Enjoying what we have in times of uncertainty

 Reflecting back on what went on this month, other than our steady stream of Etsy orders, we were able to collect our thoughts and take a breather of sorts from the Studio and enjoy the great outdoors. I appreciated the chance we had to get away to one of our favorite places on the planet, which just so happens to be a short drive from our town. Earlier this month we delivered some new blown glass wildlife pieces to the store that carries our glass in Jackson Hole. We decided to make the best of it while there, and enjoyed a weekend of camping. The Tetons did not disappoint. Also, a short day trip and hike into Yellowstone proved challenging for someone with arthritic knees, but the beauty taken in was worth it. 

A picture perfect view of Mount Moran.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Water so clear, the rocks were perfectly visible. 

Peace and solitude at our campsite. 

Artistic wildlife that was delivered to Jackson Hole earlier this month. 

I was also so fortunate to welcome grandchild number 7 at the very end of last month. With the threat of Corona virus looming over the world, I felt so lucky to have quarantined enough to help  my son and his family out when precious baby was born. She has brought light and joy into the world, and I was happy to spend precious time with her recently. My hope is that she grows up in a world free from this pandemic. We are all waiting on edge, hoping for a medical miracle that will put an end to the Corona virus. My hope is that all the grand kids will soon live in a world without this fear. We are so happy to be the proud grandparents of 7 wonderful grand children, makes life worth living. 💖

Our newborn Granddaughter

I've also had time to enjoy our backyard pond this month along with all the bounty coming out of our high tunnel and garden this year. I have already started canning, in between trips to the Post Office, delivering packages of glass gifts to customers. Trying to create normalcy in these very abnormal times. It pays to look at the glass 1/2 full instead of 1/2 empty. Until next entry, I hope this blog gives someone out there joy, in what seems to be an increasingly dark world. Here's hoping our Studio can continue to produce glass art as an inspiration of beauty for all who happen to come across it.

Enjoying our backyard pond on a hot summer day.

The new high tunnel is not disappointing us with the seeds we planted earlier in the year.

A sample of some of the goodness of the garden this year.

September Harvest

Another batch of wildlife headed to Yellowstone

Lately, it seems the months are blurring into each other. I can't believe we are already looking  into the month of October in a few days. Time sure has a way of getting away from us. I'll take the time to write a quick blog post today, then head back into the Studio for more projects. (We never seem to run out of them these days.) Pictured above is part of the latest blown glass wildlife order from the Yellowstone stores. 

A hand engraved slumped wine bottle created for a customer in Iowa.

The flattened (slumped) bottle and logo above were made for a winery in Iowa. We enjoy creating Business' logos with our engraver. It's a hand engraver, so I take my time with these kind of projects to get it just right. No such luxury of  a laser engraver yet, maybe in the future. 

Orders are already piling up for the coming Holidays.

Pictured above is part of an order we created for an Art Gallery that's located across the country. I have lots of finish work to do, like tying cords onto each individual ornament, and adding tags of course. I take extra time carefully wrapping each one with tissue paper and bubble wrap, to make sure it arrives safely to it's destination. (You wouldn't believe how much of that product we go through every month.) The Devil is in the details.

Meanwhile, our garden harvest is full-bore this month of September. We've already harvested beans, peas, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, peppers, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, and zucchini. Pictured below are the latest vegetables to be picked. We had no choice, as the garden got hit by frost last week. Looks like I have plenty of winter squash to store this year, along with a good variety of pumpkins. 

So, multi-tasking is a must in the month of September, with the business and home and garden duties. It's a way of life we have grown accustomed to. And you know how the saying goes, "You reap what you sow". Until next time, enjoy the Harvest. 

September is a month filled with canning garden goodies.

Peaks and Valleys

Time for another blog entry as to what's going on in the Studio....This month was spent organizing a variety of  different types of glass, and wrapping up our Yellowstone order, plus creating another float glass mountain scene. The wolves pictured below were the last of the glass wildlife packed up and headed to the Park Stores. I got to hand deliver all the pieces personally, and enjoyed a side benefit of Old Faithful erupting while I was there. The Park looked healthy and vibrant,with patches of snow still hanging on in the high country.

Our Border Collie Maggie seems to want to help with the work.

Howling wolves headed for Yellowstone Park

Once back from the day trip, it was time to focus on organizing glass in the Studio. Also, as seems to be the norm now, we have to attend to a constant stream of Etsy orders coming in every month, like the colorful teardrops pictured below. 

Swirls of color were added to these teardrops

It's always nice to get creative in the Studio and try something new. Russ actually had time to create a unique piece of new art work for one of our Nephews this month. Below are the steps taken to create the "peaks and valleys". Russ started out with a concept drawn out on paper. Then he used the new glass saw that we purchased at the Glass Expo a couple months ago, to cut away the mountain range and rolling hills in sections. This project was all made out of float glass.

First stage of the "Peaks and Valleys" Mountain Scene

Cutting into the glass with our new saw. Such an improvement from the old one!

The next step was to fire them in the new kiln, to heat the rough-cut glass down to a soft edge.

Float glass ready to be fired in the kiln

Kaowool was placed under the float glass' top edges for the mountain peaks. This technique is used to give them the contour and illusion of snowy peaks. Once fired, it peels off.

Kaowool technique

The kiln was fired up to 730 C to get the effect Russ was going after. The final stage was to sandblast the rolling hills that were placed in front of the mountain range. 

Firing the Float glass

The finished project is pictured below and will be used as a back splash behind their kitchen sink, and once installed, can be seen from their kitchen and living room area in their home. We're hoping it works with their vision of what they want for their home's decor. They live in a beautiful valley in Montana surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. It was a challenging but fun project to take on. 

"Peaks and Valleys"

Below is a different background for the picture. It was so big that taking a picture was a bit of a challenge. Looking forward to having it delivered this weekend. Now on to a myriad of other projects, because around here the fun never ends. 😊

Grass is always greener on the other side....

April Showers make for Long Hours....

We've had every kind of moisture you can think of this month. April showers are an understatement. Currently, it continues to snow up here. The good thing about grey skies outside, is we tend to focus better on the tasks at hand in the Studio.....

A few of many blown glass Yellowstone Wildlife sculptures heading to Yellowstone Park Stores

So quick! Hurry and get in a blog before the month is over! Why does it always go so fast? I suppose because we always have something going on in the Studio with a tight deadline these days. This month seemed especially busy. The order that has taken precedence this April is the Yellowstone order. We only have a few more weeks before all the wildlife sculptures need to hit their store shelves for the summer tourist season.  We are anxiously anticipating how well they will sell. It's our first real experience doing a wholesale order for a national park. We hope it relays to all parties as a positive outcome, and continues as a yearly contract for us. We think it's a nice fit, to partner up with them as we are always inspired to create glass Yellowstone wildlife when we visit the Park. Meanwhile, working as fast as possible, we've finished the Moose and Elk, and have moved on to the Bears. Russ is sculpting one in the pictures below.

Sculpting a Grizzly Bear in the Lamp Work Flames

Toasting his "buns"

 Russ also found the time for another project this month, and sculpted the horse below for a client .

Horse Sculpture blown for a client

We were fortunate to travel to the Glass Expo a while back, and enjoyed viewing many stunning works of glass art at the show. Some of our favorites are pictured below. We also purchased a new kiln and glass saw, and have many ideas brewing for future projects. Stay tuned.

Awe-Inspiring Fused work at the Glass Expo

Great idea for float glass

More Art work at the Glass Expo

A beautiful mosaic piece

Our favorite piece at the Expo

An unusual mixture of wood and glass

Another stunning work of glass art

I would like to dabble more in sand carving,  akin to this beautiful piece we saw at the show.

We were fortunate to combine our trip down to the Glass Expo, with a wonderful 80th birthday celebration for Russ' parents. It was a very special weekend to start off the month of April, celebrating the lives of  2 very special people.... A memory that we will cherish for years to come. 

Our parents celebrating their 80th birthdays together

February Forging Ahead

Even though winter is far from over in our high desert climate, we have managed to keep the home fires burning and are still plenty warm in the Studio, thankfully. February tends to keep us focused on Valentines. The first half of the month was plenty busy, between rose orders and giving glass rosebud lessons.

Creating blown glass roses and rosebuds are a common practice in our Studio for the month of February. 

 Heart shaped glass pendants were also created for some customers this month.

Sculpted glass heart pendants

 We have quite a bit of inventory building up in the Studio, which is a good thing. Some of our pieces have been selected to head out the door for upcoming Art Shows.

Completed Art Works in the Studio

 It's nice when things slow down just a bit after Valentine's Day. It gives us time to think ahead about various projects and also do a little creating, like the slumped and fused piece below.

One of our latest creations, a slumped and fused glass vase.

Now we can take some time and enjoy a little respite before we delve into new projects. We are hoping to hear good news from some stores in Yellowstone. The buyers may be interested in carrying our blown glass wildlife in their gift shops. We are waiting to hear back from them. If we get the green light, I'm sure the torch fires will be burning night and day. Until then, we will enjoy the calm before the next "storm". 

Glass Wildlife figurines akin to the real ones you would see in Yellowstone Park.

'Tis the Season

Slumped and Fused Art

Lately I've got a bad habit of waiting 'til the last possible moment to write my monthly blog, through no fault of my own. Hectic doesn't begin to accurately describe what this month has been like for us in the Studio. First we had to prepare new art pieces to participate in a local art show, then create custom commissions for clients, then stock and restock all our ornaments that we are shipping through our Etsy storefront. Not to mention create custom blown ball ornaments for clients both local and across the country. I'm getting that stress knot in my stomach that tends to inflame around this time of the year. I suppose I need to focus on the end results, which is, that we are constantly validated these days both in the art world, and our home grown business. Makes it easier to lose sleep over I suppose. 

Our large Ornament rack holds lots of unique ornaments.

Set up for a local art show in November

We created a fun fused coaster set out of different hues and shades of red.

Red glass fused coasters

Bigger and more unique wildlife pieces were sculpted in the lamp working flames, like the pieces shown below.

Blown glass Owl on Manzanita Burlwood

A crystal clear trout making a glass splash out of the water

Blown glass Moose in Cattails

Sandblasted Mountain Goat on a glass rock ledge

While our Wildlife scenes are always popular, Russ went outside his comfort zone with soft glass, and spent hours and hours creating the Aspen scene below. A nice, thick piece was created by added layer after layer of various colors. The real Aspen log set it off perfectly.  Definitely one of the more intense pieces created to date.

Slumped and Fused Aspen Art Work

A real piece of Aspen bark was also used to help create a mold for the unique slumped and fused piece below. A light adds a soft touch to it.

Another unique glass Aspen piece

Russ was really pushed to his creative limits on the piece below. A client wanted a type of Salvidor Dali inspired piece of art work. This piece really moved me, almost to tears, as he described his inspiration behind it. Hours and hours of intense kiln time and flame working time were spent on it. Both ourselves and our client were extremely pleased with the outcome. 

This piece has many interpretations and levels to it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Another couple of unique projects are wrapping up this month, as two different clients wanted us to create their logos on the inside of their custom blown balls. Inserting the logo inside the ornament gives it a kind of floating-in-air impression. Lots of time and effort is being spent to get it to look just right. Hoping they are both happy with the outcome. 

Custom made blown ball ornaments

And of course, what would this time of year be like without our trusty source of income, affordable Christmas ornaments. These happy snowmen are just about to be fired in the kiln.

Slumped and Fused Glass Snowman Ornaments

Now if you will excuse me, I've got to rush to the Post Office to ship yet another car load of glass goodies. I need 4 sets of hands to get it all done!

Many packages waiting to be shipped out all across the country.