Online Purchase
Go to the "Buy Glass" section of the site, from
here you can navigate to a page that shows a picture of the
different categories available. Once in the Shopping Cart
pages there is a link at the bottom of each page that will
guide you through the entire online purchasing process. We
accept three major credit cards through our secure online
server.
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Product Info
Yes the easiest and fastest way would be through the email
pipeline. You can always call us in Wilmington DE. and either
speak to a company rep. or leave a message, which will be
returned promptly. Please see "About Us" and or
"Ordering".
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Shipping
No problem there, we have a good track record. We will ship
anywhere within the Continental US. We prefer to use the UPS
ground system as it is the most cost effective and reliable.
It also offers a great tracking program. See "Ordering".
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Special Orders
We will certainly try to make every effort to fulfill your
request. A number of factors play into this equation, one
that is the most important, is our suppliers must carry your
requested item. Another factor to deal with is the additional
costs involved may be passed on to the consumer.
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Beginners to glass
The best way to grow into this wonderful art form would be
to either enroll in an instructional stained glass class,
or purchase a video and or primer books. Next shop around
for a good starter kit and some glass, both art glass and
plain window glass for your practice sessions. There is absolutely
nothing wrong or misleading about teaching yourself the basics
and growing from there. Please visit the tutorials in the
"Glass Shop"section of this site. Here you will
get a better insight on the procedures and tools required
to actually make stained glass panels.
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Spectrum Art Glass
Spectrum glass has a fantastic color selection first off.
Secondly their products are renowned for their consistent
color quality and dependable cutting properties. Hand rolled
art glass is beautiful but requires a finer skill to work
with then most of Spectrums glasses. Beginners and expert
glass craftsman enjoy working with products as dependable
and innovative as the ones from the Spectrum Glass Co.
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Initial Investment
Most art glass enthusiast are awed and inspired by their initial
views of stained glass works, so much so that they are eager
to indulge their own creative talents. They are also curious
of the costs associated with this colorful hobby. While stained
glass can be very intimidating as an art form and expensive
as a hobby, you don't have to start out with a fully stocked
studio at first. Instead learn and grow into this craft and
at the same time, please be patient so you can enjoy this
art form as well. If you're not sure this hobby or medium
is right for you, shop around for the basic no-frills tools
& supplies. The range of starter kits can vary from a
$50.00 very basic package, up to a $500.00 dollar deluxe kit.
You can expect to pay around $6.00 per square foot for mail
order glass, with shipping added on top of that. An average
amount of glass for a beginner to have in stock is about 12
square feet +, or about $80.00 worth. You will also need an
area set aside devoted to cutting and assembly, which may
require additional costs for items such as work table &
chair, supply shelving etc. As for the actual supply end,
a good estimate for your initial investment would probably
run about $400.00 . Keep in mind you may have a little leg
work to do by browsing the net or shopping the yellow pages
for good competitive prices.
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Popular Glass
As a beginner tackling your first few glass projects you will
most likely be drawn to several glasses in the opal family.
These glass types include a range from dense opal through
the wispy and translucent members. They are extremely eye
catching and unique in their properties. In addition to their
visible properties they are just as versatile in their ability
to transmit and reflect light through the glass and off it's
surface. I would safely say the Amber family is one of the
most widely used as this represents the pleasing earth tones
we are all comfortable with. Another way to build your studio
palette would be to start with the obvious, your basic primary
colors "Red - Blue - Green". Try starting with a
basic opal & or a basic or medium range cathedral glass
of each of the basic colors. Then you can expand on your personal
palette to enhance your selection. Of course you can follow
your inner artistic senses and stock the colors that make
you feel good when you look at them, and there is absolutely
nothing wrong with this approach either.
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