Sun 7th Feb 10am-12pm. Hot Glass Art Birds and Butterflies

Fused Glass Bird and Butterfly Sun Catchers

Sunday 7th Feb • 10am–12pm
Carys Martin Ceramics Studio, Cleveland • Redlands Coast 
With Kaylene from Sandy Beach Studio

Capture the colour, light, in your very own bird or butterfly suncatcher in this hands-on fused glass sun catcher workshop, led by hot glass artist Kaylene of Sandy Beach Studio. Select whether you would like to create your own bird or butterfly suncatcher at checkout.

In this relaxed and creative session, you’ll design and assemble a glass sun catcher.

Kaylene will guide you through the fundamentals of glass fusing, showing you how to safely cut, layer, and arrange glass to create balance, movement, and sparkle. This workshop is suitable for beginners and requires no prior glass experience.

During the workshop you will:

• Create one rectangular fused glass sun catcher

• Learn the basics of cutting, layering, and composing glass

• Explore colour, transparency, and texture to reflect coastal light

You’ll have access to a wide range of materials, including:

• Glass frit (from soft powder to bold colour pops)

• Stringers for linear details and accents

• Glass caviar for light-catching sparkle

• Pre-cut glass pieces - perfect for beginners

Kaylene is a Russell Island–based hot glass artist with over 20 years’ experience in glass and jewellery. Her warm, encouraging teaching style creates a playful and supportive environment where creativity can flourish.

Held as part of Redlands Coast AdventureFest, this workshop offers a bright, hands-on way to experience the region through colour, light, and making.

✨ Want to make more than one?
Additional sun catchers can be made on the day for a small extra cost.

Finished pieces will be kiln-fired and ready for collection at a later date.

Meet the Facilitator:

Kaylene is a Russell Island based Hot Glass Artist who works from her home studio creating bespoke jewellery and quirky kiln formed glass artworks. Kaylene has been working with Glass for  about 20 years. Born and raised in North Queensland, Kaylene attributes much of her work to her childhood adventures, the colours of Great Barrier Reef and Tropical Rainforests.

“The Colours I am most attracted to are calming blues and sea colour greens, my mermaid colours I call them. The aqua, teals and turquoise, violets, lilac and purples, with a bright splash of pink, gold and magenta to liven things up.”

Kaylene’s childhood home was always a hub of creativity with both parents skilled musicians, her siblings and herself all learned to play instruments. Art and craft was as normal as a Sunday roast, everyone was creating something, painting, crochet, macrame or models. Her Mother was a skilled seamstress, and she along with Kaylene’s Grand Mother both award winning cake decorators - a skill also passed to Kaylene who created a Cake Art business for herself in her 20’s.

Kaylene’s Grandfather was a Master Jeweller and when she was very young her Mother worked in a fine jewellery store in Townsville. Kaylene spent much of her early years playing quietly on a blanket in the jewellery workshop.

“Jewellery always intrigued me and I especially loved the quirky, and unique pieces in my mum’s jewellery box

The Jewellery I create is wearable art. I strive to design super stylish pieces of art in their own right. I want my art to make you feel proud you are wearing something as unique as yourself”

Kaylene’s schooling pathway was designed around architecture, to follow her brother into the drafting world, however her art teacher aunt encouraged her to pursue a career in graphic arts. Enrolling in a commercial art course at the Townsville College of Art, led to an apprenticeship in sign writing and screen printing. Kaylene spent the next few years working in various art fields from computer graphics, textile design, silk sarong printing, and commercial art.

A turn of luck saw a career “sea change’ working in the dive cruise industry and meeting her marine biologist husband which opened up a new world of inspiration living and working amongst coral reefs on a daily basis.

When her husband took a job in Brisbane, they moved south. Wanting a view of the ocean they purchased a house on Russell Island. The home was previously a Bed and Breakfast and working glass gallery. It is full of colourful contemporary stained glass windows. Perhaps it was subliminal, or sweet serendipity, but soon after moving in she was drawn to do a fused glass workshop which opened a world of endless possibilities to her. Hundreds of sheets of coloured glass and a few kilns later, It’s fair to say that Kaylene is now addicted to glass.

Today she shares her knowledge gained from a collection of workshops and endless imaginative experimentation of techniques. Her workshops are vibrant, full of fun and colour. You will be expertly guided through different techniques to create a unique treasure that truly is one of a kind.

“I love sharing my passion, It’s pure delight when I see the students expression when they see the assortment of glass, like a lolly shop. Their disbelief when they see the beautiful creations they made come out of the kiln and the pride they have when they say I made this!”

Studio Address - Unit 11, 7-9 Grant St Cleveland.