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published: Friday, May 20, 2011
Mesmerized
by color
CLERMONT
Mesmerized
by color
ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer
roxannebrown@dailycommercial.com
When Debbie "Dobby" Lacek thinks back to her childhood, she often recalls marveling at the stained glass windows all around the Catholic church she and her family attended in Ohio.
Lacek said there was something about how the light shone through those windows that kept her mesmerized.
"When you're little, you just sit there in awe of those big windows," Lacek said. "The colors, the shapes, the light. They're so beautiful."
Today, Lacek is still in awe of stained glass, and appreciates it that much more since she began creating it herself.
Lacek started dabbling in stained glass six years ago as a "home hobby."
She soon was hooked, and began selling her creations from home and online through e-Bay, Artfire and Etsy. But as business grew, so did her need for more space.
With the help and support of her husband, Mark, she opened Dobby Stained Glass and Candle Shop at 725 West Montrose St. in downtown Clermont.
Now, it's people from all over who walk into Lacek's shop to marvel at her stained glass creations.
"I am the most blessed person in the world. I am doing what I love. Coming into the studio for me is like putting on the most comfortable shoes you can imagine," Lacek said. "I love coming in here. The problem is dragging me out of here."
Dobby moved into her studio/shop earlier this year after finding that her original shop -- opened in July 2010 and located right across the street -- was way too small.
Her new shop, however, suits her perfectly and includes room to expand.
When customers walk through the doors, they will be treated to a colorful display of original stained-glass creations, many of which incorporate a twisted wire technique Lacek has perfected. They'll also find candles, since she considers them the perfect stained glass complement.
Pieces at the store include many original works, including "Three Angels," one of Lacek's personal favorites, and a five-foot American quilt design she just sold and shipped to Alexandria, Va.
There are also ballet slippers, potted cactuses, birds and setting sun pieces, along with handmade candle boxes and birdhouses.
Lacek also makes stained glass side light panels, transoms and corner accents.
"Glass is a product of out earth; its natural ability to mesmerize and capture the true essence of color and light is unmatched," Lacek wrote on her website. "Is there anything more beautiful than a hand made piece of stained glass? The sun streaming through the colors and textures of the glass and sparkling through the bevels ..."
The candles -- in a wide variety of colors and scents that burn for up to 110 hours -- are all Swan Creek Candles made of 100 percent American soybean wax.
"It's such a great product that I couldn't wait to sell it," Lacek said.
If visitors do not find exactly what they are looking for, then a conversation with Lacek -- and a look through more than 3,000 samples featuring various colors, textures and types of glass -- will do the trick.
Lacek said she loves working with customers -- from start to finish -- on custom orders.
"I can work from their designs or designs of my own, but either way, I won't stop until they are happy. It's very hands-on for the customer," Lacek said.
For her stained glass, Lacek uses the Tiffany Foil method, where she hand cuts and hand grinds the glass, applies foil and solders the pieces together.
"It is a very old, traditional process that takes time, but the end result is a beautiful piece of stained glass that will last for generations," Lacek wrote on her website.
Lacek has used the same process since she started working in stained glass. She also restores stained-glass windows or pieces, such as the old windows at the train depot located at the Historic Village in Clermont.
Lacek said six panels were destroyed and required a complete rebuild. Now, they look brand new.
Customers can also watch from the counter as Lacek cuts and creates the glass masterpieces from her work table.
"Some stained glass studios are not so open or customer friendly, but I wanted people to see my creations," Lacek said. "I like the hands-on feel the working studio gives off."
Customers also will be happy to know that the new designs are always being developed, since Lacek never stops thinking about new pieces she'd like to create; not even when she sleeps.
"Sometimes, I get ideas so quickly," she said. "They pop in my head at all times. It even wakes me up in the middle of the night, and I have to get up and write them down or sketch them immediately so I won't forget them. All in all, I hope people find as much pleasure owning these beautiful pieces of glass as I do creating them."
