Snowflake hobby snowballs into vocation

The beveled-glass snowflakes that Laura Casper, a glass artist, had been creating as a hobby for several years paved the way to a self-discovery.

Upon the realization that she thrives on the use of creativity and imagination, Casper, a town of Rhine resident, transformed her passion for glass art from a hobby into her career, as of 2003. The projects she has produced to date have garnered high acclaim.

Seven years ago, she initiated an in-home business, Crystal Tree Art Glass LLC – designing custom stained and etched glass projects for homes and businesses.

Through word of mouth since then, Casper has been commissioned to complete a variety of esteemed projects. For example, this year she designed the two stained glass windows in the atrium that was constructed in 2006 at Maywood Environmental Park in Sheboygan.

A city of Sheboygan maintenance crew installed the windows recently. According to Dave Kuckuk, Maywood’s director, “Both windows depict some of the habitats at Maywood. The colors are gorgeous, and the windows are educational too, because they depict the wetland and the woodland areas,” he said.

Casper also sandblasted the glass “Channel 12” logos for use on the news set at WISN-TV Channel 12 in Milwaukee.

For those familiar with Harry’s Diner in Sheboygan, Casper’s talent is showcased there as well. She created the checkerboard etchings on the glass panes above the room divider in the restaurant.

At Izzy’s Supper Club in Elkhart Lake, Casper created the sandblast logo on the glass of the panel that separates the dining room from the bar area.

Then there are the multiple breathtaking stained-glass windows and transoms she has designed and produced for upscale homes in Kohler and other areas in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Manitowoc, Green Lake and Calumet counties. One home in Kohler features a stunning, four-piece stained glass grouping, including an arched transom, in the entranceway.

“I thoroughly enjoy the variety in my work,” said Casper, a New Holstein native. “Every job and every client is different.”

Prior to opening her business, Casper earned an Associate of Arts degree in plastics technology at Lakeshore Technical College. She then spent 10 years in the commercial lines customer-service department at the Burkart-Heisdorf Insurance Agency in Sheboygan.

Over time, she became aware that this line of work was not her true niche, so she resigned her position with the agency. Meanwhile, her father Louis Presto, a retired carpenter, had become involved in a stainedglass hobby several years prior, and he had taught Casper the basics.

An avid seamstress, Casper found that glass art has similarities to working with clothing patterns and caught on to the techniques quickly.

“My mother Doris Presto taught me how to sew, and beginning in high school, I made lots of my clothes,” Casper said. “Now, when working with glass, instead of a piece of material, I use a sheet of glass and cut around the pattern with a little hand-held glass cutter.”

Thus, after leaving her employment with the insurance agency, Casper turned her hobby into her vocation. She noted that Mother Nature played a role in her selection of the “Crystal Tree Art Glass” business name.

“We had an ice storm that winter in 2003, and the sky was a vivid blue,” Casper recalled. “All the trees were coated in ice, and they looked like crystal glass.”

This observation led to an “ah-ha” moment in choosing the name of her business.

Casper’s trademark in glass art became the sun-catcher snowflakes she creates. They vary in size from 7 to 21 inches and are available in a variety of designs. Casper sold hundreds of them, along with the colorful 24-inch angels she creates, at holiday craft fairs – among them, the Holiday Market at the American Club in Kohler and the Old World Christmas Market at the Osthoff Hotel and Convention Center in Elkhart Lake.

After initiating her business, client referral led to a ripple effect, and Casper was receiving more and more commissions. “I met lots of people at the shows I took part in,” she said. “They would ask me to do certain projects for them, and I did. Then one thing led to another.”

The majority of her projects, except for the snowflakes and angels, are custom work.

She has an impressive portfolio with photos of many projects she has completed. Note: For further information, contact Laura Casper at (920) 286-1244.