Category: Stained Glass

I have two more stained glass creations to share with you and they both center around rainbows. I’ve always loved rainbows and actively hunt for them after rainstorms. Lately, I feel like I’ve needed more rainbows in my life so I decided to make a rainbow honeycomb panel.

For this panel, I created my own pattern and learned a lot from it (once again). Looking back, the little pieces around the top and bottom are WAY too small and I should have adjusted the pattern to get rid of them. For the first time, I used sticker paper for my pattern pieces and that was an absolute game changer! Even with the challenges, I love the way that this one turned out.

As I was cutting each glass piece for the panel, I kept all the scraps in a little container. I loved the colors I used and realized that they would make a really fun scrappy sun catcher.

Here’s what sparked the idea:

This sun catcher turned out to be so dang difficult and I had to teach myself how to do a bunch more things to make it happen. It started off as scraps, which I then foiled and soldered individually. I then made handmade jump rings for every single piece of glass, and soldered them on to the top and bottom of each piece.

I tried hanging on jewelry string and clear plastic string and just didn’t like the look of it. So, I purchased some jewelry making chain, cut each piece to the length I wanted, added jump rings and attached them to each piece of stained glass. And then, I hung each strand on a piece of driftwood.

This was absolutely one of those “for science” pieces because I had to stumble through each and every step. Also, I’m not sure if this is going to hold up long term. When soldering on jump rings, you typically need to extend the metal into a space between two pieces of glass to anchor it. Since I was working with just individual pieces, that wasn’t an option. So, it is quite possible that the weight of the piece eventually pulls the solder away from the glass. Guess I’ll see! And learn from it, of course.

Next Up on the Horizon

I still have a plan to try 3D designs like plants/succulents, as well as use scrap glass for mosaics. However, my next challenge is… plant stakes!

I have a couple designs in mind that I’m going to start with, including a bee and hexagonal hive, and some cute cactus/succulent plants. I plan to gift some of my plant stakes, so in addition to learning how to solder them onto a copper stake properly, I’m also going to be experimenting with lead-free solder.

Many, many years ago I decided to take a class through the local community college and learned how to do stained glass. And when I say “many” years ago, I’m pretty sure it was somewhere around 25ish years ago. At that time, I got really into it and made a bunch of different panels, while having access to a fantastic instructor to help me through the tricky bits. At some point, the class ended and I lost access to the studio… so I hadn’t touched a glass cutter in more than two decades.

Well, about 2-3 years ago I thought it would be fun to take a refresher class at a local studio, with the intention to set up my own home studio afterwards. I very much enjoyed that class, but life got in the way and the home studio never actually happened.

Until this year!

In April, I set up my own studio in the corner of my sunroom. I’m so happy to have my own artistic outlet all ready to go whenever inspiration strikes.

I decided that my first piece in my new studio would be a practice piece – I created the design myself based on a few different inspiration panels, then I worked my way through each step from cutting the glass, grinding it, foiling each piece, soldering it all together and framing it at the end.

Did I make mistakes? Absolutely. But I kept them in as a reminder to where I’m (re)starting, so that I can see how far I come.

It feels so good to create in this way again and I love having only my own expectations on what I want the panel to look like. I’ve completed 2 panels so far and I’d love to share them with you.

As for what’s currently on my workbench… here is a little sneak peek.

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I love that each project I work on teaches me something new. For example, I’ve been creating my own patterns from scratch for each design. For my second panel, I used chemicals to turn the solder black. For my third panel, I’m experimenting with using sticker paper for my pattern pieces, rather than tracing them on before I cut.

For the suncatcher, I’ll be teaching myself how to solder on jump rings and incorporate some of my jewelry making stash to add string, chain, and possibly some beads as well.

Also on the horizon, I can’t wait to try 3D designs like stained glass plants and succulents! I’m also planning to use every bit of my scrap glass by teaching myself how to do a little mosaic as well. I already have a plan for a stepping stone for the grass outside my sunroom.