Sterling
& Glass
Handcrafted
Silversmithing
Lampwork
Glassblowing
Fine Handcrafted Jewelry
Made in Shefford QC
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Hello
I am Meg Derry.
I live in the Eastern Townships south of Montreal.
I’ve arrived at a stage in life where, for the most part, I wake up every morning and have the fabulous privilege of deciding exactly what I feel like doing that day. As it turns out, a lot of that time is spent in front of one torch or another with either a glass rod in my hand, or a soldering pick.
Before silver, I started with glass Lampworking.
The glass elements I create (that make the cut) are the result of hours and hours of practice, joy and frustration, successes and the not-so-successful. When I could finally create pieces that I felt good about and that reflected my efforts, I couldn’t pair them with plated or mass produced findings… that’s when I started working with silver. To give my glass a worthy partner.
I am never in production… my workshop is a happy place; no place for speed or efficiency.
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Creating
Everything I show has been made by me. The exception would be some sterling silver components, like chains, earring butterflies and posts. Nothing is plated and my silver is purchased from reputable sources.
The glass… it is called Lampworking; glasswork in which I use a propane /oxygen torch to melt glass rods that once in a molten state, I form the glass by blowing and shaping. Most of the glass rods I use are made in Murano, Italy.
All my glass elements, while still glowing hot, go from the torch into a hot kiln to slowly cool over hours. This is called annealing and removes the stress from the glass and maximizes the durability of finished pieces.
Additionally, when creating blown elements and irregular shapes, I use more glass to focus on durability over delicacy.
Silver elements… The only metal I use is .925 silver, also called Sterling Silver. I source my silver through a Canadian supplier and any silver components I purchase are made in Italy. All my silver is solid; not plated.
