Dawsonville, GA

Janice is the founder of Chesnik Scopes with her husband, Ray. She is also the mother of our Artist-in-Residence, Jon Greene, who now creates that line of kaleidoscopes, as well as Sheryl Koch and Lori Riley who are each professional kaleidoscope artists as well. Quite a family legacy!

Now semi-retired, Janice and Ray continue to create the millefiore glass pieces that Jon uses in his "Fiesta" wheels. Done in an Italian glass-bundling process, each of those wheels looks like a unique stained glass church window.

What brings Janice true joy now, however, is the creation of her one-of-a-kind kaleidoscope-inspired quilts. We're fortunate to have our store adorned with a collection of these quilts which often draw people in the store just to admire them more closely. The quilters appreciate them the most, because they're enormously labor-intensive and perfectly achieved.

Her artist eye, fine-tuned from making kaleidoscopes professionally for almost 30 years, certainly comes through in these wall-art masterpieces. In her home studio, she has culled an amazing collection of fabrics, from batiks to glittery fabrics. She pins several combinations to the walls, and not before she's completely satisfied does she start the cutting and sewing proces. She uses a variety of techniques and equipment, including a room-sized "long-arm" sewing machine.

Janice has become so admired in her local quilting guilds that she's in demand to teach workshops, often with waiting lits of people who want to learn from her amazing artful eye and quilting expertise.