GlassGardensWhatnot

So Long, 2011!

2012-01-01T21:45:00.003-06:00

I sit here, wondering when I will take down the Christmas tree and decorations. But, there's no time limit, so it will get done when it gets done. I no longer make New Year's resolutions, I make revelations. I realized that I was always pushing myself and staying in a rush for no good reason. No more of that.

There were a couple of nice changes in 2011. We adopted a young male lab/pointer mix as a companion for Gremlin. They are inseparable now and sleep in the same bed much of the time. He has ended up being more like a moose than a dog and eats like one, too.

I also bought a glass kiln. I wanted to move away from stained glass, into glass fusing. So far, I have slumped wine bottles. My next project will be fused glass pendants. I'm ready to learn!

Recycling Bottles

2011-11-19T00:05:00.003-06:00

I bought a kiln this year. I will eventually be fusing glass, but at the recommendation of some of my fusing friends, I have started out slumping wine, beer and liquor bottles. The are really cool! They can be used as snack or cheese trays and beer bottles make good spoon rests.

It has helped me familiarize myself with the kiln. I know that it's going to take 5 hours for the program to run from start to finish. The hardest part is waiting for the kiln to completely cool down so the glass is room temperature. Have to wait until the next morning.

I guess the neighbors think we are lushes, there are boxes of bottles people have saved for us in the garage. The laundry room looks like a liquor store with cases of bottles stacked. At any rate, I'm having fun!

Nashville Zombie Walk 2011

2011-10-12T23:35:00.004-05:00

Parrot Panel Installed!

2011-05-13T15:06:00.003-05:00

I finally finished the parrot panel and it has been installed. It is the focal point of a bathroom in Kentucky. The beautiful glass looks great day and night. This was my final leaded panel, and I am proud of the way it turned out. I painted the parrots' facial features on the glass on both sides. They would have been such tiny pieces of glass, and would have been lost if leaded. The beak of the 2nd parrot is a foiled overlay onto the window. It gives some depth and dimension to the panel.

My next project will be with glass fusing. I just bought my first kiln and although I have a lot to learn about fusing, I am excited about trying something new. I will still make stained glass suncatchers and do some mosaics.

SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!

2011-03-30T10:17:00.004-05:00

On my way home this morning, I saw two dead kittens who had been hit by cars on a remote stretch of road, where they had evidently been dropped. They looked to be no more than 3 months old. It breaks my heart that these little guys never had a chance. I only hope there aren't litter mates still nearby having to fend for themselves.

I get angry when I see abandoned animals. There is no excuse for it. There are low-cost spay and neuter clinics available. All one has to do is call their local Humane Association or animal shelter. In Tennessee, there are several mobile clinics that travel to neighboring counties, as requested. If one can show need, it can be done free of charge.

It is unbelievable how many dogs and cats are being abandoned today. Whole litters of puppies and kittens turned out. Pregnant, old, young, large and small. Even more are being euthanized because the shelters are full. There is no need to bring more animals into the world when there are so many available for adoption. The 3 little girls in the photo are waiting for a home. They were abandoned.

Please, spay and neuter your pets!

Parrot Panel Progress

2011-03-28T15:28:00.002-05:00

I got caught up from my trip and found some time to work on the parrot panel. I got one parrot leaded, which is a little tedious. Pictures help me keep up with my daily progress.

Traveling With A Pit Bull

2011-03-22T22:19:00.004-05:00

I just got back from visiting my youngest son and took my pit bull, Gremlin with me. Her experiences with riding in the car had previously been to the vet or the lake. I was a little nervous about the 2 hour trip and staying away from home for several days. My worries were unfounded. She had the entire back seat of my car to herself, didn't mind being tethered to the seat belt and slept or watched the traffic during the trip. She was the perfect house guest. She didn't mind when we went out and left her alone in the house and didn't bother anything. I am very proud of her.

I took her because I wanted her to meet a 9 month old lab mix named Smokey. He was abandoned at a drive in market when he was just a few weeks old. I saw him last August when he was about 8 weeks old. Boy, has he grown! I think he's a horse pretending to be a dog. He needs some training, but he is sweet and eager to please. He and Gremlin had a ball together, but she wasn't used to playing with a dog bigger than she is. She needs a dog friend and Smokey will be a great playmate. He will be coming to live with us in April.

I still get angry when I hear another "all pit bulls are bad" story. I own a pit bull. I know what they are like, how they behave and how smart they are. Pits love people. Our veterinarian says Gremlin is a perfect example of what a pit bull can be when loved and treated well. I think I will always have a pit bull, now that I live with one. They are remarkable dogs and great companions.

Love Catchers

2011-02-21T21:53:00.003-06:00

I have a friend, Su who has a delightfully creative mind. She comes up with some of the coolest glass creations. She sells her glasswork as Squidglass on ArtFire and Etsy.

Her latest endeavors are fused glass hearts that look like mesh, like they came out of a waffle iron. Now, as I understand it, these are very special hearts. They are love catchers and they capture love and good vibes, but let the heartaches go right on through. Very magical hearts, these are. They come in black, blue, pink and for you traditionalists, red.

I know I love mine!

Granite

2011-02-13T13:54:00.005-06:00

One of my boys works with granite. They fabricate and install granite countertops, backsplashes, fireplace hearths and surrounds and windowsills. The company has weathered the economic slump, but it was rough.

Looking at the growing pile of scrap granite, my son decided to use the sink cut-outs for cutting boards and trivets. Since I already sell my stained glass online, I listed some of his cutting boards in my ArtFire shop. Some are 8 inch square, some are 12 inch and there is a 4 inch trivet. Each one is 3/4" to 1 inch thick and all have plastic or felt "feet". They are heavy and the weight makes shipping out of the US too expensive. They are only available in the continental US and are shipped in Priority Mail boxes. My ArtFire shop is www.artfire.com/users/GlassFancy

I have had one of these cutting boards in my kitchen for awhile and absolutely love it. It's not going to scoot around and is going to last forever. I have another that I use under a large planter, to keep it off the carpet. Works great and looks nice! Recycling these granite scraps is a great idea.

Made Up My Mind

2011-02-12T13:50:00.004-06:00

After thinking about and considering my alternatives, I have decided to cut back on my stained glass work. I will be concentrating more on the mosaics. For the past year, I have been having problems with arthritis in my hands. Some days I can barely make a fist and the affected fingers ache like they've been whacked with a hammer. It is especially bad in the winter after I've been out in the cold. Foiling glass is almost impossible when my hands are stiff and I am not satisfied with anything but my best.

I will still make my 3D butterfly plant stakes and some of the snowflakes with the bevels. No more small suncatchers with tiny pieces and absolutely nothing with foiled marbles or glass nuggets. My thumbs hurt just thinking about foiling a marble!

At first, I was disappointed. Then I was angry that the only joints with arthritis are in my hands. I wasn't ready to admit it was time to move on to something I could manage. I'll admit I haven't made much for about a year. But, I'm ready to move on and take another direction.

I have completed the pattern for a stained glass panel for a friend's birthday in March. It's two parrots in the jungle and will look great in his bathroom window. Sort of my last hurrah in stained glass.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:07:00.003-06:00

Goodbye, Briley

2010-11-18T20:27:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Eve, fourteen years ago, some cold-hearted, sorry excuse of a man tossed a 6 month old puppy out of his truck, onto the median of Briley Parkway and drove off. My brother happened to see it happen and quickly stopped and grabbed the puppy and took him to my parents' house. This little guy was appropriately named Briley. He looked like a miniature golden retriever, was very scared and shy. He was terrified of the broom and of men in uniforms. He seemed to be content and loved to chase tennis balls in the backyard. He stayed with my parents for 4 years, until my mother passed away in 2000. I took him home with me when my father sold the house.

Briley adapted well to becoming an indoor dog after spending 4 years outdoors. Of course, he needed a bath if he was going to stay inside. He quickly learned that baths made him feel good, so he would hop into the bathtub for me. After he was dried and brushed, he went to the cabinet where his treats were. He always knew when he had been good.

He was my constant companion. He followed me around the house, standing guard at night at the foot of the bed. He watched from the deck as I cut the grass. He loved walking around the block and pranced with his chest out and head held high. He was so grateful and happy.

Four years ago we noticed he was slowing down a bit and sleeping a lot more. My husband brought home a stray 6 month old American pit bull puppy that had showed up at his workplace. Briley was intrigued, and quickly decided he wanted to impress this little girl. He showed Gremlin the ropes and they became fast friends. They were always together, exploring the backyard, napping on the deck, play wrestling. She was just what he needed to perk him up and get him moving again. Age finally caught up with him this past year.

Almost deaf, going blind, arthritis so bad he could no longer navigate stairs, Briley was struggling to do anything. He tried so hard, and it was hard to watch. For all the love and companionship he gave us, we owed him a peaceful, dignified end. It would be selfish to allow him to get worse, maybe suffer pain. My heart is broken, but my sweet little guy is at peace. It was the last thing I could do for him.

Bobtail Babies!

2010-09-21T14:15:00.004-05:00

It's been a year since I began volunteering with New Leash On Life and helping take care of the cats up for adoption at PetSmart in Providence Place. I've even adopted Sabrina, a beautiful black cat.

One of the other volunteers recently found a pregnant female cat and her 6 kittens abandoned on the side of a busy road. They came right up to her so she took them home. She took them to the vet, had them check out and all have been spayed and neutered. The kittens are 5 months old and all but one have bobtails. The mother is also a bobtail. I am fostering 2, actually 1 because I'm keeping Bubby, the grey/black tabby. Dawn (who found the kittens) and I are being picky about who gets these little guys. There will be no charge for them, but they must be kept indoors.

Bubby and Milo, who is white with a grey striped patch on his head, have been here for a week and a half and are just adorable. No trouble at all, they are very well mannered. I took them for their booster shot yesterday and both weigh 6 pounds. I may end up keeping Milo if he's not adopted soon. UPDATE: I'm keeping Milo too, and his new name is Bunny!

I have to wonder what kind of a person would abandon a cat and kittens beside a busy road. Do they sleep at night?

Briley, the old guy.

2010-05-29T10:43:00.002-05:00

Briley is getting old. He is 14 years old. He had a close call this past week. I thought he had a stroke because he couldn't get up and kept leaning to the left. I had to help him walk by holding him up with a towel under his midsection. He has always stayed near me and was still trying to follow me around in the house. His eyes jerked back and forth all the time and his head swayed even when he was laying down. I took him to the vet yesterday expecting to be told it was time to put him to sleep. I had tried to tell myself I had to let him go.

Briley is still with us today. The vet asked if he was still eating and relieving himself, and said we ought to give the old guy a chance. Briley is suffering from vestibular syndrome, which is a common ailment in old dogs. Dr. McCormick said it's like being on a carnival ride, spinning round and round, without stopping. We're trying him on medication for 5 days.

This morning, Briley's eyes are not jerking back and forth. He is still wobbly and needs to be carried down the steps. I had to hold him up with the towel while he peed. He stood on his own while he ate and got up to get a drink of water by himself. Right now, he is in his usual spot beside me. He is able to lay down comfortably and actually sleep.

I am grateful that Briley is still here. Making the decision to euthanize a beloved pet is one I hope I never have to make again. Briley had a rough start in life. He was rescued by my brother as a six month old puppy tossed from a truck on a busy highway. My parents had him for 4 years, until my mother passed away. I brought Briley home with me and he went from being an outside dog to living indoors. He made the transition very easily.

Briley has been my guardian and companion for the last 10 years. He has always protected me from male strangers, but loves women. He sleeps in his bed near my bed. He has always been eager to please and seems so grateful for the attention. Wherever I go, he is shadowing me. I will never be ready to let him go, but when it is his time, I hope he goes peacefully in his sleep.

The Bluebird House

2010-05-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

We've always had bluebirds passing through the neighborhood. I've seen them waiting on the phone lines to fly down and catch insects stirred up by lawn mowers. Last year we put up a bluebird house at the back of the property line. We mounted the cedar house on an aluminum fence post to keep squirrels from climbing it. The only thing that tried to nest in it was the house sparrows. I did see a bluebird go inside, but no nest.

This spring I cleaned out the trash the sparrows brought in almost daily, until last week. I opened the nest box and noticed a neat nest constructed of pine needles from my garden. I kept my eye out to see what kind of bird was building this nest and soon saw a bluebird with a mouthful of pine needles lighting on the box. Another quickly lit on the top of the nest box. They are fiercely guarding their nest. A bluejay lit on the top and was attacked by the bluebird pair.

As I sat on the deck watching the pair yesterday, one dove from the oak tree to hover directly in front of me. I noticed a big caterpillar on the railing and moved it a little farther away from me. The bluebird came back and grabbed the caterpillar.

Just now I saw her fly into the next box with pine needles and now he is standing guard on top of the box. I hope they succeed!

Welcome Sabrina!

2010-03-10T16:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I adopted Sabrina at PetSmart. She is a small, solid black cat. Sabrina had been at PetSmart for over a month and had been there even before Miss Kitty got sick and had to be put to sleep. We have always had more than one cat, at one time we had four.

Sabrina is a different cat now that she's here. She was so happy checking out the rec room and laundry room yesterday. She has the whole couch to herself and has lots of room to roam around. Even a window ledge to sit on and watch the birds outside. She will get to come upstairs in a few days after she has had time to acclimate. I am introducing her to Randy slowly. He's not pleased with me right now.

I got a nice email from the lady who had rescued Sabrina last year. It seems Sabrina's owner had left her at the apartment complex when they moved. She didn't get along with her rescuer's cat, so they took her to the New Leash On Life shelter where she ended up at PetSmart. I think I'm lucky to have found her.

Goodbye, Miss Kitty

2010-02-18T15:19:00.003-06:00

Today has been a terrible day. I had to have my beautiful grey tuxedo cat, Miss Kitty, put to sleep this afternoon. She has been sick since last week when she suddenly stopped eating. I took her to the vet last Friday and she was already jaundiced - the inside of her ears and mouth were yellow. She was being tube fed but she was anemic and her liver was failing. After talking with the veterinarian this morning, we decided that she wasn't going to recover. I spent some time with her and held her, she even managed to purr for me. But she could barely hold her head up. I know I did the right thing, but I still feel awful.

Miss Kitty was my diva cat. She was picky about who touched her and you always had to let her smell your hand first. She had the prettiest, slender "girl" feet. She had been abandoned by her owners, who moved off and left her when she was barely a year old. She chose us and I could not resist those gold eyes looking up at me begging for food. She lived like a princess the 10 years we had her. Rest in peace, my pretty girl.

A Gift for Gremlin

2010-01-28T22:33:00.003-06:00

A few years ago we rescued a stray female American Pit Bull Terrier puppy. She was about 5 months old at the time and was starving. She has turned out to be one of the greatest dogs we have ever had and loves everybody. She gets along with our old retriever mix, Briley and both the cats. We have spoiled her rotten.

Last week I bought her a pink leopard print nylon martingale collar. It's a little more girly than the black martingale she's been wearing. I got it today and it is really nicely made and should withstand her strength when she walks with me. The collar was made by Big Doggy Bling and you can get all kinds of collars in a wide variety of designs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/BigDoggyBling

Gremlin loves her girly new collar!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:11:00.003-06:00

The year 2010 is upon us. A new year and a new decade. I'll happily put the last decade behind me. About the only good things that came out of it were Duane & Nita getting married, Greg got his life together and got married. We welcomed Amber into the family. I reunited with a childhood friend and I met several glass artists online that have become great friends. One personal triumph was quitting smoking.

I lost my mother and mother-in-law within 3 months of each other in 2000. My last grandparent passed away. I saw another side to some relatives and didn't want to see anymore. I learned to accept things for what they are, I can't help someone that doesn't want help.

Making resolutions usually don't work for me. So I'm just going to continue to take care of myself physically and mentally. I can do that and hope that this decade will be much better than the last.

An Unpleasant Task

2009-12-31T20:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had the unpleasant task of burying a beautiful cat that was allowed to roam and got hit by a car. I saw it happen. Since the cat wandered all over the neighborhood, we have no idea who it belongs to. But under the circumstances, I doubt if the owner cares anyway. I don't think they deserve to know.

The man who hit it was just going to leave the cat laying there, but I thought that was awful, so I got a box and buried the poor thing in my backyard under the forsythia where it always watched birds.

I'm still upset about it because it didn't have to happen if the cat was kept indoors. There are too many predators and dangers to allow pets to roam. No excuses.

Christmas Open House at the Two Rivers Mansion

2009-12-01T12:35:00.002-06:00

The beautiful Two Rivers Mansion in Donelson, TN (next to McGavock High School)will be open this weekend for Christmas. Area florists are decorating the parlors and hallways downstairs and there are several of us upstairs that make and sell handmade jewelry, pet items, stained glass and other things. Refreshments are served in the dining room.

I will be there with my stained glass, glass mosaics and gemstone jewelry. If you are in the area, I hope to see you there!

CGGE Gift Guide

2009-11-23T16:55:00.003-06:00

The Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) has set up a gift guide at http://cgge.org/shop.aspx for your convenience. It is filled with all kinds of glass items!

Azaleas Blooming In November???

2009-11-17T00:27:00.002-06:00

Two years ago I relandscaped in front of the house and planted 6 Encore Azaleas. They have done really well and had a few blooms last fall. They were really pretty in April, but have put on a show this fall. The plants are covered in salmon pink blooms and have lasted about a month. Encore azaleas are definitely worth the extra cost!

I'm a Cat Lady!

2009-10-11T23:25:00.005-05:00

I've always been an animal lover and have adopted or found homes for many stray cats and dogs. Right now there are 2 onery cats and 2 dogs in my pack. It breaks my heart to see the photos in the local newspaper of the adoptable cats and dogs in the area. Two weeks ago I noticed the New Leash On Life rescue organization needed volunteers to help care for the cats they have at the local PetSmart. I went Friday night to learn the ropes and I think I'm really going to enjoy this. I start this week, two mornings a week I'll be feeding and cleaning the kitty condos for the kitties waiting for their forever homes.

It can't be fall already!

2009-09-22T22:00:00.005-05:00

Today was the first day of fall and I am not happy about it. Fall means winter is coming and I don't like winter either. I'd rather be outdoors. There is always yardwork to do in the spring and summer. If I don't have dirt on my knees and under my fingernails, I'm not happy.

Now I get to look forward to chores like ripping down old wallpaper and painting the hallway with 9 doors/doorways. Some of the ceilings are looking drab too. Nothing to get excited about.

I've been looking at some of the photos I took of my daylilies and other flowers and don't want to even think about cleaning up the acorns and leaves that will begin falling soon.

Ok, I'll admit I'm coming down with a cold and feel like poo. Sorry about that!

Getting Ready For the Christmas

2009-09-17T22:16:00.003-05:00

Although I'm not quite ready to start thinking about Christmas, I have started listing Christmas items in my ArtFire and Etsy shops. I have a lot of Christmas suncatchers or ornaments. The smaller ones make great package tie-ons.

Designs With Attitude

2009-07-13T22:16:00.010-05:00

I purchased the most beautiful fused glass pendant. The minute I saw it, I knew I had to have it. The pink flamingo did it for me and I have gotten compliments on it every time I've worn it.

Cindy Valenzo has shops on ArtFire, Etsy and Ruby Lane. She makes some of the most gorgeous fused glass pendants around. Her classic designs are timeless. We are fellow members of the GlassAnarchy and I know she always has something in the kiln. I really don't think she sleeps. She has created a niche of her own and is one of my favorite internet friends.

There are many imitators, but they can't compare their work to the master. http://www.artfire.com/users/Designswithattitude
http://www.ccvalenzo.etsy.com

Learning Something New

2009-07-05T01:49:00.002-05:00

I recently bought a bottle cutter and spent some time scoring and breaking out the bottles. Beer bottles are good to practice on but I've already found that the clear bottles break cleaner and on the score line than the brown bottles. A few broke way off, but I did get the hang of it. It took a few tries to know how much pressure to apply with the cutter. Tapping the score line took a bit of finesse because the rod you use to tap is from inside the bottle.

The main reason I was interested in cutting bottles was to make windchimes. I made one for my son and daughter-in-law with Landshark beer bottles to hang in their Tiki bar.

My Junkyard Dog

2009-06-18T15:40:00.002-05:00

June is a busy month because we have 3 birthdays. Last weekend we celebrated all 3 at once. My birthday was June 12th and I got some awesome sandals (it's nice to have a son who works at Zappo's), the 4th season of Rescue Me and a dog made out of scrap auto parts. The best part was having the whole family together.

I need to learn to weld so I can make the junk sculptures!

Just Fooling Around

2009-06-04T23:04:00.004-05:00

Today was dreary and cool. Instead of wasting it, I went downstairs to my studio and made a suncatcher using a potmelt a friend had sent me. Sometimes I just like to see where the glass is going to take me. I found several pieces of scrap glass that matched the colors in the potmelt and laid them out on my workbench. I may have to trim an edge or two, but it mostly just fits together like puzzle pieces. Working with a pattern was just too tedious today. So, this one is for my friend Nancy.

2009-05-26T22:07:00.002-05:00

Check out my new collage!

Get my collage or Create your own

http://artfireshops.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=114

For My Mom

2009-05-10T10:40:00.003-05:00

My Mom and I were very close. We could talk about anything. I miss that. She always loved peonies and when mine would bloom, I would take her a big, fragrant bouquet on Mother's Day. She's been gone for almost 9 years but I still pick a big bouquet of peonies and put them in a vase and wish her a happy Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Time To Rant

2009-05-08T16:34:00.003-05:00

I am becoming more irritated every time I grocery shop. Recently I noticed that the Nutri-Grain cereal bars that I have eaten for breakfast for several years have shrunk to 1.3 ounces. The wrapper is still the same size as it's always been, the bar is just 2 inches shorter than it used to be. Same goes for toilet paper. The rolls are 1/2 to 1 inch shorter than they used to be. Check the next time you put a roll on the roller. It looks stupid with all the extra space. A pound of coffee has shrunk to 12 ounces. Potato chip bags are half full and puffed up with air. Cereal boxes are twice as tall as the bags of cereal in them.

Do the manufacturers think consumers are stupid? We are getting half as much for twice the price. If toilet paper wasn't so expensive, I'd look up some of the CEO's of these companies and roll their houses.

Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder

2009-05-04T16:51:00.004-05:00

I recently bought the most gorgeous fused glass hummingbird feeder. I am always on the lookout for unique garden items and this was absolutely perfect! It is made by GloriousGlassGarden on Etsy. She also makes fused glass birdbaths that are to die for!

Is This Dogwood Winter?

2009-04-15T11:29:00.002-05:00

Just when it seems like winter is over, we get another cold spell and the sun disappears for a day or two. My dogwoods and tree peony are in bloom which coincides with the current cold temperatures. Right now it is still 46 degrees and it's almost noon. I was hoping to buy bedding plants next week, but unless it warms up, I'm going to wait. There is nothing worse than having to move all my pots to the pool shed or cover them.

Soap Carving - A Lost Art?

2009-02-25T15:09:00.006-06:00

I have always felt my paternal grandmother was probably the biggest influence on my creativity. She was truly an artist in her own right. We stayed with her when we were kids while our parents worked, and she always had art projects ready for us. She recycled materials as far back as the 60's, seriously! Even though she was only 4'10" tall, she was a little bundle of energy. She was always working on something.

One of her many talents was soap carving. Ivory Soap made huge bars and she would buy them and store them in dresser drawers to "age". She had a tiny penknife that she used to carve the aged bars of soap. She carved a nativity scene that had about 70 pieces. A display case for it that was covered with navy blue velvet. She also carved a wedding party with the bride, groom and their 6 attendants. Both groups were entered in the state fair during the 40's and 50's. I have the blue ribbon for the bridal party from 1947. I also have the bride and groom. The detail she captured was amazing and her sense of scale was spot on.

The soap has aged to a yellowish patina and it is a bit crumbly. The bride and groom are all that is left. I am afraid the photos of the complete sets are long gone. For posterity's sake, I have photographed it before it is gone. I don't think you can even get the huge bars of Ivory soap anymore.

I Shop When I'm Bored

2009-02-21T21:10:00.007-06:00

Why is it I always complain that I never have time to just sit down and do nothing, then when I HAVE to stay off my feet, it drives me crazy? I had foot surgery this past Wednesday to fix the toes I messed up wearing high heels. I was in constant pain and decided it was time to do something about it.

Now that I have so much time on my hands, I've been doing some browsing and window shopping. My wish list has grown considerably. A few of the new additions to my list are shown above.

I noticed that one of my online friends can do anything she sets her mind to. Linda, also known as Papernclay makes fused glass jewelry. She also makes polymer clay pieces. Her watermelon beads were awesome! She does origami and can make a crane out of your wedding invitation. Recently she started learning lampworking and I am in awe of the beautiful beads she has made already. People like Linda inspire me to try new things. You can find Papernclay at Etsy.com and ArtFire.com.

Glass Anarchy's Got the Blues!

2009-02-12T17:03:00.001-06:00

Signs of Spring?

2009-02-12T16:13:00.002-06:00

We have gotten a break from the cold, dreary winter weather this past week. It has been in the 60's several days. I have opened windows to let the house air out. Today I was walking the dogs around the yard and discovered crocus already blooming. There are also some daffodils showing color that should be blooming by next week.

I am not a winter person, so this has been invigorating. I've already tilled the garden to get it ready for onions in a few weeks. The garlic I planted last fall is doing well and there is still sage, oregano, thyme and rosemary that survived.

A Day To Spend Outdoors

2009-02-07T10:43:00.003-06:00

This is already a wonderful weekend. Temperature is in the 60's, the ground has thawed enough to till the garden and set my onions out. It doesn't matter what else I should be doing, I'll be outside all day.

I came across an interesting blog the other day. http://paprikasperch.blogspot.com
She contacted me because she was featuring one of my butterfly plant stakes in the blog. Her jewelry shops are http://paprikasplace.etsy.com and http://baciscreations.artfire.com I love the heart necklace (pictured).

All You Need Is Love...

2009-01-30T16:36:00.003-06:00

Well, not really, but it's a cool song. I've made some Valentine's Day items and had fun by not doing such traditional fare this year.

Gemstone Bracelets

2009-01-17T00:47:00.004-06:00

I've started listing some gemstone bead bracelets on ArtFire and Etsy. I had built up quite a stash of beads even after I made some earrings and bracelets for myself. I have jade, quartz, amethyst, mother of pearl, jasper, turquoise and garnet. The rutilated quartz is one of my favorites but I love the amethyst and mother of pearl too.

A Rose Is a Rose....

2009-01-08T16:24:00.002-06:00

The holidays always take me away from my glass studio. I always know when I've been away from glasswork because I start dreaming about designing new projects. I have several potmelts made by Linda Hartman of Papernclay. One in particular has fascinated me because it looks just like a red rose embedded in the glass. I made the suncatcher with the potmelt, just like I dreamed. It is framed by diamond bevels and scarlet cathedral glass. It felt good to be back at my work bench once again. My rose suncatcher is listed on ArtFire.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-23T14:12:00.003-06:00

Christmas is almost here, I have run myself silly and still have a million things to do. I haven't gotten gifts wrapped but I have finished grocery shopping. We have so much food in the house I had to bring the cooler upstairs and store some of the extra stuff in it. All the boys (and girls) will be here and the house will be full. That's all I need for Christmas.

I saw a young father on television a few weeks ago, who was at the unemployment office signing up. He had gotten laid off and was so upset that he laid his head on the table and cried during the interview. He and his wife had 2 young children. It tore me apart. No one should go without at any time of the year. I have tried to be as generous as possible with charities especially this year. So many people are out of work already, Christmas presents don't really seem that important to me.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope that you enjoy spending time with your family and friends.

You Never Know

2008-12-07T22:02:00.012-06:00

This weekend I was one of the vendors at the Two Rivers Mansion Open House hosted by the gracious Stones River Women's Club. I was invited by my neighbor who is a member of the club. This was my first time there so I wasn't sure what to expect. Several vendors were no-shows, so there were only 4 of us on the 2nd floor of this fabulous 1850's mansion. I don't think I have ever met so many nice people at an event, which was the smallest I had been to this year but well attended. I sold more stained glass this weekend than I have all year. Several of my more expensive pieces sold this weekend. And I discovered that I have been targeting the wrong age group. My daughter-in-law helped me Saturday, which was really special. When she married my son, their wedding reception was held at the Two Rivers Mansion (see the photo), so we both loved being there again.

The downstairs parlors and main hallway were decorated by local florists. They were serving punch or hot spiced tea and cookies in the dining room. The upstairs vendors got the broken cookies and they didn't last long! I had so much fun and have been invited back next year.

Reflections of My Life

2008-12-02T22:08:00.006-06:00

I just heard that song by Marmalade and it seems relevant to the thoughts that I always have as the year ends. This year has been a wild ride. Some crazy stuff has happened. Like twisting an ankle chasing a dog, falling and ending up having surgery. Of course, ignoring the injury and continuing to plant 24 (5 gallon) shrubs and shoveling 2 trailer loads of mulch didn't help, either. My very first surgery. But the recovery was quick, but it did teach me that taking a break is an option. I don't have to do everything right now, this minute. I truly enjoyed the summer because I did slow down. And I did get the front yard re-landscaped, all by myself.

There were frustrations - the jet ski still doesn't run right even after $300 worth of repairs. We had some successes - our house is now paid in full! We had our physicals and are healthy. That is a relief! Something to look forward to - I found a new site to sell my stained glass on, Artfire, which is shaping up to be very promising. In 6 months we will be debt free. Dave Ramsey will be proud. Married for 35 years, now that's a milestone!

All in all, this year hasn't been bad, even with the recession. I'm a friggin' genius because I said a year ago we were in a recession! But, I am truly thankful for what we have. We have worked hard for a long time. And even though our boys have gone their separate ways, we are still close. It's been a pretty good year. And I feel very fortunate.

Merry Christmas!!

I'm Featured Artist!

2008-11-14T00:13:00.005-06:00

I am this month's featured artist on the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy's website, http://cgge.org/spotlight.aspx which is pretty cool.

Today I signed up as a verified member of ArtFire. My URL is http://glassfancy.artfire.com/ and I am very optimistic about it. It is a well put together site, easy to navigate, the search works and best of all - administrators listen and respond to your questions or problems. I love it! ArtFire is new, but it's learned from other ecommerce sites' mistakes.

New Listing, Already Sold

2008-11-12T00:07:00.004-06:00

I had made several stained glass business card holders in some textured glass in great colors recently. I listed a pretty blue one Tuesday afternoon and it sold in about an hour. The green one has been listed but I've still got 3 more. Maybe I'm on to something.....

Christmas Shopping

2008-11-10T16:37:00.002-06:00

Today I officially started Christmas shopping. I have been looking for the Wii Fit Bundle locally, but every time I saw it advertised somewhere, they were sold out the next day. I got lucky and Target still had 3 and it was cheaper than eBay even. That was my difficult gift this year, now I am relieved.

I have been watching several Cardinals come around every afternoon around 4:30 to check out the birdfeeders. They are my favorite birds, very elegant and always stay in groups. I think I'm going to make myself a Cardinal suncatcher for my window. I haven't made anything for myself lately and it's about time I did.

Heading Home

2008-10-20T10:27:00.003-05:00

I am still in Elizabethtown, KY as I type this. My visit with my youngest son has been wonderful as usual. The Glendale Crossing Festival on Saturday was well attended, but people were not buying much. I did ok. Food vendors were doing well, but even the vendors who had been there for years said they didn't sell as much this year. The poor economy has definitely got people pinching pennies.

It has been worth it to spend time with Daryl. He's got a black lab puppy he named Pepper. So I guess I have a new grand-doggie. She is adorable.

Herb Garden

2008-10-13T14:48:00.002-05:00

I have had a small herb garden for four years. I only planted what I knew I'd use. I have rosemary, chives, dill, oregano, thyme, basil and sage. I planted it right in the middle of our vegetable garden and have used it regularly. There is nothing like fresh rosemary and oregano marinade on grilled chicken. My sage plant was several years old and met an untimely demise being trampled by a neighbor's horse of a dog. Today I went and bought 2 new sage plants, some lemon thyme and Greek oregano. I trimmed back the existing plants and planted my new ones. I also planted some garlic. It takes awhile to mature, but well worth the wait. I had to replace the sage. What would Thanksgiving be like without fresh sage in the dressing?

There were some decent sized green tomatoes left in the garden, so I picked four for fried green tomatoes tonight with our dirty rice. And then again this Saturday, when I'm in Kentucky for the Glendale Crossing Festival, I can get a plate of fried green tomatoes from the Whistle Stop Cafe!

I Won! I Won!

2008-10-12T22:03:00.004-05:00

The Chainmailler's Guild of Etsy recently had a contest on their blog called Linked to the Sea at http://chainmaillersguild.blogspot.com/ and I voted for my favorite. It was a difficult decision because I love chainmaille and there were a lot of beautiful entries to choose from. There was a drawing from the voters and I won a fabulous chainmaille cross keychain made by C&T Designs. I love it!

Rain

2008-10-07T11:54:00.002-05:00

It is raining today. For the first time in quite awhile. It was getting old dragging the hose and sprinkler around the yard. The grass is pretty much gone, so is the garden. I did manage to get some bell peppers to freeze this year and there are still a few hanging on. I think there are enough green tomatoes for a nice plate of fried green tomatoes. Today is a good day for rain. I need to get in my studio and make more suncatchers to take to the Glendale Crossing Festival in Kentucky next weekend. My fingertips are cut to shreds and my fingernails are ground to nubs, but I'm keeping up the pace.

I Love Surprises!

2008-09-09T21:48:00.003-05:00

Our yard is full of flowering plants and shrubs that I have planted over the years. The other day I saw a cluster of spider lilies that had popped up in the flower bed by the sidewalk. I had totally forgotten about them because they don't have leaves and only bloom in late August or early September. My grandmother used to have them and I always thought they were pretty. They are hard to find now and not cheap, but they multiply quickly so it's definitely worth it. I had even forgotten I had stuck some of the bulbs out in the bed by the mailbox when I relandscaped this spring.

I'm Camera Shy

2008-08-22T12:31:00.004-05:00

Not really, I'm usually the one behind the camera taking the pictures. Last weekend when I visited my youngest son in Kentucky, that wasn't the case for a change. This is the only one I'm not embarrassed to show. FYI-I'm the one on the left!

Proud of myself

2008-07-27T10:56:00.002-05:00

After my hard drive failed on my laptop early this year, I have been paranoid about losing all my pictures, music (I had uploaded all our CD's onto my media player) and documents once again. Our youngest son is the computer nerd in the family and talked me into buying an external hard drive. I bought it last month and have been afraid that I wouldn't be able to figure it out. Last night I decided I would get it over with. It took 5 hours, but I got everything I wanted to keep safely backed up.

When Daryl was in town last weekend he told me that I knew a lot more about computers than I thought I did and that I knew more than him in some areas. How'd that happen?

From the Glass Anarchy Garden

2008-07-21T15:49:00.002-05:00

Glass Anarchy has launched our latest range of garden glass. The anarchists have put together a range of glass inspired by or for your garden. The colors found in natural plant forms are so vibrant and luscious that they are a brilliant source of inspiration for glass artists. Glass Anarchy invites you to browse our own Glass Garden and treat yourself to a quality glass gift.
From hibiscus to daisies, butterflies and bees, Glass Anarchy has a range of beautiful pendants, earrings and more designed to delight the discerning customer.

Glass Anarchy is a group of glass artists who like to challenge themselves. We think a little left of center and love to try new designs and techniques. All are accomplished artists in their particular type of glass work, and feel a need to push ourselves to the limits. This need has created an atmosphere of encouragement for each other.

Here is the link to the Glass Anarchy colors from the garden:http://www.glassanarchy.com/Defaultgarden.aspx

Not Very Practical, But Fun

2008-07-15T22:32:00.006-05:00

We have always been hotrodders and I guess we always will be. Sitting in our garage right now is this gorgeous 1955 Chevy. It's sitting there for two reasons: no air conditioning and it only gets about 10 miles per gallon of gas. I still love it though. And I will start driving it around close to home again when it cools off a bit. I don't think people expect a little, middle aged woman to get out of that car.

My Boys

2008-06-24T15:53:00.003-05:00

I've been slowly reloading some pictures back onto my computer. When my hard drive crashed in February I had a lot of family pictures that I had scanned. It is a pain to have to scan them again, but it can be done. Luckily I have a disk of the wedding pictures and some were on Flickr.

I came across one of my favorite pictures of our boys that was taken 2 1/2 years ago when the oldest got married. All I can say is, what a nice looking group of guys!

Butterflies in the Garden

2008-06-21T11:24:00.004-05:00

Since I have been making stained glass suncatchers, I have made some on copper stakes to put in my flower garden and pots. I have birds, flowers, rabbits and butterflies. Recently I made two 3D butterflies and listed them on Etsy. The blue butterfly is the most awesome shade of blue, like the sky on one of those absolutely crystal clear days. The other butterfly is orange with streaks of yellow that shows up beautifully in strong light. Plant stakes look especially nice in green plants. I keep some in my houseplants all winter.

Vegetable Garden

2008-06-15T15:25:00.006-05:00

The garden is finally starting to look like a garden. I was checking the squash and cucumbers yesterday and there are quite a few that are about 2 inches long by now. There are a few eggplants that are about the size of a ping pong ball and we've already started picking some of the grape tomatoes. I planted extra tomato plants this year for fried green tomatoes. We'll have some tomatoes and bell peppers soon. The resident rabbit has stripped the broccoli, but it's just about too hot for it to produce now anyway.

Produce prices are ridiculous at the grocery store and the Farmer's Market is far enough away that it's not practical to go very often. I think at this rate our garden is going to get larger every year.

Smell that Mimosa!

2008-06-14T23:40:00.005-05:00

Our Mimosa tree started blooming last weekend. Since the rain yesterday the blooms have really come out. We were sitting on the deck this evening and it smelled fantastic! It is right behind the patio beside the pool, so you smell it the whole time. My youngest son and I planted it in 1991. It was just a twig about a foot tall that I paid a dollar for. We never dreamed it would end up becoming such a beautiful tree.

Something Different

2008-06-13T16:54:00.006-05:00

I've been bored with the same old same old stained glass patterns for awhile. I have been using a lot of bevels and just recently bought some glass roundels to experiment with. Some of the fusers in the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy were discussing pot melts in the forums and had been posting pictures of the results. Needless to say, I had to have pot melts to play with. Papernclay, a fellow CGGE and Glass Anarchy member, was nice enough to make some for me. Let me just say that photos do not do justice to them. They are gorgeous!

I have made a suncatcher with a pot melt and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I didn't use a pattern either, so this is definitely one of a kind. This sort of represents what the Glass Anarchy is all about - something different. All of us are just a bit out in left field and willing to try anything once.

Collaboration

2008-06-09T23:00:00.005-05:00

Recently I was approached by a fellow Etsy and Creative Glass Guild member, Smokeylady54, who asked me to make a pendant for her so she could make a necklace out of it. Since I do stained glass, I was a bit hesitant at first, but I realized I could do something with some old screw back earrings from the 60's that I had found in a box of old costume jewelry. I used some scrap glass that had a pebbled texture to surround the earring disk. Smokey has quite an eye for matching colors. Her lampworked beads are breathtaking and the necklace is absolutely beautiful. Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12440653 see if you agree with me.

A Beautiful Pendant

2008-05-31T16:33:00.004-05:00

Before I started my blog, I had Catlady99, another Etsy artist and fellow Creative Glass Guild Member make me a lampwork iris pendant. It turned out gorgeous! I get compliments on it whenever I wear it.

She has some beautiful necklaces and bracelets in her shop right now. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5053222

She has another iris pendant and also makes the most adorable lampwork angels. I've never seen any like them.

My Babies

2008-05-10T00:47:00.004-05:00

I have been watching a robin's nest in the weeping cherry tree in the front yard. She watches me while I cut the grass or while working in the nearby flower beds. I saw her catching worms so I knew she was feeding her babies. She doesn't mind me taking photos, I don't get too close. There are 4 big healthy babies that are growing noticeably every day. Their flight feathers are beginning to grow and it won't be long until they will be trying them out. I love those big mouths!

One of my favorite panels

2008-05-04T02:07:00.005-05:00

This turned out to be one of my favorite panels. It was a custom order for a lawyer who plays drums as a hobby. I wanted to give it some dimensional detail, so I made the drum stands out of copper wire and soldered them on top of the glass. And I got to use that piece of white ring mottle glass I had left over from a window.

It's About Time!

2008-05-03T22:32:00.004-05:00

Two years ago I had bought a collection of irises from Schriener's. They were just beginning to bloom last spring when we had a hard freeze (unusual for Tennessee this late) and every single bloom was lost. This year they are making up for it. I had forgotten the colors and the tags with the colors dry rotted, so it has been a surprise every time another color blooms. I have brought in a stalk of each color and they smell heavenly!

Poison Ivy!

2008-04-26T22:07:00.005-05:00

This shade garden looks great this year, but deceptively so. I was cleaning out some wild strawberries and hackberry seedlings and must have gotten into poison ivy. The underside of my left arm made pretty good contact, and it is still in the itchy stage. Liquid Bandage works pretty well until it starts peeling off.

My columbine has reseeded very well in this bed. My red trillium has mulitplied this year, but my pink bleeding heart didn't come up. There are 2 lavender azaleas that I just planted to replace the old ones that died due to the drought last year. My 5 goldfish survived the winter in the pond. One is pretty fat, so I'm hoping for babies!

I have spent the last week planting the garden and shrubs and opening the pool. I am dog tired at the end of the day, but I really don't care. I am thrilled to be outdoors and doing what I love. Poison ivy won't stop me.

Planting Shrubs

2008-04-21T02:47:00.003-05:00

We finally were able to go to McMinnville to buy shrubs on Saturday. It was worth the 60 mile drive. We got everything we wanted and by buying directly from the growers, we saved ourselves several hundred dollars. I was really excited to get Encore Azaleas in 3 gallon pots. Locally I could only find them in 1 gallon. I got the fragrant Viburnums I wanted, too. We found one grower who specialized in annuals and we got 2 flats of some pretty unique plants. My muscles are sore from digging holes. It's going to take awhile to get all 25 shrubs planted.

Spring Planting

2008-04-18T00:10:00.003-05:00

Spring is finally here! I bought a flat of Calibrachoa (Million Bells) for hanging baskets. I also bought some Better Boy and Early Girl tomato plants, bell pepper plants and some annual herbs. Our garden hasn't been tilled yet, but I can't wait to try out the new mini-tiller we bought. I plan on expanding the garden this year to include eggplant, yellow crookneck squash and Italian green beans.

My pink tree peony has lots of buds ready to bloom. Hopefully they will get to bloom this year. Last spring we had a hard freeze in late April and it ruined all my peonies and irises. After the drought last year, I was afraid that there wouldn't be many blooms, but so far it has been beautiful and lush.

I have been enjoying getting my hands into the dirt. I have transplanted several azaleas and rhododendrons from our front yard to the shade under the oak trees so we can redo the front yard. My muscles ache from digging up shrubs, but I am extremely happy to be outdoors and gardening.