Reader's Projects

Annette Dallaire Breton

Sudbury, Ontario

Four years ago, I  learned to make stained glass. I had the chance

to meet people who have been generous with me. I got the bite. 

I always have a piece on my work table. This past winter I wanted to make  a Canadian flag so I drew and created my stepping stone.

Cindi Hennes

West Bend, Wisconsin

In 2007, my fiancé and I remodeled our master bathroom. I completed the panel for the privacy wall for the toilet area. This panel had the same framing as the skylight and the center was inspired by the medallion I created on the wall of the shower. I designed the second panel (6 square feet) as I went along, not knowing exactly how it would turn out. I have been working with glass off and on over the past 25 years.

Kim Clark 

I make lamps and birdfeeders using diamond drill bits.

Annamarie Camporeale 

Westwood, New Jersey

I chose a pattern from the book Garden Mosaics Made Easy by Cliff Kennedy and Jane Pompilio, published by Northern Lights Books. What attracted me was the lovely summer poppies. I modified the original pattern in order to make my first mosaic table, which is placed between two wicker chairs on my patio.

Bill Ahlman 

Arlington Heights, Illinois

Bill is a retired firefighter and paramedic from Arlington Heights, Illinois. Here he is displaying the fire engine panel that he made for Station Four, where he was stationed. Bill is a former carpenter, so he also made the cherry wood frame. 

Kim Clark 

Pinckney, Michigan

Kim sent this image for a contest, but unfortunately, it did not qualify. However, we enjoyed the mosaic, and thought you would, too. Kim was happy to share. 

Andrew Friend 

Pasadena, Texas

My goal was to decorate the large, all white bowl. I knew it would take a large decoration or two… or three. The leaf was a byproduct of my class with Patty Gray and I wanted to test the temperatures required to fuse the leaves to the bowl and slump it at the same time. 

Richard Czubkowski 

Naples, Florida

I took six lessons in 1996 and have been addicted ever since. After I finish large art pieces, the smaller pieces are used for suncatchers or things like this mosaic flower pot. I make glass art for the home, gifts and charitable, not-for-profit organization fund raisers.

Robin Lawson 

Richmond, Virginia

I created this window in memory of my mother-in-law, Rose. My daughter painted the faces, and my husband prepared the window for travel. Once delivered, my in-laws created the frame and made sure it was installed properly. It is installed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Coeburn, VA. 

Carla Stevens 

Camas, Washington

This is one of my favorite pieces. I took the moon from a pattern, and made the rest of the celestial design. I used a bench mold and reinforced it with rebar. I even poured the legs! 

Susana Rutherford 

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

This Canadian Horse is one of my recent pieces. It is made using traditional leaded glass and vitreous glass paints. It is an original design, measuring 24”x24”.

Geri and Gabby Salvo 

Clarence, New York

This four seasons fused glass plate was designed and created by my 10-year-old niece, Gabby Salvo. I wasn’t quite sure at what age to introduce her to the art of glasswork, and intended to start her with a small suncatcher. She really surprised me when she came up with this ambitious design and mastered the skills necessary to complete the project. I am extremely proud of her. She brings joy to the studio and to my life and introduces me to “new” music along the way as we work happily together.

Pamela Steinert

Howell, New Jersey

Finding glass is always a fun step for me, and I strive to get pieces that give the project a different look depending on the light. Cutting glass to resemble the eyes in the plumes was the most challenging part of this project. I purchased a ring saw which made it possible for me to attempt it. My daughter and her husband seemed pleased with the results, and our Peacock Duo now happily greets their company.

Dan Hayward and Walter Tibbetts 

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

We created these two 38”x26” panels for the Children’s Chapel of our church. The pattern began with pictures painted by young children in their Sunday School classes. Mother Robin Szoke and Kathy Copenhaver translated those paintings of individual objects into pencil sketches depicting the general arrangement of the objects they wished to appear in the panels. We then created the pattern, taking care to draw each of the items in the cartoon as closely as possible to the way the children drew them. We incorporated several fused figures and two 3-dimentional butterflies into the work. When the children saw the panels, they could easily see “their” pictures in them. 

Derek Walker 

West Vancouver,  British Columbia

The pattern for this English cottage scene was kindly given to me by Denis, my stained glass instructor at West Van Senior Centre. The two dogs are my own American Eskimo dogs, Emma Loo and Charlie. The cat lives next door, as does the squirrel. The sheep just add atmosphere. The cobblestones and large tree were quite time consuming, so it took five months to complete. Now I want to attempt a traditional thatched cottage with stone walls, rolling hills and many more sheep.

Brian MacLaren

Goleta, California

Glass has been my hobby for over 27 years. I began this lamp over three years ago and recently finished it. The pattern is the 18”Oriental Poppy from Odyssey. It has over 765 pieces of glass. I encourage anyone who is thinking about making a lamp to take the leap. The commitment will pay off if you are patient.

Laura Dawson 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Every year, I create a fused glass project as a raffle prize for my husband Jeff’s skydiving club Christmas party. This year, I created a panel (11"x14") that is free-standing on a metal base so it can be displayed in a window. This panel has over 100 pieces of glass, not counting about a half-pound of frit and confetti. The background scene was constructed first and full fused. The skydiver silhouette was fused separately, then tack fused to the background in a separate firing to give the piece dimension. Overall, approximately 60 hours of hand building and firing time went into the skydiver panel. I have been working with stained glass since 1988 and fused glass since 2000.

Amy Koon 

Clarence, Pennsylvania

These panels took me three winters to complete. There are 867 to 1100 pieces in each panel. I started with a pattern from a book and made a lot of changes to suit me, so they are very different from the original.

Everett Callison

My journey in stained glass began in 1991 when I visited “Solomon’s Castle” in Florida which contained stained glass windows. the tour guide said,”Mr. Solomon can teach yuou everything you need to know about stianed glass in two hours (not quite true). I spent two hours with Mr. Solomon and made a 6x8 inch panel. That winter, a course was completed in stained glass at the local stained glass studio

My enjoyment in stained glass is to see how the natural light reelcts through the glass The stained glass at Hillside Church of God in Springfield Ohio are some of the larger pieces in my journey in stained glass. 

Bev Holden  

Truesdale, Missouri

Bev has been doing stained glass for 20 years. This panel is 36”x36” and took Bev about five weeks to complete.

Sybil MacMillan 

Fall River, Nova Scotia

My husband and I designed this fireplace screen for our friends’ new home. I incorporated both fused and stained glass. My friends really like it and enjoy it every day.

Jim, George and Wendy Rinke 

New Lenox, Illinois

We began this project as a gift for Wendy’s father, a lifelong railroad buff and employee. Familiar with the prints of the great railroad illustrator, Howard Fogg, his work was a natural place to look for inspiration. We chose a painting we thought would adapt well to a stained glass window, titled “Ore Train to Geneva.” The project is made from various types of glass in copper foil, with hand painted lettering on the engine. 

Emily Baumea 

Apache Junction, Arizona

Emily works at a stained glass store in Apache Junction, Arizona. She has been there for about six years. She enjoys fusing and experimenting with different patterns. Here is what she did with the pattern from SGN #36.

Mark Boning 

Littleton, Colorado

This 1968 Camaro was made using an original pattern that I designed. I filled in the landscape without a pattern. This panel measures 10”x24”. This is my second panel as I have only been doing stained glass for about three months.

Darlene McGuffie 

Commerce Township, Michigan

I had a custom pattern made (Paned Expressions) from a photograph of a soap dispenser that I love. The pattern was pricey, but, in my opinion, if you’re going to build it… you have to love it! It has over 500 pieces, and took me about one month to complete. It is my favorite project so far!

Mary Martin

Tannersville, Virginia

I have been doing stained glass for about two years. My husband and I wanted to put a window in the new addition to our church, so I took a class. These windows are my first project and are my own design. I am very proud of them.

Bill Kidder 

Xenia, Ohio

I am not sure of the designer of this pattern, but I found some colorful glass that seemed to work for the puffins. I really enjoy working in glass and have been able to make some very nice gifts for my friends and family. 

Vicky Wilson 

Springfield, Ohio

I love to design my lamps using 3-dimensional beads, shells, etc. The blue and beige lamp was created incorporating shells, nuggets and pieces of a shell bracelet. I applied decorative soldering around the edges of each shell, etc. I have worked with stained glass for many years, and it lets me be very creative.

Karen Bredschneider 

Monroe, Michigan

This window is about 18" wide by 16" tall. The two white wolves were done with Glassline paints. I painted the wolves on clear fusible glass and fired them over a layer of white. After firing, I cut them out with my ring saw, leaving 1⁄8" of edge to wrap foil around without encroaching on the painted area. The background glass is black streamers and frit on clear, and was cut to mimic a winter forest. The lead work is an integral part of the design. The window is mounted in my son’s “castle” against a blue wall. I am pleased with the way it turned out. 

Jeff Eastman 

Cambridgeshire, England

I was shocked and very flattered to see my Japanese lamp in issue 88 of SGN. Thank you very much! 

Here is my most recent project. The hollow tree trunk came from my yard in Washington State. The glass was purchased in England and the scene is Oriental in design. The most difficult part of construction was not the glass crafting, but having the base of the lamp frame match the contour of the log. drilling holes for the electrical wire at convergent angles through the side of the log from both the top and bottom was also a challenge. Fortunately, the drill holes met on the first try without poking through either the outside or the inside of the log.

Oliver Peck 

Springfield, Vermont

I made this 12½”x21½” panel to replace the glass in a camper door. The pattern is from More Window Shopping by Jackie Nichols. I redesigned the ducks to look more like wood ducks and added more background.

Mardi Gauer 

Akron, Ohio

I have been doing stained glass for about eight years. Having a background in sculpture and carpentry, I have always enjoyed the challenge of working with glass in 3-D.

These water fountains average 28" tall and took me all winter to construct. The pieces are a progression of complexity and shape. The most simple piece is the ivy, which is four sided. The cattail has five sides, the red flower has six sides, and the grape vine has seven sides. For nighttime enjoyment, each piece has an interior light. The pieces are removed in the winter when the water feature can’t be used. I love sitting on the patio, listening to the water fall and enjoying the view of the sculptures. 

Tony Withey 

Southampton, England

Merlin is from a pattern (Dreamworld by SGN Publishing). I thought it would look nice in our apple tree. When the sun sets, his eyes are bright green and follow you around the garden.

Cheryl Callighan 

DeKalb, Illinois

I use natural rocks to create mosaic garden stones. Some rocks have uneven sections that would be difficult to mosaic, so I fill that area with smooth decorative stones to create a very natural look. Using two or more different colors of grout has become a trademark for me.

Brad McIntyre 

Genoa, Illinois

This panel is of Hill’s Tap (a local tavern) and surrounding businesses, and the style of motorcycle that I have. It is 6’x2’ and has 580 pieces of glass. I work with lead came, and sometimes sandblast and airbrush details onto the glass. (Don’t worry, my grandson Zachery, did not help with the window!)  

Russ Gann 

Guilford, Connecticut

This is the first copper foil project that I tackled after completing a beginners class. I made the pattern from a photograph of a rack of balls on this table. 

Danielle Magne

France

Danielle is an avid SGN reader and hobbyist residing in France. She does not speak English, but wanted to share this photo. She said it is from a painting by Chardin. 

Charlie Firth 

Vero Beach, Florida

Lamps are my speciality, but I think this panel came out beautifully. It is done with copper foil with braided wire reinforcing. There are lots of long, narrow pieces in the wings and tails. I worked from the frame into the flowers, tack soldering as I proceeded. It took 2½ rolls of solder and 1½ rolls of copper foil.  

Krista Olins 

Thornhill, Ontario

Here are three pictures of fused glass quilts that I made to mark a special birthday for each of my children. Each member of my family (17 years to over 80 years old) created one tile which I assembled on a large piece of glass. I added the black strips for dividers. Each quilt was fused; some were full-fused, some tack-fused, and some are in between. The fused quilt was then slumped over a stainless steel form. These are wonderful family keepsakes.

Logan Weast

Stanley, Kansas

Logan’s mom says, “He did some simple projects for school friends and teachers and assignments while in grade school and middle school. When in 8th grade, he became interested in designing and constructing 3-dimensional projects. He designed and constructed the castle (last year) at age 14.” 

Carl Garraffo

Garden City, New York

The lamp is a 10” Pony Wisteria from the Odyssey collection. It has 870 pieces of glass and took approximately 200 hours to complete.

Edward Nahabet

Manhattan Beach, California

Eight months of work and finally “The Last Supper” was accomplished. I take pride in this work, especially since I had no pattern and I had to make one from two different paintings, Leonardo’s and Zabateri’s. The finished set is composed of over a thousand pieces, from the tiny bread loaf and the fish to the tile on the floor.