How do I take care of my stained glass item?

All Glimpse Glass creations come with care instructions, to assist you in maintaining your new masterpiece. These intructions are intended for my glass items and may not be appropriate for restoring older pieces from other artists using other materials and techniques. ​ You can follow these simple instructions to keep your stained glass masterpiece looking brand new:

• If your item needs a scrub, clean with a damp (not wet), soapy cloth.
• To spiff up, wipe with furniture polish like Pledge or carnauba car wax.
• Microfibre cloths are great for removing fingerprints!
• Wire can be gently bent back into place, as it can shift in transit or contact. Be aware that the wire can tear the copper foil on the glass edges if it is moved too much, so use caution.
• Stained glass items should be kept away from children and pets. Solder lines contain lead (we don’t recommend licking them) and surfaces are made from breakable glass.

Does stained glass contain lead?

It's true. Our products contain breakable glass and lead, as is the case with traditional stained glass. ... BUT since you are not licking or cuddling our products, this is shouldn't be an issue. We recommend you use them for their intended purpose - decoration. Lead is mostly absorbed by consuming it (through the mouth) and neither you, nor I plan on eating it, right!? (do not eat your Glimpse Glass creation!) Anything that is intended to be worn or touched frequently, such as headbands, are made with lead-free solder, but may still contain traces, as they is created in a studio that uses lead.

How do I hang my stained glass item?

I strongly suggest that you do not use suction cups to hold stained glass, as they will inevitably fail - and glass is fragile. Instead, you can use the provided leather, chain or hoop to hang your creation using an anchored screw in the wall or the window frame. Ornate drawer handles can add some glamour instead of a plain screw. Hooks in window frames (or just above) work really well too. If the provided hanger isn't long enough, you can easily replace it or hang it from a clear thread, like fishing line. Just make sure it is strong enough to handle the weight of your piece. Feel free to reach out for additional guidance.

Do you offer wholesale?

At this time, only our Glimpse Glass Folk items are offered for wholesale. The full list of items can be found on etsy.glimpseglass.ca. Prices are typically 50% of the listed Etsy cost, plus shipping. Any duties and fees are the responsibility of the person making the order. We have a minimum order requirement of $200 CAD. Shipping will take place within two weeks of your order, unless otherwise directed. Items ship from Vancouver Island, BC using Canada Post. Due to demand, wreaths, headbands and other items made by Kara are not available for wholesale at this time. Please contact us for more information!

Do you do custom orders?

We are currently closed for custom orders - we are really busy and we don't want to keep you waiting! Sent us a message if you would like to work with us in the future. In the mean time, please read the info below.

HOW IT WORKS: We charge an initial design fee, and if you go ahead with the design, we will take payment in full before the work begins.

TIMELINE: Custom orders typically take one week for design and about three weeks to produce before shipping (depending on the item).

Which postal carrier/courier do you use?

Items ordered on glimpseglass.ca ship from Calgary, Alberta via ChitChats (USPS or Canada Post) within Canada and the US. International orders will use the least expensive service that is tracked, unless otherwise requested. Items ordered fro Glimpse Glass Folk (glimpseglass.etsy.com) ship via Canada Post from Vancouver Island, BC. Flat objects are shipped by lettermail or light packet to save you monies (and sometimes it's even faster!). Please allow 14 business days for your item to get to you once it has shipped. Because we often use lettermail, we don't always have a tracking number. If you need one, please let us know BEFORE we ship. There will be an additional charge if tracking or expediated shipping is required.

PACKAGING: We try to use recycled, recycleable or reused items to ship our products, saving the environment and your pocketbook. We make sure it looks all professional for you, though.

Where is my package?

Good things take time :). We ship within three business days but items can take up to 14 business days to arrive. This timeline may be longer at peak shipping times, like Christmas. Because we often use lettermail for items ordered on Etsy, we don't always have a tracking number. If you need one, please let us know BEFORE we ship. There may be an additional charge for shipping. If your item is missing after 21 business days, we can discuss options. These options may include asking neighbours and filing a police report. A $20 CAD fee will be applied for all orders that are returned to sender due to an incorrect address or other purchaser fault. We want to help, so please shoot us a message!

Will I have to pay duties/customs?

Items ordered on glimpseglass.ca headed to Canada and the US will not be charged duty or customs, as a cross-border service is used. If your item is going across another international border, it is likely you will required to pay customs. All customs/import duties are the responsibility of the customer.

What if my item arrives damaged?

If you receive our product and it's broken, please let us know RIGHT AWAY and send a picture. Even though we take special care in packaging your items, the post office doesn't always take the same care in transporting them. We are happy to replace or refund your damaged order - we may just request you send back the damaged product on our dime. Please send a photo of the box and damaged item.

If you're unhappy, we want to make it right! ... BUT if you've had the product in your pretty hands for more than seven days, we consider it final sale.

Do you offer returns?

We want to make sure you're happy, but because of the costs of shipping we may require the purchaser to pay for the return of the item - depending on the circumstances. NOTE: All sales are final if you've had the item for more than 7 days. If your item is damaged or broken on arrival, we will do our best to make it right for you, please send us a message and a photo of the damaged item and packaging.