The inspiration for Shirley’s jewelry begins with her own handmade glass beads. She began making glass beads in 2000, and her beads can be found in the collections of other glass artists, jewelry designers and collectors as well as in local bead stores. In 2002, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers held a prestigious juried auction to benefit both the Society and the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). Beads accepted by the jury were exhibited at various museums throughout the country including the Corning Museum of Glass, prior to the auction. They were also included in the accompanying catalog “Obsession: A Ten Year Affair With the Bead” . Members of the jury included Dr. Robert Liu, Ph.D., author of “Collectible Beads: A Universal Aesthetic” , and Coeditor of Ornament magazine; Hazel Wheaton, Managing Editor, Lapidary Journal; and Alice Korach, former Editor of Bead and Button magazine. For this auction, Shirley created the first bead in what would become her Bronze Age Series, and was honored when the jury accepted the bead. More beads in her Bronze Age Series can be seen in the 2004 Lark Publication “1000 Glass Beads” .

Shirley’s website Jumping Jack Glass is devoted to her beads. Please visit for more information, and a look at the beads available for purchase.