About ChurnHill Glass

Hello. My name is Laura, and I am a glass addict.

Well, maybe not an addict--maybe just really, really enthusiastic. To the point of obsession. Okay, maybe an addict, but in a good way.

ChurnHill Glass is me, Laura Churn Hill, and this is how my lampwork beads and vessels (and hairsticks and mushrooms, etc.) are made, in the flame of a torch. All of my little beauties are created in my (very) rustic studio at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I have always been fascinated with color and texture, and explored these through many avenues--painting, photography, drawing, gardening, textiles, etc. When I took a lampwork beadmaking class, I instantly knew that this was my medium. I am absolutely obsessed with glass, and am never more content than when absorbed in melting it. The beauty of Lake Tahoe, where I live with my family, provides continuous inspiration for my work.

My work is currently available through this website, on Etsy and in the artisan shop and gallery at North Tahoe Arts in Tahoe City.

True to glass addict form, I use lots of different types of glass: Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, Bullseye, Zimmerman, Reichenbach, Kugler, Double Helix--a list likely to grow in the future.

All work currently offered for sale is made using the lampwork method, which involves melting glass rods in a torch flame and wrapping the molten glass around a metal rod called a mandrel. After the piece is complete, I immediately place it in a kiln to let it soak in the heat and then slowly cool to room temperature, which is important for developing strength and durability in the completed glass piece.

ChurnHill Glass
P.O. Box 884
Homewood, CA 96141