Caron Designs creates a product line of handmade whimsical accessories for special occasions such as weddings, baby showers, and important events. Most of the merchandise, including wedding and baby gifts, party favors and party kits , is crafted with recycled glass, clay and organic materials.
We specialize in original and unique items. Our products will always make a statement . With our in- house printing service, we can coordinate all aspects of your projects and/or ideas. Our specialty is customized service, which is always appreciated by our customers as well as gallery owners.
Lisa Caron Hickey, owner and designer of Caron Designs, is a native of Brookfield Connecticut. She graduated from Notre Dame, with a Bachelor's degree in Commercial Art, and furthered her education in Marketing. On a professional level, she has worked for advertising agencies and large to midsize manufacturing companies. She also has experience as an instructor for the Manchester Institute of Arts, Danbury and New Milford Continuing Education. Her interests have always been fine arts and crafts, which has led her to her passion of fusing glass. She is also proficient in clay works and fine painting.
Lisa’s knowledge of art was influenced by the excellent instructors/artists at the Brookfield Craft Center in Brookfield, CT, Parson School of Design in New York, Manchester Art Institute in Manchester, NH, Silvermine School in New Cannan, CT and The Fiber Studio in Henniker, NH.
Lisa's talent in the area of commercial design is profound earning her many distinctions. While designing for an advertising agency in Manchester, New Hampshire, she was awarded the State's prestigious Granitier Award. Her logo designs have appeared as part of the SoNo Arts Celebrations in Norwalk CT and the State of Connecticut Parks Division.
Associations, State Conference & Trade Show. Lisa’s work has been shown in over 250 galleries nationwide including the Barn Gallery, Ashwell Gallery, Manchester Art Institute, Stamford Gallery, Brookfield Craft Center and Concord Craftsman.
All functional and jewelry items are made with compatible glass. Each piece goes through a series of phases including design, kiln firings and cold work to emphasize specific individual results. No two pieces are alike. All the f used glass is very durable and dishwasher safe upon completion.
The design phase involves planning for the desired end result with color, pattern, and size. Both inspiration and planning must occur to ensure the results are aesthetically pleasing. We select the appropriate glass, (i.e. sheet, frit, powder, stringer, rods, shards, etc.), and plan for the specific project. We then carefully prepare the layout for firing.
The firing phase finalizes the product design. Glass projects are fired to 1200-1500°F. The individual pieces must be heated and cooled at different rates according to the size and thickness of the glass in order to ensure solid and durable results . This process can take anywhere from five to seven hours. On average, each piece created takes seven hours to fire and seven hours to cool.