Inspiration shows up in all kinds of places…

Not long ago, I was at a friend’s house when something in her landscaping caught my eye: three tulips—tall, white, and almost impossibly perfect. They were simple, elegant, and standing with a quiet confidence that made me stop and take a picture.

Later, I used that photo as the base for a new stained glass pattern. I originally imagined it as a suncatcher—three clean blooms in white glass, rising from a green base. But when I started pulling materials, I didn’t have the right white glass on hand. What I did have was a striking piece of transparent blue COE96 and the perfect shades of opaque yellow and green. Yellow tulips are my favorite anyway, so I shifted gears.

The result? A fused glass tray—long and rectangular—with three yellow tulips reaching up against a clear blue sky. It wasn’t what I originally planned, but it turned into something even better: a piece shaped by a real moment, a bit of spontaneity, and the glass I had on hand.

Sometimes inspiration arrives in quiet details.
And sometimes, it leads to something more lasting than a photo.

The inspiration…

The result…