Goodbye to a busy 2019

One of many of our glorious Idaho sunsets.

Last day of the year, and I am finding myself in a state of reflection.  Thankful for so much, including the success we've had this year in our little Studio on the hill. We are both exhausted from the recent months of hard work, and many late night efforts to keep our glass orders shipping out in a timely manner for the holidays.  Time for a well-deserved break. We created so many ornaments this year, too many to count.

Chili ristras created for a customer.

Russ is going to take some time to work on this artistic piece while we have just a bit of down time. Many layers of glass enamels to fuse in the big kiln. I will post pictures when it is complete. 

When completed, this trout will look like it's caught in a net. 

Because of our new furry friends, we also had some home improvement projects to complete this month. Our pantry didn't have a door on it, so we decided in order to keep the kittens out of the food, we needed a door. I am really loving the end result, and of course glass was incorporated in the project. Screen printed enamels were fired in our large kiln, on float glass, to finish this project off. 

We added screen printed float glass to our new pantry door this month. 

We say we need a break from the Studio, but in all reality, there is always something to work on, including another large custom commission of tennis ball snowmen, pictured below. It was requested by a tennis organization in Texas and has to be out the door very soon. 

Tennis Ball Snowmen commissioned by a tennis organization.

We barely got the tree decorated in time for Christmas this year, and now that it's up, it's the kittens favorite "play toy". 😉

Our kittens won't leave the tree alone. 

Our favorite part of the holiday of course, is spending time with our sons and their families. We enjoyed their company even though many of us had some kind of  sick bug, and were a little under the weather. We managed to go to a local ice castle event while they were here. Definitely appropriate in these frigid temperatures. 

At the Labelle Ice Castles

Many great colors accented the ice tunnels.

My favorite! 

Enjoying time with my darling grandson.

Now on the last day of 2019, reflecting on what a year it's been, we are nursing our dear lab/retriever dog, as he was in an accident recently. We are hoping he makes a full recovery, as he is just like a child to us. It pains us to see him in pain. So, while others are making merry tonight, we will snuggle in our jammies with him by our side, and welcome in 2020. Wow, that just sounds so futuristic, can't believe what a time we are living in. Here's hoping the new decade will bring new opportunities for growth and prosperity.  Happy New Year!

Hoping our sweet boy feels better soon. 

September Mornings

                

                    September is a great time for reflecting down the paths of memory lane.

September in Idaho reminds me of a warm, cozy blanket. I find myself wrapped up in the warm glow of the lights reflecting just right off  the high mountain peaks. This is where the two of us feel most at home, along with the companionship of our dog pack. Whether it's a long-forgotten path to walk, or peace and serenity at a high mountain lake, we enjoy it all. The nights are crisp and Fall is in the air. At the beginning of the month we treat ourselves to one last camping trip, as we know the holiday rush will keep us hopping soon enough, from one project to another in the Studio.

Our favorite getaway for September was this high mountain lake.

Our pups patiently waiting for us to catch the lake trout for dinner.

 The high mountain lake always provides us with plenty of small lake trout, and a sense of wonder at the beauty of it all. 

 We are also busy harvesting the garden during the month of September, canning much of the fruits and vegetables we have grown over the summer. Also, we love to take Fall walks  down familiar trails while enjoying the Autumn air.

Our apple trees are loaded this year.

September harvesting takes a good amount of time.

Having had a chance to enjoy the great outdoors,  Russ' creativity has increased this month. (Funny how that works.) Pictured below are some of the new projects he has completed in the Studio. The first piece has LED lights added for a nice glow, and would look great on a fireplace mantel. The wolf was screen printed, which is a new element we are adding to some of the glass works this year. There are also new designs to try out on fused glass bowls and plates, pictured below.

Screen Print of a Wolf in the Glass Mountain Peak.

Slumped and Fused Piece- "Fallen"

Slumped and fused aqua beads

Fused glass with dichroic accents

I say it every year, but Fall is the favorite season by far. We aren't so busy that we can't enjoy the beauty of the Fall mornings with many outdoor walks. The inspiration from what we perceive outside, carries on to creations in the Studio. Much like the Aspen scene below, combining Slumped and Fused with blown glass leaves. So out we go into the woods again, to gather inspiration for the next glass art work. Until next time, I hope you can take some time to enjoy all the sights and smells of  glorious Fall.

Fused Art with Blown glass accents

April's Visit to the Glass Expo

At the beginning of the month we took a break from working in our Studio and headed South to Las Vegas, to the annual Glass Craft and Bead Expo. We wanted to highlight some stunning pieces we saw while there, created by other glass artists around the country. We enjoyed our short trip, and picked up some new glass colors, products and tools to work with in the coming year. We also enjoyed a visit with Russ' Dad in sunny Arizona while we were down that way. He took us on a tour around the Desert in his Razor for a day. It was a very enjoyable trip and ended too soon. Please enjoy the artistic pieces from other glass artists in this month's blog.

Glass Art at the Expo in Las Vegas

Intricate details

Dichroic Glass Masterpiece

Unique mix of Rock and Glass

Jellyfish Glass Lamp

Great depiction of  Earth, Air, Fire and Water

Fused Glass

Art work created with Glass Frits

And now we are back to work in the Studio, wrapping up a large blown glass wildlife order for Yellowstone Park Stores. Also, pictured below is one of the first attempts at Screen Printing  completed earlier this month. We are happy to report our client loved the outcome of the fused baseball with their favorite MLB team, the Houston Astros, winners of the 2017 World Series. Now that Spring is officially here, we hope you get a chance to get outside and enjoy your favorite outdoor activity. For us, there will definitely be some ball games involved. 

A piece created in our Studio, combing Fused Glass with Screen Printing