Honoring Loved Ones Through the Art of Glassblowing: An Interview with Chris Santora, Founder of Sands of Time

At Sands of Time, we are dedicated to creating meaningful and beautiful glass tributes that honor the memories of loved ones. We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris Santora, the founder and director of Sands of Time, to discuss his journey, the intricacies of his work, and the impact it has on the families he serves. Here’s an inside look at the heartfelt conversation.
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​The Journey into Glassblowing
Chris Santora's passion for art and creativity led him to discover glassblowing in his early twenties. "I was immediately captivated by the intricate process and the beautiful results it could produce," Chris shared. After years of honing his craft and studying under his teacher Chris Sanders (AKA Pip Sanders), he established Sands of Time in 2011 with the mission of providing a meaningful way for people to honor and remember their loved ones.
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​Inspiration Behind Sands of Time
The inspiration for Sands of Time came from a deeply personal experience. Chris explained, "When I first got into glassblowing, I started as a pipe maker. I was making some other various things like glass pendants and jewelry, but pipes were my main focus. I sold to a large portfolio of smoke shops and the like, but also hustled glass at concerts and music festivals from 2006 to 2010.

However, after my divorce in 2010, I found salvation and began to deeply embrace my Christian faith. Over time, I felt a strong conviction from the Lord that pipes were not my true calling. God had blessed me with this gift of glassblowing, and I had spent years perfecting my craft. My studio was filled with a vast array of equipment, tools, and glass, accumulated through thousands of hours of learning and growth, countless weeks of trial and error. Yet, I felt an overwhelming sense that I was meant to create something different. So, I made the decision to stop making pipes.

I contacted all the smoke shops I had been selling to for years and informed them I was leaving the industry. Many were baffled and couldn't understand why I was making this choice. To them, it looked like career suicide, throwing away the reputation I had built as a high-end pipe maker. But I was seeing the world through new, spiritual eyes for the first time, trusting the Lord's guidance. This was my first time truly 'giving it all to God,' and it marked the beginning of a profound transformation in my life."
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Thanking God for Answered Prayers
After a time of personal reflection, and the realization that he wasn't a pipe maker anymore, Chris started praying for an answer.

He reflects, "I was searching for guidance on how to continue my life as a glassblower while aligning my work with my faith. I needed to find a way to support my family that was true to my beliefs. Then, one day, I received a message from a dear friend named Kesha. She shared that her friend's daughter had tragically passed away, and the family was seeking a unique way to memorialize her. Kesha asked if I could incorporate some of her cremation ash into a pendant design for the family.

At that point in my life, I had never seen cremated ashes, let alone considered using them in my glasswork. I had many questions and concerns: Is it even possible? Is it moral? Does it honor the deceased? Is it morbid? Despite my uncertainties, I decided to give it a try. I wondered, could this be the path I was meant to take?"

Shortly after, I received the ashes for what would become my first memorial pendant. The initial pieces were all experimental—some ideas worked well enough, but they all needed refining. It took a few weeks to develop a technique that would suspend the ashes inside the glass while maintaining both beauty and stability.
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When the family received the pendants, their feedback was overwhelming. Having never lost someone close to me before, I had no idea that what I was doing would have such a profound impact on people's lives. It was at that moment I realized this was my true calling."
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Crafting Unique Memorial Pieces
Creating a piece of cremation art glass is a meticulous process that combines skill, precision, and care. Let’s take a closer look at the ordering process.

"The process often begins with a consultation to understand the specific desires and preferences of the family," Chris explained. "We recognize that each family is unique and has their own ideas about how they want to memorialize their loved one. This is why we offer an extensive catalog of customizable items, from Cremation Suncatchers and Memorial Flames to our Comfort Stones and Cremation Jewelry.

Once an order is placed on our website, the client receives a confirmation email with detailed instructions on how to properly package and ship their loved one's ashes, along with the address where they should be sent. After our artists receive the ashes, they begin production according to their current timeframe, which can take anywhere from 1 to 10 weeks, depending on their workload. Customers are welcome to call or email us anytime for updates on their order. Once the items are created, the customer receives an email with tracking information for their package."
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Balancing Creativity, Business, and Family Life as a Solopreneur
Running Sands of Time as a solopreneur involves a delicate balance between the creative and business aspects of the company, as well as family life. Tell us more about how you balance these aspects of your professional and personal life.

"On the creative side, I usually have some idea that's been buzzing around my head about a new technique I want to try. Sometimes I become so obsessed with trying to fully realize an idea, I start dreaming about it. When this happens, my dreams become a creative space where new designs and intricate forms begin. It's a place where I can realize different processes to my glass flow, resulting in newfound clarity upon awakening. I fully associate this ability as part of my spiritual calling.

For the business side, I focus on organization, planning, and building. Staying organized across all aspects of my work is crucial to having a clear idea about what's happening under the hood. The planning I do is mostly about having a vision for the future of Sands of Time. Building the company by adding new artists, new affiliates and new products takes up about half of all my working hours. 

As for my family, they're my 'Why' for everything I do. Working from home is challenging but has always been a huge blessing. I'm able to help my wife with household duties while maintaining the ability to close my office or studio door when it's time for deep work. This usually entails web design, blogging, customer support, and company payroll. One thing I love about working from home, is my children get to see their dad working hard. They see me returning messages or blowing glass in the studio. My daughter has been helping me return messages since she was 2! She would sit on my lap and delegate my messages to me. I used to call her my 'typer in a diaper'," Chris laughed. 
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Heartfelt Stories: The Impact of Sands of Time Memorials
Chris shared a few particularly memorable stories from his clients over the years. 

"A client of mine ordered a bracelet as a tribute to her late husband. She recounted how she was driving through the mountains and decided to stop at a small, local dive bar to warm up. The place was packed, with no available seating. While she was standing in line ordering a drink, another lady at the bar noticed her bracelet and exclaimed, 'Sands of Time?!' She responded, 'You know Chris?!' Two complete strangers bonded over their shared connection to my work. They high fived, had a drink, and shared stories about their loved ones. How cool is that?

Another story that comes to mind is about a father who had three sons who lost their mother to cancer. One of the sons, who has autism, had been unable to sleep since his mom passed. The father purchased Comfort Stones for each of his sons so they could have a small piece of their mom with them. The autistic son now sleeps through the night, comforted by his mom's presence. It's so incredible. There are so many stories like this. I'm just honored to be able to do this for people."
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Future Goals and Community Engagement
Looking ahead, Chris has ambitious goals for the future of Sands of Time.
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"We’re working on expanding our product line to encompass a wide range of memorial options," Chris shared. "This includes urns, DIY keepsakes, sculptures, drone scattering services, firework scattering, and more. We're collaborating with artists across the country to bring our clients the latest innovations in memorial art. Additionally, we're growing our network of dedicated funeral homes and crematories through our affiliate program. These projects represent just a fraction of the exciting opportunities we have to grow and connect with our community in new and meaningful ways."
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Connecting with Sands of Time
For those interested in learning more about Sands of Time or commissioning a piece, Chris encourages visiting their Sands of Time website, www.CremationArtGlass.com. "There, you can find detailed information about our process, view our model gallery, and read testimonials from other clients. Following us on Facebook is also a great way to stay updated on our latest projects and events."