• TROPICSLLIFESTYLE

    BRAND STORY

    Happy Birthday

    Pickapeppa!

    THE MAKER OF JAMAICA'S WORLD-FAMOUS PEPPER SAUCEENTERS ITS SECOND CENTURY OF TANTALIZING TASTEBUDS EVERYWHERE
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    By Lisa A. Bastian, TropicsLifestyle.com


    WAY UP IN COOL, FORESTED hills nestled in the middle of Jamaica, one of the most obscure but gastronomically important factories in the world operates against a backdrop of lush, panoramic views.

    From the nation's capital city of Kingston, it's about a two-hour drive West on a winding, rural highway to get to this place; the quiet little community of Shooters Hill, best known as home of the     Pickapeppa Company Ltd.

    Colorful and fragrant tropical flowers blooming everywhere greet visitors upon their arrival at the manufacturing facility.

    But a more delightful sensory experience is delivered by the intoxicating aromas of vinegar and onions, dominating the air within a hundred yards all around, infiltrating the clothing and hair of anyone close enough to catch a whiff.

    a For true Pepperheads, this is hallowed ground

    The smells, of course, emanate from inside, where 50 copper pots constantly cook bubbling brews of all-natural ingredients. Here teams of employee-artisans are busy at work producing a variety of tropical marinades. The most famous is Pickapeppa Sauce; the sweet, tangy and extremely mild Caribbean condiment beloved by millions of people.

    And that, my friends, is why for true Pepperheads, this is hallowed ground. 
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    (Left) The company making the originalPickapeppa Sauce celebrated its 100th birthday on June 1, 2021. The other four "sister" flavors are: Hot Pepper Sauce, Gingery Mango Sauce, Spicy Mango Sauce and Hot Mango Sauce. (Right) In the USA consumers can find Pickapeppa products nationwide at these major stores, and websites such as Pickapeppa.com and Amazon.
    WHY IS PICKAPEPPA SAUCE SO LEGENDARY? 

    Fondly nicknamed "Jamaican ketchup," the sauce is a staple in every home cupboard and eatery on the island, and for good reason.

    Jamaicans recognized early on what millions of people everywhere now know; that this tasty sauce adds a super-unique flavor to meats, veggies, dips and marinades to diverse cuisines.

    A perfect mix of 16 ingredients has created a global taste sensation made of real food that's all-natural, vegan, and gluten-free.

    The main players are cane vinegar, onions, tomato paste, mangos, raisins, Jamaican-grown West Indian Red Peppers and orange peel; ginger, cloves, thyme and other spices; plus a few secret ingredients known only by the company's owners.

    Even agent James Bond would have a hard time procuring the coveted recipe, hidden away in a locked safe. Although many people have tried to copy it, as of yet, no one has succeeded.

    a The secret recipehas 16 ingredients

    But wait, there's another key production factor that makes Pickapeppa Sauce so extraordinary. Before it's bottled and sold, the product is aged at least 12 months in the same oak barrels that once aged Jack Daniels, the internationally acclaimed Tennessee whiskey.

    Specifically, another company buys these 53-gallon, 35-inch-tall, 126-pound wooden casks from the whiskey maker. After they're sold to the Pickapeppa Co., the barrels are fitted with spigots, filled with sauce, placed on racks in the warehouse, and turned periodically on scheduled dates to enhance flavor and color.

    A team of food scientists and other techies who babysit the casks throughout the year periodically test batches to ensure they meet strict quality and safety standards.
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    Before bottled and sold, Pickapeppa Sauce is aged for at least a year in oak barrels that once aged whiskey such as Jack Daniels. This aging process and proprietary blend of ingredients is the secret to the product's unique flavoring and success.
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    How Does It TASTE?

    To find out if Pickapeppa Sauce belongs in your life, simply buy a bottle (average retail price: $4 to $6) and taste-test it yourself. In the meantime, read a few foodie reviews to whet your appetite.

    PepperHeadsForLife.com gives the sauce a glowing five-star rating. It's described as “a nearly strange combination of     fruits, vegetables, and spices....The flavor you pick up first and foremost is cloves and sugar. This semi-sweet burst is followed up by the tart taste of cane vinegar and ginger, mixed with fresh-tasting tomatoes, onions and peppers.

    "To finish off this     puzzle of flavor, you faintly pick up a mild amount of heat and then an orange zest aftertaste. Obviously this sauce is complex. It is not the sauce you want to add to just any and every dish. But, if you want to upgrade from your A1 or Heinz 57 steak sauce, Pickapeppa is the perfect choice. Grilled meats and roasts, would complement this sauce best."

    The review ends almost poetically by talking about the sauce's fragrance: "The strong, sweet-smelling cloves pop, the pungent zing of peppers jump out at your nose, and the smell of sea salt drifts you to the ocean. Overall, Pickapeppa, is a top-notch sauce.”

    a The zing of peppers jump out at your nose

    Pepperscale.com opines that Pickapeppa Sauce is "chock-full of sweet, tangy flavor with more depth fueled by exotic Jamaican flavors. This is a super-mild sauce that everyone can enjoy. And it makes an exceptional seafood sauce."

    Leave it to foodie magazine Bon Appétit to describe Pickapeppa Sauce as if it were a fine wine: “To open a bottle is to get an immediate perfume of cane vinegar and cloves, followed by a bit of onion and a hint of thyme. Its acidity comes through first, like a gentle burn at the back of the throat, then the spices kick in for a layered finish without any heat.”
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    As indicated by its name, the recipe for "The Big Easy" appetizer (above) is super simple! Just place an 8-oz. block of cream cheese on a dish, pour a generous amount of Pickapeppa Sauce over it, then use a knife to spread the cheese onto crackers. The same sauce makes it a breeze to make Basic Jerk Chicken(below). ClassicPickapeppa recipes are published in this issue's RECIPES column.
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    BRIEF PICKAPEPPA HISTORY

    Pickapeppa Co. just celebrated its milestone     100th birthday on June 1, 2021. And all signs indicate this private business is already poised to do even better in its second century.

    But how, you may wonder, did this success story begin? 

    To find out, let's go back to the a few years before the start of the Great Depression. Sixteen-year-old     Norman Nash of Manchester, Jamaica, was enjoying his hobby of cooking in his family's humble home kitchen.

    By sheer luck, and after lots of experimentation, this was the day everything changed. The young lad (with no formal cooking training) trusted what his tastebuds were telling him. While stirring a pot filled with the aromatic, complex concoction featuring regional West Indian Jamaican red peppers, he knew he had created a very unusual and amazing new sauce.

    An excited and proud Nash shared his delicious discovery with family and friends, who also loved it. A     tropical condiment star was born!

    Nash established the Pickapeppa Company Ltd. in 1921 and named his culinary creation Pickapeppa Sauce. Jamaican artist Stella Shaw (his cousin) painted the company's iconic parrot-and-pepper logo.

    aHis cousin painted the iconic parrot logo

    It didn't take long for folks everywhere on the Island to appreciate the versatile brown sauce and start using it in all kinds of dishes. For the first few decades the product was made in small batches, and mainly sold through local grocery stores.

    Twenty-four years later in 1945, the entire business was sold to     Joseph Lyn Kee Chow. A first-generation Jamaican, he immediately got busy and established the original (and still operating) commercial operations at Shooters Hill, Manchester.

    Pickapeppa Co. remains a business owned and operated by the Lyn Kee Chow family. Three brothers representing its second generation are now in charge, with     Stephen Lyn Kee Chow serving as the current CEO.

    While the family is Chinese by heritage, they are not “seen” as Asians per se, in this opening, pluralistic country with a     national motto Out of Many, One people. "To the people here, it doesn’t matter what you look like," explains Vaughan Turland,a business advisor and friend to the company. "If you live here, then you’re Jamaican; that’s a very important social construct."

    While succession plans are not publicly known, it could be postulated that some younger members of the third generation may step up as future leaders of this family dynasty.
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    (Left to Right) Pickapeppa fans can purchase branded T-shirts, cooking aprons, ballcaps and napkins, as well as all the company's products, at www.Pickapeppa.com.
    GENERATIONs OF LOYAL WORKERS

    In the early days the factory's rooms buzzed with activity from a small cadre of workers, including some of the founder's family members.

    Today, the Pickapeppa Co. is an economic driver in the region. It hires only "the cream of the crop" from the region to ensure long-held standards of excellence are maintained. In other words,  "only the best can make the best."

    The 40 factory employees are known to show great loyalty to both the company and its owners. There's a real sense of community here, and the company cares for its workers as if they were family.

    Tasty meals cooked up daily in the employee kitchen are free, as are the crisp uniforms everyone wears. For some workers living in very modest abodes, the access onsite showers with clean, abundant water is a life-changing work benefit. 

    Not surprisingly Pickapeppa jobs tend to become lifetime employments, with some spanning decades. Recently a man who began employment here in his youth retired in his mid-nineties. Many people are second-generation workers, following in the footsteps of their older relatives.

    aJobs tend to be lifetime employments

    Since the 1940's the plant has undergone  countless upgrades on various levels. With a hyper-focus on food safety and quality, in recent years the company invested heavily in the factory's infastructure, and made major improvements to processes affecting all areas of the business.

    Just a few years ago the packing and bottling of product was done by hand; now machines do that work. However, the making of Pickapeppa products will forever be an artisan activity. For example, the peeling of onions and stirring of ingredients in huge copper pots are two of many specialized tasks requiring a "human touch" to perfect a process.

    All those expensive transformations paid off handsomely in 2018, when Pickapeppa Co. announced its manufacturing facility was now one of a handful of Jamaican companies to have achieved the internationally recognized Food Safety System Certification FSSC 22000.

    This recognition placed the brand in the relatively small pool of 17,000 companies worldwide that had achieved similar honors. More importantly, the business was now positioned better than ever for greater expansion opportunities in the U.S. and other competitive export markets.

    Throughout its history Pickapeppa Co. has won numerous international awards, and was the first business in Jamaica to be awarded the Monde Selection Gold Medal with Palm Leaf. This annual honor is bestowed by the Belgium-based International Quality Institute, which tests and recognizes the world's best-quality food, drinks and cosmetics products.
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    In 2018, Pickapeppa Co. announced its manufacturing facility had been awarded a prestigious global food safety certifcation. This recognition placed the brand in the relatively small pool of 17,000 companies worldwide that had achieved similar honors, and opened the door wider for greater expansion into competitive export markets. 
    FIVE UNIQUE SAUCES

    For over a century, the company has been able to maintain the original distinctive taste, flavor and quality of Pickapeppa Sauce due to an adherence to extremely high production standards.

    Those same standards are applied to the making of its four other sauce products as well.     The oldest is the Hot Pepper Sauce (similar in taste to sauces made from Tabasco peppers) which has been around almost as long as Pickapeppa Sauce.

    Both products are the only ones decanted into oak aging barrels. However,     unlike the no-heat Pickapeppa Sauce, this fiery condiment is aged for up to three years (not one) to develop its complex flavors, aromas, spicy overtones, and natural rich-red color. That's the good news. The bad news is that these additional two years of aging makes it only available in limited quantities.

    So what does Hot Pepper Sauce taste like? Fans say it packs a good heat punch that gets in your throat ~ and then surprisingly keeps on releasing far longer than you'd expect. Ingredients are: West Indian Red Peppers, unrefined cane sugar, water, vinegar, sea salt, garlic, the natural tropical seed-derived dye Annatto (E160b), and pimento.

    a It gets into your throat and keeps releasing heat

    About 10 years ago the company added three more sauces to the brand family. They predominately feature the sweet flavor of the mango fruit, which expresses the combined taste of pineapples, oranges and peaches.

    Interestingly, the recipes for these sauces were purchased by Pickapeppa Co. from a local second-generation Jamaican family who (similar to founder Nash's story) made very small quantities of the condiments in a home kitchen.

    It took about three years, and a substantial investment, for the company to perfect the three formulas and incorporate them into its larger-scale production processes. Today, the mango sauces are very popular and in great demand worldwide.

    The most-purchased of the trio, Spicy Mango Sauce, is smooth, richly flavored and full-bodied. It features a mild spiciness from locally grown red peppers with added sweetness from cane sugar. Gingery Mango Sauce is superbly zingy, and gains its distinct character from Jamaican ginger, the finest in the world. Hot Mango Sauce is smooth on the palate, offers subtle hints of ginger and garlic, and uses ground Jamaican red pepper seeds to deliver a controlled heat with a little extra bite. 
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    (Left) Pickapeppa makes three sauces featuring the sweet flavor of mango, which expresses the combined taste of pineapples, oranges and peaches. (Right) Photo of various types of mangos.
    your pickapeppa IMPORTER

    If you're addicted to Pickapeppa sauces and am grateful for the steady supply entering America, you can thank one company: Warbac Sales Co, LLC.

    This Louisiana-based company has always been the primary importer for Pickapeppa. Today, this woman-owned and operated business imports about 75 percent of  Pickapeppa's products into the United States. 

    Once or twice a month, about 44,000 pounds of these tropical treats leave Kingston, Jamaica, and enter America via the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana. Warbac Sales then moves them to its local warehouse, where they await distribution orders to other U.S. regions.

    Typically each shipment contains 5,000 cases of bottled sauce, with 12 five-ounce bottles in each case. Sometimes there will be gallons of the sauce. The contents of each shipment vary, and are different depending on availability of supply, what has been ordered, any special promotions going on, etc.

    While Warbac Sales is not an owner of Pickapeppa, it does play a vital role as a long-term, valued partner and advisory board member.

    President and owner     Cheryl Grevemberg says "it feels almost like we're one and the same company" due to their strong bond and shared growth vision.

    The two businesses began their relationship over four decades ago. Back then one of the many importers of Pickapeppa decided to retire, and was looking for someone to buy the rights to his sales territory in the nation's mid-section.

    Cheryl's father,     Warren Backer, became the new buyer and founded Warbac Sales to run his new endeavor. In 1982 he began importing tons of Pickapeppa's goods into New Orleans. The original and hot pepper sauces already had become a vital part of that city’s cuisine, complimenting the traditional spices used in Cajun and Creole cooking. "For decades New Orleans has been the largest market in the world for Pickapeppa," notes Cheryl. "We all grew up with it."

    Cheryl runs the day-to-day operations of Warbac Sales with help from family members, including the company's co-owner, her brother Warren Backer, Jr. "It’s a great job, and can be a lot of fun," she says, even during these days of economic uncertainty. 

    "If you look at the dynamics of the Pickapeppa product cycle it's an unassuming brand, but for some reason it’s still here after a hundred years," notes Vaughan of Pickapeppa. "A big reason for that comes down to people like Cheryl and her father before her, selling our sauces in the USA, our largest market. We never would have charted such spectacular sales without them."
    In 2017, Jamaica's economic development agency (#DoBizJA) showcased Pickapeppa Co. Ltd. in two-minute videos (above and below). Both are part of the government's "From Farm to Shelf" series promoting the Island as an ideal place to do business by highlighting successful local companies.
    THRIVING DURING THE PANDEMIC

    Like many other businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Pickapeppa Co. at different times, for different reasons.

    At one point Cheryl recalls "it was really tough" sourcing the raw materials for products. That obviously impacted production as the company imports almost every ingredient ~ except for the peppers ~ from seven different countries through the Port of Kingston.

    Another short-term problem arose when glue could not be found to adhere labels to bottles. Then there was the time glass sauce bottles were temporarily hard to procure due to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers alledegly needing so much glass to make their vials.

    Despite these challenges, "Pickapeppa's business has been booming since the start of the pandemic," notes Cheryl. "We've been filling a crazy amount of new orders from grocery stores, and consumers buying from our website."

    General Manager Dianna Tomlinson shares her theory about what led to the sales spike:"Due to the pandemic, people worldwide started making more of their own gourmet dishes at home, rather than rely on chefs in restaurants for these meals." The ensuing search for tantalizing and affordable flavorings led many consumers to the brand as new or returning customers.

    Even as people warily start returning to restaurants and cook a bit less at home, this positive sales trend is expected to continue. Dianna says Pickapeppa's current challenge is to keep finding ways for its factory to stay abreast of skyrocketing demand.

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    Extremely hot West Indian Red Peppers scorch mouths with a high heat rating of 100,000 to 450,000 Scoville units. They are locally sourced, and the key ingredient in both the Hot Pepper Sauce and the very mild Pickapeppa Sauce. (Photo credit: Yaad Market, an online marketplace to buy and sell Caribbean products.)
    a family tradition OF HELPING NEIGHBORS

    Any pandemic-related "bumps” in product production have been largely resolved at Pickapeppa's factory. However, Jamaicans as a whole are still feeling the impact of COVID-19 on their economy and quality of life. 

    Alongside government and other private-sector relief strategies, the Pickapeppa Co. continues its decades-old commitment of helping its neighbors on the Island. "The family is very philanthropic; they're very generous people," says Cheryl. 

    One major gift was the donation of three acres of land and buildings to     Gift of Hope Orphanage, which cares for over 20 children with special needs. It's one of many programs administered by locally based Mustard Seed Communities.

    aThe Pickapeppa family quietly supports a wide range of community programs   

    While details about many of the owners' charitable efforts are kept private, ongoing recipients of support are known to include Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity and the Missionaries for the Poor (both operate Jamaican missions); as well as hospitals and schools serving the Island's poorest people.

    Members of Pickapeppa's management also have made time to share their business expertise with a number of start-up enterprises seeking a similar path of corporate success.

    Relatedly, in June 2020 Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security announced it had received Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth over     J$2 million dollars from the nation’s Chinese community to assist frontline workers during the pandemic.

    “The donation is a token of our love for Jamaica,” said Pickapeppa's CEO Stephen Lyn Kee Chow, a representative of the Chinese community. This gift of PPE is on top of the care packages and jobs that same group of individuals give their fellow Jamaicans in need on a continual basis.

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    (Left to right) Pickapeppa donated three acres of land and buildings for Gift of Hope Orphanage, which cares for over 20 children with special needs. The company has a long history of giving back to the community.
    A BRIGHT SECOND CENTURY

    Pickapeppa Co. has identified another emerging trend contributing to a lot more wholesale orders for larger-sized containers of products. It's becoming a new market that continues to grow. 

    Vaughan explains that recently a number of food and ingredient manufacturers have begun incorporating Pickapeppa sauces into their food offerings. Doing this not only creates unique flavor profiles, but also helps the companies win and retain business in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

    "Sometimes our products are not identified as anything but 'secret ingredients' on menus or listings," he says, citing multiple examples of established and "newbie" fast-food chains covertly using Pickapeppa to enhance meat burgers, vegan burgers, sandwiches and other products. 

    a There's onlyone Pickapeppain the world!

    Looking to the future, Pickapeppa has entered its second century of existence as a strong contender in a competitive industry.

    Like many businesses, Pickapeppa is constantly searching for new products to add to its collection of offerings. However, in the past 101 years, only five sauces have been deemed worthy to be part of the Pickapeppa brand. Based on that track record, realistically it could take several years, even decades, to find the next "perfect fit" recipes.

    Whatever those new mystery sauces taste like, Dianna already knows they'll all be "premium quality, unique products made with only the finest ingredients."

    This distinction is very important, she emphasizes, as while there may be "thousands of food manufacturers, there's     only one Pickapeppa in the world! z
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    Author's Note:  Lisa Bastian, publisher of Tropics Lifestyle magazine, discovered the original Pickapeppa Sauce in November 1983 when honeymooning with her husband Ed in the Grand Cayman Islands. This delectable condiment added zing to the Conch Fritters and (real) Donkey Tail foods enjoyed during a lunch prepared by a local cook.

    Lisa credits herself as the foodie introducing Pickapeppa Sauce broadly to northern Cincinnati as, upon her return home, she begged the neighborhood Kroger grocery store to start carrying the product (they did). The condiment remains a beloved staple in the Bastian household.

    TROPICSLLIFESTYLE

    All rights reserved; Tropics Lifestyle magazine / Palm Life Publishing. No part of this article or publication may be shared, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published; including this condition being imposed on the purchaser of the content.

  • TROPICSLLIFESTYLE

    ART a profile

    MEET THE GLASS OCTOPUS WHISPERER

    OCEANIC ARTIST MARILYN URE CREATES WHIMSICAL, TINY OCTOPI COLLECTIBLES WITH HER EXCEPTIONAL GLASS-BLOWING SKILLS AND VIVID IMAGINATION. LEGIONS OF FANS CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER JEWELRY AND SCULPTURES
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    OCTOPI LOVE (L to R): These four boro-glass kraken pendants and ballpoint pen adorned with a baby octopus are just some of the hundreds of treasures sold in the artist's two online stores.
    THROUGHOUT HISTORY, many talented artists have tapped into a muse, that special someone who provides high-octane levels of inspiration.

    For glassblowing artist Marilyn Ure of Utah, her beloved muse is not human, but rather a sea creature that is just as powerfully influential on her work: the octopus.

    Over the years, she has created thousands of unique and colorful art pieces that delight people of all ages worldwide.

    Marilyn is genuinely in awe of this blue-blooded, aquatic invertebrae powered by three hearts that is basically a mollusk without a shell.

    Among the top attractive attributes of the octopus, she relates, is its intelligence, human-like curiosity, “and even its very sad, short lifespan. It’s interesting that such a fascinating critter only lives two to three years, yet other not-so-smart sea animals can live 20 years. People are just beginning to understand the octopus, and to realize it’s just too smart to be eaten.”

    l"PEOPLE ARE JUST BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THE OCTOPUS IS JUST TOO SMART TO BE EATEN"l

    To avoid predators, some octopus change their shape and color to resemble other sea inhabitants such as a feather star, snake eel, stingray or crab, or use their long arms to mimic the look of a floating jellyfish (source: Smithsonian).

    Moreover, almost every octopus sports about 2,240 suckers on its eight arms, used to grip things and taste their environment.

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    ANCIENT OCTOPUS IMAGES (above): Artifacts dating back thousands of years from ancient cultures depict this intelligent sea animal using paint, metal, clay, glass and more. (Left to right): Greek coin from Eretria, a Greek city-state, 500-465 B.C.; Minoan Palace-style vessel from the island of Crete, 1500-1400 B.C. (Athens National Museum; jar from Crete's Knossos Palace, 1500 B.C.; encircled octopus mosaic tile floor buried 78 A.D. (Pompeii, Italy); mosaic tile detail of octopus with other ocean creatures (Pompeii).

    CFL IN ACTION (below):See Marilyn's "Angry Purple CFL" color-changing octopus glass necklace in action! In first photo, he shines a brilliant purple under normal lighting. But as seen in the second photo, under CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) he morphs to a transparent grey with truly amazing dichroic sparkle.
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    Not surprisingly, over the centuries the octopus has become known as a symbol of grace, agility, cleverness and flexibility. Its image appeared on ancient earthen pots and wall paintings, and was made into jewelry for the elites.

    Today, that same desire to celebrate the octopus is easily satisfied by buying Marilyn’s well-priced, whimsical and Pinterest-worthy collection of glass art pieces.

    Knitting Jumpstarts New Career

    This American artist unintentionally began her career shaping hot glass about eight years ago in 2013. She only meant to solve a knitting problem, not start a full-time, global business.

    For many decades, Marilyn made a living as a management consultant helping turn around failing companies. And in her free time away from that high-stress career, she enjoyed wood carving by creating walking sticks, figures, and other projects for her own pleasure. Later, she began to share her love of wood carving by teaching others this primal craft at a local store. Life was humming along.

    Then one day, while knitting socks, a fateful mishap happened that shook up her world. She broke her beloved stitchmarker fashioned of glass in the shape of a little lamb.

    l"ONE DAY, WHILE KNITTING SOCKS, A FATEFUL MISHAP SHOOK HER WORLD"l

    Unable to replace it, Marilyn decided to attempt to make a duplicate glass ewe herself. To that end, she bought a $100 glass-blowing kit, and taught herself how to use it.

    Weeks later, she had triumphantly made the glass replacement marker. She also was hooked on a new hobby. Each month she found herself spending more and more of her spare hours experimenting with glass-blowing techniques, and less time with the wood.

    Eventually, Marilyn became consumed with the joy of this nascent endeavor. About a year after her knitting mishap, Marilyn opened both an Etsy online shop (LakeCityGlass) and a website (www.MarilynUreGlass.com) to sell her art made to look as good around a neck as it is sitting on a shelf.

    If You make It, Will They buy?

    With this new career up and running, the workshop she had organized in her basement for wood carving now had to share at least half of its space with all kinds of new equipment, tools and supplies.

    When she started this new online selling enterprise, Marilyn didn’t have a clue if anyone else would enjoy owning her pieces as much as she did making them.

    After all, she had a very narrow design niche since the vast majority of her offerings (then and now) are versions of the octopus; that soft-bodied, eight-limbed sea creature of the order Octopoda, consisting of some 300+ species.

    But basing a serious business on just one ocean animal couldn’t possibly be a wise business move….or could it?

    l"MARILYN IS THE KIND OF GLASSBLOWER KNOWN AS A LAMPWORKER"l

    Fortunately, Marilyn’s optimistic gamble paid off, as orders slowly but steadily began to flow in from in and outside of the United States. Early success meant selling over 100 pieces a year, and a bit more each successive year.

    That solid sales progression gave Marilyn the encouragement she needed to continue on this entrepreneurial path. However, it wasn’t too much later that she finally quit that consultancy job to leap into full-time glassblowing.

    "I think there's a somewhat magical link between glass and water," shares Marilyn. "Glass is a nonsolid but still moves in a way like very hard water. I’ve always liked thinking of glass as water, as it reminds me of being on vacation in the Bahamas, even if I'm in hot and sunny Utah."

    Perhaps that's why most of the critters she currently sells are oceanic-themed. Besides the aforementioned octopi, she makes creatures in the images of mermaids, fish, turtles, whales, etc.

    Marilyn estimates that in the past eight years she has sold about 8,000 octopus-themed products in addition to thousands of her other designs.

    Last year alone in 2020, she filled nearly 2,000 online orders; many were repeat customers. “Rarely do people buy just one piece; usually they’ll order three or four at a time,” she notes. "It seems some of them actually have became addicted to collecting my work!"

    A small octopus tattoo on Marilyn’s arm reminds her daily of her muse, and of how it gives joy to her life as well as brings in a livable wage.

    "The business is certainly taking up every minute of every day, but I’m really enjoying it,” she confesses. “I didn’t think it would continue to be this much fun. Now that I quit my other job, and I’m over 50, it’s what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

    Old AND New Fan Favorites

    A perennial customer favorite is the 2.5" (length) x 2" (width) octopus pendant selling between $55 to $75, on average. The price varies due to the type of glass used, its size, and other design considerations. Marilyn guesses she has created well over 350 iterations of her popular octopus pendant.

    While the majority of her catalog pieces are born of her imagination, a fair number have come to life due to collaborations with customers seeking custom work. Marilyn enjoys these special orders—especially those that push her orginal designs to their creative limits, and beyond. 

    l"UV JEWELRY IS A GREAT LOOK FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ENJOY THE CLUBS SINCE IT GLOWS LIKE CRAZY!"l

    S    o what can be seen in her etsy store? Here you'll find cute baby octos, each the size of a quarter, hanging jauntily on French hooks and leverback earrings, or perched atop rings that can swap out glass pieces to suit the wearer's fashion mood.

    Even more tiny octos cling to Marilyn's glass "forever" straws (promoted as an alternative to single-use plastic tubes), or cutely curl the sides of her artsy ballpoint pens. Larger octopi are enjoyed as stand-alone desk sculptures, brooches, pendants, stash jar toppers, bottle adornments, and much more.

    Upon request, Marilyn will even make a conversation-starter martini glass featuring a (possibly tipsy?) octo wrapped around its stem.

    In the near near future, she is considering adding more tropical and rainforest designs to her line, such as palm trees and palm fronds, hibiscus flowers, parrots, or possibly butterflies.

    From time to time, a customer will ask Marilyn to  make cremation jewelry. This endearing memorial incorporates a Loved One's ashes into the glass to help keep that departed person's memories close to the wearer.

    To many buyers, Marilyn is not just a seller; she's a friend who "gets" their glass obsession and really "delivers the goods." It's not uncommon for them to publicly share their enthusiasm online, or in emails to the artist. Just read a few esty.com testimonials:

    • "This octopus is an absolute masterpiece and I am so stoked to add it to my collection....This shop has my business indefinitely. Not only are the artistry and quality top notch, but Marilyn is...lightening fast at replying to questions, and has a witty sense of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this process from beginning to end...I love my little Kraken so much!"
    • "WOW!! Just....WOW!!! I knew this piece was going to be amazing, but it's WAY beyond amazing in person!...I'm not only blown away by the wonderful cutomer service but also by the quality of craftmanship and attention to detail....even the careful packaging in a nice metal tin to protect this jaw-dropping piece of art! Now I have to force myself to let go of this piece and give it away as a birthday gift!"

    But it's not just adults who give her shop five-star ratings. Recently a four-year-old girl in Germany received octopus jewelry as a gift. The tot was so taken by it that she now calls Marilyn her "Octopus Grandma" and communicates regularly with the artist via a  family member.

    It's these type of accolates and fan connections that add layers of sweet satisfaction to Marilyn's work, and encourage her to keep the glass torch burning bright every day.

    Taking Lampworking to Artistic Heights

    On average, it takes at least 30 to 45 minutes to make just one glass item. She stamps her maker’s mark—the capitol letter M—on the underside of every piece (size permitting).

    Most creations are made from a "hard" glass known as borosilicate, or boro. It’s in the same materials family as the strong, almost unbreakable clear glass used for decades to make scientific lab supplies and bake ware (think Pyrex).

    All other glass other is identified as “soft” glass. That is the material of choice for many of her beadwork pieces, one of which is a colorful aquarium pendant delightfully depicting a mini-ecosystem of sealife.

    Technically, Marilyn is the kind of specialized glassblower known in the industry as a "lampworker."

    The roots of this fairly new method of glassblowing—lampworking—go back to the late 19th century, and requires a high-temperature hand torch to make glass conform to the will of the artist. During the centuries prior (reaching back to the fifth century B.C.), lampworking was done with oil-fueled lamps. 

    After heat makes the glass pliable, Marilyn forms it into the desired shape (without molds) by rolling or twirling with experienced hand movements and specialized tools.     Intricate details, such as octopus eyes and arm suckers, are carefully added to the main glass body with other instruments.

    When the design phase is complete, Marilyn anneals (slowly cools) each item in a digital kiln to increase its durability.

    Raw borosilicate glass is bought as a glass rod or tube. It’s only been in the last 15 years or so that this material could be offered in different colors other than transparent clear.

    “I can easily choose about 150 different colors for my projects,” says Marilyn. “Typically I use the same 10 to 12 colors every single day, but I’m always into buying the newest glass and amazing colors to experiment with it.”

    Every color developed by her suppliers has a distinctive chemical composition unique to that shade. That means each color behaves somewhat differently than the others, and so must be carefully manipulated accordingly to Nature’s laws.

    In other words, Marilyn has to be     part artist and part scientist to create her little lampworked masterpieces. 

    FUN COLOR-CHANGING GLASS

    The majority of glass rods sold today are transparent or opaque. Beyond the “basic” options are those made with metal to give exceptional color, gleam and durability, or they have the ability to switch between two different hues.

    A newer and increasingly popular option is glass with ultraviolet (UV) properties, meaning it looks one color in daylight and then glows in the dark as another color. Most rods come in a single hue, but a few are comprised of two, three or even more colors.

    “Ultraviolet glass is becoming a more popular choice every year,” notes Marilyn. “It’s a great look for younger people who enjoy the clubs since their jewelry will glow like crazy!"

    Another exciting material Marilyn uses is "Compact Florescent Light" (CFL) glass, which  changes color under florescent light. For example, her "Angry Purple CFL Kraken" shines a brilliant purple under normal lighting, but under CFL looks transparent grey with an amazing dichroic sparkle.

    Until about the 1940s, major manufacturers of glassware made home products using “Vaseline” or “uranium” glass which glowed under UV light thanks to the addition of real uranium (uranium dioxide) into the glass mix.

    About the middle of the 20th century this glass variety fell out of favor due to the price of uranium increasing and other factors. (And no, contrary to rumors, Vaseline glass is safe and doesn’t give off a near-lethal radioactive dose.)

    In its place are newly formulated UV glass (made without uranium) illuminating in the dark in shades of green, blue, pink, yellow, red, violet and orange.

    Her company's pricing model reflects her use of “good” glass, her time and special materials, and the difficulty of making them. For example, rods made with glow-in-the-dark glass or that contain real gold will be more expensive, as will models with pearl, gemstone or other dangle enhancements.

    Since she tries to buy glass supplies when only on sale, Marilyn says she can offer “surprisingly reasonable pricing” for her high-quality, crack-resistant art.

    Pandemic and Thieves Can’t Stop Her

    When asked this summer how the COVID-19 pandemic affected sales in 2021, the artist shares that she was shocked at how “outrageously successful” her etsy shop sales have been, especially over the last two years. Somehow, and she’s not sure why, the crisis “had to play into the growth and why people are buying more from me.” 

    Marilyn recalls that December 2020 marked the month that “all hell broke loose! So many more people began buying from me via word of mouth; it just went crazy."

    Part of the uptick in sales was due to a post in a Facebook octopus group where someone said they wanted to buy one of my octopus rings for their engagement jewelry instead of a diamond ring. It got lots of likes and attention, and sent people to my etsy store.”

    l"THERE IS FIRE, DRIPPING GLASS, AND CRAZY TOOLS! WHAT MORE COULD A GIRL WANT?"l

    Halfway through 2021, sales are up 144 percent when compared to the prior 12 months. And the year before that, which included a few months in 2019 before the pandemic, sales were up 140 percent. Marilyn knows those stats all indicate her business is definitely doing well.

    However, with a bit of light-hearted sarcasm, she shares there's one indicator that she has “made it” as an online seller in today’s Wild West e-ecommerce world: the sad fact that multiple people in China stole her online product photos and now sell low-quality counterfeits of her designs.

    Speaking about her two creative outlets which keep her sane and makes her smile, Marilyn says: “I’ve been carving wood for over 17 years and really enjoy it. While a little messy, you can do it almost anywhere….As for the glass? Well, what can I say….There is fire, dripping glass, and crazy tools! What more could a girl want?”    b
    SURPRISE!Marilyn is partnering with Tropics Lifestyle to give our readers an exclusive discount. Enjoy a generous 20%off your order from her etsy shop LakeCityGlass by entering Coupon Code TROPIC20 at checkout.
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    VARIETY OF ART PIECES (L to R):Marilyn's oceanic-themed glassworks, available in hundreds of differnt color/style options, include a "forever" glass straw with an octo cuddling the top, a bright mermaid-tale pendant, mini octos to change out on an octo ring or pendant,, an ever-watchful octo on top of a "stash" jar, baby octo matching earrings, and a Killer Whale pendant (a memorial piece to honor Tilikum of Blackfish fame; 25 percent of all sales going to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society).
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    THE CLASSIC OCTO PENDANT (L to R): Here are just a few of the hundreds of pendant designs available....Queen Bee Kracken, New Little Storm Octo, Silver Pine Kraken, UV Kraken (with suckers) glowing under Black light, Cool Waters Kraken.

    TROPICSLLIFESTYLE