Carolyn Miller, who has been an artist for about 35 years, built her stained glass business, Worker Bee Design Studio, from the ground up after discovering the Saturday Market. 

“It started off just a small-time business and then when we moved from Texas to Oregon I discovered the Saturday Market and that was seven years ago and we’ve just built our business from there,” Miller says. 

In 2013 Miller retired from her career as a graphic designer in Texas to take on a more hands-on art form. 

“I was a graphic designer, and I was doing stuff that was very high tech and I wanted to start an art form that was very low tech,” Miller says. 

Driven out of Texas by the political climate Miller settled in Eugene, taking on the tedious craft of stained glass. According to her business website, “It was around this time that I both discovered stained glass and began buying Band-Aids in bulk — the two happenings are not unrelated.”

Four years into the stained glass business, Miller’s daughter, Erin Cobb, joined the venture as an escape from the stress of health care work. “It was a way for me to have a part time job but also do something that was fun where I could be with my mom and make art and not be in health care anymore,” Cobb says. 

Their mother-daughter business runs on maintaining stained glass crafting as a joyful operation. “This is a happy place, and if you are not feeling happy, then you need to get out of here,” Cobb says. 

Through their craftsmanship of stained glass, Miller and Cobb also work to make the world a happier place. “We’ve done a few projects where we’ve sent proceeds to good causes,” Miller says.  

Worker Bee Design Studio has sold stained glass Ukrainian flags in which 50 percent of the proceeds went to the World Central Kitchen for their efforts in Ukraine. They’ve also created Ruth Bader Ginsberg collars set in wire hangers with proceeds going to the Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly National Abortion Rights Action League). To support the ACLU drag defense fund Cobb made a piece of legendary drag performer Divine in which 20 percent of funds will go to ACLU.

Prices range from $12 to $1,800 depending on size and technique. The website is filled with a collection of pieces ranging from more contemporary window pieces to a growler with hops. 

Stained glass craftsmanship usually has two main techniques which include either wrapping the glass in copper or lead. Creating pieces from the soft lead is more difficult as it involves more attention and hand work. Most of the work created by Miller and Cobb is cut by hand using a grinder and cutting oil. 

“Every step has its challenges and every step is fun,” Miller says, “People are surprised to hear that my favorite step is cutting the glass because people think it’s the scariest step, but I find it to be rather zen-like.”

You can find Cobb and Miller’s work at the Holiday Market now and at Saturday Market April through mid-November as well as online at their website — CarolynsBeehive.com.