$tained gla$$

I've been attempting to come up with some fresh ideas for stained glass panels, prompted by a couple people asking me about commissions and consignments. I still consider myself somewhat of a novice when it comes to crafting glass pieces. I took a class at the Visual Arts Center a few years ago and immediately fell in love with this artform.

I've always been a fan of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Prairie Style designs. Awhile ago, I bought a book of postcards that featured Arts & Crafts tiles by Motawi Tileworks of Ann Arbor, MI. The designs are inspiring and I think they would transfer exceedingly well to glass:

I love the symmetry of these designs and I can envision them with varying color schemes and glass textures. The thought of tackling one of these panels is exhilarating. So what's to stop me from getting out the glass cutter and grinder right this minute?

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Creating a glass piece in the hopes that someone will not only be willing to buy it, but buy it at a price that will allow me to recoup my expenses, let alone make a small profit, is a huge leap of faith. Glass materials are not cheap, and if a design has several pieces, assembly takes hours. If I remember correctly, this 13x13 panel took some 24-odd-hours to complete:

So, what to do? Fork out the dough (i.e. bust out the credit card) and hope I can sell pieces in a timely manner? Or secure the commissions first ? The latter is a tricky proposition. I am hesitant to request deposits up front; although, if I don't, I then have to foot the bill entirely until I finish the piece and receive payment.

I tried over the holidays to sell some of my leaded glass snowflakes on etsy.com. I sold three, but at a very minuscule profit margin. I pulled my snowflakes because I didn't have the time or patience to put into marketing myself through the site. I think it's easy for one's artwork to get lost in the myriad of creations the site has to offer potential buyers. I had more success through local word of mouth and working directly with customers. I much prefer that method, although generating business that way is hit or miss.

I'm fairly new at the whole idea of having a craft and offering my work for sale. I have limited workspace (the 3'x4' table in my living room), and thus have to keep pieces small, usually 15" max. It would be fun to try a larger panel, for a transom or full window.... but that will have to wait until I have room to spread out and not worry about stepping on stray shards of glass.

In the meantime, I suppose I can take inventory of my existing glass materials and see what I can make with what I already have. I made this piece entirely out of scrap glass. One lady's scrap is another lady's masterpiece! 

P.S. If anyone has any feedback regarding business strategies,
I'm all ears!