
Hi, I’m Suzanne Raffellini...
I'm a glass artist based in Buckinghamshire, and really I do two things: I make beautiful glass, and I help other people discover they're far more creative than they ever believed.
I came to glass later in life, after an earlier career in science — and honestly, that background is part of why I love it. Glass rewards curiosity, patience and a willingness to experiment, which turned out to be exactly the things I'd always enjoyed. From the moment I first cut a piece and held it up to the light, I was hooked, and I've been working with glass ever since.
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What I make
I create bespoke, one-of-a-kind glass art — from traditional leaded work to more experimental fused glass. My first commission was the front door surround for St Michael's and All Angels Church in Amersham, and I've been designing and making pieces for homes, churches and collectors ever since. If you'd like something made just for you, I'd love to hear about it — you can start a conversation on my Contact page. You'll also find a range of unique, ready-to-gift pieces in my online store.
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What I give you as a teacher
This is the part I love most.
My job isn't just to teach you how to cut and lead and fuse glass — it's to gently nudge you out of your comfort zone and show you how much more you're capable of than you think. Most people arrive convinced there are things they "can't do." I take great pleasure in proving them wrong.
I'll ask you questions. I'll set you small challenges. I often begin a class or summer school with a simple cutting exercise — and if I already know you, I might quietly hand you colours you'd never normally choose, just to loosen your grip on the familiar. It sounds like a small thing, but coming out of your comfort zone early, on something low-stakes, changes everything. By the time we get to the creative work, you're already braver, more curious, and far more willing to try.
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That's really what my teaching is about: challenging the preconceptions you have about yourself, and opening up possibilities you hadn't let yourself imagine. Creativity has no age limit, and there's real joy in stretching beyond what you thought possible. I'll be right there alongside you while you do it.
