Recently I faced the challenge of making a Border Collie dog in stained glass. This was a special gift for someone who – like all dog lovers – dotes on his precious pooch.

I decided a profile view would be the most effective and set about creating a design that would work. I needed to make it recognisable as a Border Collie dog but also manageable in stained glass.

I thought the black and white of the dog would make a nice contrast with a bold and bright colour. When I set the dog against the strong orange stained glass, it really made a cohesive piece.

I chose to put the dog silhouette against a circle of colour and deliberately set the dog’s nose over the edge of the circle for added interest and a bit of fun. I cut a main piece of white glass for the head and neck and then carefully cut a black piece to solder next to it. Then I cut another black piece to represent the ear and more fur and added that on top. All the glass pieces were cut and then wrapped with copper foil before soldering and blacking the solder to make a contrast with the glass. This layering made the panel quite weighty, but I used a strong wire to suspend it.

The black and white of the Collie against the swirling oranges of the background really make it a statement piece – a perfect gift for a dog lover! And I am pleased to report the recipient was delighted with his special, handmade gift.