March....Full Steam Ahead!

A float glass train created in the Studio for a relative, who works for the Union Pacific Railroad.

And just like that, the March winds are blowing right through us, (literally) right up to the end of the month. You have to be tough to deal with the high desert winds that blow through Idaho this time of year. We have a relative who fits that description. He's about as tough as they come, and fits right in with his job at the Union Pacific Railroad. Our nephew asked Russ if he could come up with a glass design to fit the railroad spike/knife. It was to be gifted to our brother-in-law. Since our nephew has been a great supplier of the float glass, sending us old used window glass, we were happy to help out on this project. Another great example of "up-cycling".  Russ used topographical contouring to create the train's shape, and the wheels and front were scored with our glass saw. We think it will be an heirloom for generations to come. 

Screen printed glass Owl accented with glass enamels.

We managed to fit in a trip to Boise this month to visit our son and his family, and celebrate his birthday a little early. The owl pictured above was a house-warming gift that we thought could go alongside a computer-generated piece of artwork he had already created, using his graphic design skills. This project is one of the first attempts at screen-printing on glass. We will be showcasing more screen printing on our blog in the future. There is still a lot to learn, but we have the basics down, and it looks like a promising medium to add to the repertoire.

Spring is blowing into our Studio, new life everywhere!

 We have been involved in many different glass projects this month, that will spill over into April. Special requests are a constant now, and keep us on our toes. But there is always time to stare out into the backyard at the sure signs of Spring around here. (Besides the wind!) And when the Mallard ducks arrive, we know warm weather is just around the corner. Happy Spring and Easter weekend to you and yours!

The ducks always come back to our little pond every Spring.

New Year, New Creations

Here we are at the tail end of January in our new year, already reflecting on some special moments we've had, both in the Studio and also with some very special people in our extended family. So this month we have kept as busy as ever in the Studio. Below are some of the latest creations we've already made for the new year. We were excited to get to work on a special project that benefits a local fundraiser titled "Lighting the way to Literacy". Our Lampshade was created out of float glass, blown glass, and acrylics, and is titled "Edge of the Pond". It is displayed along with many other creative lampshades at the Willard Arts Center in Idaho Falls.

This creative lamp shade with glass accents imitates the edge of a pond.

Finished lit lampshade displayed for our Arts Council's fundraiser.

Next, we completed a unique dish setting in our kiln with sandblasted dragonfly accents. It was created for a nephew of ours who has supplied us with lots of float glass to "upcycle". We were really pleased to present him and his family with the unique setting made just for him. We have many more ideas that we will create with this type of glass in the kiln. 

I wanted to re post a picture of our son's glass dishes and cheese trays that we made for his wedding last August. They were made to go with his animated themes that he had come up with for their special day. We look forward to finishing a few more pieces to complete the picture, which will include a glass picture of their honeymoon.

Glass cheese trays, won ton bowls, dipping sauce bowls all have an animated look.

It was about the middle of January when a customer requested that a unicorn and dragon be custom made and shipped out. These blown glass pieces are accented in gold and halo platinum.

Mythical creatures made for a customer

And lastly, this month has ended on the right note, as we just returned from celebrating our parent's 60th wedding anniversary in sunny Arizona. They stand in a league of their own, and we wanted to come up with something that showed them how special they are. The anniversary cake top below was made with great care from float glass and engraved by hand. The glass diamonds at the base were blown and sculpted to compliment their diamond anniversary.

Our parent's 60th wedding anniversary cake top

We also cut the desert scene below out of float glass and finished it off in the kiln. It made a nice addition to their back patio in their home in Arizona. 

Coyote howling at the moon in the desert.

We know we are so lucky to have witnessed this rare milestone of 60 years of marriage. We've had such supportive parents (and in-laws) all these years. What a special way to end the first month of the year celebrating their love. They have supported us all throughout our lives, and we'd like to thank them for their part in inspiring us to follow our dreams and keep creating, growing, and learning, remembering of course, to stay young at heart. 

60th Wedding Anniversary Cake