Framed and Finished

Finished and framed. Hangers will be hand-hammered copper.

Detail of monogram below.

Ready to be delivered. Next?

Building a Stained Glass Window

Here are all the pieces, painted and ready to assemble. Note the silverstain in the monogram.

Below are the tools of the trade, and the lead cames which will be fitted around each piece of glass. You can see the lower left corner has been started.

When the window is assembled following the exact pattern it lays upon, the joints of the lead are soldered to hold the lead cames in place.

Then a cementing mixture is applied to the window which fills the gaps underneath the lead edges, and when it sets up, stiffens the window and gives it structural integrity. In the cleaning process, the cement also conditions and burnishes the lead to a lovely dark glow. This is the time-honored method by which stained glass has been created in Europe for more than a thousand years. Nothing much has changed.

Tomorrow, the frame will be built, and then the final completed project can be photographed. Delivery is Wednesday and we hope to hear lots of oohs and aahs. :D

Currently working on...

... this commissioned piece is for one of our favorite friends and a true patron of the arts - someone who doesn't just talk about supporting the arts, but actually buys some!  We like it even better that he's buying it from us. Hooray!

It's a design that is clearly for an Irishman as you can see by the Celtic elements in the monogram. The themes include hops and wheat to represent his fondness for fine ales. And because Dr. K. is a cyclist and a reader, we included bicycle parts and book symbols in various subtle areas of the design.

Here it is coming together!

Next we'll show the building process and then it's on to the framing.

For Children

This was based on a woodcut by Arthur Gaskin, a British Arts & Crafts artist, originally rendered for an 1800s children's book. Our stained glass window was for a Children's Museum silent auction donation.

Below, a replacement window to match early 1900's stained glass in the historic Child Nursery Center. The image is drawn from an Ursula LeGuin novel and this particular image was added to acknowledge the ethnic mix of the modern students. All the other images depicted stories from European literature.

Brazen Hussies

This Carmen window was created as a fundraiser for an opera guild.

Jezebel below created for a show titled, Saints, Sinners & Symbols.

Perennial Favorites

These stained glass windows were custom-designed and installed in homes. The roses were an interior divider, the daffodil over the entry way with a simple matching sidelight.

Visit our CafePress shop

I've just added this new original design to mugs at our U Can Quote Shop. All the designs are ours and more are added all the time, so visit us often!

Columbines

Detail below

Aspens

Two very different treatments of Aspen trees, to match the interior designs of the respective homes.

Family Crests

Family crests are as popular as ever.