We enjoy what we do. There is a certain pleasure which comes with doing something creative, especially when it is a hands on process. Knowing that the raw materials we use come from recycled sources feels good as well. However, this nice sense of intrinsic satisfaction would mean very little without your approval as our customer. Our hope is that if you purchase one of our products you'll be able to say to yourself "This is pretty cool.". That's what we strive to achieve.
Lauren is our lead artisan. Many of our designs are unique to our company and reflective of Lauren's eclectic philosophy as well as her ability to find the hidden beauty commonly overlooked in everyday objects. Lauren is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago and also studied at Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland. We are fortunate to have Lauren on our staff and we appreciate the artistic sensitivity she inspires within each of us.
Michael is our technical advisor. He has helped us with everything from website design to digital photography techniques. He also gave us the original push to start this company. Without his inspiration and encouragement it wouldn’t exist and we certainly would not have a presence on the web. In addition to helping us here at Lastcall Bottleworks, Michael serves as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.
Conor is the head of our coldshop. He has been taught glassworking techniques by his father, who had previously learned them from his own father. However, Conor's grandfather would be the first to point out that in his day everything was done by hand rather than with assistance from power machines. Many of our products involve multiple cuts at various angles. This can be tricky on non-uniform round glass bottles. The cutting is difficult, but the real craftsmanship comes in the finishing and polishing. By following a series of steps we are able to achieve a near optical finish on our cut edges. This brings out the real beauty in the cut pieces.
MacKenzie, siezing the opportunity to recycle a bottle
MacKenzie started out as our shop apprentice. She has been learning about the various characteristics of the post-consumer recycled glass we work with as our raw material. MacKenzie also does much of the candlemaking for our business as well as helping whenever and wherever needed. Perhaps more important is the enthusiasm and good sense of humor MacKenzie brings to our studios when she is working. She has quickly become a valued member of our staff.