Hello My Fellow Friends!

This page is designed to share everything and anything I think you should know about stained glass and my process with it!

If you still have questions for me, please find the Contact Me tab or click the button below to send me an email. I will happily get back to you as soon as I can!

Meet the artist, Nicole Ripaldi!

Hmm where to begin . . my obsession with color . . how I started . . what I went to school for . . Oh I know ROCKS! They come in all shapes and sizes, each having their own different characteristics. How could you not like them when they’re as unique as we are?

I believe rocks are at the core of my being because still to this day, it’s one of the few hobbies I have had since I was a child. How does this lead into Stained Glass? Welp, how about how I use them in some of my pieces? Glass has similar characteristics with its arrangement of colors and textures but rocks have cRaZy energy bouncing off of them that glass sadly does not. Still, both shine their best in the sunlight and that is how I find a connection with them.

This begun my experimenting with the question of what else shines beautifully in the sun as stained glass. My love for a good challenge has been a consistent motivator for my creations and oh boy, have I surprised myself with the outcomes!

All designs are either created by my own two hands or have been inspired by coloring book pages I find online. As you know coloring book pages are all lines so it’s easier for my brain to connect the two mediums! I stay away from copying anything a fellow artist has created because that’s unfair to them and their practice. I would also dislike it if it happened to me! So watch out haha

Now onto another one of my loves: reducing, reusing, and recycling by making it Functional! I see all types of items being thrown away into landfills and to prevent my art from being one of them, I make it has a use. Stained Glass materials are amazingly reusable! Once glass becomes too small to use, you can melt it back down to form another piece of glass. Also by making custom pieces and create in small batches I reduce the chance of over producing which in the end can cause waste as well. I remember this every time I experiment with new art which is why I only make 5-10 of an item at a time. So my shoppers can alter them to their liking!

Finally, I have a ridiculous love for souvenirs and how memories can appear when looking at them. I think rocks and nature count as souvenirs, especially when you travel! I collect bark all the time when I’m wondering the woods to help make those New England souvenirs for you. I can also turn yours that you already have into a piece if you desire! So reach out and let me create some symbolic art for you to treasure forever. Thank you for sticking around to hear a little bit about me and why I make my art.

I know this sounds cliché but I truly hope you can also find something that wakes you up in the morning and gets you excited to live again like my art does for me. “Doing what I love and Love what I’m doing!” ~ Nicky ☺

~ Read below for the ART FACTS ~

FACTS About Stained Glass:

~ Solder and Came Contains LEAD: After handling any piece, please be sure to wash your hands and not touch food. Also keep children away as they might try to put it in their mouths.

~ The Solder Oxidizes (white spots on the metal): It’s sadly inevitable and the one thing I hate about stained glass. This can be buffed out by using a dry cotton cloth or microfiber towel that you don’t care about because it is most likely to stain it. Glass cleaner is weirdly not a good thing to use around solder so try to avoid it.

~ For General Upkeep: Once the shine has left the piece, you can try to buffer out the piece by gently using a microfiber cloth on the soldering lines and glass. Please be very careful about the amount of pressure applied, glass is fragile. If the shine is completely gone, you may use some stained glass polish to re-shine the piece and add a layer of protection to the glass. **Please be careful and try not to touch around mirror or painted areas, they have a mind of their own and can be erased!

How to apply wax: Apply a small sized amount of wax to your choice of cloth (listed in The Solder Oxidizes Section) and gently rub onto glass and solder lines. Move it around until wax is no longer visible. Repeat until all the whole piece has been waxed. Now take a clean section of the microfiber cloth and gently buffer out until there is a visible shine. This is where it’ll get messy. Feel free to use gloves and if not please WASH your hands!

This can be very very messy so if you’d like me to re-polish your piece send me a message and we’ll figure out the logistics! Most likely if it’s an easy piece to polish it, I’ll ask you to take care of shipping and send me $5 for the arthritis medication I’ll inevitably be paying for in the future haha

~ Suction Cups Added to Each Order: I can forget to add one (I’m human) but reach out and I’ll happily send you one for your piece. FYI they do fall at some point so if you can hang it from something sturdier please do, to avoid any damages. **I’m not responsible for these damages. Also clean the window before putting it up! Then you can add some liquid to the cup (yes, I do use saliva) that’s the best way I have found.

~ Restorations: If you have any stained glass pieces that needs a fixin’ message me! I’ll see if my Aunt (the Goddess that taught me) or I can fix it for you ☺

FACTS About Shipment:

~ Please Allow 5-7 Business Days for Items to ship: I tend to be quicker than this but in case there are any unexpected emergencies, I have extended the time frame.

~ Materials Used to Package Each Item Tend to be Recycled: I try to reuse any cardboard or paper I receive to reduce waste in the environment. This includes but is not limited to: used boxes (if in good shape), paper/tissue paper/newspaper, and bubble wrap.

~ Animal Hair Might Travel With The Art: I have a very curious doggo named Bowser that likes to help package the items with me so please be aware if you’re allergic to animal hair. He says Sorry in advance!

~ All Sales are Final, I Don’t Accept Refunds, Returns, or Exchanges: If any item arrives damaged or there’s a different issue please reach out to me within 48 hours of receiving the item and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to help!

~ I Ship Out Items via USPS, UPS, FedEx, and Others: They will come with a tracking number for you. I am not responsible if any items get lost in the mail but again, please reach out to me within 48 hours of finding out so I can see if there’s anywway I can help.