ABOUT

Who are you?

Glass Art Designs Ltd is a very small business - 95% of the time it's just me (Beckie Cresswell). Sometimes I get help from family or friends to do technical stuff on the website, make the oak stands, run a stall for a few hours or package things up at busy times, but if you get in touch, the reply will be direct from the artist (me!). I try to check for messages at least once every 24 hours on weekdays and will occasionally reply to messages at the weekends, too.

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to work at Ashwood Nurseries, an award-winning traditional plant nursery. I was trusted to care for the national collection of Lewisias and spent long hours in glasshouses caring for beautiful Cyclamen.

I then studied Biology at Aberystwyth before teaching secondary-age students for years. I tried to inspire them with my love of the natural environment, which customers often tell me comes through in my designs.

I'm "Mom" to two fabulous daughters who make me laugh so much. We live with their Dad / my husband and our two rescue dogs at the foot of the Clent Hills. We try to live an eco-friendly lifestyle as much as possible. I've been a vegetarian for much of my life and vegan since 2019.

Privacy & Safety

I love tea and vegan cake - but hate having my photo taken!

Weren't you part of Bug and Belle?

Yes! When I first started selling my glass, I worked together with my sister (Claire) who makes quirky cards. We called ourselves Bug and Belle. Claire really helped to give me the confidence to be able to run a business. We now have slightly different business priorities and operate separately most of the time so the name "Bug and Belle" doesn't really apply any more. You can find Claire's excellent cards via www.littleredcraftroom.co.uk, @littleredcraftroom on Facebook or @little.red.craft.room on Instagram.

Where is your work manufactured?

"Manufactured" makes it sound like my art is made in a factory - it's definitely not! All of the art on this website is made by me in my little studio in Clent, Worcestershire, UK. Please remember that my creations are hand-made so small imperfections are a natural part of the charm that makes them unique. If you want something that's been assembled by a robot then you're on the wrong website!

Can you make me a special design?

Absolutely! Have a look at this page: Bespoke

How long will it take for me to receive my order?

Most items are made individually upon receiving an order. I aim to have orders ready to dispatch in 3-7 days, but this will depend on my kiln-firing schedules as some items require very specific temperatures and cannot be combined with other orders. Curved items/dishes/platters will take a little longer as they require at least one extra firing. If I believe that an order will take more than 10 days to be ready for posting then I'll let you know when I receive your order.

Delivery

If I have an item in stock then it can be dispatched more quickly. There is currently no way to tell from the website whether an item is already in stock or whether I'd need to make it especially for you - so if you need a present quickly and would like to know what I've got in stock, please send me an email letting me know what kind of thing you're interested in and I'll let you know asap what's available.

How about delivery?

I usually send items via Royal Mail, going to the post office twice per week (more frequently at busy times).

Our delivery charges reflect the actual cost of postage and packaging and this will be shown at checkout.

Large letter (Cards / most Jewellery except cuff links)

£2.50 (Royal Mail 2nd class)

or £3.00 (Royal Mail 1st class)

Small parcel (Most of our items eg coasters, unframed glass art, trinket dishes)

£3.50 (Royal Mail 2nd class)

or £4.75 (Royal Mail 1st class)

Medium parcel (Platters, larger glass art in frames)

£6.00 (Economy Courier)

or £6.50 (Royal Mail 2nd class)

or £8.50 (Royal Mail 1st class)

Spend over £75 for free UK Second Class delivery or over £150 for free UK First Class delivery.

You only pay one delivery charge, regardless of the number of items. As an example, if you order some jewellery and a coaster then delivery would be £3.50 (Royal Mail Second Class) because you only pay for the larger item. Items costing over £20 may require a signature upon delivery.

If you are local to Clent (DY8 postcode, DY9 postcode or Romsley) then you can enter "FREELOCALDELIVERY" as a promo code at checkout for free "no-rush" delivery.

I can arrange international shipping - please send me a message to confirm the cost.

I care about the health of our planet, so I use recycled packaging wherever possible; it's economically-sensible, too. This might mean that you see packaging materials having a second life and I will often use scrunched paper as a gap-filler to stop things rattling around. If you've ordered a card it may come in an envelope which is new but made from recycled paper. I do use a small amount of bubble-wrap for delicate items, but even this is re-used. Please try to re-use our packaging again, or recycle it responsibly.

What if there are problems?

I'm proud of having very high standards. I make and inspect all the products myself so it will be extremely rare for something to leave the studio with genuine faults.

Parcels are packaged with great care, but sometimes damage could occur in transit. If an item reaches you in less-than-perfect condition, please let me know straight away (ideally send an email to beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk with a photo or two) and I will arrange for a replacement or refund.

If I need to see the item then I will ask you to send it back to me via Royal Mail and will reimburse the cost of that postage to you. Glass Art Designs Ltd's liability for faulty products will be limited to the initial purchase cost - we will not be liable for consequential loss or damage.

What if I change my mind?

Occasionally, I know that customers may purchase an item and then change their mind. You are legally entitled to do this, but please be aware that I'm left out-of-pocket if you do (I still have to pay for transaction fees). To reduce the chance of this happening, please take the time to look carefully at the images and descriptions on this website before purchasing. Please feel free to ask any questions to confirm your choices before you order.

If you wish to return an item please let me know within 14 days of receiving the delivery by sending an email to beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk You will be responsible for the postage costs involved in returning items. Items must reach me in their original condition within 14 days of you letting me know that you wished to return them. I will then process a refund within a further 14 days. Bespoke or personalised items cannot be returned unless faulty.

Is your website safe / secure?

I don't claim to be an IT guru, but:

if you click on the address bar, you should see that this is an https website. The S stands for secure because details are encrypted. You might even see a little padlock at the top (depending on which browser you're using).
all payments through the website are handled by Wix, Adyen and/or Stripe (depends which payment method you use). These companies are experts in that kind of thing. They meet all of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). I never see any of your card/account details.

How can I pay?

You can pay via this website using:

All major credit cards, such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners and Maestro
ApplePay

If you would like to pay via BACS please send me an email. I can't accept payment via PayPal or cheque. If you are so close to Clent that I'll be delivering your parcel by hand then it may be possible to pay cash - please send me an email to arrange this, rather than placing an order on the website.

How will you use my data?

If you buy from this website, I will use your details to send you the lovely glass you've chosen and keep you informed about the progress of your order.

I use TrustPilot to collect reviews from my customers. To make this happen, my website host (Wix) will automatically send your details to TrustPilot. TrustPilot will then send you a review request (usually about a week after I've shipped your order). I really appreciate your feedback but submitting a review is entirely optional. If there's a problem with your order, please just send me an email so I can start sorting it out straight away - no need to wait for the email from TrustPilot!

When you reach the checkout, you will be asked if you wish to be subscribed to my mailing list. This box will be ticked by default, so you should untick it if you don't want to subscribe. If you agree to be on my mailing list, I'll send you occasional notifications about blog posts, special offers and new products. I promise not to send any more than 50 messages per year (less than 1 per week) but it'll probably be quite a bit less - I hate it when people send me loads of junk emails so I refuse to do it to my lovely customers. If you haven't bought anything from the website yet but would still like to be on my mailing list you can subscribe here. You can leave the mailing list at any time by emailing beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk.

If you'd like more frequent messages from me, please also subscribe to our social media pages: you can find me on Instagram and Facebook as @glassartistuk.

I will never sell or give your details to anyone else. Your details are kept password-protected.

Do you run workshops or classes?

Yes! Please have a look here for details. I run regular classes at a local venue and I'm also happy to run special classes for small groups. These can even be in your own home.

Can I hire some studio space?

I'm afraid not... my studio is a tight fit for one!

Can I hire some kiln time?

I have two kilns and this does mean that I sometimes have spare capacity. You can see more here. Drop me an email to beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk and we can talk about possibilities.

I run a shop and I'd like to sell your stuff...

My products are available in a small number of trusted local retailers. If you are impressed by my designs, please get in touch via email to beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk I'll want to visit your shop to check it out!

I'm running a craft fayre - would you like to come and sell your stuff?

Please drop me an email to beckie@glassartdesigns.co.uk. I aim to do about 30-40 days of face-to-face selling each year. It's important I keep some weekends free to spend time with my family so I prioritise events that are local or higher profile (eg I travel to Malvern for the RHS Show).

I can help you to get a better website / improve your search rankings/ etc

I put my email address published openly on this website so that it's easy for customers to contact me. One of the downsides is that I get lots of emails from "internet experts" who want me to pay them money for their services. I've got to be honest - it's unlikely I'll set aside time to read your emails, so you probably shouldn't expect a reply!

Legal Stuff

glassartdesigns.co.uk is owned and managed by Glass Art Designs Ltd, Woodland Cottage, St Kenelm's Pass, Clent, DY9 9PE.

Glass Art Designs Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 13824722. The company has one director, Beckie Cresswell, who may be contacted at the same address.

The Glass Art Designs flower logo, all product images and text on the site are copyright Glass Art Designs Ltd. Imitation may be a form of flattery, but ripping off my ideas and using my photos is not nice. If you're a glass artist looking to improve then please admire my work but then create something that is uniquely yours.