Whattaya Think?
UNPUBLISHED RESPONSES
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WHATTAYA THINK • SGN #67
UNPUBLISHED RESPONSES • page 8
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I need to preface my response by saying I did stained glass in the 1970's so I do consider myself somewhat experienced since I did sell a few pieces. However, I had to give it up because I was single and raising one child on my single salary (my real job) AND I adopted a little girl from Korea (also as a single parent) so I needed every cent to pay the adoption fees and airfares to get her here.
My dream was to take the hobby back up when the kids were out of college. I'm proud to say both have college degrees, and that little Korean girl is now 28 and is obtaining her Master's Degree in child psychology to give back what was given to her.
When I was just ready to return to my hobby in the early 90's, I married and had to relocate and seek new employment. I had just located a refresher course in stained glass in my new hometown when I was struck down by a serious auto accident. Then came rehabilitation and my husband was transferred numerous times. With that said...
AT LAST in 2004, I was able to find a class to refresh my skills. I hauled out all my old equipment and immediately fell in love with stained glass all over again.
Now for my piece of advice (and I bet you thought I'd never get there): CONSIDER AND ENJOY all the wonderful colors, textures, and designs in the glass. Never pass up considering a blend of colors because it's not traditional or to your immediate liking. Even more important, never pass up a color until you put it on the light box and then when you pick out colors to go together, put all of them together on the light box. My situation was picking out a color for a lampshade. My wonderful person at the stained glass store suggested one and I immediately responded, "Oh no, that's not my color. Actually, it's ugly." Ashamedly, I kept going through samples and finally decided to put the piece suggested to me on the light box and I fell in love with it. It was SO DIFFERENT on the light box than it was just leaning up against a wall. The other colors I needed immediately fell into place too, and the light box assured me that all the colors blended together well.
Along the same line, if you can afford to do so, buy any piece of glass that you see and that makes you smile when you look at it. You might not be able to find it again by the time you go back. Then you're only problem will be finding a way to store it.
LAST SUGGESTION (if I can have three): with Christmas coming, put out the hints or say it outright: give me a gift certificate to__________ (insert name of your local stained glass supplier). You'll be able to purchase what you enjoy most... stained glass and supplies.
– Karen Dreyer