Once in a Blue Moon

The month of January started out with a full moon and is ending with another "super blue blood moon".

January is going out with a bang, with it's "Blue Moon, Super Moon, and Moon's Eclipse occurring on the last day of this month. Otherwise known as the "Super Blue Blood Moon".  I don't know if that phenomenon is the cause of our re-energized attitudes, but it helps that we have been able to take a collective breath earlier this month, from the holiday rush of last year. We have been able to accomplish quite a bit in the last few weeks, and have re-prioritized what needs to get done in the Studio. We've cleaned up the holiday clutter, and are setting goals to create new projects with silk screening endeavors, later this year. We are still waiting on some key components before we can get started with this new technique that we look forward to working with, on glass. 

Right from the get-go, we started out the new year with a large order that kept us busy for a while, a commission from a Tennis Club in Texas. They requested tennis ornaments with a snowflake theme. We experimented and came up with this design, using soft glass and glass enamels. We filled the kiln up a few times to get them all done in time. 

Snowflake-themed glass tennis racquet ornaments fresh out of the kiln

Another customer requested an unusual wedding cake top to go along with her passion for entertaining - the glass microphone pictured below, highlighted in silver luster.

Blown glass microphone requested for  a wedding cake top

Russ enjoyed creating the blown glass multi-colored road runner, now we're thinking it needs a float glass cactus added on to complete it. 

Multi-colored glass road runner

And of course, many times in the world of slumping and fusing, what we think has turned into a complete fail, ends up turning into a "beautiful disaster". The layered piece below was meant to be a beautiful vase, but the colors just weren't coming together, so Russ totally changed his thought process and went a whole new direction on the scene below. He used standoffs to mount it in our Studio, and I have to say it looks spectacular standing out from the wall like it does...gives it a 3D look, and a much better outcome than the vase would have been. A happy fail. 

Slumped and fused glass art with enamel accents

We also like to take time to leave the Studio now and then and enjoy the Nature around our property in these winter months. And living where we do, we still get all kinds of wildlife coming into the yard this time of year, looking for anything that isn't covered up and ready to munch on. We've had to move our bird feeder 3 different times, as the deer can't seem to get enough, and we don't want them to get in the habit of expecting a free meal. I think Russ has placed it high enough now, that old Mister Buck can't reach it anymore, like he does in the video below. We love the deer, but have also realized it's important for them to eat what they are used to in the mountains, lots of fibrous twigs and branches, and as much as I hate to admit, not our bird food.

This herd is so fun to watch from a distance. We have to be careful going around the neighborhood at night, as you never know when they will dart out in the street. They seem pretty healthy from the mild winter we've been having this year. Unlike last year, when many of our deer and elk populations didn't have enough food to eat because of the devastating Henry's Creek Fire that was human caused a few years ago. I'm glad they seem to be rebounding this year.

Mule Deer Herd in our Neighborhood

So we come to a close of the first new month, in our new year, with the new blue moon, along with new ideas brewing for the coming months. Happy New Year!

Our Year's End

Visiting our family's old cabin in the mountains of Idaho.

Time for the last blog entry of 2017, as we are coming up to the last hours of the year. Always a time for reflection of what was. After all the chaos of the busy season in our Studio, our family ended the year right with a family vacation in and around Yellowstone Park. We enjoyed spending the last week of the year with our 4 sons and their families. During that time, so many memories came flooding back as we rode our snowmobiles past Russ' parent's old cabin nestled up in the mountains. It has long since been sold to someone outside of the family, but the happy times we shared in this magical place years ago, will live on in our hearts and minds forever. Sweet memories of the joy Russ' Mom spread around to each of us when we came to visit. It's been a hard year, having lost the lovely Matriarch of our family this past July. I was reminded of her lovely spirit as we passed by the cabin. I only hope to become half the woman she was, full of humility and unconditional love. We were lucky to include this quick jaunt down Memory Lane during our short vacation.

Meanwhile, during the month of December, we have been lucky to witness our mighty Buck returning from the nearby mountains to our very own Backyard again. He must know he has found safe haven here. Not much gets done when he wonders onto the property, as our eyes are transfixed on this majestic animal.

Our Buck has returned to our neighborhood again this year.

But we managed to redirect our focus to the tasks at hand in the Studio this month, and some of the results are pictured below. I hand engraved some slumped bottles, along with firing some decals on them with festive holiday designs and sayings. They were on display during our annual Open House the first part of December.

Up-cycled bottles display festive holiday themes.

Russ created some new wall art shown below, using a combination of float and soft glass. The moon and grass reeds were cut out of float glass, then slumped in the kiln. The frog and dragonflies were cut and pieced together, along with some glass saw work, then slumped and fused in multiple kiln firings. 

Slumped and fused Pondscape

Customers that came to our Open House requested new projects,  many of them shown below. We really enjoy new challenges poised to us by customers, they keep the creative juices flowing.

Marvin the Martian was made out of soft COE 90 glass, with enamel paint accents.

Soft and hard glass were combined for these names.

Cinderella's glass slipper ornament

A special request was made for this Lilac-Breasted Roller

Another customer requested one of these popular fused scenes on Birch wood.

We make a new glass ornament for our grand kids every year.

Float glass was cut and slumped into a fun snowman mold, then I applied enamel paint and baked them on in the kiln for the cookie tray pictured below. 

Snowman-themed cookie tray

And during our Open House earlier this month Jack Frost was on full display all throughout our neighborhood. We couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of  the stunning results of Nature's works. 

Jack Frost worked his magic in our yard, earlier in December.

And so ends another year of our own productive works. As one year closes and another is just about to begin, we hope you will stay tuned for the latest in our ever-evolving world of glass: Handcrafted and blown in our Idaho Studio. We want to thank all our customers once again, for your support. Many of you are responsible for us achieving another banner year of sales and success. Wishing you and yours all the best for 2018.

September Harvest

Another batch of wildlife headed to Yellowstone

Lately, it seems the months are blurring into each other. I can't believe we are already looking  into the month of October in a few days. Time sure has a way of getting away from us. I'll take the time to write a quick blog post today, then head back into the Studio for more projects. (We never seem to run out of them these days.) Pictured above is part of the latest blown glass wildlife order from the Yellowstone stores. 

A hand engraved slumped wine bottle created for a customer in Iowa.

The flattened (slumped) bottle and logo above were made for a winery in Iowa. We enjoy creating Business' logos with our engraver. It's a hand engraver, so I take my time with these kind of projects to get it just right. No such luxury of  a laser engraver yet, maybe in the future. 

Orders are already piling up for the coming Holidays.

Pictured above is part of an order we created for an Art Gallery that's located across the country. I have lots of finish work to do, like tying cords onto each individual ornament, and adding tags of course. I take extra time carefully wrapping each one with tissue paper and bubble wrap, to make sure it arrives safely to it's destination. (You wouldn't believe how much of that product we go through every month.) The Devil is in the details.

Meanwhile, our garden harvest is full-bore this month of September. We've already harvested beans, peas, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, peppers, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, and zucchini. Pictured below are the latest vegetables to be picked. We had no choice, as the garden got hit by frost last week. Looks like I have plenty of winter squash to store this year, along with a good variety of pumpkins. 

So, multi-tasking is a must in the month of September, with the business and home and garden duties. It's a way of life we have grown accustomed to. And you know how the saying goes, "You reap what you sow". Until next time, enjoy the Harvest. 

September is a month filled with canning garden goodies.

April Showers make for Long Hours....

We've had every kind of moisture you can think of this month. April showers are an understatement. Currently, it continues to snow up here. The good thing about grey skies outside, is we tend to focus better on the tasks at hand in the Studio.....

A few of many blown glass Yellowstone Wildlife sculptures heading to Yellowstone Park Stores

So quick! Hurry and get in a blog before the month is over! Why does it always go so fast? I suppose because we always have something going on in the Studio with a tight deadline these days. This month seemed especially busy. The order that has taken precedence this April is the Yellowstone order. We only have a few more weeks before all the wildlife sculptures need to hit their store shelves for the summer tourist season.  We are anxiously anticipating how well they will sell. It's our first real experience doing a wholesale order for a national park. We hope it relays to all parties as a positive outcome, and continues as a yearly contract for us. We think it's a nice fit, to partner up with them as we are always inspired to create glass Yellowstone wildlife when we visit the Park. Meanwhile, working as fast as possible, we've finished the Moose and Elk, and have moved on to the Bears. Russ is sculpting one in the pictures below.

Sculpting a Grizzly Bear in the Lamp Work Flames

Toasting his "buns"

 Russ also found the time for another project this month, and sculpted the horse below for a client .

Horse Sculpture blown for a client

We were fortunate to travel to the Glass Expo a while back, and enjoyed viewing many stunning works of glass art at the show. Some of our favorites are pictured below. We also purchased a new kiln and glass saw, and have many ideas brewing for future projects. Stay tuned.

Awe-Inspiring Fused work at the Glass Expo

Great idea for float glass

More Art work at the Glass Expo

A beautiful mosaic piece

Our favorite piece at the Expo

An unusual mixture of wood and glass

Another stunning work of glass art

I would like to dabble more in sand carving,  akin to this beautiful piece we saw at the show.

We were fortunate to combine our trip down to the Glass Expo, with a wonderful 80th birthday celebration for Russ' parents. It was a very special weekend to start off the month of April, celebrating the lives of  2 very special people.... A memory that we will cherish for years to come. 

Our parents celebrating their 80th birthdays together

'Tis the Season

Slumped and Fused Art

Lately I've got a bad habit of waiting 'til the last possible moment to write my monthly blog, through no fault of my own. Hectic doesn't begin to accurately describe what this month has been like for us in the Studio. First we had to prepare new art pieces to participate in a local art show, then create custom commissions for clients, then stock and restock all our ornaments that we are shipping through our Etsy storefront. Not to mention create custom blown ball ornaments for clients both local and across the country. I'm getting that stress knot in my stomach that tends to inflame around this time of the year. I suppose I need to focus on the end results, which is, that we are constantly validated these days both in the art world, and our home grown business. Makes it easier to lose sleep over I suppose. 

Our large Ornament rack holds lots of unique ornaments.

Set up for a local art show in November

We created a fun fused coaster set out of different hues and shades of red.

Red glass fused coasters

Bigger and more unique wildlife pieces were sculpted in the lamp working flames, like the pieces shown below.

Blown glass Owl on Manzanita Burlwood

A crystal clear trout making a glass splash out of the water

Blown glass Moose in Cattails

Sandblasted Mountain Goat on a glass rock ledge

While our Wildlife scenes are always popular, Russ went outside his comfort zone with soft glass, and spent hours and hours creating the Aspen scene below. A nice, thick piece was created by added layer after layer of various colors. The real Aspen log set it off perfectly.  Definitely one of the more intense pieces created to date.

Slumped and Fused Aspen Art Work

A real piece of Aspen bark was also used to help create a mold for the unique slumped and fused piece below. A light adds a soft touch to it.

Another unique glass Aspen piece

Russ was really pushed to his creative limits on the piece below. A client wanted a type of Salvidor Dali inspired piece of art work. This piece really moved me, almost to tears, as he described his inspiration behind it. Hours and hours of intense kiln time and flame working time were spent on it. Both ourselves and our client were extremely pleased with the outcome. 

This piece has many interpretations and levels to it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Another couple of unique projects are wrapping up this month, as two different clients wanted us to create their logos on the inside of their custom blown balls. Inserting the logo inside the ornament gives it a kind of floating-in-air impression. Lots of time and effort is being spent to get it to look just right. Hoping they are both happy with the outcome. 

Custom made blown ball ornaments

And of course, what would this time of year be like without our trusty source of income, affordable Christmas ornaments. These happy snowmen are just about to be fired in the kiln.

Slumped and Fused Glass Snowman Ornaments

Now if you will excuse me, I've got to rush to the Post Office to ship yet another car load of glass goodies. I need 4 sets of hands to get it all done!

Many packages waiting to be shipped out all across the country.