Creative Glass Studios

11/05/2025

Here's a trip down memory lane for me, as a glass artist, just starting out being self employed back in 1987!

the year was 1987 and Ric Raithby had just become self employed at his old Tennyson Street studio in Nottingham. The good old days of hand painted signs before computers took over

23/04/2025

I've been a glass artist for over 40 years. Self-employed since 1987. I moved into a studio in Ilkeston in 1990. In 1993 I rented a shop to sell small glass creations that me and my employees were making.

I've just found an old leaflet from that year, and I recall walking up Bath Street in the town centre, handing out these leaflets to passers-by, trying to entice them to come and buy their Christmas gifts from my shop

22/04/2024

It's not very often I get the opportunity to replace some original acid etching glass from the Victorian era.

I don't use hydrofluoric acid any more due to the health and environmental risks, but this piece is sandblasted onto a pre-etched glass called Satin Ovo. It's not exactly the same tones, but it's the best match I can do, and it is a permanent 2 tone finish.

10/07/2022

Here is a bathroom privacy panel recently completed. The glass has been sandblasted with a wild garden design that allows peepholes and vision from inside to the outside view in total privacy. All that can be seen from outside is the etched design with no view into the bathroom day or night.

10/03/2022

The process of etching then cleaning of the stencil showing the finished panel

10/03/2022

Replacing a broken etched panel above a door

10/03/2022

....and here is the etching process that makes the background of the glass obscure

27/02/2022

This creation is a sandblasted crest using deep and shade etching techniques. The low sun gave it a great shadow and highlights.

15/12/2021

This is a deep sand carved design for a client. The tricky bit was the various levels etched in the coral.