Theme: Heirloom
This heart-shaped stained glass sun catcher was handcrafted by my Aunt Eleanor (ANDREW) Jones at a class she once took, almost certainly in Duncan BC Canada where she lived. Although I don't know what year it was made, I do know that from the start, she intended it to be a birthday present for her oldest sister, my mother Mabel Marion (ANDREW, HENSON) Taylor. She chose a heart because Mom's birthday was on Valentine's Day. The design included leaves and stems and a single flower, probably because Aunt Eleanor loved to garden. So it was a very personalized and appropriate gift, for sure.
After Mom passed away in 2000, I brought this lovely keepsake home with me, and decided it need to be admired rather than stored away in a box. I chose our west-facing dining room window to hang it in, where the afternoon sun could bring its design and colours to life. And it was there every time we looked out the window into our garden. In hindsight, I should have checked the suction cups more often, as one day in 2013 they let go and in the fall, a section of the clear glass was broken. Oh no! I was heartbroken (pun not intended - well, maybe partly intended!) Still beautiful but damaged, I didn't want it to come to further harm. So since then, it's been stored it in a red heart-shaped box to keep it safe. I wish I knew how to repair it, but then again, doing so would remove some of her handiwork which I'm reluctant to do.
I am sad to say that I never confessed to Aunt Eleanor that her beautiful creation had been damaged. She passed away in 2016 without knowing. Yet I still treasure this sun catcher, and her thoughtfulness in creating something so special for my Mom.
After Mom passed away in 2000, I brought this lovely keepsake home with me, and decided it need to be admired rather than stored away in a box. I chose our west-facing dining room window to hang it in, where the afternoon sun could bring its design and colours to life. And it was there every time we looked out the window into our garden. In hindsight, I should have checked the suction cups more often, as one day in 2013 they let go and in the fall, a section of the clear glass was broken. Oh no! I was heartbroken (pun not intended - well, maybe partly intended!) Still beautiful but damaged, I didn't want it to come to further harm. So since then, it's been stored it in a red heart-shaped box to keep it safe. I wish I knew how to repair it, but then again, doing so would remove some of her handiwork which I'm reluctant to do.
I am sad to say that I never confessed to Aunt Eleanor that her beautiful creation had been damaged. She passed away in 2016 without knowing. Yet I still treasure this sun catcher, and her thoughtfulness in creating something so special for my Mom.
A stained glass sun catcher, a gift to my Mom and handcrafted by her sister Eleanor Jones .
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