cari Sass, director of marketing at Milwaukee-based Plunkett Raysich Architects, has always been artistic.
She experimented with a variety of different mediums including metal working and canvas painting before discovering her love for fused glass. Sass makes fused glass jewelry, art and vases in her studio at home.
“It’s been a fabulous hobby, even business, for our entire family,” she said.
Sass’s 11-year-old daughter, Cori, sometimes helps her with the jewelry designs.
Sass purchased a kiln online that she fuses her collection in. She and her husband Chris opened Sass Design Studio three years ago to market the sale of her pieces.
“With fused glass you basically take sheets of glass and cut them in the way you want to design your piece,” Sass said. “Once you put it together it goes in the kiln to fuse it together.”
Different pieces or effects are created by different temperatures in the kiln or how long the piece is baked.
“It’s a very delicate process,” Sass said.
Sass and her family do a series of art shows in the summer, including the Waukesha Art Fest which is being held on Saturday, Sept. 8, in downtown Waukesha.
“It’s fun. It’s not like a job for me. We’ll do a couple of art shows throughout the summer, and I’ll do some home shows just before the holiday season,” Sass said. “Januray to early spring I’ll simply do it for enjoyment or whenever I’m feeling creative.”
Sass said she tries to create pieces unique to everyone. Her designs range from modern to petite and delicate. Each piece can spend five or more hours in the kiln. Her jewelry is available in a few Milwaukee-area retail locations including Marc Pasch, Magnolia & Company and the Clinton Street Gallery in Waukesha. She has also created custom pieces.
“Our whole family is creative,” Sass said. “We make time for it because we have fun together doing it. It’s not something we feel takes out of our schedule. We want to spend time doing it and add more into our schedule. It really is something we can do as a family.”
