I began working in stained glass in 2001. I love the translucent colors of glass that you can’t find with any other medium. Even though I love working with glass, I’m a bit of a magpie, I love to collect other materials such as paper, beads, yarn and buttons so that I can combine them with my stained glass.

I’m always searching for new ideas for products that I can make that combine traditional stained glass techniques with other materials. I strive to create functional, contemporary objects that can’t be found anywhere else.

When I’m searching for new ideas, I spend lots of time looking at the latest trends in home, office, and kitchen decor and thinking about how those objects could be created in stained glass. Once I have an idea, I create a rough sketch with measurements for all the pieces of glass that I will need. For new designs, I create a prototype to make sure that the paper design will work in reality. Once I’ve worked out the bugs, I’ve found it’s most efficient to create multiple items of the same type at the same time.

My studio located in Lethbridge, Alberta. If you are looking for hand-crafted woodwork, please visit my husband's shop at: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Balsamrootwoodwork or visit my other shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/BalsamrootGlass

Notes from my lovely customers:

“Absolutely gorgeous! We ordered 19 [paperweights] or staff appreciation and each one was different! We received the order in a timely manner and in great shape! Would definitely order from Kathleen again!”

“They are even more beautiful in person. I love love love them. Thank you so much!“

All designs and photos are copyright Kathleen Sheppard 2001-2016.