A few years ago my Maine-Coon, Tiny, decided that a beautifully planted glass terrarium on the shelf was in his way. With one swift shunt of his fluffy bottom, it was on the floor, shattered.

I wanted an old fashioned heavy duty terrarium to replace it (and make it cat proof), preferably with beautiful glass but I was shocked by the prices. Finding a high-quality replacement for "sensible money" seemed impossible. Determined not to be defeated (and missing my terrarium), I decided to make one myself.

That decision changed everything. As I learned to cut the glass, foil the edges, and solder the pieces together, I didn't just fix a problem—I fell in love with the process. I discovered a passion for the way textures and colour in glass can transform a simple design into a piece of living art.