Mixing it UP a bit

Well, I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted and I'm sorry. I'm still trying to find what my "IT" is and I hope not to dissapoint anyone, but it might not be my glass. Although I've made some pieces in glass that I LOVE, I'm only one person putting it all together. And there is part of me that is saying, work smarter not harder. Since I love to paint as well, and could paint one original and then sell prints either in large picture format or greeting cards, I'm thinking I would be silly not to pursue that as well. I'm honetsly trying to find a balance between the two so don't start getting bummed out yet. Here is what I painted today after not painting for months. I think it's honestly been 6 months since I'd picked up a brush. I liked the way she came out so well, I decided to keep her. I hope you have a great day.

Rickety Old House

Well, here it is all finished. I took this picture before I waxed it. It's leaning in the window so the screen is coming through in the picture. The black patina is like handling shoe polish in the sense that it gets all over and is very messy. Quite a bit different from the previous picture.

Incubating new ideas

Hello,

Well, I didn't realize it had been 2 weeks since I've been here. Sorry about that. I just though I'd share some thoughts with you. For the past year, I've been feeling like I really want to change the direction of my art. I think moving to Phoenix has made me feel like this. I love my glass, but I really love to paint as well. I think part of what has made me feel like this is the fact that I've noticed sales dropping off a bit but also that I don't want to be known as the suncatcher lady.

I know years ago I started making smaller things because in the past, I would start a project and never complete it. With the smaller glass pieces, I could make something that I would complete and make it in a day. It wouldn't take hours to complete and I'd have something to show for my time. Also I woulndn't get impatient waiting for progress to happen. And then it became so easy to do that I just kept doing it and doing it. Then the more popular they became and the more people wanted them I just stayed in this routine of making smaller things.

So how has being in Phoenix changed that? Well, with this wide open space called the desert, people have large houses, bigger walls etc. I've also noticed that there is a lot of earth tones in color out here and also that people don't have a lot of clutter in their homes. Plus, pick up just about any magazine and you'll notice the the minimalist look is very "in". SO there has been this internal struggle for I'd say about a year in me trying to figure out what direction I want to go in with my art.

Did any of you watch the Oprah show with "The Secret"? Well, I've known what the secret was for some time. I've even been to a 3 day seminar with James Ray, one of the featured speakers that is promoting The Secret. During that 3 days, you work up to such a positive state that during one of the demonstrations, I, ME, yes ME, I broke a board in half with my bare hands. Kind of like those karate people do. I can't describe everything you go through to work up to that state but it's a pretty positive mental picture to say the least. Well, I had also purchased one of James Ray's coaching programs and have been relistening to it the past few days now. The jist of the program is to set a goal for yourself and in 21 days, you'll have achieved your goal. Well, I'm not going to say what my goal is, but it's got something to do with figuring out what I've been struggling with for the past year with my art.

So in aligning myself with my goal, here is a picture of something I'm working on. Houses are something that have been really talking to me, that and faces. So here is a very ROUGH layout of a house that I'm foiling the glass for now. This is before the glass has been grinded so nothing fits together very well. I'll post the final pic when I'm finished. The picture that is on top, is it.

If you don't know about the secret, go to www.thesecret.tv and check it out. You won't be sorry.

Magic Wands and Love Spells

We're finally getting back in to the swing of every day life again. There are still moments in the house that make us misty eyed for Spark. But each day is getting easier. I can't believe it's been a week already.

I ended up making a batch of Magic Wands during the week. These are of the very powerful variety of magic and there is a red and pink one 2nd from the left in the back that is specially for casting love spells. There are some for sale on Etsy and some up on eBay as well. I'm trying to keep up a presence on both sites and keeping a balance. In addition to that, I've been doing a local Farmers Market (even though there are no farmers) at DC Ranch in Scottsdale. If anyone is interested in knowing what dates I'll be there, email me and I'll let you know. As of right now I'm scheduled to be there Feb 17 and then in March, 3, 17, 31. There have been a few weekends in January I cancelled so you might want to email me before coming out. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Saying Goodbye

This past week was a very difficult week for my husband and I. We had to say goodbye to our pup, Spark, who was 16 years old. I can't beleive how fast it happened. He just lost his appetite and kept getting weaker and weaker. We think he had a stroke because he was just standing in a daze. He got so weak that his legs would slide out from under him even when he was sitting. The last day he couldn't even hold water down. We knew it was time. So last Tuesday evening, on Jan. 30, we took him to the vet and said goodbye. Little things keep triggering emotions and I never know when they will hit. Goodbye pup, you'll be in our heart forever.

Dinner with Friends

I wanted to mention that Friday night we went out to dinner with friends and had a wonderful time. Lots of laughs. If you've never seen Misty's work, you've got to go do just that. She has the most wonderful, colorful pop art with a very moderen funky twist to them.

Making a new stained glass flower

I've selected 2 colors of glass. Notice how many different colors are in the glass on the right.

This glass is ready to grind after I cut it. Sorry I didn't get a pic of me cutting it.

On the grinder taking off all sharp edges.

Here I am foiling the glass. This allows the solder to adhere to it and holds 2 pieces next to each other together.

I've finished laying them out and am ready to solder it now.

I've got some of it tacked in place. I've decided to raise the glass in the center of the flower for added interest. I'll come back and smooth out the lines.

I've finished soldering it and added decorative beads which you can't really see right now. I also added some copper swirls. It's still silver from the original solder color. I'm going to dip it in patina to turn it copper.

Here it is dipped in copper. I'll show the finished piece, waxed and in the window with the chain attached to it in another post.

Hello,

It's been a couple of days since I've updated this. My plan was to make a new item and then show the steps along the way of the process it takes to make a stained glass piece. So I took pictures along the way. I just thought it would be of interest to some of you. Lots of people ask, how do I stain the glass? Well, glass is made in glass factorys in several different colors. All I do is cut it, grind it, foil it solder it and then hang it in the window. Here are the pictures of the flower I just made. I still have to wax it so that it preserves the shine and finish to the piece otherwise is oxidizes, kind of like lime deposits. I'm trying to show them in the order each step is done in.

New Glass

Ok, trying to be more diligent in posting this is what I decided to post today. Here are some pictures of the glass I bought yesterday and then there is another picture of glass my mom bought while she was here last month. The piece my mom bought is so gorgeous, I could put it in the window just like it is. It's that yummy.

Vanity Plate of the day

I was driving to the glass shop today and had to laugh at a vanity plate I saw on someones car today. It was PERKEE. Just had to share with you that one.

At the glass shop I bought some brown glass called Eagle, a blue that reminds me of a robins egg, and a tangerine opal color. YUMMY colors. Can't wait to cut in to them.

Does Anyone else have these Problems

Hello,
I'm trying to be more diligent in posting to my blog. In an attempt to do this, I moved over to the new format and am still frustrated. I did figure out how to add other people to my list though. Now I'm just trying to move my profile up to the top. When I tried to do that, the list that is now at the bottom of my page, got long and moved to the bottom of the page and now I can't make it small again. URGGGGGG

Feeling Groovy

Ok, now since I still don't really know what I'm doing with this blog thing, I decided just to jump in and go for it. I want to try and make this a place to show you what I'm working on and try to give you some insite about me. That might be scary but what the hay, I'm adventurous. Here is something I made this summer and decided to keep. She is just adorable and you'll see why I couldn't part with her.

Todays the First Day of my New Blog

Hello,
Well, today I've decided to finally join the world of the Bloggers. I had a previous blog on another site but wanted to try this out. If anybody reads this, you'll probably just laugh and say, oh you beginner you. Yep, that's me. Beginning anew. So here it is. My very own blog. Go easy on me as I'm learning.