Friday Feature:JOYSTREET

Hello and welcome to today's Friday Feature on Masala Mango Mantra!

Today's feature is a Somerville, Masschusetts artist Marilyn Root of  Joystreet . As a young girl, Marilyn was always curious and was happy finding treasures and beads while playing at her aunt's home. Many years later, while taking photographs at an event, the bug to make lampwork beads caught up with her. And the journey to make beautiful jewellery unfolded...Check out her lovely creations, they are simply fabulous!

So let's get to know the talented artist Marilyn Root:

Describe your work/your style
I like to think of my work as quirky and contemporary, playful and very wearable.  Influenced by painting, photography, patterns in architecture and townscapes. Have worked as a photographer. and was fascinated by the qualities of glass. Eventually I took a class in beadmaking (what is often referred to as flameworking or lampworking) and I was hooked. There is something about the process of wielding a torch fueled by propane and oxygen and seeing raw glass change before your eyes that is mesmerising.

Time passes quickly when I'm at the torch. I love to see how the flame pushes the glass, and the chemical reactions. It is really fun playing with a torch(and yes, I do  swear sometimes when I'm playing with fire) and building up the different layers of glass into different combinations of colors and details.

Turquoise and Ivory Kiln formed Glass Pendant

What got you started?

I was always fascinated by the play of light on glass, and when the opportunity to take  class came up, I couldn't resist.

After taking some local classes, my addiction to working with glass grew, and I was able to get studio space several years ago, and a couple years later, the addiction grew to include kiln formed glass. While I continue to do flameworked glass beads, I now also make kilnformed glass jewelry and glass plates, and I will eventually be adding a collection of kilnformed glass plates and platters to my Etsy shop.

I have been fortunate enough to take workshops at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and two years ago attended the AUSGLASS conference in Tasmania, Australia, where I took a very wonderful and intense glass casting glass, and got to meet a fantastic group of glass artists. 

Dark Moon Dichroic Glass Pendant

Any sources of inspiration

I love being able to create pattern and texture on glass, and love being able to create something that looks handmade, that I've been able to shape with fire and tools. Inspirations are cities, road trips, photography, drawing, textiles.

 Notes of wonder necklace

5 Facts about you

-coffee- preference is decaf

night owl

favorite pie-pumpkin

as much as I love patterns in nature, in artwork, in textiles, metalwork, I tend to wear solid colors:D

vintage camera collector
love taking  road trips 

avid collector of fabrics (have made several wall quilts) and have a fair amount of stash fabrics!

can't wait for spring

flavors- and scents -vanilla

Some recent Joystreet finds

Ultramarine Blue Silver Splash Glass Pendant
(on  this pendant the solution for the painting,  includes silver)

Ocean Blue Flamework circle bead Pendant

Fairy pink Opalescent fused glass earrings

So what do you think? Aren't they fabulous? If I had to pick a jewellery from joystreet I would love to dress up my ears with the pink fused glass earrings. There is a blue pair of earrings as well,  but that is a bubble wrap technique one. Take a look...

You can connect with Marilyn Root at

Email: marilyndesigns@me.com

Store website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Joystreet


Image source: joystreet


Have a great weekend  everyone!