Aja Vaz
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ajavaz.bsky.social
Aja Vaz
@ajavaz.bsky.social
150 followers 56 following 34 posts
Glass artist/teacher, New England area.
Mainly focused on blown, organic, matte beads for jewelry or collecting.
Find my work here:
https://www.ajavazglass.com/
Newsletter sign up:
https://aja-vaz-glass.ck.page/7694a837d9
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ajavaz.bsky.social
Verdigris obsession still ongoing, blown off mandrel and tumble etched. Similar work will be at the Bead Affaire show this Saturday 10-4.
October 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Classes are up on the Glasscraft website, I have two 1 day classes on puffy mandrels Wednesday and Thursday. April will be here in a jiffy!

www.glasscraftexpo.com/classes.php
October 1, 2025 at 9:52 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Recent work, sold. Blown off mandrel and tumble etched. A lot of Hag Stone inspiration.
#lampworking #flameworking #blownbeads #blowpipebeads #lampwork #flamework #ajavazglass #blownglassbeads
September 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
So in love with this bead (sold) that I didn’t even rinse my hand after removing it from the tumbler before taking a photo. Blown off mandrel and tumble etched. Inspired by Hag Stones/Witch Stones which are said to be protective.
#flameworking #blownhollows #ajavazglass
August 25, 2025 at 2:07 AM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Verdigris, always ❤️
Blown hollows, tumble etched.
#ajavazglass #blownhollows #lampworking #blownglassbeads #flameworking #flameworkbeads
Verdigris base with coordinating stripe variations. These are all sold. Beads are off mandrel blown hollows that have been tumble etched for a matte appearance. Since they’re hollow, they’re light for their size.
May 16, 2025 at 6:31 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Down to the wire, flying out for Vegas tomorrow for Glasscraft Bead Expo, I’ll be table C8. Come see what I manage to stuff in my suitcases 😆
#ajavazglass #lampworking #glasscraftbeadexpo #flameworking #blownbeads
April 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
A close up of the first 100 of the 2018 Commemorative Bead for Bead & Button (RIP). This was a 200+ bead commission made in 2017 and what a great exercise for my mind that wasn’t used to thinking mathematically about making. The base color took 5 pounds or so of glass for the order.
#lampworking
March 18, 2025 at 12:06 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Made on puffy mandrels and tumble etched. Inspired by local colors while stationed in San Antonio, TX between 2012-16. Tempus fugit. IFC and Glasscraft draw nigh, hope to see lots of glass people!
#lampworking #flameworking #blownbeads #ajavazglass
March 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
When you need a little color, one from yesterday’s trunk show. 🔥
#blownbeads #lampwork #flameworking #ajavazglass
March 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Blown off mandrel hollow glass beads, tumble etched. The middle one makes me *swoon* 😍
Going up this week on FB Glass Open Market and similar ones will be at Glasscraft Bead Expo this April in Vegas.
#lampworking #blownbeads #flameworking #ajavazglass #handblownglass
An ode to the memory of doodling in the spaces of a student’s worksheet while we were grading each other’s work in the 4th grade. Who knew I would never get over repeating this design 😆 Blown off mandrel, tumble etched glass beads in a flattened tab shape with off set holes. The surface is decorated in varying stringer colors of acid green, orange, taupe, brown and greenish black in grid/netting designs.
March 3, 2025 at 4:45 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
In the thick of working on inventory for April’s show in Vegas, Glasscraft Bead Expo. I’ll be table C8, will I see you there?
This trio reminds me of a gridded cactus. Inspired by darning and fish nets, everything eventually frays and needs repair. ❤️
#blownbeads #lampwork #ajavazglass
Hand blown and tumble etched glass beads in a flat tab shape. The grid stringer work recalls an old design redone off mandrel. Reminiscent of fish nets or darning, eventually everything frays and needs repair. The base color is a sort of mineral green that reminds me of cactus and the two flat drop shaped beads on either side evoke cactus paddle shapes. I’ve been building up inventory for Glasscraft Bead Expo this coming April 2-6th in Las Vegas, my first time back since 2019! Give a shout out if you’ll be there, too- it’ll be great to meet more glass art people. The background shows the glass rods that get melted to eventually become beads. 🔥 #ajavazglass #offmandrelbeads #blownbeads #flameworking #lampworking #tumbleetchedbeads
March 1, 2025 at 7:34 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
2022-23, had a black and white moment. Handblown glass necklace, sold. Tumble etched.
#lampworking #blownbeads #flameworking #glassjewelry
February 13, 2025 at 5:30 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
That time in 2017 I was on TV! “Beads, Baubles and Jewels” hosted by Katie Hacker available on PBS and recorded in Cleveland by KS Productions. What a whirlwind and blessing 2017-18 was for my work. 🔥
February 13, 2025 at 4:13 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Made in 2016, blown glass necklace inspired by the plant life in the Southwest. Tumble etched, then strung on silk sari. Really need to revisit this style.
#lampwork #blownglass #blownbeads #flamework #ajavazglass
Blown glass bead necklace in earthy colors inspired by the succulents around me while stationed in TX a couple times. First El Paso, then San Antonio. I didn’t realize how colorful these desert plants could be. These were blown off mandrel, then tumble etched. This is more of a reminder to myself that I need to make some replacement beads since a few were broken during one of our PCS moves. I’ll probably try to match seed beads to the silk sari for more longevity.
February 9, 2025 at 8:53 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Hand blown glass bead necklace, finally strung 🔥
Love how I married my obsession with stripes into this marine inspired necklace.

www.ajavazglass.com/shop/p/green...
25” necklace of blown glass beads which nestle into each other with variegated stripe patterns that coordinate pleasingly in an ocean/coastal inspired color way. The blown glass disc is used as a button clasp and there are six strands of Czech glass seed beads to comfortably rest on the back of the neck or can be turned asymmetrical. Beads have been tumble etched to take away shine. All glass beads are made in my home studio and properly kiln annealed.
January 26, 2025 at 8:40 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
2017, half way thru my commission of 200+ beads for the 2018 Bead & Button Commemorative Bead- what a year of growth! Never made so many of the same bead in such a short amount of time. Happy there is this photo of us for posterity’s sake. Blown hollows, tumble etched.
#lampworking #flameworking
January 22, 2025 at 6:21 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
The bead I demoed as one of the presenters at the 2014 Houston ISGB Gathering. How has it been over a decade?! Really miss seeing my bead people 🔥
Made on a puffy mandrel, tumble etched, copper clay bead caps made by me, as well.
January 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
My obsession with stripes is many years in the making, tumble etched blown hollows. The verdigris draws back to my love of spending time on the west coast while we were stationed in Monterey, CA.
#lampworking #blownhollows #flameworking
January 15, 2025 at 9:21 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Coming up on 20 years in glass!
I work on a Bethlehem Bravo with two oxygen concentrators joined. Most of my work is blown off mandrel, 104 COE, and tumble etched.
Currently working on loading my own shop rather than depending on other platforms:
www.ajavazglass.com
#lampworking #flameworking
January 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
ajavaz.bsky.social
Currently under my focus, how many ways can glass be layered and striped? At this moment, there is no end in sight 😆
Tumble etched to take away shine, these feel silky soft. This is soft glass, blown off mandrel.
Blown glass tube bead trio in striped designs of varying colors of blue, red and orange.
January 15, 2025 at 1:36 PM