Local glass repairer and artist Susan Morris is seeking funds to open a shop in Rye. Susan is using Crowdfunder, a web service which enables multiple individuals to get together and support a project, to raise the £30,000 that she needs to rent, stock and establish the shop. Susan’s main job is to repair leaded light windows, of which there are many in Rye – see the Mermaid Inn for some beautiful and extensive examples. She also can be found at the craft market Rye Artisans, this Saturday 10am-5pm and once a month at the Conduit Hill Community Centre, selling decorative stained glass gifts and treats.
Susan’s dream is to have a small shop in Rye to use as a base for her repair business, but also to pick up passing trade interested in the craft work. She plans to work in the shop so that customers can see how the items are made. She would also run short courses where people would take home an item that they had made themselves at the end of the day. “I am also planning to rent shelf space in the shop to other artists to display their wares. Many of the other stallholders at the craft market are in the same position as me and would welcome the chance to have a more permanent place to showcase their work”, she told us.
If you would like to support Susan in her project, visit her website www.diomoglass.co.uk. She is offering rewards for pledges, so you will receive a token of her gratitude if the shop goes ahead. Crowdfunder works in an “all or nothing” manner. Unless the full £30,000 is raised within a certain time period (before August 7 in this case), pledges will not be called in.
Photo: Diomo Glass