Glass Haunt. 218 N McLeansboro St, Benton, IL (618) 439-9481

Hippie Chick in Stained Glass

2012-01-05T12:35:00.001-08:00

Couldn't help myself. Had to do Hippie Chick in stained glass just for the heck of it.

Darline's hummer

2012-01-05T12:34:00.001-08:00

Darline made two versions of this window. This second one has been framed since this picture was taken and is now for sale in our studio. It's going to look gorgeous in someone's kitchen window.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

2012-01-05T12:32:00.001-08:00

Someone threw this lamp away in the garbage. One of our eagle eyed customers spotted this beautiful lamp and had it restored by a family member. He did a fantastic job of restoring it too. That's when we came into the picture. It then came to us to have glass inserted to finish it off.

I love this lamp so much that if anyone happens to find another, come see me!

And then there was Jayne

2012-01-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

Jayne is our quirky out of the box thinker. This time she took stained glass and put it inside a box

Judy's crosses

2012-01-05T11:31:00.001-08:00

Judy having previously done a version of praying hands for her friend, decided this Christmas to make it's twin these three crosses on the hill with matching border. As always with Judy's work these days, she just keeps getting better and better.

Angie got busy

2012-01-05T11:27:00.001-08:00

Angie got busy this year making Christmas gifts for family and friends. Here are just a couple of pieces she made out of the many! One is an Airforce Emblem and the other is Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory. He turned out so darn cute!

Natural Nate

2012-01-05T11:09:00.001-08:00

We affectionately refer to him at the Glass Haunt as natural Nate. A pleasure to teach, Nate turned out to be a natural at stained glass. He has such an eye for detail and perfection. No doubt he will go on to produce wonderful pieces. I suspect one day his pieces may be in high demand because Nate won't settle for anything less than perfection!

Angie's horses

2011-10-31T17:17:00.001-07:00

Stained glass is always a very rewarding hobby but even more so when the subject matter has sentimental attachment. Such is the case with Angie's horses. This was her first project with us. It came out beautiful. Darn fine job Angie, congrats!

Prairie Glass

2011-10-31T17:05:00.001-07:00

These pieces were designed for one of our clients for their newly built Amish home. They are going to look fabulous either side of the fireplace.

Crystal Rose

2011-10-31T17:03:00.001-07:00

After doing so many pieces for friends, Crystal finally made a piece for herself, this beautiful yellow rose. I love the effect of the lavender stripes in the background. They really give the piece a lot of depth.

Judy's bevel cluster

2011-10-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

After Judy's son and daughter in law saw a bevelled piece Judy made earlier in the year for her own home, they were envious and wanted a piece for theirs. She made them not just one piece but three! This is the center section.

My personal favorite.

2011-10-19T11:22:00.001-07:00

The first time I visited this client's home I fell in love, head over heels with this 100 year old window. I guess it's the steampunk girl in me. We had the pleasure of restoring these three beveled pieces which when I saw them originally were sagging, gunned up with silicone where someone had at some point tried to repair them and covered with paint from many layers of house painting over the years.

Today they stand as pristine as the day they were originally made with all new lead and will easily last another hundred years.

Think I am going to hang this picture on my wall and dream…..

2011-10-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

We took a customer's store bought lamps and turned them into something much more attractive! As promised from an earlier blog, here is the piece installed.

Simply attractive

2011-10-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

This bevel cluster piece with rose jeweled center fits into a pocket door of a newly built home and matches three dormer windows we recently completed for that home. The photo was taken at night with artificial light behind so naturally it doesn't showcase it in the best light. In real life this piece is even more attractive.

Sometimes they are really worth it.

2011-10-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

On a weekly basis at the Glass Haunt we see pieces people have purchased at an auction or garage sale boasted as "old stained glass" which are obviously broken or need re-leading. They got it at what they consider a bargain price and then expect that we can expend hours of labor at a bargain price to fix it. The truth of the matter is, mostly that type of glass is useless and should end up in the garbage bin. It's hard to explain to people that the glass itself is not really worth all that much for two reasons, a) Because it's not expensive in the first place running at about $7.99 a square foot and b) Because much of the glass available 100 years ago is still produced in the same colors by the same manufacturers today. It is simply a case of understanding and knowing your glass thereby knowing which manufacturer to order it from.

The cost involved in a stained glass piece comes not from the glass but rather from the massive amount of tedious and precise labor involved in building each piece. So when you bring us a "bargain" piece to restore the cost is actually doubled because we have to charge you a) the time involved in tearing it down before we can begin a rebuild and b) more time involved getting a match on the broken pieces.

Honestly we could have built you a new one in your own design and colors cheaper than we can repair a "bargain" piece you picked up at auction.

That said, if you really know what you are looking at and for, there are pieces from 100 years ago which should be and deserve to be preserved. This one we did recently is one of those such pieces. Notice all the bevels in this one? Each one of those bevels was hand cut and polished without use of any machine or modern electrical tools available today. The workmanship involved in building this piece originally was beyond phenomenal. Although challenging, it was an absolute honor to restore this particular piece.

Alphonse Mucha in Stained Glass

2011-10-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

I love to do ladies in Stained Glass, usually my own designs of course. Alphonse Mucha however, who obviously loved the female form as much as I do just begs to be done in stained glass. His use of colors and Art Nouveau lines should be immortalized in stained glass. So this piece was an homage to his wonderful work.

Cathy's for her son

2011-10-19T09:36:00.001-07:00

Cathy made this great piece for her son whom I am sure will cherish it for years to come. Congrats on a wonderful job Cathy.

Christy's Latest Pieces

2011-10-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

Christy very kindly sent me these pictures of her work the other day. Nice job Christy! And good luck with the airplane. I think it will look fabulous when it's done.

Variations on a theme

2011-10-05T13:07:00.001-07:00

Earlier we had blogged about three dormer windows. This pocket door insert is part of the same collection in the same home. We used a different bevel cluster and added the beautiful jeweled rose in the center. I love these colors! Wait until you see the backsplash. Yep, I said backsplash. We have designed an artful abstract backsplash for behind the stove in this kitchen that will knock your socks off. So check back in a couple of weeks and see how it turned out. In the meantime contact us about designing a theme for your home.

Wish we had better pictures...

2011-10-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when clients come to collect their pieces the sun is doing down which is not good light for a photograph even though to the naked eye they look stunning in that kind of light. One day maybe someone will invent a camera which embraces looking into the light….until then we have to use a little of our imagination. These were actually both custom orders for the same home. Since we have made other pieces also for that home and restored some others, eventually when the project is finished we will go over there and take pictures on site with the clients consent. I promise to pick a good time of day though!

Lynda's Dragonfly

2011-10-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

This was a Spectrum free pattern that Lynda modified a little to make it her own. Her first piece with us at the Glass Haunt she did a top notch job. Congrats Lynda!

Crystal and her Patriotic Heart

2011-10-05T12:47:00.001-07:00

Crystal's heart is bigger than this patriotic one she made but this one is super pretty.

Judy's Praying Hands

2011-10-05T12:44:00.001-07:00

Judy made this piece for a very special friend of hers. It's a smaller copy of a much larger piece we produced for a local church. The colors in this one are fabulous.

Darline did it!

2011-10-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

Yep, yep, yep…..Took a lot of hard work and dedication but Darline did it! She made this fabulous 54" mosaic table top for her garden featuring koi fish, lily pads and perfect pond glass. It was super stunning when finished. Congrats Darline on a job very well done! Thanks for sharing the pictures too!

Remember this?

2011-10-05T10:49:00.001-07:00

The picture on the left is one we posted awhile back. Lots of little panels. Just look what they grew up to be! Got any ideas for the lamps in your home?

Stay tuned to this blog

2011-10-05T10:30:00.001-07:00

Many of the other Glass Souls have also made items featured at the show including primitive art birdhouses, picture frames, ravens, peace signs etc. As soon as they make pictures available to us we will post them here. So stay tuned, add this blog to your RSS feed and start shopping with local artists now for Christmas.

Hummingbirds

2011-10-05T10:26:00.001-07:00

Along with her boxes, candle holders and business card holders Candy made some great hummingbirds. These will also be featured at the show Oct 8th, Washington Park in Metropolis. So hurry and get them fast before they are all gone!

Candy's Candy

2011-10-05T10:08:00.001-07:00

Candy has lots of goodies for the show, Oct 8th at Washington Park in Metropolis, including many of the items shown below:

Photos taken and edited by Candy Cross

Glass Souls First Show!

2011-10-05T09:59:00.001-07:00

This week the Glass Souls are embarking on their first ever show! Congrats to everyone for making it this far…it is indeed a great accomplishment and each and every one of you should be proud of your determination and work. They have made some gorgeous pieces. Over the new few blog posts we are going to show you what great things you can buy at the show. So visit the Glass Souls in person, this Saturday, Oct 8th at Washington Park in Metropolis.

Fabulous in red

2011-08-31T07:21:00.001-07:00

Next we are doing the door. Follow this blog to see the results….coming to a screen near you soon!!!

It's a sign!

2011-08-31T07:09:00.001-07:00

Debbie's daughter Michelle is opening a new store soon featuring all things Primitive so Debbie built her this wonderful stained glass sign for her store. I think we can tell Michelle is rather pleased with how fabulous it is.

Jayne's vines

2011-08-31T07:05:00.001-07:00

Jayne used an existing door frame to build this delightful bevel inspired panel featuring a winding vine with flowers. Most interesting is how the colors have been reversed and the flowers become the negative space. Job well done Miss Jayne!

I couldn't resist

2011-08-31T06:57:00.001-07:00

And neither could the butterfly. My not so little homeschooler is a charmer apparently not just able to charm the girls but butterflies too.

One of these days

2011-08-31T06:35:00.001-07:00

One of these days if time ever allows I need to grab camera in hand and visit all the pieces we have made in situ. Usually we are grabbing a quick picture of it before it leaves the studio just as a record, but really most of these pictures don't do the pieces justice. In real life the colors in this one are amazing, but alas the camera can never capture stained glass the way our eye does. There are actually three parts to this design the third belong a replica of the first only facing the opposite way.

Amazing back door

2011-08-31T06:23:00.001-07:00

I am in love with this back door which we recently made for a client. It was the perfect design, in the perfect location with the perfect colors. I seriously have to make one of these for my own home.

Candy's Skylights

2011-08-31T06:19:00.001-07:00

When Candy first approached us about classes she wanted to build skylights for her home. Two for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. Back then she had thought about maybe doing something along the lines of Frank Lloyd Wright. Finally she has built them and bess they aren't even a little Frank Lloyd Wrightish LOL. Turns out with experience her knowledge of glass has grown and now she can really express herself rather than travel down a more familiar path.

Making it beautiful Glass Haunt style

2011-08-31T06:07:00.001-07:00

The design consideration for this custom order was to make three dormer windows come together as a unified design. It's hard to imagine the full picture when these are laid out on the bench with white pattern paper underneath. Follow this blog to see later how they turned out in the light.

Judy's Hummingbirds

2011-08-31T06:01:00.001-07:00

And what a lovely pair they make! Originally this pattern was a circle design but we changed it to a hexagon because not only does it look prettier and certainly more unique, quite frnly its quicker to cut out since the sides can now be stopped using a strip cutter. Huge time saver when your in a hurry to make gifts.

Gifts for the fisherman in your life.

2011-08-22T14:10:00.001-07:00

Now the fisherman in your life can really keep score with these great glass fish. We have three fishermen in our house. Each chose a different fish as their scorecard. Crappie for one, Catfish for the other and Bass for the third. We have these hung by the backdoor and as each fisherman returns they mark notches with a silver sharpie. Once the season is over we shall have a clear winner! And the best part about these fun but elegant scorecards is that they are reusable. Simply remove the silver sharpie notches with any glass cleaner.

Call us and request the fish scorecard of your choice today for the fisherman in your life.

Gifts which last a lifetime

2011-08-20T20:39:00.001-07:00

Nothing says your special as much as stained glass does. It's the gift which becomes an heirloom and lasts a lifetime. Debbie was commissioned to make these two boxes as gifts and they were wonderful.

And would you look at what Darline is doing these days!

2011-08-20T20:24:00.001-07:00

This will be a mosaic table when it grows up. Just 300 more pieces to go Darline!!!

Stained Glass Roadhouse Girl

2011-08-20T20:07:00.001-07:00

After several months of working on my newest lady, I can proudly claim that my work on her is done. She took a lot more time than I initially allotted, due to lengthy hospital stays, and days of not feeling well. But, I finally finished her.

I would like to give the credit to Ruth Green,proprietor of the Glass Haunt, for all of her patience dealing with me, and the instructions she has given . I would also thank her for allowing me to use the pattern that she created.

This has been an incredible life lesson for me. Just a warning to Ruth and Debbie, I cannot wait to start my new project...LOL

Thank you so very much,

-Jim

Dana knows which way is up.

2011-08-20T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is Dana's first project with us. She made a beautiful compass rose. Dana makes particulary good color selections which is actually a lot harder to do in stained glass than one might image. Excellant job Dana!

She did it again...

2011-08-20T19:38:00.001-07:00

Yep, our Crystal did it again. She made yet another eagle flag for her friend. If only her friend knew how much work went into this! Nice job Crystal.

Sidelights but not for cars

2011-08-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

Oh we do love the challenge of a rush job. So little time and so many things which can go wrong in stained glass, especially when one is rushing. We rushed two of these panels together in under six hours.! Murphy's Law rather states that anytime something can go wrong it will and always when there is no time to fix it.

These sidelights (only one is pictured since both were identical and someone has to hold the camera)

were originally intended to be just the background and the center bevels with no border, but yes you guessed it, disaster struck. The glass we had on hand was two inches shy of completing the project and stained glass isn't just something you can run to Walmart and get. Hobby Lobby carry glass but of course not of the quality we would ever use on a custom order and put our name to. So we made the quick executive decision to incorporate a border with a complimentary color and voila! We ended up with a bunch more work but worth it in the end to both please the client and maintain our standards.

They turned out pretty darn good for a rush job!

-GH

Ooh...Moretti glass rods galore!

2011-08-18T10:09:00.001-07:00

It's always an exciting day when a new glass shipment comes in! Like a kid in a candy store we were tearing open boxes, gently of course, to see what new eye candy we would find. I was pulling out glass cutters, layout block systems and more when my eye spied a box labeled "rods". Because I had seen the previous items before, the rod box drew me over. Ever so gently I slit the tape and pulled open the flaps. Before me were dozens, no, hundreds of colors of the rainbow of Moretti glass rods nestled in a box that I couldn't move by myself. Like a hidden treasure I removed one stack, then another, each color more beautiful and vibrant than the last. What is a person to do?! Well, like a good girl I went back to work sorting, labeling and stocking all the items that any stained glass artist or hobbyist would need. Now, I wonder what goodies we'll get next time at the Glass Haunt?????. Tune in to find out!

Glass souls meeting

2011-08-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

There will be a Glass Souls meeting at the Glass Haunt last Saturday in August. Up for discussion will be whether to do some shows in Sept or not i.e whose interested, who has stuff to sell, what and where etc.

Also at the meeting, for Glass Souls only we are having a glass swap. Bring any off cuts or sheets of glass you have extra and trade it with another Glass Soul for their glass. NOTE: This is a glass swap only. No trading for cash since you are on the business property and we would have to get into taxes and insurance etc. Just glass for glass. This piece for that piece or these two pieces for that larger piece etc. Have fun making your trades and what a great way to build a better color collection! P.S. Bring glass caddy's if you have them because I am sure we will run out.

Last but not least on that Saturday, for Glass Souls only we are having a Halloween glass sale. Blacks oranges and yellows are an extra 10% off over and above your regular discount. Plus, if you buy other supplies at the same time such as solder or foil etc, we will apply the extra discount to those too!

So mark it on your calendar, August 27th, 2pm. Glass Souls Meeting, plus glass swap day, plus halloween colors sale day. This is exclusive to Glass Souls only.

Oh and if you have any Halloween patterns to share with your Glass Soul friends, print a few extra copies out and share amongst one another:) I have a good pumpkin one you can all have and a good witch one.

Hope to see you all there!

Judy works hard and plays hard...

2011-07-14T09:40:00.001-07:00

Judy has recently completed a few pieces at the Glass Haunt. A true Glass Soul at heart, stained glass is in her blood now. She made the clear beveled piece for her kitchen window. And inbetween breaks from doing stained glass the adventuresome Miss Judy learned how to drive a boat. No worries though...no fish were harmed during this adventure although it wasn't for the lack of trying:)

How it looked when it was finished

2011-06-24T19:12:00.001-07:00

Lot of people been asking us about this piece. So finally it's here folks, this is how it looked when it was finished!

B..b....b....bevels!!!!

2011-06-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

Anytime bevels are used in stained glass it raises a piece to a whole new level. These gorgeous sidelights featuring 3 sets of bevel clusters each plus a host of jewels are currently under construction. They won't be on our benches much longer so stop by soon if you want to see them in progress!

Terrilyn's Horse

2011-06-24T18:43:00.001-07:00

An avid equestrian Terry wanted to share that passion in her art by producing this stained glass horse for personal use. A very proud piece to hang in her home. Congrats Terry!

Stained Glass Boxes for Him

2011-06-24T18:35:00.001-07:00

There are many stained glass boxes on the market for her but very few for him. Fortunately for us Candy really enjoys making boxes with a more masculine flavor. Of course the spider one is my favorite.

Lots of Peace at the Glass Haunt

2011-06-24T18:19:00.001-07:00

Judy took a little break from the bigger stuff to make these smaller and very deliciously colorful peace signs.

Our little jewel in the Haunt

2011-06-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

Finally Crystal made a piece for herself! Crystal saw this design somewhere on the net, possibly an old Spectrum free design pattern of the month except she used nicer colors than in the original design. Darn fine nice job Crystal!

Deer to her Heart

2011-06-24T17:55:00.001-07:00

Sandy did a wonderful job on this deer she made for her husband. Congrats Sandy!

Primitive shutter angel

2011-06-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

Debbie went to visit with relatives over the Memorial Day weekend so before left she left she got super busy making a tons of things to take with her including this primitive shutter angel. Seems to me there is likely some folklore behind these primitive angels of which I am unaware. Maybe someone could enlighten me!

Glass Soul gift items

2011-05-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

New in this week are some pieces by Glass Soul members Ken Carlson and Cheryl Wright. Look for them soon in our online store.

Currently under construction...

2011-05-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

This piece has been a long time in the making but we are getting very close to the finish line finally!

It's a large semi circle window which eventually will be situated in an attic room. It's going to be gorgeously fabulous. Soldering commences tomorrow and I cannot wait to see this one in the light.

Crystal's stained glass eagle flag

2011-05-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, Crystal did it again....produced another wonderful piece. She wanted to do a patriotic piece to donate to her place of work so she scoured the net and came across a painting of this eagle flag.

She used our computers and programs to develop the pattern herself from the painting. It's not an easy pattern to produce. Navigating the break lines around the stars was particularly challenging so she used high crown jewels which will sparkle in the sunlight.

Obviously since this pattern was done from another artist's work (the site where she saw the painting never gave credit to the original artist hence currently name unknown) this design will never be for sale. It was made for personal use only. But she did a fabulous job of recreating it in stained glass.

I hope the recipients of the donation hand the hat around and chip in on the cost of the glass for her, with all those jewels this was an expensive piece to produce!
Congrats Crystal on a job very well done!

Cozette's Stained Glass Iris

2011-05-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Cozette's iris turned out beautiful! Very nice workmanship too! So nice in fact, Cozette received an invite to the Glass Souls.

Congrats Cozette!

This bird was a particularly special piece for Cozette too. She had painted this bird on glass 29 years ago in 1982 and it is a beautiful portrayal. But alas it has sat around gathering dust and sentimental value as the years have passed.

Now that Cozette is quite an accomplished stained glass artist she was brave enough to frame it in glass, even putting a brass border around the edge which really finished the piece off nice.

For Cozette it was the final coming together of something she was rightfully proud of years ago to something she is rightfully even more proud of today.

I am kind of hoping she will paint me one now LOL. I think Cozette could have quite a little cozy niche in the stained glass marketplace were she to further explore the idea of painting and framing. You go girl!

Judy's Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Sign

2011-05-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Judy spent many a happy time in PA during her younger years and has fond memories of the many and varied PA Dutch Hex signs decorating barns and buildings in the area. This piece was inspired by such memories and will hang proudly in her kitchen.

Primitive Beehive in stained glass

2011-05-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Debbie's fabulous primitive beehive. A very clever piece with bees flying around and another bee shadowed in the back of the hive. Superbly clever use of chicken wire to simulate the honey comb behind the hive.

I love this piece!

Kitty Pretties in stained glass.

2011-04-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Life so often is stranger than fiction and such is the case with this client. She first noticed us on My Space and chased us around Facebook for awhile LOL. Turns out we are actually fairly close to one another so finally she stopped by and introduced herself. Since then we have become firm friends as ever so patiently she has waited for us to finish her pieces.

She loves the Wizard of Oz and her cats but not necessarily in that order:) Obviously the Wizard of Oz is copyrighted so we cannot directly copy nor would we want to. Instead we chose to do an homage to the tale told by Baum. We affectionately referred to our version as Oz on Acid. We twisted the rainbow with the green becoming the tornado and the bluebirds carrying the pink ribbon and the shoes. The yellow was rather obvious what to do with that and to represent the emerald city we used emerald green faceted jewels dripping from the sky. It really was rather cool when finished.

The other two pieces are representational of her little (lazy) darlings hanging around on the window sill with a spider creeping up upon them and later trotting up the quilted squares (made to match the quilt in that room) to bed.

Funny how when pieces finally leave the studio I miss them:( But on the brightside I still have a friend for life!

Coming soon to a screen near you....

2011-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of a series of five transom windows we made. The client has graciously invited us to her home to take pictures now that it is installed. So be sure and add this blog to your RSS feed and don't miss the unveiling.

Stained Glass Duck Box

2011-04-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Look what Candy made! Candy has been experimenting with decorative soldering and showcases it beautifully on this stained glass duck box.

Judy's Mosaic Table

2011-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Judy also attended our quickie mosaic class and produced this very pretty purple and gray table with the glass nugget edging. She later painted the rest of the table plum and it came up just gorgeous.

Mosaic Madness

2011-04-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Recently we held a quickie one day Mosaic class. We all had so much fun. It was rather akin to Stained Glass Pre School where we could break all the rules of doing normal stained glass. Really did make us all feel like kids again!

Crystal's table came out looking very juicy!

Stained Glass RV Door Window

2011-04-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Jeri used a beautiful bevel cluster and special gold dichroic glass. Perfectly stunning! That will surely get some attention going down the road.

More Magnolias

2011-04-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air. Delighted with her first magnolia Debbie decided to recreate it in another color.

Three Dimensional Peace Sign in stained glass

2011-04-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Great three dimensional stained glass peace sign by Jim of Benton, IL. It's peace all round as it spins in the wind.

Stained glass magnolia

2011-04-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

Debbie produced the perfect magnolia in stained glass. Beautiful workmanship!

Stained glass comet

2011-04-18T18:03:00.001-07:00

Jim of Benton, Illinois made this comet from scraps garnered from squaring up glass for other projects. One man's trash is another's treasure! And incase we forgot, congrats on joining the Glass Souls Jim!

Donnia

2011-04-18T17:59:00.001-07:00

Donnia produced her church's logo in stained glass using jewels in the horseshoe for a fantastic effect. Congrats Donnia.

Beveled bathroom

2011-04-07T05:09:00.001-07:00

The sun wasn't particularly cooperative the day we took this photo but in real sunlight this piece was stunning and now resides in a bathroom in a private residence in Marion, Il.

Terminex not required

2011-04-04T15:16:00.001-07:00

Although we love Terminex as our go to guys for all things creepy crawly at the Haunt, we will give this spider a pass.

I think this pattern was originally one of Spectrum's free patterns of the month but I hate to do anything that small. So I modified it, hmm well a lot actually and now he is going in my door in the watchtower room at the Glass Haunt.

Jim M. of IL

2011-04-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Jim liked her so much he built one for his closet too! LOL well maybe not his closet but somewhere special.

Congrats Jim, she is gorgeous!

Lady Ramsay

2011-04-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I saw a picture similar to this and am kicking myself that I never saved the image. There was just something so deliciously seductive about her that she begged to be done in glass.

This one belongs in my private collection and is destined for my dressing room. If I can't ever look like her, at least my closet can!

Beveled Transom

2011-03-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Original Pattern Design

Work in progress

Finished Piece.

Eventually this will have four other pieces, two either side to complete the set.

Darlene of IL

2011-03-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is Darline's latest creation from a pattern of her own design.

Who say's your not creative g/f!

Debbie of IL

2011-03-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

Debbie has dreamed a long time of doing stained glass. She has stained glass in her heart and soul. Finally she came to us to learn how. This is her first piece which she designed herself.

Debbie has since gone on to become a Glass Soul and enjoys doing all things country and primitive. She say's eventually she might change her focus but for now that is what she is going to enjoy doing while she further explores the world of stained glass.

She is our third Debbie at this location but the only one to go on to Glass Soul status. Congrats Debbie!

Crystal of IL

2011-03-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Crystal has been busy again. This time reproducing swans for a friend who lost her original piece when it was badly broken. Crystal not only reproduced them she made them even better than before!

Mama always said...

2011-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

My mother actually said a lot of things most of which I cannot repeat LOL. However, Mama always said if you want something done right, do it yourself!!!

We have been pitifully slow at getting our online store up and running mainly because the photography has been holding us back. Three photographers and three headaches later with few to no usable pictures I finally decided to take a one night crash course photography class myself online. Thank you iPad apps!!!!

I never really did understand the whole lighting, aperture thing and while I am still far from expert I did manage to get halfway decent and apply some of what I had learned. I don't have all the fancy equipment of course like tripods, and fancy camera's with fancy lenses. Just me and my little ole digital camera snapping away with the calming sounds of Enya playing in the background for morale support.

These pictures wouldn't win any awards but they do get us off and running nicely for our nice shiny new online store.

And a really big thank you to Jim Meadows who volunteered to input some data for us. We really appreciate all you have done Jim.

Our online store is not yet fully stocked. We are adding to it literally daily. So bookmark it and keep checking back. We've got hundreds of new items coming.

Jim of Benton, IL

2011-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Jim has found his Zen, his chi at the Glass Haunt. This pretty sunflower is his first piece with us, but you should see what he is working on next! His next piece is five feet tall and she is a knockout.

Jeri of IL

2011-02-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Jeri is making this piece for her RV door. She used dichroic glass on the clear textured sections.....you know that stuff which changes color with the light. We can't wait to see this one in the light when it is finished!

Terri of IL

2011-02-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Terri chose to do a butterfly. Smaller pieces are again more challenging in glass.

Next she is moving on to her favorite subject matter, horses.

Cozette of IL

2011-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Cozette loves to quilt so for her first piece with us she naturally chose a quilting pattern. Doing all straight lines is a challenge in itself. People think doing straight lines in glass is easier. Don't be fooled, it's not. It is definitely much harder than one might imagine.

But Cozette did a grand fine job of keeping it all together and on track.

Jayne C of Marion, IL

2011-02-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

Jayne is one of our Tuesday night students.

In between doing her first piece with us she whipped this one up at home.

Stay tuned to this channel though because her first piece and it is a masterpiece will soon be ready for it's debut. One side soldered, one to go!

Come on Jayne, hurry up we want to see it in the light!

Crystal of IL

2011-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Crystal who has yet to make anything for herself!!!! She makes everything for her friends.

LOL Crystal can I be your friend!

Homage to Alphonse Mucha

2011-02-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

Have to say I am a bigger fan of Erte than I am Alphonse Mucha. Even so, his lovely ladies beg to be done in stained glass.

This piece was our homage to him.

To simulate the stars in her gown which of course would be horrendous to do in stained glass and look lead heavy anyway, we chose a Bullseye ring mottled. The ripples in the bottom of her gown were accomplished with that gorgeous Uroboros ripple. Finally the flowers in her hair perfectly simulated with Bullseye's New Summer glass.

Alphonse Mucha's picture is on the right, my pattern design is on the left.

I'm ready for my close up Mr Demile

The final piece although the sun did not cooperate with us during her picture debut.

I doubt I would ever do another Alphonse Mucha but it was nice to pay tribute to him on this one occasion.

Stained Glass Radio

2011-01-05T06:01:00.001-08:00

Crystal of IL

2011-01-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Crystal got very busy this Christmas producing 4 pretty picture frames each with it's own individual personality. Which one is your favorite?

Michelle of IL

2011-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Michelle completed her first piece with us, these charming tulips in abstract colors. Job well done! Next she wants to do her new log cabin house in stained glass for her kitchen window. I'm thinking how about a 3D version:)

Crystal of IL

2011-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Crystal worked so hard to produce these pretty little pussy cats. Congrats Crystal, getting better and better with every piece!

Stained glass isn't just for windows

2010-12-08T06:06:00.001-08:00

The battle begins right there in your living room, the forces of dark against the forces of light with this highly detailed stained glass chess table.

Let the battle commence!

About the Glass Souls

2010-12-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Glass Souls (yes, don't say that too fast) are students of the Glass Haunt whose workmanship meets a standard considered professional. This includes good cuts with no chipping, good fits with no gaps, good foiling technique and good solder beading.

To reach this standard much attention has to be paid to both technique and detail to produce a final product worthy of praise as much for it's art as it's workmanship.

Benefits of becoming a Glass Soul member include:

Discount on tools, supplies & studio time.
Items made may be advertised and sold both in the Glass Haunt store and online. Glass Haunt assumes all costs of advertising said items.
Automatic inclusion in all Glass Haunt art show and craft fair events.
A Glass Soul member may also be invited to complete custom orders undertaken by the Glass Haunt and paid for such services.

It pays to learn at the Glass Haunt!

If you would like to commission a piece from a specific Glass Soul member, please contact us with your request and we will introduce you to them.

Candy

Donnia

Judy

Darlene

Jeri

Say hello to some of our Glass Souls

Jeri of IL

2010-12-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Jeri also completed her Calla Lily with Hummingbird today.

A big congrats to Jeri on her invitation to the Glass Souls

Darlene of IL

2010-12-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Darlene with her recently completed bird eating a mosquito in stained glass. Fabulously gorgeous!

Congrats Darlene on being invited to the Glass Souls group.

Tina of IL

2010-12-02T05:22:00.001-08:00

Tina did a darn fine job of finishing her piece yesterday. A perfectly gorgeous cross featuring a jewel in the center and clear lacy glass surrounded by a stunning red.

Congrats Tina, job well done and nice workmanship!

Stained glass artists know how to score!

Location:Glass Haunt, Benton, IL

Our silence has meant we have been busy

2010-11-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

Student Deb

2010-10-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is Debs second project with us. A beautiful window for her home. Looks stunning Deb, great job!