Dedicated to Mom

Since today would have been my Mother’s 82nd birthday, and because she is my inspiration for learning stained glass, this post is dedicated to her.  Pictured is the piece that started it all, a pretty grapes-and-leaves panel that my Mother started and I repaired. She had given it to me many years before her passing but it had broken into two halves before she had a chance to install it. After her passing, I wanted to repair it and enjoy it, so I signed up for a basic stained glass class to learn how.

The teacher told me that the repair would be too difficult to attempt in that class and that I should put it aside and try again in her advanced class the next semester.  Not to be so easily swayed, I worked hard, learned every skill as taught, and pushed to do more advanced techniques.

Toward the end of the course, I jumped in on my own … I removed and replaced my Mom’s old copper foil, sanded off the old solder, jig-sawed the two halves together, soldered them, and then refreshed the black patina.   It was a bit tricky due to the age of the piece, and the uneven borders, but the results were so worth it. I added channel to reinforce the borders as well as a wood frame. It is now proudly displayed in our front window, a warm reminder of my Mom ... naturally creative and always inspiring.

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website