Blog Exclusive

Hey everyone. Scott here with a Rainbow Artistic Glass blog exclusive. Hot out of the kiln for the 2011 holiday season, custom Christmas ornaments!

Festive fun for the whole family, this project is designed to work for all skill levels. That's because it ties in with our glass fusing center. When you arrive we will provide you with your cookie shaped glass base. Then build your design on that base choosing from the variety of glass we have available in the fusing center. It's like decorating a glass cookie.

For those who would rather have a plate, you can purchase the cookie shape as an addition to a larger project. Then you can decorate around the cookie shape as well as on it. I don't have any examples of that yet, but I will.

Changing It Up

Hello everyone. There have been some changes here at Rainbow Artistic Glass. Those who have been in over the last week have seen what an awesome job Jesse has done rearranging the front end of the store. For everyone else, I'm going to write a bit to keep you in the know.

We have been in our current location for just over two years. The layout was planned in advance, but once the moving started, we realized that some things were not practical. Changes had to be made so that everything would fit in a semi-organized fashion. Since then a few things have been adjusted when the inspiration hit. Yet, the area around our check out counter has remained a bottleneck. If someone was shopping, paying, or just standing there chatting it up, it made it awkward for others to move by. We knew it was an inconvienience, but were not sure how to make it better.

Those days are over. I guess you could say that conditions have been right, or that some of us have been a little inspired. Now I could give you a play by play, but that would be boring for both of us. Instead I'll give you a little help on the layout.

As you enter the front door, look to your left and you will see the fusing supplies (molds, decals, glue, etc.). The chemicals for stained glass work (flux, patina, heavy metal soap, etc.) are also in this area. Okay, now if you look to your left and toward the back of the store, you will see the new area Sarah fondly refers to as the "Book Nook". She really likes to rhyme!

And what happened to all of that giftware that occupied this area before? Well, it has all been expertly arranged in front of the check out counter. Besides opening up this area to allow people to move freely, it will expose you to the awesome deals we have going on right now. We're practically giving some of this stuff away!

Anyhow, I'm starting to run on now. Thanks for reading our blog and don't forget to become a member! Thanks again, Scott

Small Business Saturday

We're getting ready for our Small Business Saturday Sale! Looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends and some new ones too.
It's good to be a small business. We can turn on a dime, we enjoy working with each other, and we form long term relationships when customers and clients turn into friends.

Inspiration Please

Good evening everyone. Tonight I'm live from Rainbow Artistic Glass! I came in to work on some repairs, but sometimes the conditions just aren't right. So instead of the repairs, I have logged on to get some inspiration from you.

Everyone who works with glass enjoys some aspect of it. Whether it's finding an awesome pattern, picking out the glass, losing yourself in the hours you labor over it, or showing off the finished product, there's something that keeps us interested in starting another project.

Personally, I enjoy making something that is one of a kind. I like the fact that there is the possibility that something I make will be around after I'm gone. I absolutely love taking something broken and putting it back together, especially when it has sentimental value to someone.

So here's the part where I get the inspiration, and I'm going to need your help on this. What keeps you interested? What do you enjoy the most?

Basement Glass Stash

We recently uncovered a great stash of Oceana and Youghiogheny sheet glass, as well as many sheets of Uroboros drapery glass. This glass was hand selected by a pair of artists who specialized in Tiffany lamps and windows, so it is spectacular!
We bought the entire lot at a great savings and now we're passing the deal on to you.
Stop in and check it out.

Just for checking out our blog...

Tell us you visited and take $5 off your next $10 purchase.

This deal is good until November 15th.

Christmas

Yes, we are mentioning it already!

Just wanted to warn you that if you want to have a kiln by Christmas, it's time to get it ordered! If you need help picking the perfect one, we can help.

Bullseye Volume Discounts!

We are very excited about our new discount plan!  The volume discounts starts when you spend only $300!

Spend $300 to $549, take 20% off.
Spend $550 to $799, take 30% off.
Spend $800 and up, take 40% off.

It's available on most Bullseye items in a single purchase.  There are restrictions that apply (but not too many).

Pretty cool, huh?

Curious who gets to play with fused and stained glass at Rainbow Artistic Glass?

Well, read on!

Dick Baines is the owner of Rainbow.  He discovered his love of glass about 30 years ago.  It was a hobby for a while but soon that wasn't enough.  And Rainbow is where he ended up.  Thank goodness for that!  He's a very creative and inspiring person and (happily for me) likes to hire family members.  

Jesse Baines, Dick's nephew, is our resident know-it-all (and do-it-all).  He's constantly trying new things and expanding his knowledge base.  Jesse did his first stained glass project at the age of 12.  He just realized that means he's been doing glass for 23 years!  He learns a lot by trial and error and has attended various conferences through the years. He teaches at them now too.  We pick his brain on a regular basis.

Sarah Stieren, one of Dick's daughters, has been in the business for 10 years or so.  She used to create more but currently is in mostly an office/ordering/customer service role.  (Since she only works part time now  to spend more time with her two adorable children, her projects would never get done!) Sarah is also a very quiet behind-the-scenes boss.  She's nice enough to let Dick think he's in still charge though.  Hopefully I didn't just blow that for her.

Scott Stieren, Sarah's husband, is also a part time employee who jumps to do whatever is needed.  He's been known to build walls and panels with equal dexterity.  He's REALLY excited about teaching classes these days as he just learned all kinds of new things and he wants to share the love.  He's only been doing this for a few years but he sure picked it up quickly.

And I am Ali Caniglia, another one of Dick's daughters.  I won't always be the author of the blogs but you'll probably hear from me more than you see me in the store.  I only work one day a week but do most of the computer stuff, like our webpage and emails, etc.  I've been in the business for about 8 years or so, working full time until my 5 year old daughters were born.  Strangely, once they came along, I didn't work very much anymore.  Now, I spend most of my days playing with them and Sarah's (and Scott's!) kids.

So, that's a little bit about us.  We're so lucky to be able to work with each other and you and we know it.  What a good life!