Who is Val?

“The short version"

I was born and raised in the heart of the Silicon Valley, formerly known as Valley of the hearts delight. 

My parents met here during the first wave of tech boom in the 80’s. 

My sister and I used to go play at the tech camps as children when our Dad worked weekends.

I attended a small Catholic school growing up and had a rough time, never quite fitting in and suffering a lot because of it. 

Arts and crafts have always been a safe and joyful place for me.

As I ventured out, I started to find my people. (Fellow creative femmes, theys, gays, and gentlemen.)

The fun people on the fringe make my heart sing!

In highschool, I pursued my love of Photography, Ceramics, and Creative Writing. A kind writing teacher had a little glass pumpkin on her desk, and let me know I could fulfill my volunteer hours helping at The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch hosted by Palo Alto Art Center and Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI). Everyone there encouraged me to try Glassmaking when I would attend San Jose State the following year. I didn’t have an idea what that meant, but they were very compelling. My best friends’ Mom was starting that program, and invited me to come with her to see what it was about. 

Shorty after, I enrolled in the program and never looked back.

This led to me attend Pilchuck Glass School on a Partner Scholarship, where I still participate as a student, teacher’s assistant and seasonal staff. After Graduation, I began to teach classes at BAGI.  I am currently their Fusing Program Coordinator and Lead Instructor. 

Along my glass and art pursuits, I have been working retail and service jobs since I was 18. (I knew it would be very difficult to earn a living on art alone, and have lost track of how many recessions I’ve experienced now.) Before that, as a youth, I thrived as a babysitter and pet sitter. All of these jobs have taught me a lot about what it means to provide a nice experience for clients of all walks of life.

I often move slowly, and I am now finally making space for myself to share my creative offerings with fine folks, like you. 

Here you’ll find fun and useful every day items to serve you, accessories for self expression, as well as art objects to keep you company.

I hope what you see brings you joy. 

Thank you for being here.