A New Look

A new look for our website!

This last month has been rather eventful for us, with many projects going on around the home front as well as the Studio. We have been collaborating with our Graphic Designer (who just happens to be our son) on a new look for our website. We rolled it out earlier this month and couldn't be happier with it's new design and user friendly application. If you haven't already taken a look you can find it at www.glass4gifts.com There is also an active link to shop on our Etsy page. Countless hours of tedious work have paid off, and that is one more thing we can check off our list of "to do's". I'm sure our son is breathing a sigh of relief too. 😊 He went beyond our expectations with the new look.

I also wanted to share a photo of a slumped and fused abstract piece Russ created for one of his sisters. She and her husband had just finished building a beautiful little home last Fall and he wanted them to have some new art to hang on their walls. A  housewarming gift that went to an appreciative home is pictured below. 

Abstract Fused Glass Art created for a family member

We also spent a lot of time these past few months outdoors on our property. We became aware of a Robin's nest a few months back, in one of our pine trees. I wasn't sure if there were any birds in it for quite some time, so Russ finally snuck in and took a picture and found out that yes indeed, there were newborns in the nest. There are only 2 pictures because we didn't want to disturb Ma and Pa Robin's babies too much. I can now say that they have weathered all the crazy winds, freak snow storms and loud lawn mowers passing by, to finally become independent of their parentals. I still see them fluttering around the yard, learning to feed themselves as their parents taught them. It was a joy witnessing the whole process from newborn to independent, flying around the property. 

Baby Robins on our property. 

Russ got to take some time off on Father's Day and enjoy our newest grand puppy, Moose. He is a beautiful Retriever! 

Russ chilling with Moose in our back yard.

The greenhouse is starting to pay off now. Russ has done a lot of tweaking to it. We never grew broccoli before, this was a first for us. It was delicious! And the tomato plants are coming along nicely. It continues to be a learning experience, as some plants are thriving while others seem to struggle. No matter, a great new hobby for him, since his hobby of glass blowing has turned into a full time business. 

Plants are starting to take off in the greenhouse.

We are still collaborating with an Author for her book series. This glass Gryphon was the latest created. The last one to work on will be a glass Phoenix. I already shared the dragon and unicorn in my previous blogs. We like thinking outside the box when it comes to commissions. 

A Blown Glass Gryphon Commission.

And lastly, we are working up to the last minute on a special commission, an artistic bench. Below is a sneak peek. The rest of this project will be revealed in another blog post.  Speaking of which, it's time to wrap this post up, so I can complete the final details of this huge undertaking. 

A sneak peek of a special artistic commission....

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

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

The Winter of Our Discontent

A beautiful Idaho sunset in the cold of winter

What a long cold winter it's been, and it's only 1/2 over, as I know Idaho all too well! January is coming to a close, so one month down and at least 2 more to go until we see hints of Spring. So why not buckle down and get to work on projects in the Studio, and try to keep the January blahs at bay. We started out the month by creating  a slumped and fused piece for our 2nd oldest son for his 30th birthday. He has always had an affinity for the Tetons in the West, and we wanted to give him some wall art that would translate into his

appreciation of the great peaks. It is pictured below.

Slumped and Fused Glass - Grand Tetons Mountain Range

When the temps get below zero and we don't dare step out into it, we have a nice view of the cold landscape outside, enjoyed from the warmth of our Studio.

Some of our glass installations shimmering in the sunset

Slumped and fused glass was the highlight of the artistic piece below, which we entered in a Juried Art Show this past month.

"The Fabric of Light"

 The piece below was a process of many layers of Fused glass fired over and over in our kiln.

"Fallen"

 We had a rush on glass snowflakes this month also, creating hundreds of snowflakes with various designs. The one pictured below was created with red glass to give a Valentine effect.

Valentine Snowflake

And now that January is coming to a close, it's time to focus on our glass roses and hearts, like the ones pictured below. A lot of work goes into making these sentimental gifts.

Valentine heart pendants with a luster pink glass rose

So to go along with the phrase, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade....When life seems cold and bitter, make some heat and turn up the love, whether it be in the Studio, or daily life. Here's hoping we're all enveloped in the warmth of  friendships and family in the months ahead, we need that kind of love now more than ever. Hoping for some reprieve ahead, and not just cold, dark, icy nights. (Literally and figuratively.) I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that nobody likes to deal with the harsh cold for too long. Unfortunately, it's here to stay for a while. Hang in there....

Sun Dogs accent an Idaho Winter Sunset

August Fires

The Henry's Creek Fire roaring in the hills behind our property

August was not the most productive for us in the Studio, as we had many other things on our mind, including the largest range fire our region of Idaho has ever experienced. It started just a few miles from our neighborhood, and ended up consuming over 53,000 acres, in just one week's time. At one point, we were on alert for evacuations. As I write, I believe it is still not completely out, the paper says it's 81% contained. The devastation will have far-reaching ill effects, especially for the wildlife.  Their winter feeding grounds have been destroyed in the blink of an eye. They are saying it is human caused, which is really a red-hot-angry-button topic for me, but I will spare you, and not get into that can of worms on this blog. Suffice it to say, we had a lot to think about this past month besides our own torch fires burning.

Smoke has filled the air the whole month of August

Before the nasty fires started up, the month actually started out on the right note with a family reunion that was a long time in the making. It  was especially poignant to have everyone attend on Russ' side of the family, as our parents (in-laws) have been dealing with many medical issues this past year. It was nice to see so many family members come out and support them. And also, now that our sons are spread far and wide all over the country, it was nice to get a few moments of alone time with them after the reunion wrapped up. We managed a game of mini-golf at the same course they went to when they were young. Nothing makes us happier than spending time with our adult children.

Our sons enjoying mini golf

We also started and ended a few new projects this month, including these fun white water rafting ornaments.

A variety of white water rafting ornaments

And customers are already ordering a variety of other ornaments, I suppose to beat the rush that will soon be upon us in the coming months. 

Shipping out a variety of ornaments

For the first part of the month, the kiln was filled with these bulbs, as they annealed alongside some of our lustered hummingbirds. They were a special order for a customer who wants to incorporate them into a unique chandelier.

A custom order of bulbs and birds getting annealed in the kiln

Now that August and summer are drawing to a close, we are hoping the only "heat" we have to deal with from now on, comes from our own torches and kilns cranking out new projects.  A controlled environment is the best place for fires. Signing off for now, we hope you enjoy your Labor Day Weekend.

Firing a new project in the kiln

Have a Heart

Lustered Rose bouquet

Another small bouquet with purple highlights

Valentines Month is also "Healthy Heart" month. From some personal experience, I can say I understand the importance of this focus. Normally February is a very busy time for us, teaching lessons for "Hot Date Night" and shipping out rose bouquets, both of which were accomplished. But this year I'd be lying if I said everything was smooth sailing for us. Production in the Studio kind of came to a screeching halt as we dealt with major health issues on both sides of our families.

If anything has been learned, we can say we have a fresh perspective on just how precious our health and hearts can be. Family is what captures our hearts the most, and we are thankful for having such strong family ties. Life has it's ups and downs, and in reality it's never the bed of roses we wish it could be. But how we deal with the lows is just as important as how we deal with the highs. Have to remember that one.

Teddy Bears with heart shape balloons are new this year.

As far as Valentine gifts, there was still time to get a little creative with some new blown glass creations like the ones pictured above and below (we're dealing with the personal stuff as best as we can.) Bottom line is when life gets tough, it's important to "have a heart" and give of yourself to those around you that might need the comfort of a helping hand. We're appreciative of the fact that our family is good at rallying when the going gets tough. 

"Heart of the Ocean" Blown glass Valentine gift

We shipped out a number of these bouquets this month

Upcycled bottles pictured with some of our heart pendants

February is coming to a close and the dark clouds of winter are lessening. A little sun is good for our overall outlook, and helps improve the mood. So as we adjust our attitude, we look forward to a little more sunshine and happiness as we welcome Spring next month. Until next time, remember how important it is to "have a heart", literally and figuratively. 

New Year Goals

Universal Understanding Fused Glass Art Work


January brings with it a sense of renewal and new beginnings. This held true for us in the Studio as we wrote down goals to apply to our artistic glass and creations which we plan to work on in 2016.
Before we got back to the grind though, we actually took time to enjoy winter fun in the mountains with our adult children. It always feels good to rejuvenate out in the crisp, cold Idaho outdoors. Plus our dogs almost demand it, and of course, their needs are fulfilled first.

Some of our dog pack enjoying the snow

Family fun in the snow

Playtime in the mountains

Fused Trout Art work

We plan on creating more slumped and fused art this year, experimenting as we go. Pictured above are samples of some of our latest trout scenes.

Our cure for the January blahs, build a snowman

Now that we have had some fun with the snow outside, it's time to light up the torches and create a variety of roses for the Valentine holiday coming up. We try to include small amounts of playtime with work time, as it helps us to come back with a renewed commitment to our craft. Remember, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Which reminds me, it's time to take the dogs out for some playtime in the snow again. We'll check in again next month to give an update on our Valentine gifts.

Roses cooling down in our kiln