Classy Glass and Fineries Blog Page

Lots of artists have been taking the decorative lantern and adding their own flair. Either stained glass or fused glass, those lanterns can become spectacular. So, how do you measure the fit?

Math has never been my thing, so I usually use the factory glass as a template for size. But, what I have learned is you need to keep all sides except the door about an 1/8th of an inch smaller – at least. But be careful not to estimate to small. Why? Because if it is fused glass there is always the possibility that the glass will expand. For stained glass, you will possibly have solder along the edge .. not because you wrap the panel, but because you have joined glass together in your design. When the two panels meet at the corner in the lantern, the solder will sometimes (usually) take up space and your panels will not fit. If you estimate too small, well you can imagine the fit. I found this out the hard way.

Got any tips you care to share?

For several months I have been paying for advertising on Facebook and Etsy. To date, I am not getting much return on my investment. Is advertising worth the cost? Are there other methods of getting the word out?

I would wonder if folks just don’t like what I am making. But I had a sale at my home and was rather successful. Folks told me they liked my items. So, what would you advise?

Do you make your gifts? Do you sell your work at Christmas? How on earth do you manage it all? If you have any tips, I’d sure like to hear them. I’m looking for tips on how to do better planning or maybe better time management or perhaps some ideas on production efficiency.

I like to make my gifts. I try to do something special for each person. But I have been thinking that maybe I could make the same thing that is different for each person. For example, maybe I make picture frames for everyone, but each is unique.

What are your ideas?