Last year, Glassola Tools went on a little road trip to eastern Ontario to meet some of our retail partners. One of our destinations was Stained Glass Stuff in Ottawa. We had never been there before and were excited to meet Kevin and his crew.
The space is absolutely glorious! The entire front of the store has large, south-facing windows that get a lot of sunlight year round, and the windows are filled - of course - with an impressive array of panels large and small.
Inside, Stained Glass Stuff is absolutely packed with everything glass art. Fusing molds, tools (including a Glassola Tools display!), and - of course - so much glass. As a glass artist, just walking in the door is exciting. You might not even notice the huge back area, where big work tables are set up for classes and individual glassmaking.
The store began as a small, narrow retail studio in the neighbourhood of Westboro in 1987. It was started by David Tappin, who had a knack for stained glass and turned his hobby into a full-time business. David’s son Kevin wanted nothing to do with the shop until one day, after university in 1995, he wandered in to make a wedding present for a friend. He never left.
When David retired in 2007, Kevin took over the business and has enjoyed expanding its services and classes to include warm glass as well as stained glass. In December 2021, Stained Glass Stuff moved to their current location in the west end of Ottawa, in the much bigger space. It has lots of free parking, and it’s very easy to get to.
Recently, Stained Glass Stuff also added a Wazer to their equipment. With this new waterjet, they’re making many fun shapes in glass. And they have plenty more ideas for new products and tools for the rest of 2024 and beyond.
One of the keys to the success of Stained Glass Stuff is their staff. They are committed to glass art. They love to help customers pick out just the right glass for their vision, and give them the right professional advice to help them accomplish their projects. When we arrived to talk to them about our tools, the staff were extremely welcoming and very enthusiastic to talk about how customers might want to use them. Alythia, Anita, Bob, Heather, Kelly, Kelsie, Kevin, Ryan, Maureen, Sandra, Talia, and their various guest instructors are all a big part of the store’s popularity.
What started as a tiny retail store with two employees is now a five thousand square foot centre for repairs, classes, and custom work, and a key location for supplies to fusers and stained glassers both in store and online. At the end of every day, you will probably see Kevin filling up his vehicle with lovingly packed boxes of glass and supplies, heading to Canada Post for delivery to customers around the world.
If you’re not in the Ottawa area, you should check out their amazing array of stuff available for online ordering. But if you’re in Ottawa, a stop at Stained Glass Stuff is an absolute must!