Anatomy of a Custom Order: Case Studies

One on the many great features of being an Etsy seller (http://www.etsy.com/shop/smashglassworks) is that I can give customers the option of requesting custom made items.  Additionally, my customers can make a custom order request based on specific items available for sale or previously sold from my shop.  I'll use a couple of recent examples to illustrate how this process works.

Study 1:  'Grape Vines' Mosaic Frame

I was contacted by a customer who liked my 'Nouvelle Croissance' offset mosaic frame.

'Nouvelle Croissance' - Glass Mosaic Picture Frame by Smash Glassworks

https://www.etsy.com/listing/154814120/mosaic-picture-frame-nouvelle-croissance

The above piece is 12" x 12" (finished size) and holds a 4"x 6" photo.  The design is created using clear, tempered glass fragments over a painted background.  The grout lines are highlighted with gold for added effect.

The customer liked the offset shape of the frame and the general layout of the mosaic.  She was looking for something similar, smaller, and with a grapevine theme instead of leaves.  She was looking for a frame to commemorate a trip to the Napa Valley as a gift. We discussed colour and settled on a suitable frame size. The following is shows the project at various stages, including the final result:

The finished frame is 6.5" x 9" in an offest layout.  It holds a 4" x 6" insert and is suitable for table top display.

Study 2: 'Abstract' Mosaic Frame

Another customer contacted me in reference to the following abstract frame done in stained glass mosaic:

'Fresh' - Stained Glass Mosaic Picture Frame by Smash Glassworks

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99085249/abstract-mosaic-picture-frame-fresh

The customer liked the layout of this frame and wanted something similar to frame a handmade card she had received. She needed something created in specific dimensions to accommodate the card and she wanted the colours of the stained glass mosaic to complement those in the card.  I asked her to send me a snapshot of the card to get a sense of the colour scheme.  From this and the required specs, I created a custom design:

The above made-to-order frame holds a 6.5" x 6.5" insert.  The finished size is 10" x 10".  The mosaic is made from a selection of opaque and semi-opaque glass tessarae.

Both of these recent custom orders were a pleasure to create.  The process was that much more interesting knowing a bit about their intended purpose.