How long have you been doing stained glass?
I have been doing stained glass for just over forty years.
How did you get involved in doing stained glass?
I have always enjoyed making things with my hands and was fascinated by the
effect of natural light on glass.
What inspired the name of your business?
My cat Marley spent much of his life on my workbench supervising activities.
Do you stain the glass to get the colours?
No, I buy sheets of coloured and textured glass that is manufactured in glass
factories using huge furnaces and hot rollers.
How do you cut the glass?
I use a hand held cutter with a diamond wheel to score a line and special
breaking pliers to make sure it breaks along that score line. I also use a water saw
to do the difficult cuts that would otherwise likely break in the wrong place.
Do you offer shipping service?
Yes, I get a small business rate with Canada Post which makes shipping more
affordable.
Is custom work expensive?
I price commissioned work on a per square foot basis. Patterns with mostly
straight lines are at the lowest rate and as pattern complexity rises so does the
cost per square foot. It is mostly about the labor with some extra cost if the waste
factor is above average due to the design.
Do you teach stained glass?
No, I prefer not to do that as my shop is not really laid out to facilitate that
activity in a safe and efficient manner. I do however offer help and advice to
anyone interested in getting started in that craft including where to find
affordable supplies.
Do you buy Canadian and support local?
Absolutely, 95% of my raw material is sourced in Canada and I buy in my own
region and community when possible.
