Come and learn the basics of stained glass design and crafting at this five hour workshop which includes all materials and a light lunch of a homemade vegetarian soup.

What will you learn?

Pattern design (or choose from one of our patterns like those shown so you can just concentrate on making)

• Selecting the perfect glass for your piece

• Glass cutting

• Glass polishing

• Edging the cut pieces in copper foil

• Painting the copper foil with 'Flux' to allow solder to adhere

• Soldering

• Attaching a hanging wire if desired

What if I don't consider myself crafty?

Surprisingly we have lots of people come to our classes who say this about themselves! Because we work from a simple pattern which we cut out and then use as the template for cutting the glass its actually not 'as' crafty as some art based workshops where there is more freedom than glass allows.

We make a template, we cut out the pieces in paper, you then overlay them on glass, cut them, and 'stick' them together with the foil and solder. So effectively what limits the complexity of the piece you can make in the time is how quickly and easily you pick up the skill of cutting glass, and that's what I'm there for!

What types of glass will we use?

For this beginners workshop we use 3mm glass that is easy to cut. that means its generally flatter and more transparent than the glass you could use as your cutting skills improve which has more lumps and bumps, more different mottled colours and other things that lead to more breakage, frustration and complexity. If you fall in love with stained glass and want to come to one of my more advanced workshops we will work with those types of glass. The pictures show a variety of glasses, most of which will be available on the day of your workshop - but occasionally there are supply issues which mean i cannot completely guarantee there will be every exact colour shown in the pictures.

What do you need to wear?

Wear something layered in case you get too hot or too cold with the cutting and soldering, and clothes that you wouldn't be heartbroken if they got a little nick in them from cutting or some chemicals or oil on from cutting or fluxing. Please also bring an apron if you have one (I have a few spare in case people forget) and wear flat covered toe shoes.

I provide safety glasses for when we are glass cutting and face masks which everyone will be asked to wear as soon as there is any soldering. The studio is well ventilated.

I will also provide latex gloves and silicone thimbles to prevent most small glass cuts that can happen.

NB: If you have an allergy to latex gloves please bring your own thin latex substitute gloves which you know you are not allergic to.

If I'm worried about picking something too complicated for my abilities what kind of design should I choose?

Generally the straighter a line is the easier it is to cut. So I recommend the 'anxious' beginner chooses something with a lot of straight or only slightly curvy lines to build their confidence, and fewer pieces so you get to see something very lovely but reasonably simple - it's not good for anyone's self esteem if you start off breaking every piece you cut - but everyone finds they get better very quickly! If there's a pattern you like with a lot of complicated pieces we can always simplify the pieces down to something more simple with fewer cuts until you build confidence - they will still look beautiful!

This month's signature design

This month if you're not sure what you would like to make we have a lovely pumpkin which would look delightful in your choice of glass hung a window for halloween - some of our attendees intend to build a seasonal collection of pieces they can change monthly even though they are no longer really beginners!)

What if I don't finish my piece?

This very occasionally has happened in the past and we've addressed it in a couple of ways. if you are skilled enough to complete the project yourself you can just pop back and use the studio for a couple of hours at a time that suits us both or you can continue after the 'formal' finishing time if you are able to which is the benefit of having my own studio space. If you need my help and input to finish something off I charge a token £20 an hour. But to stress this is a very rare occurance!

What if I get the stained glass bug?

I have a couple of people who use the studio for £25 an hour and pay for materials at cost +20% with the use of all the tools, soldering irons, cutters, grozing pliers, grinders etc in a safe well ventilated environment. This allows me to cover the cost of replacing tools and things like diamond grinding heads on the grinding machine as they wear out. This also means that I can store a half-finished project for you safely out of the way of pets or children in an environment where glass or lead might be inappropriate. If you want to use this service please use the contact form. There will also be a set up charge of £20 for a named mdf board with square raised edges along two side to hold your stained glass securely during storage. There is an expectation that you would use the studio at least every two weeks if you wish to work on an ongoing project which ensure I do not end up storing large quantities of unfinished projects for long periods of time.

What if I want to make a bigger piece with your support?

I can assist with designing and making to whatever level you wish. Please contact me for more details.

Can I commission stained glass from you?

Yes, I do commissions up to around 80cm x 60cm. Beyond that there are elements of things like reinforcing rods due to size that I am not experienced enough to do.

Most commonly I am asked to do Sussex landscapes, over door windows for period houses, and pieces for weddings or specific events to be hung framed on the wall with lights behind or in front or instead of a specific window.

Framing it in front of a window enables it to more easily be taken with you if you, for example, move house so many clients choose to do this.

These commissions are priced individually.

I also have a service where someone can come and work with me in the workshop to do a little bit of glass selection, glass cutting and soldering for a piece they have commissioned so they feel they have had a hand in the process without having to do it themselves.

What if I want to gift someone a stained glass experience as a gift?

If you contact me I can provide gift vouchers that cover a one or two-day workshop and these will be available to buy on the site soon.

For one to one experiences please contact me for requirements and pricing.