Both start from the same photo. The round suncatcher is 15, 20 or 25 cm of leaded stained glass on a brass chain, from $89, made for a window or a wall all year round. The Christmas ornament is a 10 cm bauble of thick translucent glass with a gold cap, $59.99, made for a tree.
What is the difference between the two?
The suncatcher is a flat round of leaded glass for a window or a wall; the ornament is a small thick bauble for a tree. Same photo, same drawing, same hands; a different piece of glass and a different place to hang it.
| Round suncatcher | Christmas ornament | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 15, 20 or 25 cm across | 10 cm |
| Glass | Sheet glass, cut by hand, fired at 1,465°F | Thick translucent glass, cut to the portrait |
| Finish | Hand-soldered brass frame | Gold rim and gold cap |
| Hangs on | Brass chain, in a window or on a wall | Its cap, on a tree hook |
| Background tone | A choice of tones, or Auto | No tone choice |
| Price | From $89 (the 20 cm) | $59.99 |
| Made in | 2–3 weeks, then posted | 2–3 weeks, then posted |
| Season | All year | Christmas, or a window out of season |
When is the suncatcher the better choice?
When the piece is going to live somewhere all year: a kitchen window, a landing, a wall. It is the larger piece, it comes in three sizes, and it throws colour across the room when the sun is behind it.
It is also the piece to choose when the photo matters most, because the round gives the portrait the most glass to be drawn in, and you can choose the background tone to suit the room. For a memorial, the suncatcher is the one to choose: it hangs where they pass it every day. The sizing guide helps with the three sizes, and the hanging guide with where to put it.
When is the ornament the better choice?
When it is for Christmas, or for a tree. The ornament is a 10 cm bauble that hangs from its gold cap among the tree lights, which light it from behind the way a window lights a suncatcher. It is also the lower price, at $59.99.
It makes a good gift for the person who already has a suncatcher, and a good first piece for someone you are not sure about. The ornament has no background tone choice; its background comes from the drawing. Out of season it goes back in its box, or hangs in a window on its cap. The shop also carries ready-made ornaments, cut and waiting, that leave within three to five days when a custom one would arrive too late.
Can I make both from the same photo?
Yes. Each is drawn from the photo on its own, because the round and the bauble are different shapes; make one, then change the product and run the other. Both designs are free until you approve one.
Both go in the bag and out in the same box. Both are made in the same two to three weeks after you approve, by the same two people, and both are signed. If the ornament is for a tree this year and the suncatcher is for the window after, there is no need to decide now: start with one on the create page and come back for the other.
Do they take the same amount of time?
Yes: both are made in two to three weeks after you approve the design, then posted. The drawing takes about a minute for either; the ornament often comes back in about half a minute.
The making is in the same room at the same kiln, so neither jumps the queue. For a Christmas ornament, count back from the day you need it, add the delivery estimate at checkout, and if it is close, message us before you order. How long a custom suncatcher takes sets out each stage.
Questions this leaves
Is the ornament stained glass too?
It is thick translucent glass cut to the portrait, with raised metallic lead lines soldered on, the face hand-painted, and the whole piece polished, under a gold rim and cap. It is cut, soldered and painted by hand like the suncatcher, in a smaller, thicker, rounder form.
Can I put a name on the ornament?
Yes: the same name or text box, up to 20 characters, is on the create page for either piece. It is drawn into the design so you see where it sits before you approve.
Which one is the gift?
The ornament, if it is for Christmas and the tree; the suncatcher, if it is for the window and for every day. If you are unsure, the suncatcher is the piece people keep up all year, and the ornament is the piece people look forward to unpacking.
