Karen & Pete Versoi

At Market on Saturdays.

Products: Stained Glass sun catchers, windows, panels, 3-D glass art, glass bead jewelry, polymer clay ornaments, mosaic stepping stones, night lights, lamps and kaleidoscopes.

Location: Durham, NC

History: After a career that included classroom teaching, tutoring and home schooling Karen decided it was time for a change. She began exploring her creative side by taking classes through the Durham Arts Council. Pottery, jewelry and watercolor were all fun but just didn’t quite hit the mark. Then she and her husband, Peter, took a beginners stained glass class. She was intrigued by the process of copper foil and was eager to take more classes. The next step was a lead class and it was during this class that “Blood, Sweat and Tears” was designed and produced. This was a difficult piece for a novice but the satisfaction of the finished piece was well worth the hours of hard work and frustration. Since that first class Karen has continued taking classes to advance her expertise as an artist, including bead making, stained glass boxes, and mosaics.

In 2001, Karen quickly advanced from hobbyist to serious artist and began looking for an outlet for her work. In April of 2002 she opened Sweethart Glass and became a member of the Durham Farmers Market . That winter she and her husband built a studio as she had outgrown their dining room. In 2007, Peter joined the business and has added stepping stones to the product line. He also completed work on a studio expansion which doubled their work space.

Karen & Pete have two children, Eric and Kathleen, who have on more than one occasion helped with some of the more humdrum aspects of the business.