Catching Up With Lead in the Window Owner and Artist, Mya Daily

This week we're stoked to introduce you guys to Lead in the Window owner Mya Daily. Like an awesome superhero, she's a nurse by day helping to save lives and a stained glass artist by night saving homes from unadorned spaces! *BANG* *POW* *WHIZZZZ* We sat down with her to get some insight on the art of stained glass, her new store at The Container Park in downtown Las Vegas, and how she manages to juggle it all. Someone get us 3cc's of popcorn STAT!

Winky Designs: Your pieces are beautiful and quite unique! How did you get into the stained glass craft?
Mya Daily: I learned the craft of stained glass 15 years ago. I attended a 4 year bachelor of nursing program and at the time our curriculum didn't allow for “extra” classes such as stained glass that was offered through the school of art at the university I attended. I begged the instructor to let me audit the course and she kept turning me down stating, “You are in the nursing program. Your schedule doesn't allow it in your classes.” The summer I graduated I kept asking this master stained glass maker to still allow me to audit her course now that I didn't have to do it in the middle of a nursing program. She still kept turning me down. Then one afternoon I got a phone call and it was her telling me that I could audit the class. The rest is history.

W.D.: How do you juggle your nursing career with your craft and running a small business?
M.D..: I am a full time nurse. I have been a nurse for 15 years and have done a variety of things in the nursing profession. I started in labor and delivery. Then some spent some time in neonatal intensive care and burn unit. Most recently started an emergency medical transport program for high risk obstetric patients before relocating to Las Vegas and now working in a local emergency room. I am only able to keep my nursing career and run the business with my partner Ellisha by my side. We have been together for 7 years and I taught her the craft from home and luckily we both have lots of leadership and management skills from past experiences. She is able to be in the store full time for us so that is what helps us day in and day out.

W.D.: What is the craziest/coolest/weirdest custom design you've made for a client?

M.D.: It’s interesting that you ask this. I am currently working on the coolest piece I've ever had the opportunity to do for someone. It is actually a collaboration with a large company and I’m not allowed to share with who until it is accepted by this company but if you happen to stop by the shop in the next couple days you can then see the work in progress. We will be so excited to share it once it’s completed! Keep your eyes open for news from us.

Wait, this looks familiar...

W.D.: As a small business owner opening up her first store, what was the most unexpected obstacle you've had to overcome?
M.D.: The biggest obstacle to date was our initial opening date changing. We were given an initial opening date and then it was pushed back by over a month. At that point we had invested so much by putting capital into our supply, products, and employee training that the delay of having an open door for our store was a huge impact financially and emotionally.

W.D.:  Why did you choose downtown Las Vegas and Container Park specifically, to open your store?

M.D.: I have always been a fan of downtown. I like old Vegas and what it was. I have an old soul at heart and the history of downtown is always intriguing to me. Once I came to the Container Park for the first time I was hooked. I liked what it was doing for Downtown and from the first visit wanted to be apart of it.

W.D.: What’s next for you and Lead in the Window?

M.D.: Lead In The Window would love to look at opening a second location that would focus more on the supplies for the craft of Stained Glass. Offering hundreds of varieties of glass, lead, and other items needed for doing the craft. We would also like to spend more time offering courses to teach others this dying art.

Thanks Mya for sharing with us the crazy cool art of stained glass! We love the detailed pieces...and your awesome hair! You can expect us to be taking some classes once that rolls out. I wonder how many pieces we'd need to make a glass replica of our doggy's face?...

You can stay updated on the goings on at Lead in the Window by following their Facebook page, visiting their Etsy store, or simply going down to The Downtown Container Park in Las Vegas if you're in town and snagging some beautiful pieces!

Lead in the Window

707 Fremont Street Suite 2250

 Las Vegas, Nevada

Container Park Fashion Show Round Up

At the beginning of the month, we had the privilege of organizing a unique and fun fashion show highlighting the amazing talents of design students from the Las Vegas Art Institute and the tenants of the Container Park located in Downtown Vegas. Locals and visitors alike came down and were treated to a lively show as well as an hour of being introduced to designers and models explaining their designs in more detail and hustlin' for votes (a very necessary skill for future success, lol!). It was such a blast and the designs were well executed and oh-so-CREATIVE! Here's a closer look at the event and a sampling of some of the phenomenal designs...

Las Vegas Kettle Corn dress designed by Silvya Magana

The High Points Gallery dress by Yanet Martinez-Arriaga

Winky Designs dress by Shyann Desa and Alexa Badia-Robertson

1st RUNNER UP! Lil Art Bodega dress by Vanessa Garcia

American Vagabond dress by Delight Mejia

GRAND PRIZE WINNER! Bin702 dress by Jillian Ohriner

Crazy Legs Boutique dress by Frances McCullin

Redstich dress by Tiki Jay One

2nd RUNNER UP! Sasa Sweets Chill Spot dress by Marisol Gutierrez

Sweet Spot Candy Shop dress by Haley Herdman

Blu Marble dress by Matu Cleaver

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated and a special thank you A City Jane for the pictures! We look forward to putting on more community events where ever we can spread the Winky joy! Leave us a comment below and let us know which one is YOUR favorite!

Downtown Las Vegas Container Park Fashion Show

Get ready to get inspired with some one of a kind fashion! Winky Designs is excited to announce a collaboration with the Container Park and the Art Institute of Las Vegas (AiLV) to create a truly one-of-a-kind fashion show! 28 brands within the Container Park (including not only the boutiques and galleries but also restaurants and food shops) have been paired with 28 AiLV students to design dresses which reflect the unique and eclectic mix of brands at the Container Park.  The students' original creations will then walk the runway to show off the local shops and their brand concepts on April 5th, 2014 at 1pm.

The student designers will be judged on their creativity as well as their ability to represent the spirit of the brand they’re designing for. Expect popcorn, cupcake, and street art inspired dresses to be parading down the runway! The grand prize winner will be voted on by the audience and 2 runners up will be voted on by a panel of notable Vegas judges. Prizes include over $2,000 in gifts given by the participating brands. This event promises to be fun and festive for watchers and designers both! 

Downtown Container Park Grand Opening

Today we celebrated the grand opening of the Container Park in Downtown Las Vegas and it was absolutely Ah-mazing! Even though the morning was cold enough to make a Chicagoan feel at home, the love from the locals at the new mixed use space was enough to warm this Las Vegan’s (cold cold) heart.

There was everything from a juggling mime to awesome performances and speeches to kick off the ribbon cutting ceremony.

 

 

It has been a long arduous road to open up our first retail store, but nonetheless satisfying. We are thrilled to be able to offer all locals and visitors to Vegas a little taste of what we at Winky Designs are about: joy, laughter, and beautiful fashion watches and accessories.

Winky Designs is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!! Visit us on your next trip to Vegas and snag yourself some lovely bracelet watches (you can schedule us inbetween the clubbing and pub crawls ;) )

707 Fremont St. #2070 Las Vegas, NV 89101