In Buffalo, New York, Angela Vasquez of Pretty Pipes Shoppe creates pipes that are more fantasy than reality. The Etsy shop run by Angela and her boyfriend focus on high quality glass pipes that give an ethereal and whimsical experience to cannabis smoking. The goal, says Angela, is to bring magic into her customer’s lives. Founded in June of 2015, Pretty Pipes is sold exclusively online, making their collection of pipes available across the country.
Angela started Pretty Pipes a creative outlet. “I’ve always been into crafting, and I really wanted to branch into the realm of pipes,” she says of her passion for working with glass.
Through her company, Angela is able to create and control all aspects of her art, like choosing the specific glass to use and creating designs. Pretty Pipes does not blow their own pipes, but they have a hand in every aspect in the creation process of their pieces. “As far as the glassblowing process, while we don’t blow them ourselves we only choose distributors with the best quality glass,” Angela says. “Sturdy and heat resistant glass is very important to us. Quality of the glass is key.”
Pretty Pipes currently works with an array of glass distributors, but their end goal is to work with local glass blowers in New York. Angela says working with glass has been a learning experience, and the quality of Pretty Pipes continues to increase. “The form of my pipes has drastically changed since we started, and as we continue to grow, the change will continue as well,” Angela says. “Our quality of glass is constantly getting better, and we constantly seek out the best glass we can find.”
Clear to anyone visiting Pretty Pipes Shoppe, fantasy is the name of the game. Pipes and grinders with an ethereal feminine feel cover their website. The inspiration, says Angela, came from her whimsical, ultra-girly taste.
“I looked all over for pipes, and I hadn’t seen anything that I liked and I figured other women felt the same,” she adds. “I started to design and create pipes that I would want, and my customers resonated with that.”
Pretty pipes has a styles to please everyone’s taste, such as a Swarovski Encrusted RingPop Pipe, a Cake Grinder with Sprinkles, a Cherry or Pikachu Pokemon Pipe. Detail and intricacy of the glasswork set the pipes apart of works of art.
“We are not just creating pipes,” Angela says. “We want to give our customers an experience. We want to create art that transports people into magical realms.”
When asked about her favorite pipe in her collection, she says she is partial to her Angelic Moon Pipe. “That pipe is like my baby,” Angela says. “My biggest inspiration for that piece was Sailor Moon, and the whole ascetic of being a princess. I wanted to create pipes I had never seen before that looked like pure magic.” While Buffalo may be far from Northern California, Etsy has allowed customers across the Emerald Triangle to enjoy Pretty Pipe’s works of love. The shop gives Californians the opportunity to enjoy high-quality glass pipes with high-quality designs.
“When we make our pipes they become a break from reality,” Angela says. “It’s a moment to escape and fall into another world. The true purpose of these pipes is to let our customers fall into a fantasy.”
Pretty Pipes Shoppe has stayed true to their aesthetic while continuing to provide their customers with the highest quality pipes and ever-evolving designs. Glass blowing is a constantly changing trade, and the company is excited to be a part of the evolution of glass.
Written by Mackenzie Brotzman
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