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Custom and pre-made glass pieces are priced as fairly as possible. While pricing items, we take into consideration many things.
1. Design Process : We charge a $100, non-refundable, design fee. This fee covers the time it takes the artist to create your custom piece and covers any and all alterations to the piece. Your custom designs are never recreated unless by your request. We catalogue your custom designs in the case that you want it remade in the future, or in the unfortunate circumstance that it needs to be repaired. The design fee is a one time fee and will not be charged again for re-makes, repairs.
A design often takes hours to complete. The time it takes to complete a design depends upon the desired level of detail requested and alterations that are made during the design process.
2. Cost of Supplies: Glass can cost anywhere from $4 to almost $300 per sheet depending on size, color, texture, and make. Multiple sheets of glass are needed to create, or recreate, images in glass.
Custom hand painted items take time and additional materials to complete. Special glass and solvents must be used for this.
3. Taxidermy Eyes: Taxidermy eyes vary between $5 to $50 per set depending on size, make, material and pattern of eye. We strive to use only top-quality items but offer a range of options to fit your budget. Additional care must be taken when using taxidermy and glass eyes into place as they can break easily from the heat caused by soldering.
4. Gemstones: Gemstones are costly to use, in general, and require additional items to set. Only authentic, genuine, natural gemstones are used in our pieces. We offer gemstones, at cost and never mark them up.
5. Other Supplies: Consumers and customers may not be aware of the additional materials that are necessary to complete and refine stained glass works of art. Lead came, copper, flexible rebar, solder, flux, cement, glaze, cleaning and finishing chemicals, patina, polish, drafting supplies, framing materials, and various tools are used to create each piece.
Copper foil used specifically for stained glass ranges in price between $13 and almost $30 a roll based on thickness and backing. In larger pieces, multiple rolls of foil are utilized.
We offer two solder options. A mixture of tin and lead traditionally used in stained glass, and lead free options. Lead/Tin mixtures range from about $13 to $25 a roll. Lead free options are considerably higher, prices starting at $20 and up. Again, depending on the size of the stained glass piece, and any decorative soldering, multiple rolls may be utilized.
Flexible rebar is used in pieces with hinge points, or pieces larger than 24 inches. This it to strengthen the piece and ensure that it is structurally sound so that it can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Rebar requires patience and careful construction to utilize.
Tools require proper upkeep, wear out and need to be replaced often.
6. Time it takes to construct and complete a piece: Relate this to your full-time job. This is ours. Some pieces take a day to make, others take weeks or months (not counting the design itself). We are essentially creating and building a custom jigsaw puzzle for you. A puzzle that we are piecing together three or more times before it is complete.
7. Complexity of Design: Complexity of design relates directly to time. How many pieces are in the design? What is their size? Are their complex shapes? The more detailed, the more pieces involved, the more pieces involved, the more difficult the jigsaw puzzle.
The smaller the pieces, the more difficulty and complexity in construction and work that needs to be done to create it.
Cutting glass is not like cutting paper. Great skill and care must be taken to cut very detailed or complex shapes. Because not all glass is structured the same, some are more finicky or difficult to cut. When we are discussing your piece, these things are factored in to the quoting process.
8. Hand Made Items: All pieces are hand designed, hand drawn, hand cut, hand ground, hand cleaned, hand foiled, hand soldered, hand finished, etc. We do not mass produce. We do not work in a factory. We pour our hearts, souls, time and care into our pieces. Completing a beautiful object, that is structurally sound, and made to last many lifetimes. This takes time, attention to detail, and wears considerably on the makers hands and body.
9. Overhead Costs : Many things are factored into the pricing of custom works. Artist/Owner costs must be factored into the pricing of pieces to bring fair pricing to you and at the same time for us to survive.
To rent or own and operate the work studio requires us to pay monthly fees. The cost of electricity to create the pieces, materials for drafting and designing, taxes we pay for each sale and listing, city and county business fees, and many more unseen costs the shop pays contribute to our pricing. Many of which most consumers are unaware of.
Here is a Breakdown: For example – The “Moon Woman” piece took nearly two months to complete. The cost of glass was around $700. The cost of other materials was $100. Appx 320 hours of work plus design and drafting time (about 3 hours)
$4,675 asking price
-$800
=$3,875
/ 320 (hours)
= $12.10 per hour
$12.10 per hour for unique, custom designed, professional quality work... and then subtract the cost for the studio space, electricity and taxes... we really should be asking more.
Let’s say it only took one month to make. 160 hours.
$3,875 / 160 = $24.21 an hour for PROFESSIONAL quality work. This is a design we create especially for you, one that we will never create again unless by your request.
You get the point :)
Interested or have further questions? Email for specific requests and quotes. We are dedicated to working with you, our customer, and are happy to outline what we can create which fits into your budget.
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With light & love