What do you do when you need a unique anniversary gift in a hurry? Ask a creative small business owner. To be fair, the man who commissioned this decorated vase was not requesting or expecting me to be able to complete it with just two days’ notice, but I pride myself on offering the best service I can. So when he said his anniversary was on Thursday (and this was Tuesday), I decided to rearrange my plans to try to make this special gift in time for the special day.

He selected the shape of vase he preferred and asked for it to be decorated with purple African daisies and pale pink butterflies. He had seen other examples of vases on my website and liked the leaded strips and freestyle designs I had done in the past.

Luckily, I had the right colours in stock and set about cutting the glass. The daisies took some time as lots of pieces were needed to make all the individual petals for each flower. My standard copper foil was too wide and would have covered up the warm colours of the glass, so I trimmed the edge of the foil strip as I went along, making it narrow enough to show off the glass but wide enough to still take the solder that would hold it all together.

Once all the petals and butterfly parts were copper foiled and tinned with solder, I assembled them at subtle angles to add a sense movement that would look more naturalistic. Wire antenna were added to each butterfly, too.

One of the major benefits of commissioning a gift from a small business is the personal service you receive. Not only can you request your preferred components in the design, but sometimes it is possible to have something bespoke made at the last minute to impress your wife on her anniversary.

I’m not saying that it is always possible to have an artwork made to meet a tight deadline, but I do my best to help all my customers.

When he collected the vase, he was delighted with the finished piece, exclaiming, “Wow! Fantastic! Wicked!” I later heard his wife was equally pleased. It’s great to get such positive feedback from happy customers.

If you have an idea for an exclusive present, do get in touch! I can even post your artwork straight to the recipient with a handwritten message of your choice. That is a truly personal service.