People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. - Elizabeth K. Ross
About the Artist
Kristal lives in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains in
Sevierville, Tennessee. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 24,
1984. Her parents Jack and Kathy gave her the name 'Kristal' without knowing
the love of glass she would later have in life. She and her family now say
it was a "God thing". "It's really cool [to me] to have the name Kristal and
be so in love with all things glass. God knew what He was doing when He gave
my parents that name." said Kristal. Her Aunt Ruth was really the
one that got her love of glass going. When Kristal was just 5 months old,
Ruth found a heart shaped crystal prism in the sand while they were at the
beach. In an excited voice Ruth said to Kathy "Look, a crystal for Kristal!"
And so the seed that would soon bloom into a deep love for glass was
planted. Soon after a tradition was started; every Christmas Kristal would
receive a crystal prism from her parents. This tradition is still being carried out today.
Her first experience with Stained Glass came when she was around 14 or 15 years old.
Dollywood, a local amusement park was offering hands-on classes for homeschooled
students that were instructed by their master craftsmen. One of the classes being offered
was Stained Glass. During the class, students would be able to make a cement/glass
mosaic doorstop and learn the overall principals of Stained Glass. She immediately signed
up and hoped she would get in before all the openings filled up; she did. During the class,
she was given the opportunity to practice cutting glass by the instructor (Susan Watson of
Watson & Co. Stained Glass). After listening to the directions from the instructor, she
gave it a go. She successfully cut the glass on the first try! The teacher then told her she
had a natural knack for it. At the class she completed a stepping stone
type doorstep with mosaic glass scraps on the top of it. She loved every
minute of the class and wished she could work with glass more. She and her
mother talked to the instructor for some time asking various questions about
what items Kristal would need to be able to do some glass work on her own.
That new relationship with Susan Watson opened the door for Kristal to become a Stained
Glass Apprentice. Susan taught her everything she needed to know about making Stained
Glass panels, sun catchers, windchimes, stepping stones, etc. "It was an amazing time for
me, I loved being able to work with glass everyday!" says Kristal. She worked with Susan
for 2 years before moving on to another job. But even though she wasn't working with
glass everyday she made every effort to work on it in her spare time at home.
While working with Susan, Kristal also attended Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
(located in Gatlinburg, TN) and took their youth Stained Glass Class (2000 and 2001).
While attending the class, Kristal formed a close bond with the teacher (Angie Slagle of
Clinch Mountain Studios Stained Glass). This new relationship with Angie opened more
doors for Kristal to learn and experience new things. Angie also asked her to help teach
the 3rd year of the Stained Glass Class at Arrowmont (2002). "It was an amazing
experience and I had a blast teaching with Angie." said Kristal. In the summer of 2003,
Angie called Kristal and asked her if she would be interested in helping her teach yet
another Stained Glass Class. This time, the class would be at Webb School in Knoxville,
TN. It was a summer school class and there would be two sessions that were each three
weeks long. Classes were held Monday - Friday from 9am to 3pm. Kristal jumped at the
opportunity to work alongside Angie again. "Helping Angie teach at Webb was amazing!
The kids were wonderful and it was a joy to teach them something I love so much. It was
so much fun!" she said.
Soon after, Kristal Kreations was born. Kristal's mom Kathy is the one who came up with
the company name. "Kristal Kreations sounded perfect, I just had to use it. I never once
thought about coming up with another name. That one just stuck." says Kristal. Kristal
and her mother then began to attend local craft shows several times a year to begin selling
her work. She's been at it ever since. "I still love it just as much as I did when I first
started. In fact, I think I love it more now because my knowledge has expanded and I can
do more things. Working with my glass is like therapy for me. When I'm stressed out or
upset about something, it calms me down and brings things back into perspective. I love
working with glass and I thank God that He gave me the ability to do so!" she says.
Sevierville, Tennessee. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 24,
1984. Her parents Jack and Kathy gave her the name 'Kristal' without knowing
the love of glass she would later have in life. She and her family now say
it was a "God thing". "It's really cool [to me] to have the name Kristal and
be so in love with all things glass. God knew what He was doing when He gave
my parents that name." said Kristal. Her Aunt Ruth was really the
one that got her love of glass going. When Kristal was just 5 months old,
Ruth found a heart shaped crystal prism in the sand while they were at the
beach. In an excited voice Ruth said to Kathy "Look, a crystal for Kristal!"
And so the seed that would soon bloom into a deep love for glass was
planted. Soon after a tradition was started; every Christmas Kristal would
receive a crystal prism from her parents. This tradition is still being carried out today.
Her first experience with Stained Glass came when she was around 14 or 15 years old.
Dollywood, a local amusement park was offering hands-on classes for homeschooled
students that were instructed by their master craftsmen. One of the classes being offered
was Stained Glass. During the class, students would be able to make a cement/glass
mosaic doorstop and learn the overall principals of Stained Glass. She immediately signed
up and hoped she would get in before all the openings filled up; she did. During the class,
she was given the opportunity to practice cutting glass by the instructor (Susan Watson of
Watson & Co. Stained Glass). After listening to the directions from the instructor, she
gave it a go. She successfully cut the glass on the first try! The teacher then told her she
had a natural knack for it. At the class she completed a stepping stone
type doorstep with mosaic glass scraps on the top of it. She loved every
minute of the class and wished she could work with glass more. She and her
mother talked to the instructor for some time asking various questions about
what items Kristal would need to be able to do some glass work on her own.
That new relationship with Susan Watson opened the door for Kristal to become a Stained
Glass Apprentice. Susan taught her everything she needed to know about making Stained
Glass panels, sun catchers, windchimes, stepping stones, etc. "It was an amazing time for
me, I loved being able to work with glass everyday!" says Kristal. She worked with Susan
for 2 years before moving on to another job. But even though she wasn't working with
glass everyday she made every effort to work on it in her spare time at home.
While working with Susan, Kristal also attended Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
(located in Gatlinburg, TN) and took their youth Stained Glass Class (2000 and 2001).
While attending the class, Kristal formed a close bond with the teacher (Angie Slagle of
Clinch Mountain Studios Stained Glass). This new relationship with Angie opened more
doors for Kristal to learn and experience new things. Angie also asked her to help teach
the 3rd year of the Stained Glass Class at Arrowmont (2002). "It was an amazing
experience and I had a blast teaching with Angie." said Kristal. In the summer of 2003,
Angie called Kristal and asked her if she would be interested in helping her teach yet
another Stained Glass Class. This time, the class would be at Webb School in Knoxville,
TN. It was a summer school class and there would be two sessions that were each three
weeks long. Classes were held Monday - Friday from 9am to 3pm. Kristal jumped at the
opportunity to work alongside Angie again. "Helping Angie teach at Webb was amazing!
The kids were wonderful and it was a joy to teach them something I love so much. It was
so much fun!" she said.
Soon after, Kristal Kreations was born. Kristal's mom Kathy is the one who came up with
the company name. "Kristal Kreations sounded perfect, I just had to use it. I never once
thought about coming up with another name. That one just stuck." says Kristal. Kristal
and her mother then began to attend local craft shows several times a year to begin selling
her work. She's been at it ever since. "I still love it just as much as I did when I first
started. In fact, I think I love it more now because my knowledge has expanded and I can
do more things. Working with my glass is like therapy for me. When I'm stressed out or
upset about something, it calms me down and brings things back into perspective. I love
working with glass and I thank God that He gave me the ability to do so!" she says.
All photos are samples only. Colors used will vary based on glass availability. When placing an order, payment must be received before your order will be shipped. Please send me an e-mail to place an order.
Copyright 2003-2009. Kristal Kreations. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2003-2009. Kristal Kreations. All rights reserved.
