Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
This isn’t the first time we’ve shone a spotlight on the surprisingly expansive glass art scene on Tamborine Mountain. However, when most mountain shoppers think of glittering trinkets and beautiful crystalline gifts, it’s The Glass Studio that comes to mind. Karen Roussos, a third generation glass artist who’s been plying her trade for most of her life, has run The Glass Studio on Gallery Walk in some form or another for 18 years and in all that time she’s collected quite a few stories to tell about her experiences that she’s more than happy to share.
by Kyle Hitchmough
For those who might not be familiar with your store, can you explain what it is you offer here?
Everything in the store is glass. It’s all handmade— I make some, my parents make some. Also, an amazing artist down the road, his name’s Ricardo Lawyer! Paradise Glass supply us with some, too. We’ve got some Murano glass, which is made in Italy, and some Czech glass, anyone that I can find that’s a good artist and wants to put stuff in the shop.
What kinds of glass items do you create and sell here?
We do jewellery, we do blown glass statuettes— we’ve got bulls, pelicans, fish… We’ve got beautiful plaques that Paradise Glass do with all little handmade components on it. We do torchwork, which is the little miniatures. Everything in every forum of glass, we do.
What goes into the process of creating an item for your store?
We start off with raw glass, and with the jewellery for instance, it’s made from something called dichroic glass that NASA developed in the 60s. It changes colour to reflect whatever you’re wearing. Dichroic in Italian means “two colours”, so it’ll change depending on how many pieces are in there. A blown glass piece is done in a furnace, where you gather a piece of glass and then put the colour on it, then mould it into the shape you want. Then it goes into the kiln for a few days to anneal. A fused glass piece is where you start with cold glass, then it goes into the kiln. When it comes out it’s sculpted a little bit more, and then ground into the shape you want. Then it goes back in for a fire polish, there’s about 4 or 5 firings involved. We have some beautiful pieces of art that can’t be duplicated.
What’s your most popular or bestselling item?
The jewellery is very popular, my mum and dad make really beautiful earrings. They’re on little cards with Paradise Glass on them. They’re reasonably priced and all on sterling silver and they fly out the door. But everything sells. Vases, statuettes…
What goes into the average day here for you?
I have beautiful staff members that work in the store because I’m at home making glass! I fire the kilns during the day if I’m making fused glass and then work at night. That way it’s not quite as hot in the studio.
Are there any particular trends in your clientele?
Everybody loves it! We get a lot of tourists up here, so we get the American tourists. We’re missing the Chinese tourists a little bit! We were getting busloads of them and they always like something unique. During COVID it was mainly Aussies but it has been coming back. For the first time in the last few weeks I’ve noticed more buses, which is a bonus.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
I live just at the bottom of the mountain. It’s an amazing community. The schools up here are incredible. For such a little community, they’re amazing. Everyone’s nice and friendly, and welcoming of new people. Libby, the new owner of Granny Mac’s, has only just taken over and everyone’s been helping her get adjusted. She’s doing a great job.
What’s your personal favourite thing to do on the mountain?
Granny Mac’s is obviously my favourite! The winery is really nice, and the distillery around the corner, that’s amazing. There’s lots of places up here. Tamborine Teas is really nice, and there’s so much more than Gallery Walk, too. The Polish Place and the Manor are some of my utmost favourites.
What do you think The Glass Studio really provides to the area?
It’s just something unique. We’ve been here forever, doing what we do. Like the Cuckoo Clock Nest, or Granny Mac’s who’ve done their fudge for 30 years. I’ve been in random places on the coast and people have asked me where I work. When I tell them, 9 times out of 10 they’ll say “Oh my god, I’ve been there!”
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
Making the glass! I still enjoy my art. Every single piece is different. Most pieces are something exciting and new. You’ll think “Now what can I put on here? Maybe a fish, or an octopus…” You can use your creativity, rather than having to fall into a routine.
What’s been your most memorable moment in your time here?
I started right in front of Granny Mac’s. The community here’s really good, so when I went from one shop to another, I couldn’t get into my new place because of renovations. Mandy let me set up my shop right under a tree in front of her store. I was selling all my jewellery out of a few gazebos. The community is really helpful. They saw I’d be out of business for a few months and found me a place.
The Glass Studio
145 Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain QLD 4272
We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, email your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au, or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com
