I have noticed a resurgence of interest in Celtic heritage these days. Stained Glass enthusiasts have found inspiration and challenge in the beauty of Celtic knotwork.
You may have noticed that I am also a fan of Celtic design. Be sure to check out the free Celtic patterns on this site, and then, if you are looking for more Celtic designs, take a look at these pattern books available at Amazon:
I’ve had a couple of requests for help in reducing or enlarging the stained glass patterns available on this site, so I offer this post. I originally wrote this as a comment in response to a posted question. Obviously I don’t know all of the programs that are in use out there, but I hope this helps answer any questions. -Gwen
The manner of enlarging print size depends upon the program you are using to view and print.
If you are using the Glass Eye 2000 go to Modify – Resize All – and make sure the “Maintain Proportions” box is selected and set either the height (or width) you want. The Glass Eye software will automatically set the proper width (or height) to maintain the proportions. This allows you to set the exact size.
If you have Microsoft Publisher you can import the .jpg (or just copy and paste it) into a blank page and change the size by selecting the picture and enlarging or reducing from the corners. This maintains the proportions. I’m not that familiar with Publisher, so I don’t know how to set the exact size here.
You can probably do the same thing with Adobe Acrobat if you have their Professional version or a version that allows you to create .pdf documents.
If you have Microsoft Word you can place the .jpg in a blank Word document. Save the .jpg to your computer, then go to Insert – Picture – From file- and find the saved .jpg and insert it (or copy and paste it.) Then double click the picture and bring up the Format Picture box. Go to the tab marked “Size” and make sure the “Lock Aspect Ratio” and “Relative to Original Picture Size” boxes are selected, then reset either the Height or Width and click OK. Word will automatically maintain the correct proportions. This allows you to set the exact size.
You could print out the picture and take it to a photocopy store and ask them to blow it up or reduce it for you to the exact size you want, but that should not be necessary if you have one of the above programs.
Here is a stained glass pattern of handsome bodybuilder Stan McQuay.
I suggest that you paint the pupils black. You can also use paint or foil overlays for the nostril openings, the eyebrows, and eyes, rather than cutting small pieces.
Glass suggestions are with the pattern.
The Bodybuilder stained glass pattern is available in a black & white jpg, color jpg, and in the Glass Eye 2000 format.
Here is a stained glass pattern of a beautiful lady soaking up the summer sun.
I used a picture of a woman reclining as the basis for this pattern. The original picture showed her leaning back with her hand on the ground. Her hair was not as long as I made it.
One of the reasons I lengthened her hair, (aside from liking longer hair,) was that I was just not satisfied with the way her hand looked when I made the pattern. I did not want to make too many small pieces in order to make her hand; her hand was not the focus of this pattern, and I thought too much detail there might detract from the design. It would also be more difficult to make. So, I used her hair to cover up her hand.
I like the sense of golden summer sunshine in this piece. I hope you like it, too. If you make this piece, or any of my patterns, please send me a photo, and I will post it here and on my Flickr page.
The Sunbather stained glass pattern is available in a color jpg, a black & white jpg, and the GlassEye 2000 format.
O, my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June
— Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
~
The rose is a traditional favorite in the garden and has also become a favorite subject for works of art, and stained glass is no exception.
There are 100 to 150 species of rose, with thousands of hybrids and cultivars.
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States. It is the state flower of four US states: Iowa, North Dakota, Georgia, and New York. Portland, Oregon is known as the “City of Roses” and holds an annual Rose Festival. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire (white rose) and Lancashire (red rose) in England, and of Alberta in Canada.
In recognition of the favorite flower for the month of June here is a rose stained glass pattern, displayed in shades of red. It is available in black & white jpg, color jpg, and Glass Eye 2000 format. Consider purchasing an oak frame, then size the pattern to fit the frame. This will add a professional and beautifully finished look to your work of art.
Roses are also the basis of design for the Gothic rose window. For a beautiful example of a rose window see the photos accompanying my May 27, 2007 post on the Cathedral of St. John, in Spokane, WA.
Here is a mountain landscape pattern for those who have requested that category.
This pattern shows the mountains at the dividing line for the altitude above which trees are unable to grow.
The last trees at the timberline are not very tall. The mountains loom above, bare gray rock or purple peaks under a dark sky. A patch of snow remains at this high elevation.
View the links for the pattern and a larger color view, as well as glass suggestions.
The Timberline landscape stained glass pattern is available in black & white jpg, color jpg, and Glass Eye 2K format.
Here is a little woodland bunny stained glass pattern to remind you that Spring really is here, though it may still be cold.
This pattern falls into at least two and maybe three of the most popular categories in the pattern poll: plants & flowers, animal kingdom, and, if I stretch it, fantasy & anime. (Just imagine this rabbit can talk or the toadstools are magical. Hmm, I could even call it a landscape . . .)
The Woodland Bunny Stained Glass Pattern is available in a color jpg, a black & white jpg, and in the Glass Eye 2000 format.
I used Spectrum glass primarily for the color jpg display, with a couple each of Armstrong and Bullseye selections. See the pattern link for the exact glass.
Have fun and enjoy this pattern!
Here is the pattern that I designed for the brown trout stained glass fan lamp that I made for my husband.
The glass that I recommend is slightly different than what I used, mainly because I used what I already had, and I do not know exactly the manufacturer or particulars of that glass.
Have fun with this one. I’m sure, with a little creativity, you could turn it into brook trout, a cutthroat, or possibly a rainbow. I’ll be doing patterns for these, too, in time.
Click here to see a picture of the actual brown trout stained glass fan lamp I made. I’m really happy with it and so is my husband. I used a stick-on eye from his supply of fly tying materials. You can obtain the same from any good fly fishing shop. They also may work well on other projects besides fish.
If you finish the edge in lead came, (as I did,) the lead came will make the fan too wide to fit in the slot without modification. You can enlarge the slot with a Dremel or similar tool. That is what I did. I highly recommend a Dremel. It comes in handy for so many things.
About the design:
You may notice that this fish is posed in a straight line, not doing that little flippy tail thing that most designs use to depict their fish. Designers pose fish all curved up or flexed like that to indicate movement and action.
I asked my husband to describe the most realistic pose for a trout, and he told me that fish rarely do that flippy tail thing. If they do, it is right before they leap out of the water after a bug, or something, and, like all athletes, in the air they straighten out to reach their goal. Also, in the water they frequently seem to hang there, moving very little, and waiting for some interesting bit of food to come their way.
So, this is a calm fish, just waiting for a snack to float down stream.
The Brown Trout Fan Lamp pattern is available in black & white jpg, color jpg, and Glass Eye 2000 format.
Here is a horizontal oval stained glass panel of the Easter Bunny with three colorful eggs. This is a fairly simple pattern with only 37 pieces.
This Easter bunny stained glass panel looks best with soft pastel colors. The pattern has glass suggestions.
The Easter Bunny stained glass pattern is available in black & white and color jpgs and in Glass Eye 2000 format.
According to Wikipedia:
Eostre (“Easter”) is the name of a putative goddess of the Anglo-Saxons. The Venerable Bede described her worship as having died out by the time he began writing (in Latin) the first significant history of the Anglo-Saxons. Some historians have suggested that she may have been invented by Bede, as there are no known references to her preceding his work.
For another interesting discussion of the possible relationship between the Easter bunny and Anglo-Saxon mythology see Ireland’s Public information Service on environmental matters.
What kind of bee is guaranteed not to sting?
A stained glass bee.
For this bee stained glass panel you will paint the eye. The legs and antenna are indicated by dotted lines. Paint the legs and antenna or make them out of wire.
The pattern lists glass color suggestions. Our color version is done entirely in Spectrum glass. Spectrum glass is consistent in texture and color, so it is easy to cut and work with.
Use your imagination to come up with a bright & vivid or muted & soft stained glass flower.
The Bee on Flower stained glass pattern is available in a black & white jpg and in the Glass Eye 2000 format.