For some devoted yard-sale shoppers, rare collectibles and mint-condition designer vintage top the “ultimate finds” list; for others, 25-cent records, niche knickknacks, and bargain-priced sporting goods are notable hauls. But for Alla Sharkova, a software engineer by day and the lifelong glass enthusiast behind stained-glass art and decor shop Fleeting Stillness, one particular secondhand score—a $15 purchase Alla scooped up a decade ago—was far more fortuitous than the rest.
Explore the Fleeting Stillness collection
It was an unassuming cardboard box full of glass supplies, tools, and books—in short, the perfect starter kit for a hobby Alla had been longing to try since her childhood in Azerbaijan. “Growing up, I was always fascinated by glass,” Alla says. “I would often just sit there and stare at it, trying to catch the light. But I never thought I would be able to do glasswork myself. I didn’t know anyone else who did it, and I didn’t know where I could learn.”
Enter that fateful cardboard box, the contents of which inspired the practice she’s been perfecting ever since. Nearly 1,500 sales later, working with glass is as fulfilling as ever for Alla, who thinks of her art as a complement and a counterbalance to her full-time technology job. “At the end of the day, stained glass is like my alternate reality,” Alla says. “When I go to my workroom and close the door and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to the spa now—the glass spa,’ that’s the only thing that lets me shut off completely.”
Read on to learn more about Alla’s process and what it feels like to be in the stained-glass groove, then shop the Fleeting Stillness collection.

Have you always been creative?
Where I come from, everybody had to be creative, because everything was in short supply. You wanted clothes for your doll? You had to make them yourself. I started doing that, and then I made clothes for myself later. It was the same for all my friends—we would make pants, shirts, sweaters, raincoats, anything.
We were also taught how to make things from the time we were little children in daycare. We’d make mosaics with broken eggshells, painting the pieces and arranging them into pictures. We learned to make something out of nothing, and that’s what I enjoy about scavenging at yard sales today—I still find it fun to give something a second life, to use things differently from how they were intended to be used.
What inspires you?
Everything. I could be inspired by the color of a wall, a piece of glass at a supplies store, or an agate slice at a gem show. We travel a lot, and I always visit as many churches as I can to look at all the old and modern stained glass. Most people who do stained glass seriously went to school for it, and learned a variety of techniques and styles. I didn’t go to art school, so I get to explore as I go.
What are some of your best-selling items?
The star/snowflake suncatcher. People just love it. I love it too—I think it has totally insane symmetry. I don’t know why. There are only eight pieces in there, but even compared to my other designs that have more pieces or bevels, there is something totally correct about it. People look at it and it clicks.



What part of your process excites you the most?
I love seeing a larger piece start to come together. For every big panel that I make, there’s a time when I look at it and think, “Oh my god, it’s so ugly.” But then I keep going, and when I get to the patina stage it starts to match the picture I had in my head. And then of course, when a piece is fully finished and the light hits it—and I get to see how the glass looks different at different times of day, in front of different windows—to see it for the first time at every variation is exciting.
What’s the part of the process that you like the least?
The most awful thing that can happen is when you’re almost done, you’ve finished soldering, and you hear the sound: puck. That’s when you know that the piece right in the middle has split in half. You’ll have to take it out and replace it, because there’s no way to fix it without putting another seam in. The most difficult thing is that you can barely hear the sound, but when you hear it you’re like, “Oh, God.” It happened to me once last weekend—there was a puck that I had to fix.


Do you ever get into a creative rut? What do you do if that happens?
For me, the best recipe to get out of a creative rut is to work on my Etsy orders. Most of my items are made to order, so even when I’m stuck and out of ideas, the orders still keep coming in. I’ll go into my studio thinking, “I’m just going to make this night light,” and then in the middle of it I’ll notice an unusual piece of glass, or something somewhere will catch my eye. Once my hands touch the material, my brain totally flips the switch. Something surfaces.
So then what does it feel like to be in the zone?
When I get into a groove with the glass, I could just go on and on. But then when I come out of the studio, it’s like, “Did I just spend 42 hours in there over the last three days?” I don’t notice time when I’m creating. I have to set the timer on my phone so that I know when I need to go do something or even just go to bed. I need to have a ping, because when I turn the music on and see the glass, I don’t care what else is going on—I’ll finish one thing and immediately start another.



What are some of your favorite things about selling on Etsy?
I like that Etsy brings me face to face with my customers. I like Teams (shout-out to the Russian Artists Team!). And I actually like that my sales are irregular. Sometimes it’s a trickle and sometimes it’s an avalanche, and that works for me. I’ve never thought of quitting my job and doing this full time—I like my job. I’m not looking for a steady income, I’m looking for an escape. When something sells and I have to go make it, it gives me a chance to disconnect. I get a little bit of rest and I get unblocked. That’s so good—that’s what I want from this the most.
Follow Fleeting Stillness on Facebook.
Photographs courtesy of Fleeting Stillness.
39 comments
mari from frighten said 2 years ago
Congratulations, Alla! So great to see you as the featured shop this morning. I loved reading about the importance of creativity in your homeland and can relate to the getting lost in the zone when creating your own pieces.
ClassicMemories from ClassicMemories said 2 years ago
Lovely shop. I love your items. Congrats on the feature.
elle and belle Forster from elleandbellejewelry said 2 years ago
Your work is gorgeous, Alla!! Loving the suncatcher set and the oranges and black Halloween pieces. You are very talented. All the best!
Anna from FairyToysWorld said 2 years ago
Great design and shop! Wish you many sales!
Diana from SoCuteSoap said 2 years ago
It just magic! Perfectly! I am excited!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 2 years ago
Amazing work! Congrats!
Sissy from SissysPaintedPieces said 2 years ago
Wow! That suncatcher set is so pretty! Congrats on the feature.
Anna S. from Anniiko said 2 years ago
It's great!
Karen from KnitPeddler said 2 years ago
Congrats on your feature! You do beautiful work Alla! Your shop has so many wonderful and unique items. <3
Leo Nuvunga from AfricanCraftsCenter said 2 years ago
Amazing! Congrats on the feature.
Jennifer Tyson from LadyInPurpleBoutique said 2 years ago
Congrats on the feature Alla! Your work is really lovely!
Earth and Sky Alchemy Christopher and Amy from EarthandSkyAlchemy said 2 years ago
Lovely work! Congrats on the inspiring feature, your shop is awesome!
Priscilla from Gardenmis said 2 years ago
Beautiful shop! Your nightlights are so lovely! Congrats on the feature and best wishes in achieving all your goals and dreams :)
Rosita from pillowlink said 2 years ago
Amazing story! Love the shown process, it is really subtle work.
Thomas from Ngultrum said 2 years ago
Congrats! Alla. Very well deserved for your brilliant artwork. Nothing beats working on something you love! Fav your shop and will visit more in future. :)
Renee from RandMhandmade said 2 years ago
Congratulations! I really like your shop!
maggie from BlossomBouquetStudio said 2 years ago
Love your work and congratulations on the feature! Beautiful!
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 2 years ago
Inspiring story and amazing work! Congratulations on the feature!
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 2 years ago
great story ~ beautiful and vibrant stained glass ~ cheers to much continued success ~!~
One Stop Steampunk Shoppe from OneStopSteamShoppe said 2 years ago
Wow, what a beautiful shop! Congrats on all your success! : )
Yuri Pysar from Pysar said 2 years ago
beautiful designs. Congrats on the well-deserved feature 😀🎉
TropicalGarden from TropicalGarden said 2 years ago
Beautiful work! Congratulations on the feature!
Monika Moroz from NickoArts said 2 years ago
Congratulations on the feature of your beautiful shop. All the Best.
Tiana Kotskulich Precious Embroidery from TianaHandmade said 2 years ago
My congratulations! Cool works, full of shine and love!
Jenicia from PaperType said 2 years ago
Such unique style!
Sharon from YearsAfter said 2 years ago
Stained glass transforms a room inside and out and YOURS are GORGEOUS!
Maria from StyleGraphicDesign said 2 years ago
Wonderful!
Rachel Bingaman from BingArt said 2 years ago
Oh my goodness, such beautiful work! Your stained glass is so lovely!
Kashuen Collectibles from Kashuen said 2 years ago
It is amazing that you can self taught how to make glass art. It is really beautiful. When you heard the puck sound, it must be heart broken.
The Hvidsten's from PandCDesignsCo said 2 years ago
I love you shop! We are new to Etsy and still navigating our way. We love the community and collaboration. We have jumped in with both feet. I had a kidney transplant several years ago and being immunosuppressed I seem to get every cold going around. I retired from teaching and my family and I decided to start the Etsy journey. This has been perfect for us. Thank you for sharing your story it helps keep us motivated. My dream is to have a shop like your that is not in my living room.
Connie Haskell from redemptionart said 2 years ago
What a great feature! Wonderful creativity Alla, I love your perspective. I also appreciate the fact that etsy literally brings the world together through this great medium of art and creativity. I also appreciate your organization and focus! Congratulations and aloha to you!
Katerina from SuperbStuff101 said 2 years ago
Wow, absolutely amazing! I love all your work, such an awesome art and designs.. Thank you for sharing your story, and all the best!
Oonah from unatuna said 2 years ago
I love stained glass. Gorgeous pieces!
Joie Coelho from TheGoldenBangle said 2 years ago
So inspiring..
Cat Encio Dolls from CatEncioDolls said 2 years ago
LOvely
Birgit from CassiaOrganics said 1 year ago
Wow gorgeous work. I love your shop!
Kimiko Stallard from BinglesBanglesBabies said 1 year ago
Beautiful artwork, congratulations on the feature
Melissa Ruhl-Sowinski from BuckeyeGirlsWreaths said 264 days ago
What cute pumpkin and love the lanterns.
Jesse Jet from LunaAuras said 145 days ago
Your work is truly inspiring ✨