Window to the Soul
By Durrilion
What does one get the discerning geek who has everything? Are you looking for a unique piece, that stands out for it’s unexpected flair, and yet blends perfectly with its surroundings? Does such a thing exist? It does, and I found it at Amazing Arizona Comicon!
Sporting the latest in Imperial Consulate fashion (with an eye catching Scottish and Danish twist) Michelle and Clara are two of the trio behind Safford AZ based Window to the Soul.
With a background in stained glass repair and restoration, they redirected their talents when the economy tanked several years ago. While doing custom work has its aggravations, it kept them working. One day a client who built a new home wanted a custom piece for his son. He wanted Iron Man. Well that piece was seen by the client’s friends, who in turn commissioned pieces for their homes and offices. That led to doing smaller pieces for clients to give as holiday presents.
This got Michelle and Clara thinking, at all the conventions they attended, they never saw glass. After some discussion with their boss, a test run of several designs was sold at the AZ Ren Faire – after some begging, according to Michelle. Their designs didn’t actually fit the Ren Faire style. Their work was put on a back wall, where no one would see it, unless they were really looking through the shop. No need to get anyone in trouble, right? Michelle said they couldn’t keep up with the demand. One day a director of a comicon (she didn’t say who and I didn’t press) saw them and asked “Why are you not in my show? Can you have a product line in six weeks”?
Currently they are in one show a month with their “Nerd Glass” or “Geek Glass”. To keep things exciting they always ask what people want to see. People want to see something new. With a booth containing 66 different items, they do manage to keep a wide variety of merchandise. Their customers are awed that it’s handmade (every single piece) from real stained glass (many pieces are recycled glass or reclaimed from remnants of other works), and the staff is obviously having a blast. This is how Michelle, Clara, and their boss Chris ( who Michelle says is “always in the way”, like any boss right?) do the convention circuit on their time and money. Chris himself even said Michelle and Clara were the force behind Window to the Soul.
Star Trek, Pokemon, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, there is something from every fandom for geeks. Bonus, they also something for all of our non geek friends and family. Stained glass spiders, hummingbirds, and other little gorgeous bits of precious that will surely delight girlfriends, wives, and or moms who may not always get what we do at con’s.
In addition to the uniqueness of the booth, the team also stands out because they are in ‘uniform’. Everyday of the con, at every con. The group decides what the uniform theme will be for the up coming con season. The Imperial look was for this last one. Talk about both impressive, and exciting! While nothing concrete had been decided, Michelle said the current ideas for the upcoming season were Hydra Officers, or Pacific Rim.
Look for them at conventions, pretty much everywhere, and online at http://www.windowtothesoulglass.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WindowToTheSoul/
