Buy Stained Glass
Hey, guys! One of Seen and Green’s main missions is to seek and share more sustainable ways to decorate your home and workspace, and a great way to do that, is to buy stained glass. I was searching for sustainable Halloween decorations on Etsy when I came across a beautiful bat by Croft Glass.
Why Buy Stained Glass?
Is Glass Eco-Friendly?
Early in my environmental studies, many years ago, I asked myself, is glass eco-friendly? The answer is: Yes, compared to other materials like plastic, glass is eco-friendly, because it is made out of limestone, sand, and soda ash, which are all-natural and abundant materials.
Too many things in our lives are made out of cheap, ugly plastic. But, we see less and less glass these days, because plastic is literally taking over our lives and our landfills. Plastic is not infinitely recyclable. However, glass is.
When I was a kid, stained glass decorations were popular. Let’s bring them back!
You could get lost in the maze of research comparing the environmental footprint of glass vs. plastic, or you could look at it this way: 1. Plastic is made from fossil fuels. How many tragic oil spill stories have you heard of? Probably a lot. 2. Glass is not made out of fossil fuels. How many ecological disasters caused by glass factories have you heard of? Probably none.
Stained Glass is Beautiful
As I said in the introduction of this article, I found the beautiful stained glass bat when I was searching for sustainable Halloween decorations.
Too many Halloween decorations are made from cheap plastic and they are as ugly as they are disposable. Consumers subconsciously know that these decorations are ugly, which is why they buy more each year because the purchases feel cheap and therefore unsatisfactory. Producers couldn’t care less, because they are making money each year on cheap plastic crap that is easily mass-produced.
If a decoration breaks while packing or unpacking it from the attic, it’s no big deal. Just throw it in the trash, head to the store, and buy more cheap plastic crap.
On the other hand, each stained glass piece by Croft Glass is unique and absolutely beautiful. Hanging stained glass creations in your windows invites the outside light into your home, filtering it through colorful shades of ocean blue, amber, rose, turmeric, and jade. When a crystal is added, as seen in the picture below, an entire universe of hues infiltrates your senses.
Stained glass isn’t just beautiful. It is divine. It is the kind of decoration that you will cherish and leave up all year.
Croft Glass
If you’ve ever shopped on Etsy, you know it is a rabbit hole of a store with amazing products to choose from. When I saw one stained glass bat, I inevitably saw more. Then the search was on for the perfect bat.
I chose Croft Glass because their bat design spoke to me and my style the most. It’s not cheesy. It’s elegant, well-made, beautiful, and sturdy. The bat comes in many color variations including iridescent glass options that serve to make the little batties infinitely intriguing.
My piece arrived quickly and was wrapped beautifully! I give Croft Glass a 5-star rating!
Stained Glass Kaleidoscope
OK, seriously… Prepare to be amazed. Croft Glass makes the most incredible kaleidoscopes! I’ve provided an image below, but you have got to check out their Etsy page to see a video of this thing. It will blow your mind!
In the words of Croft Glass crafters:
Take a journey into otherworldly dimensions with our Kaleidocroft Kaleidoscope. This scope offers a mind bending experience with a never ending array of mandala and fractal visuals achieved by moving a light over the outer stained glass shell.
The interior features optical grade mirrors to provide the crispest reflection. The top exterior features a rotating multi-faceted crystal, which then rotates an interior multi-faceted crystal cluster creating a moving kaleidoscopic mandala image. The top of the scope features a hand-frosted glass piece that allows additional exterior light to enter the scope. The three stained glass panels have beautiful decorative swirl patterned soldering on the seams. The top stained glass panel is white pearl iridized glass that shifts through an array of colors with your movement. The side stained glass panels are made from opalized orange glass with varying swirls of lighter and darker oranges and creams.
Meet the Croft Couple!
After receiving my bat, I became curious about the creators behind the glass, because artists fascinate me. Croft Glass is comprised of Brittni and her husband Loagon. I asked Brittni if she would be kind enough to answer a few interview questions, so here ya go!
Q: What Made You Want to Make Stained Glass?
We have always loved art in various forms, and have always been creative and artistic. We tend to jump from hobby to hobby (hello ADHD), and started making stained glass art on a total whim last August. Loagon (my husband) purchased some basic glass cutting supplies and when they arrived I (Brittni) decided that it was something I wanted to try. It was something we immediately fell in love with, and haven’t stopped since.
Q: What Do You Love About Making Stained Glass?
We love that we’re able to sketch out new designs by hand and watch them come to life with glass. Each step of the process is challenging in their own ways, which keeps us interested. We love that we’re able to create together and bounce new design ideas off each other. We spend the majority of our spare time in our basement that we’ve converted into our studio making art together, along with our 8 year old son who is often drawing or painting while we’re working on glass.
Q: How Did You Start Your Business?
Our first sales were local, and we decided to post a few listings on Etsy and were humbled and shocked when our first orders started coming through. Putting your art out there for the world is always scary, but we’ve had nothing but positive feedback which is such an incredible feeling. Most of our listings on Etsy are made to order, and each new order that comes through is just as exciting as the first. It’s such an incredible feeling to finish an order and ship it out to it’s new home.
Q: Where Can People Find You? (other than Etsy)
We know that art is a luxury, so we are incredibly grateful for each and every order. To show our gratitude, we’ve done a Facebook giveaway, and plan to continue doing them at least yearly. Our next giveaway will be on TikTok once we hit 1,000 followers, and we have another planned for Facebook once we hit 500 there. We love that our art is now living in homes across the US, and hope to have a piece in each state someday.