Prism Patch's Canadian handmade "Honeycomb Bee" suncatcher is an original design. A warm and joy filled window decoration symbolizing community, brightness and personal power. It would be appreciated as a gift by just about anyone including your mother, father, friends and avid gardeners.

Its contrasting colours draw the eye and various textured glasses glitter in the sunlight creating a joyful mood.  The photo does not do this design justice. Detailed attention has been paid to the creation of the bee, by making then soldering on six individually shaped legs and attaching mini jet black crystals for eyes that glitter when light hits them, adding dimension and realism to this busy lady that gives so much to us.

Materials: Stained glass, copper foil. twisted copper wire, black patina, wax, ribbon, gift box

Size: Approx. 14cm x 14 cm (5.5" x 5.5")

I was inspired to create my bee designs after noticing a real decline in the presence of bees in my own community and garden. I felt this could provide natural opportunities for conversation on this topic with my customers and perhaps for them to do the same in their own homes when attention is paid to a bee design.  I have taken personal action by creating a "bee friendly" environment in my yard by not using pesticides, providing a water source and purposefully planting a variety of bee friendly annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that provide pollen throughout growing season such as snowdrops, grape hyacinth, bee balm (Monarda), maple trees, coral bells, cosmos, sunflowers and hydrangeas, in addition to my fruit and vegetable plants. 

Increasing awareness means many people have joined gardeners with the knowledge of the vital role bees and other pollinators play in producing food. Their importance touches our lives every day as the majority of our food world wide and supporting plants depend on a pollinator and bees are the queen of pollinators! They are also vital to plants fed to livestock, as well as to fiber-producing plants, such as cotton. What may come as a surprise is how many types of bees there are.

It was surprising for me to learn that In my home province of Ontario their are 420 different types of Bees! So when you see a bee and it doesn't look like a honey bee, be aware that its role is just as vital. A good example is the squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa).  If they are absent from our landscape it is very difficult to get a good yield from pumpkin and squash crops- we experienced this where we planted our winter squash last year that was not in our  own yard. So lets all do our part to be "bee friendly" and give back to the hard working bee for all she does for us.

*The popular Louis Tiffany construction method of stained glass is made with connective solder that contains lead. Always display out of the reach of children and wash hands after handling it.