Several evolving trends in the glass media industry were evident at this year's Glass Craft & Bead Expo which had another successful run at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas.

Perhaps the most satisfying for industry participants is the rising prices for products sold to the consumer and the concurrent increase in appreciation for the efforts by crafters.

At the same time, technology to reduce the effort needed to produce productsd for one of America's last craft industry is also coming to the fore.

One glass crafter who has slowly increased her prices for what was described by one Expo visitor as "exquisite" is Jill Elkins.  This Alabama-based glass crafter was amongst the most visited booth at a show that once again was crowded and exciting.

The Swedish-born Elkins, learned her craft in Hawaii, where she met her husband, a rescue diver for the Coast Guard.

"Originally, I priced by creations so that people would buy but over the years, I have slowly raised the price of my glass creations," Elkins said between visitors at her booth.

"One fellow crafter wrote and told me tht I was pricing my creations too low," she laughed. "Others told me that I should charge a dollar for every minute I spent creating a piece in soft glass and double that if I was working in hard glass," she said.

Despite the higher prices at her booth and others at the show, business was brisk. Elkins' website is www.jillsglassart.com.

Manufacturers and suppliers also reported having a good show but warned that prices for their products were under pressure.  Several importers said they were absorbing the cost of the dollars decline for now but may need to raise prices in the future.

A reporter roving the show after an absence of several years noted that sale prices had gone up considerably over time and that many participants were happily selling their creations at prices considerably above past years.

Many other booth participants also discussed the rise in pricing, citing higher material and energy costs. 

From glass to gas, participants expressed concerns that costs may be higher in the near term for many raw materials.

One new technology that was demonstrated at the show was a new lighting solution from Artistic Lighting Solutions of Las Vegas. The company is offering a unique back lighting solution for glass crafters that is paper thin and can be incorporated right into the creation.  For more details, please go to www.artisticlightingsolutions.com.

Midway into the Expo, the Art Glass Association honored the industry's top leaders.  The winners will be updated later this month but can be found at www.artglassassociation.com.

More details on the show will follow later this month.