MANSFIELD – Nikki Noel did not expect a two-hour stained glass class to change the course of her life.
She said the two-hour class grew her love for the craft, even if the load the tools and materials was intimidating. The experience led to buying all the things needed for doing stained glass at home that next week.
“Because that is how I engage,” Noel said. “I have always been creative and created art but never really honed in on any particular medium until I found glass.”
Stained glass art fits in her head in such a way that it feels like it has always been there, she said.
“Because of the way my brain works, I was really driven to learn as much as I could and challenge myself as much as possible,” Noel said.
This led to Noel and her husband, Tim Frey, creating a more inspiring studio space in a renovated 1991 Bluebird School Bus.
Wildflower Studio is located at 3635 Orweiler Rd., about a third of a mile up from The Ohio Bird Sanctuary. The couple positioned her studio to face the forest for all the inspiration she needed.
Before starting Wildflower Studio, Noel was a Licensed Massage Therapist for 11 years, until 2022, when she decided to go full force into the stained-glass business.
Noel said she began feeling the physical long-term wear of being a massage therapist, so she knew a change was on the horizon. But she had no idea what would eventually come to be.
“I shared with my husband that I’d love to create art and teach art, and that I thought we could make a go of it,” Noel said.
“Bringing my husband into this business wasn’t in the original plan, but having him involved has completely changed how we’ve evolved and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Noel said her husband brings an industrial manufacturing background, electrician expertise, and a tenacity to figure out anything.
He runs the glass cutting portion of their business using their Wazer Pro CNC to produce repeatable kits.
Creating a space for everyone
Noel and Frey said they have a strong connection to the community and a deep desire to connect people with each other and art.
She said their business continues to grow organically since its inception, with so many things changing.
“We hope to keep building community, building relationships and to always remain a safe space for those in need. We’re a safe space for all including LGBTQIA and are an ally to those needing alliance and support,” Noel said.
“We have two part-time employees, a couple of folks who help with some production foiling from home and my husband was able to transition to part-time with his employer because of our demand.”
According to Noel, her husband said their business name was obvious.
“You belong among the wildflowers,” Frey said.
“It’s super cheesy and we know it. It’s cool. He always plays that Tom Petty song for me and Wildflower Studio took root.”
She said wildflowers are fitting for them. Along with their studio, they also raise bees on their property and are working every year to reclaim more square feet of grass back to native pollinators so they have an abundance of wildflowers.
Experience a class or one-on-one
Wildflower Studio offers a variety for the community. You can take part in kit classes, which are two to three hours long where you learn to create your own stained glass project. Noel said these are great for bringing a girlfriend, bestie, mom, dad, husband or whomever.
“All of the glass is precut and grinded so you’ll focus on the easier and less messy part of the art,” Noel said.
Wildflower Studio also offers private classes for groups of six or more. In that case, the group gets to choose their own project.
Noel offers one-on-one for folks who want to increase their skill set, learn a new technique, or to have guidance creating new designs together.
“And the art! We create art, lots of colorful art. I love every part of what we do in our studio but creating custom art brings me the most pure joy and satisfaction,” Noel said.
They offer stained glass supplies and precut kits as well as sun catchers and unique art.
Visit, explore and stay connected
Wildflower Studio is open every Tuesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for walk-in business.
Open hours also include the first Saturday of every month for open studio hours where you can buy a precut kit or cut your own glass, and work at your own pace.
“You’ll have needed to take at least one class with us to join us for this option or have experience in stained glass,” Noel said.
Those interested can stay connected with Wildflower Studio by following along on Instagram and Facebook. The website can also be found at https://wildflowerstudio.us/ for more information on booking a class with them.
(Pictures from the Wildflower Studio location. Picture credit: Hannah Martin)
