Full Plate on a Full Moon

 

Blown glass black cat and bright orange pumpkins created in the Studio.

Last evening as I walked outside with our dogs, I was privy to watch a very full moon rise on the horizon. I was wishing I had something other than my phone to take a clear picture of the bright round lunar mass. It literally lit up the whole sky. And on Halloween eve, it couldn't set the mood any better. I was out late in the evening after a very long day in the Studio, with a full plate of tasks to accomplish for the two of us.

A very full October moon last night on my walk with the dogs.

In between the many holiday orders already piling up, we managed to harvest the last of our garden goodies. The cantaloupes were nice and sweet this year, although on the small side.  We will be carving the pumpkins later today, just for tradition's sake. (And because the garden was so generous with the pumpkin patch this year.)

Last of the harvest from our garden, delicious, succulent canteloupes.

Russ spent many hours planning and working on the wall art project pictured below, trying to get it just right for our son and daughter-in-law. The colors were tough to choose, and many different styles were created before he felt good about the latest creation. It is all hand sculpted, blown glass. He also created the copper "stems" and painted them a matte black to compliment the decor in the bathroom area where it would be placed. It was a long time in the making, and given as a late house warming gift for their beautiful new home.

Up close picture of the latest wall art work. 

Cheery and bright blue floral art.

A nice addition to a beautiful bathroom. 

Now it is on to creating many different ornaments like the mountain goat pictured below, and the holiday rush that always happens in our Studio this time of year. It seems like we are getting many more online orders this year. Probably because more people feel more comfortable shopping in their home because of that dreadful Covid19. It is certainly keeping us hopping, even with months to go.

Mountain Goat Ornament

So I'm keeping the blog short and sweet, so I can get back at it. Many orders to ship, and pumpkins to carve. Happy Halloween! 

Our pumpkin patch gave us many "Great Pumpkins" this year. 

January Tune Up

 
 Most of this month found us both down for the count. Bronchial crud is not easy to get rid of. We had to go to the Doc. to give us both a tune-up. In between the coughing spells we got to work on various projects, and also managed to give the Studio a tune-up of sorts. We added a wall so I could have my own space for packing up orders. I have really needed this area, especially when the orders start piling up. And of course there is a need to start fresh in the new year, so we organized the room and repainted it too. It feels much better to enter our work space since making some much needed improvements.  Now to work on the front display area before the Valentine lessons start in a few weeks.  (You wouldn't believe how quickly dust settles on the glass.) 

Not many new projects to report, other than the tennis ball snowmen ornaments we worked on. They took up a good chunk of the first part of the month. It was reported they were well received by the tennis club members. Makes all the labor worth it to have happy customers. 

Working on a commission of  tennis ball snowmen.

We worked on a few miscellaneous orders too, like the pouncing fox and cobalt blue dolphin, pictured below. Also a variety of roses and tulips. (Customers seem to buy lots of Spring flowers from us in January, they must want to kick the January blahs with some pops of color.)

Pouncing Fox

Cobalt Blue Dolphin Ornament

Our glass roses and tulips come in a variety of colors.

We haven't had as many deer this year, but it was nice to step outside the Studio and see a couple of bucks in the backyard recently. There have been some poaching incidents reported around our area, so it gives me solace to see two bucks surviving both winter and bad humans. We've also seen many birds of prey, but they are harder to get a snapshot of. And owls hoot away at night, perched in our tree tops in our backyard, waiting to snag one of the many rabbits around the property. Have I mentioned how much I love witnessing the plethora of wildlife and the nature around here? 💓

Two bucks in our backyard.

The first full moon in January was a sight to behold in the early morning hours. It made me long for a zoom lens so I could get a better shot of the man in the moon. 😊 As you can tell by the picture below, we are experiencing a good Idaho winter this year. As I get older and wiser, I realize how important the snow pack is for our summer months. So, while it may be cold and dreary this January day, I accept it as a good thing. A good snow pack means a good storage of water for those hot summer months coming down the road. Well, time to stop daydreaming of Summer and get ready for our "Hot Date Night" Valentine lessons. See you next month.

The first full moon of the year, setting over our sleepy little town.