Valentine and Floral Offerings

For those who need a friendly reminder, you don't need to stay inside the typical "fresh flower" box for Valentine's Day. Our Studio is full of "fresh" ideas for the season of love. This month's Blog features a few of the items available for purchase at our glass blowing Studio. We'd be happy to wrap up a blown glass rose or other blown glass gift for your sweetheart this year. Call our Studio to set up an appointment to see what we have to offer.

Valentine Gift Ideas

 Not only do we offer our blown glass roses and rosebuds, but we also offer heart shaped glass pendants that are quite affordable.

Red Swirled Heart Pendant

Pink Luster Heart Pendant

Our blown glass roses come in a variety of colors

Red and Pink Heart Pendant

Pink Swirled Heart Pendant

And our rosebuds are an affordable gift that will speak to their heart for years to come. We can wrap them up individually, or put them in a nice arrangement. Keep us in mind if you want to think outside the box with roses that will last longer than a week, and are a hand blown gift.

We're also looking forward to our promotion of "Hot Date Night", February 13th and 14th. The flier below gives more detail on this fun date idea for Valentine's Day. 

 We're hoping to do our part in promoting the day of love,  and hoping it lasts much longer than one holiday. After all, who couldn't use a fresh dose of love? Happy Valentine's Day from A Touch of Glass Studio.

A Joyful and Triumphant Year

Well, it's the end of the year and I'm finding the time for one last entry in 2013.  As I gaze outside my window I observe with delight, at how our tree branches have transformed into shiny ice crystals. Jack Frost spread his magic across our town the night before. Makes me glad we are nestled in and cozy next to the hearth fires. But still, outside the crystallized flakes are a beautiful and mesmerizing treat for my eyes to behold. Our piece of  property on the hill, along with the presence of Nature's beauty, has continued to help bring out the creative juices while working with our chosen art medium, glass. Another year of  unique and gratifying projects have drawn to a close in our glass studio. Probably the highlight of the last quarter was being selected to create the official Idaho State Capitol Ornament. Below are some visuals on the process used to create a blown glass ornament with pine bough inserts for the Idaho State Capitol. We finished it off with a bright red ribbon draped around the blown ball. We were honored to be the chosen artists this year for a custom glass ornament project.

Our glassblower at work creating blown glass balls

Hundreds of balls waiting for  ribbons and pine boughs for completion.

Inserting pine boughs into Idaho State Capitol ornaments

Adding decorative ribbons

Finished ornament

Of course, we were also busy creating some of our tried and true ornaments for the season, like our slumped and fused crosses adorned with blown glass flowers.

Slumped and fused glass crosses

And once again, our hand sculpted poinsettias and other colorful blown balls were in high demand.

Colorful blown glass ornaments

 We collaborated on this fun chimney candle holder with a cheery Santa looking on. It was fused and sandblasted to create a fun candle centerpiece.

Santa's Sandblasted Chimney Candle holder

We also came up with some new slumped and fused ornaments that almost looked good enough to eat!

Glass gingerbread ornaments

And some more slumped and fused ornaments that were well received by our customers.

Slumped and fused snowman ornament

Fused red stocking ornament

Fused glass presents

 And we always seem to have music enthusiasts who love to purchase our treble clef and other musical ornaments.

Blown glass treble clef

We experimented with vibrant colors on our slumped and fused plates and vases.

Slumped and fused artistic glass plate

We also shipped off various customized glass chess sets across the country this year.

Custom blown glass chess set

And of course, the "upcylced"  slumped wine bottles are always a hit for a holiday get together.

Upcycled wine bottle art

 We'd like to thank our many loyal and returning customers for supporting us once again, this past year. It has been another banner year for A Touch of Glass Studio, and we have you to thank for that. If you are just stumbling across our website and haven't gotten to know us yet, keep us bookmarked for many new and interesting works of glass art that will be custom made in the new year, 2014. Maybe something will catch your eye and lift your spirit. We strive to instill a sense of beauty and thoughtfulness in our glass works, and hope you get as much enjoyment out of the finished project as we get from creating the pieces. Our sincere gratitude to all of you who have given us your patronage. Season's Greetings from our Idaho Glass studio, and may you have a very happy and prosperous new year.

View of an Idaho sunset through one of our blown glass balls

Thankful Giving

Thanksgiving Feast

  I'm really pretty old fashioned when it comes to the Holiday season. Some traditions are hard to let go of. Especially the one that my Grandpa instilled in me many years ago, when I was a young child. The world seemed far less complicated than today's fast paced and hectic way of life, with the latest techno. gadgets pushed every which way, upon every consumer.  Anyway, every Thanksgiving our family would take turns vocalizing what we were thankful for before we partook of the delightful Thanksgiving spread. When you're young, you don't put much thought into these kind of traditions. You just do it to appease the Elders so you can get on with the over-indulgence of that beautiful carved turkey and all the trimmings that go with it. But with age, comes reason and clarity about those traditions you seemed to be oblivious about as a child.

As an adult I have realized that I'm pretty idealistic by nature, and find myself wishing everyone would pull their resources together to solve issues of world hunger and poverty. Of course, the logic kicks in and tells me it is such a vast and complex issue, that it couldn't possibly play out the way I envision it . However, that doesn't stop me from knowing that as an individual I CAN help make a dent to ease the suffering of those much less fortunate than me. I have learned that when you are in a state of being thankful, you want to give of yourself so that others may experience the same state of gratitude. And that, my friends is thankful giving.

No gesture of the heart is too small. Someone, somewhere will carry a little less of a burden when you give of yourself. Whether it is helping out at the local food drive, putting a few coins in the red kettle, donating a turkey, or inviting the less fortunate to sit down at the table and break bread with you, all these things add up and make the world a better place. Good thoughts, good deeds, it's really that simple.

Although many of our family members will not be at our table to enjoy the bounties this Thanksgiving, I am thankful they are starting their own traditions of giving thanks with their significant others and loved ones. And I hope I passed on this realization to my sons: That the simple act of being thankful ripples out to their family, their community, and yes, eventually the world. There's my idealism peeking through again. 

Our family

Now it is time to get back to work creating and giving, both in the kitchen and the studio. The latest glass creation of  fused and feathered fowl are grateful they are "beauty to the eye of the beholder", and not part of the Thanksgiving feast.  Creating art that is uplifting to others and appreciated, is also an act of giving, both to the artist and the recipient of the artwork.  I am thankful to have the clarity that it is better to give than to receive. Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you learn to live simply and enjoy what you have, while giving when you can. Life is better when you realize this, I know it is for the two of us.

Happy and thankful Rooster and Hen

Preparations

Well here it is again - Fall, the busiest time of the year for most folks, including yours truly. I am struck by how quickly the season changes in our high desert climate from warm sunny weather to crisp Autumn mornings. It hits me that Fall has arrived as I go on a cool morning walk with the dogs. I witness the subtle changes and color variations in the plant life. We'll spend the next couple of weeks scurrying around the garden and tending the flower beds, and prepping the hens for the long winter months ahead.

One of our giant pumpkins in the pumpkin patch

Our hens are really starting to lay eggs this Fall

I am in the throws of canning the garden goodies, and have a ways to go. Our tomatoes were plentiful this year, so lots of work is put into our home made spaghetti sauce and salsas. We just harvested our potatoes, beans and onions. Then it's on to cucumbers that I'll pickle, beets, jalapenos, carrots, squash and our great pumpkin harvesting. There is nothing quite as gratifying to a middle aged woman and her spouse, as growing and harvesting the endless bounty of veggies and fruit. I really wish I would have taken up gardening at a much earlier age. Guess I'm making up for it now.

Preparing to can more tomatoes 

 Meanwhile, the work continues to pour into our studio, as we receive a rush of new orders from customers. Russ is working on a Columbine order for a gift shop in Colorado, then it's on to a very large order of blown ball ornaments. (More on that in the October blog.) After that, another customized glass chess set. Then before we know it, all the Holiday rush will be upon us.

Prepping to make quantities of Columbine flower ornaments

Some of the Columbine order

Starting on an order of blown ball ornaments

It's good to be busy, and regain clarity and focus on what our goals should be for the coming holiday season. From what we can tell, it looks to be another active couple of months behind the torches. Meanwhile, we are taking the time to enjoy the Harvest Moon rising above us in our back yard, as it gives us yet another reason to love the season of Fall.

Harvest Moon rising in our backyard

Ornamental by Design

Fused glass snowman

I absolutely love this time of year - cheerful greetings, yuletide gatherings, pretty packaging, bells ringing, assortments of baked goodies, secret Santa's, children's choirs singing, and the list goes on and on. More than any other time of the year, we feel a sense of  "Peace on Earth" and an optimism of "Good Will towards Men," looking forward to what the coming new year will bring. Of course, it may have to do with the area we live in, being as we are so connected with Nature and don't have to deal with the hustle and bustle of a large Metropolis. That in itself brings on a sense of peace. But I have to admit, a green lawn with no snow seems a little off kilter for my personal taste. I'd feel slightly more cheerful with at least a bit of the white flakes falling from the Idaho skies. Yes, a blanket of snow would make for a heavenly night, just like the good old days of past Idaho winters.

But when the cold grey skies of December come calling, snow or not, it's time to cozy up to our warm torch fires and start making our own little cheerful creations out of shimmering glass rod and tubing. Seems to add to the already festive spirit in our small city. It's almost as if we were happy little elves working for the big guy up North!

We seem to come up with a new design every year for our glass ornaments. This year we created happy little snowmen using fusing techniques. We also made an assortment of fused Christmas trees. I'd have to say they really stand out nestled in the tree we put up in our studio, and compliment the blown glass ornaments nicely.

We also just wrapped up our Christmas Open House, which by the way, is a sure bet to become a yearly tradition the first weekend in December. Our choice of profession is certainly validated as patrons frequent the studio all weekend long, usually leaving with several of our own pretty glass creations for gift giving. Many of them choose a new ornament every year to keep up their tradition of ornament gifting. Our assortment makes it easy to keep this type of tradition up.

Glass Ornaments

Yes, I believe there is just the right amount of magic in the air for old and young alike this time of year. And just because the world seems to be spinning faster and faster in this age of technology, doesn't mean we can't take the time to slow down and enjoy the season of giving. Now I'm going to take my own advice and slow down and enjoy. Well, that is after I've made a few more ornaments with my guy, shopped, baked, wrapped, mailed packages, sang some carols alongside some old time crooners, decorated with tinsel, helped out a few less fortunate souls, and watched our first grandson enjoy the magic of Christmas with wonder in his eyes. This year I'm feeling blessed indeed! Personally, this year has been a good one to a couple of old school glassblowers and we are full of thanks. I hope that you, dear reader, will also take time to feel the magic and enjoy your friends and family. Let's all hope for Peace on Earth. Blessings to all and to all a good night.

Glowing basket of Blown glass balls

Blown Christmas Ball Ornament