Design of the Month · December 2005
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"Daisy Mandala"
For me, there's the time before discovering stained glass and the time after. There's also the time before discovering Glass Eye 2000 and the time after…
Before Glass Eye 2000, I would either buy a pattern or draw one by hand based on a favorite picture. Looking for a better way I downloaded the trial version of Glass Eye 2000 and studied the tutorial. By the time I finished the lessons I was capable of making my own designs. Right away I was able to use features like subdividing, reflecting, shape-drawing, crosshairs, etc. I fell in love with this program because it let me make designs I couldn't have imagined!
We started a stained glass webshop in the Netherlands because we wanted stained glass to be affordable to everyone. We started the site with our vacation money and to this day everything we earn goes back into the business. Because we had our regular income to support us (my husband René and I both work in law enforcement) we could offer very low prices.
We sell almost every pattern book there is for stained glass, fusing and mosaic. Every time a customer comes to look at these books, I tell them about Glass Eye 2000 and show them how easy it is to work with it. We have hundreds of patterns we now easily resize to the necessary dimensions, and Glass Eye 2000 lets us evolve the patterns to suit the needs of the customer.
Many customers told me they didn't use Glass Eye 2000 because it was in English, so I started translating the tutorial into Dutch. We have a newsletter for our customers that comes out every six weeks and each edition contains a translated lesson. In Spring 2005 we did an open house and let people see what Glass Eye 2000 can do. We are also a Dutch retailer for Glass Eye 2000, so they could also buy Glass Eye 2000 after the presentation. And they did!
Every time I have an idea to make Glass Eye 2000 even better I write an email to Dragonfly Software. I probably drive them crazy, but they really listen and have actually added some of my ideas to the program. YES! It's great to see your own ideas back in a new update. If you like the blocks in the grid, the automatic selection of landscape or portrait printing, and pasting at the origin of the crosshairs, you might have me to thank!
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In our library I found a book about mandalas. I didn't fully understand their meaning, but I loved the pictures and the book explained how to make a mandala just with circles. I made one in Glass Eye 2000 and here it is for you.
I wish you all much pleasure with Glass Eye 2000 and my pattern.
~ Margriet Pronk
About the artist
Margriet Pronk lives with her husband René and their two children in the Netherlands (Heerhugowaard). René runs the business whereas Margriet prefers the creative tasks: Tiffany windows, fusing, beadmaking, and designing in Glass Eye 2000. She also develops and supports their website as well as a weblog for stained glass and a weblog for fusing (both in Dutch). You may contact her at margriet@stainedglass.nl.
This pattern may be used to make one or more artworks for sale or personal enjoyment. This pattern may be printed for personal use only and may not be sold or given away in printed or electronic form.
Each month we feature a project designed using Glass Eye 2000. Do you have a project to share with the world? Contact Dragonfly Software and your creation might be our next Design of the Month.