Stained Glass Windows Bracelet
©2024 by Cynthia Rutledge

Stained glass possesses an aura of mystery and romance. It is the interplay between light and color that sparks the imagination. It is one of the most unchanged crafts, still taking, as it did centuries ago, time and patience, and an appreciation for color and line design.

Stained glass comes in three basic forms today: leaded, art and faceted. The leaded is what we normally refer to as stained glass, even though the term, stained glass means any colored glass. It is usually one-eighth inch thick and is held together by lead "cames" (a framework enclosing a pain of glass). Designs and features may be painted on in solid lines and fired in, and the glass may be shaded by putting on a light coat of paint which does not change the color but cuts down the amount of light passing through to meet the eye.

The art-glass form was made popular by Louis C. Tiffany using colored enamels and opalescent glass. The enamels actually change the color of the light but are applied only to the surface of the glass and are fired on as enamels on copper. Often the glass is highly textured to the point of using a three-dimensional glass for the folds of drapery or wings of an angel. The opalescent glass is that glass which is nearly opaque. It usually looks milky and is held together by lead or copper cames.

Faceted windows are made from slabs of glass ranging anywhere from one-half inch to three or four inches in thickness. These slabs are called "dalles" from a French word meaning “paving stone”. The first known glass window makers were the Romans in the first century AD.

In celebration of this long enduring craft, and as a tribute to the beauty of this artform, Stained Glass Windows Bracelet was created. Cathedral-style three-dimensional window shapes are filled with a colorful array of bezeled CZs. These “windows” are linked together forming a flexible, yet substantial sculptural bracelet. The bracelet ends with a wide bar/tube closure for a secure finish.

Workshop: This is a 1-day workshop

Skill level: Advanced. The student should be very comfortable with peyote stitch.

Bracelet length: 6 inches but can be adjusted to desired length.

Techniques:

• Embellishing techniques

• Flat, even-count peyote stitch

• Flat, step-up/step-down odd count peyote stitch

• Stitching-in-the-ditch

• Tubular, even count peyote stitch with increases

• Zipping beadwork edges together

Stained Glass Windows Bracelet is an exclusive design for the Beaders Dream Retreat