Glass That Makes Life Beautiful

Only original designs

All our designs are unique, inspired by nature, travel, music, literature, and everyday experiences. If you think you see abstract flowers, an aerial view of a river, or the colors of another culture, you might be right. Client interests also prompt custom designs. Glass design is both challenging and rewarding, and each of us has our own preferred style.

Experience counts

For more than fifty years we have been working with glass: Jay started as a hobbyist and after he created a leaded glass window for our first house, acquaintances asked him to make windows. When Mary Ann joined him in the studio, she taught herself the copper foil method. We learned from national stained glass professionals and eventually added glass fusing to our skills.

Techniques and materials

For stained glass projects we prefer mouth-blown glass and/or hand-poured opalescent glass, usually choosing artisan-made glasses from Germany, Oregon, and southwestern Pennsylvania. For stained glass installations we use lead came and industry-standard weather-proofing. In mirrors, lamps, and other three-dimensional pieces we use copper foil and solder beading to make the piece strong but relatively light in weight. To create fused glass we assemble cut and ground glass, heat it to about 1450o F in a kiln, and carefully cool it. The glass melts and, over about 20 hours of cooling, fuses together into a colorful flat piece. We can add more ground glass and repeat firings until we’re satisfied with the design. Then we set the glass over a mold in the kiln and fire to about 1250o F to soften the glass enough that it slumps into the mold. After cooling, the shaped piece is ready to be cleaned, signed, and numbered.