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.

Time Marches On

And just like that, the month of March is fleeting. It's easy to let time slip through our hands, as we dabble in a variety of projects, both in the Studio and around our Property. This month's posting is short and sweet, as we really haven't spent much time in the Studio. We're finishing up loose ends on projects around the property, while we wait on a large order from the Yellowstone Stores to come through at the end of the week. So for this month's blog I thought I'd post some pictures of past projects we worked on for previous customers, to show the diversity we are capable of creating with both blown glass and slumped and fused glass.

Blown Glass Balls with Slumped and Fused Decorative Plate

Fighting Elk Scene

This month repairs were made to some glass that was damaged and broken. Past customers brought them in to have updated, including the blown glass Elk above, and the fun green Gecko below. 

Whimsical Gecko

The Swordfish below was a bit of a challenge to create, as the blue colored glass can be tricky to work with, as it tends to crack easily if it's not annealed right away.

Swordfish leaping out of the Ocean Waves

 The artistic piece below was sculpted in the Lamp Work flames a while back, and is still one of our favorite pieces to this date.

Labrador on the hunt for Pheasant

The floral bouquet pictured below, of tulips and daffodils, was sculpted this month to welcome in Spring. The pastel colors are fun to work with in the flame. I'd compare it to pulling taffy. Arrangements like these help brighten the mood of the room they are in. And that's about it for this month. Next time I write an entry, I'm sure we will be knee-deep in our contract to create a multitude of blown glass wildlife figures. So, off to finish a few more projects in the yard, before we head to the Studio for hours and weeks worth of work. Until next time, enjoy the Spring weather.

Spring Blooms sculpted in our Lamp Work Flames

New Spring Colors and Projects

Colorful glass eggs accent a real bird's nest we found in our yard.

Bird's nest completes our birdhouse outside

Time for us to check in again with our monthly blog. I'll keep it short and sweet this month. We are both ready for Spring color, and ready for March to be over. The winds are howling outside right now and it can grate on one's nerves after days on end of the same windy weather patterns. Just like the predictable winds, March was no exception to our pattern of staying busy in the Studio. 

While we had plenty of orders to take care of, I had been wanting to do something with this bird's nest I found in our yard. It had fallen from one of our trees. Russ created some colorful eggs, and I spruced up one of our bird houses outside with the recycled bird's nest. A fun project to create on the side.

Below are projects completed in the Studio while the March winds were whipping. The glass is hand sculpted in our lamp work flame. Some of the glass, like the crosses, are made using slumping and fusing techniques. There tends to be a wider variety of color when working with soft glass, as compared to the hard blown glass.

We've added a customized label to some of our ornaments this year.

Colorful balls remind us of an Easter basket full of colorful Spring eggs.

Glass crosses and a variety of other ornaments created for a customer.

Flowers were still in demand this month, and we had a variety of special orders to finish, like the anemones and tulips pictured below.

Our first try at a new flower

A pretty bouquet of Anemones

Glass Tulips are a perfect gift this time of year.

A completed glass tulip arrangement

One of our new baby chicks tip-toeing through the tulips

 Now that March is coming to a close, we are pondering which project to complete next. Hmmm, April showers bring May flowers. Maybe it's time to start thinking about doing some wedding bouquets.

Green Ideas Springing Up

Spring is arriving early this year in our mountain west town. You won't hear us complaining too loudly. Of course when One lives in a high desert region, One hopes for a decent snow pack at least for the Farmer's sake. But, nevertheless, Spring has arrived early, leaving snow only in the higher mountains. Little blossoms are starting to pop up all over our property. We noticed "Spring Fever" has also rubbed off on us in the Studio this month, as we've experimented with lots of vibrant greens when fusing and blowing the glass projects. Below is a whimsical piece recently made to coincide with St. Patrick's Day. I think we'll be keeping the pot of "gold" for ourselves. Doesn't hurt to dream, right?

Blown Glass St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold and Lucky Clover

Another sure sign of Spring are the distinct songs and sounds of the Meadowlarks. They are our favorite bird up here, and we've even caught them bathing in our pond. Every morning we awaken to their beautiful melodies.

Meadowlarks bathing in our pond

Meadowlarks frequently drop by our Backyard in the Spring

It really puts a smile on our face hearing that song, knowing it means the winter doldrums are coming to an end. Our recent works in the Studio also reflect the feeling of Spring, as we've experimented with many hues of green. Below are some examples of new art work just created.

Green hues on a slumped and fused vase

Fused Iridescent Glass Creation

One of our Favorite Fused Plates to date

Another unique fused glass plate

A commissioned slumped and fused glass vase

Crocus flowers are the first to bloom in our yard in Spring

                                  

 Our first blooms of the year were inspiration for the floral arrangement below. It didn't take much to turn an old recycled bottle into a nice little pick-me-up gift for a sick friend. New life breathing out of old things. It happens in Nature, and also in our Studio. Happy Spring!

Spring Glass Floral Arrangement in Recycled and Engraved Bottle

March Madness

The howling winds of March are here. This is what we Idahoans call "March Madness". They are relentless this time of year, wears a person out just listening to them. Even inside the studio I can't escape the high pressure waves of endless and excessive wind gusts. Spring is rarely pretty up here, and slow to produce any blooming bulbs like daffodils or tulips. Jealously I'm aware they are already popping up in lower, less hostile environments, unlike our high mountain desert. 

So we have no choice but to improvise from our desire for a lovely windless Spring day full of flowers blooming and birds chirping. We create our own "Spring" lamp working glass scenes like the one below. Of course you can get a lot done in the Studio when the winds keep you from tooling around in the garden and yard. We have been working on a number of projects this month to keep our minds off the howling winds outside.

Daffodils and butterflies created for a customer

Below are two donations we made for the Snake River Animal Shelter's Fundraiser to be held at the end of the month. They are raising funds to build a brand new shelter for our town, and we are happy to help donate to their cause.

Scalloped and Engraved Float Glass Incorporated with Blown Glass

Last month we showcased the Papa Murphy's heart shaped glass pizza award. Lucky for us, they enjoyed the finished piece so much, that they place another order for more. We should have this large order complete some time in April. This takes a huge amount of kiln time, as there are so many layers and lots of cutting, crushing, and sawing parts to complete the pizzas. 

Many pieces of glass are needed to create a life size version of a pepperoni pizza

Every piece has to fit exactly right and fire in the kiln correctly or it could spell a recipe for disaster, and the process starts all over again.

Fitting on Pepperonis  before firing in the kiln

Thank goodness we invested in this Cutter's Mate, it has helped ease the process of cutting so many pieces of glass to a precise dimension.

Cutting out parts with our Cutter's Mate

Hopefully by the time we complete the above project, the winds will have died down and we can get to the business of planting bulbs, listening to birds chirping, and enjoy the rebirth of Spring in our gardens. Meanwhile, we'll just stay out of the volatile weather and create our own Spring renditions inside our warm Studio.

Blown glass hummingbirds and flowers created at the torch

Spring Sprouting

Spring Tulips, blown, sculpted and sandblasted glass

Deer frequenting the garden area in typical Spring weather

Last year's chickens free- range by the greenhouse

 You know how we can tell it's Spring up in High Country? No, it's not the burst of colorful tulips popping out of the ground like you would most likely enjoy at lower elevations. Quite contrary... it is the howling winds of March that screech through the Snake River plains all the way through April, May, and sometimes even June. Spring up here is such a tease. You have a beautiful sunny morning reaching into the 50's and 60's, and then Boom! Mother Nature drops a bomb and the winds sweep in a Spring storm all over the valley floor. 

Well, we have news for you Mother Nature, we've caught on to your conniving ways, and are one-upping you with our weather proofed greenhouse/chicken coop!

Our latest hobby really "sprouted" out of necessity when it came to growing a successful garden plot in these harsh Spring conditions.  

Greenhouse lit at dusk

 Russ wanted to build something sturdy and strong enough to stand up to all kinds of Idaho weather, and would also serve to shelter our egg laying hens from the elements. So he drew up his own plans for the most amazing greenhouse/chicken coop that I have ever seen, complete with a root cellar. First, a space was dug out and electrical wiring was run out to the building area. An extra deep hole was dug out under the chicken coop area that would store our potatoes and onions in the colder months.

Railroad ties are the foundation of the greenhouse and are an excellent support system. The poly-carbonate panels are framed with construction grade wood, and we even sided and roofed portions of the outer shell. It's just another step in self sufficiency that we feel is critical in this changing world we live in. There is no better feeling than knowing we can truly live off the land with hard work and dedication to clean living.

Veggies growing in gutters

 Now we can start planting crops in February in our rain gutter designed planting beds, and have a fresh salad by late March-early April. It's only the first week of April, and already we have Swiss chard, kale, spinach and a variety of lettuce coming on strong. This could never be possible without the clever design of our rock-solid greenhouse.

My favorite part is the hen house. Russ put a lot of thought into the laying area, where all we have to do is pull a latch and grab the eggs of the day. He even installed a pull-out floor box to where we can easily clean out their pine shavings off the floor, even in the dead of winter.

Egg Laying box door

Inside greenhouse area

The sun's light is reflected through the poly-carbonate panels. This creates enough warmth, even on cloudy days, to allow everything to flourish.

Inside view of the greenhouse/chicken coop

 Everything is coming up nicely. Even on a blustery Spring day, things are nice and toasty in the Greenhouse/chicken coop.

 It's funny how life keeps changing even for a couple of old timers. Interesting to note that what started out as a hobby 25 years ago, glassblowing, has now turned into a full-fledged business. So a new hobby has "hatched" in what little down-time we have. The greenhouse/chicken coop is a great addition to ensure  we get the most out of our new hobby, gardening. In spite of the harsh Idaho environment, we enjoy watching everything "Spring" to life!

New Spring Chick with blown glass eggs