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....

A New Way of Living

Coronavirus Covid-19

Last time I blogged the world was in a much different place, and life seemed somewhat "normal."  But since my last entry 2 months ago, Covid-19 has eerily crept into our communities, growing like an invisible wildfire, and has kept almost everyone on the planet a little preoccupied with the unknowns of this new virus. We are all trying our best to create a new sense of normalcy and well-being, but frankly I feel a little off-kilter.  I never would have thought in a million years, that life would be warped and twisted around in such a short time frame, as we all face this unsettling reality. New vocabulary has emerged as quickly as this pandemic that we find ourselves faced with. "Social Distancing, Coronavirus, Asymptomatic, Contact Tracing, Quarantine, Essential Workers," etc. have all become words we now hear with frequency. It's the new normal, and frankly, at times quite hard to deal with. 

But looking at the glass 1/2 full, I'd say we are fortunate to have our Studio connected to our place of residence, and there is no need to travel to our place of work.  Russ still has his day job, of which we are extremely grateful, even though it is quite tricky to learn and adapt from home. He is managing like he always does. We are not suffering anywhere near the amount others are during this strange and unusual time. We are certainly grateful for what we still have, and have stepped up to the plate to help others in need, when and where we can. After all, "We are all in this together." I feel it's our duty to help others less fortunate, especially in these troubling times. Helping others eases their burdens somewhat, and makes this trauma more bearable. Every little bit helps. 

Meanwhile, we have managed to complete many projects while observing the "Stay at Home" orders from our Governor. The Yellowstone glass orders will be wrapped up some time next week. And we got a new shipment of glass for more projects down the pipeline. The glass pictured below will most likely be turned into a set of Sushi plates.

New glass designs to play with in the kiln.

And the artistic piece below (Net Worth) is showing in a "Virtual" Juried National Art Show located in our City's downtown area, at the Willard Art Center. If restrictions are lifted later in May, we might just be able to see it and other great works of art before the show closes the end of May. 

"Net Worth"

And every now and then a customer needs a piece repaired. The piece below, coincides nicely with the Spring weather. It was repaired, reheated in the kiln, and returned to the customer right before the "Stay at Home" order was put in place. Whew!

"In the Garden"

We have had a little extra time on our hands during this lock down, and had already ordered the materials back in February, so we've built a High Tunnel over 1/2 of our garden to try and extend the short growing season in Idaho. (And keep the bunnies out of the garden goodies we grow.) It was designed and built by that "workhorse" husband of mine, with assistance from Yours Truly. 😊 We just finished planting all our seeds this week.

Our newly built high tunnel-greenhouse. 

Raised beds inside the high tunnel, ready to plant now.

And of course, everything needs to be cleaned and wiped down....so that includes a bath for the 3 little kittens. Not sure if it was really their thing, but they sure smell nice now, and their fur is shiny and soft to the touch. 

Ryder fresh out of the bath.

Annie is perturbed. 

Our cat Marshmellow is quite the character!

Lastly, here's a throwback picture of when our now full grown 2-year old chickens were just tiny chicks entering the new world. Well, the world has certainly changed since they were born. The picture is a reminder of Spring, new beginnings, and maybe a symbol of hope, hence the share. Trying to do our best over here to adjust to the new normal. Our thoughts are with those on the front lines fighting this unseen enemy. Nothing but admiration and mad respect for them. They prove our humanity is worth fighting for. A big thank you to all those giving us hope. We see you!

Signs of Spring, Glass Flowers

January Tune Up

 
 Most of this month found us both down for the count. Bronchial crud is not easy to get rid of. We had to go to the Doc. to give us both a tune-up. In between the coughing spells we got to work on various projects, and also managed to give the Studio a tune-up of sorts. We added a wall so I could have my own space for packing up orders. I have really needed this area, especially when the orders start piling up. And of course there is a need to start fresh in the new year, so we organized the room and repainted it too. It feels much better to enter our work space since making some much needed improvements.  Now to work on the front display area before the Valentine lessons start in a few weeks.  (You wouldn't believe how quickly dust settles on the glass.) 

Not many new projects to report, other than the tennis ball snowmen ornaments we worked on. They took up a good chunk of the first part of the month. It was reported they were well received by the tennis club members. Makes all the labor worth it to have happy customers. 

Working on a commission of  tennis ball snowmen.

We worked on a few miscellaneous orders too, like the pouncing fox and cobalt blue dolphin, pictured below. Also a variety of roses and tulips. (Customers seem to buy lots of Spring flowers from us in January, they must want to kick the January blahs with some pops of color.)

Pouncing Fox

Cobalt Blue Dolphin Ornament

Our glass roses and tulips come in a variety of colors.

We haven't had as many deer this year, but it was nice to step outside the Studio and see a couple of bucks in the backyard recently. There have been some poaching incidents reported around our area, so it gives me solace to see two bucks surviving both winter and bad humans. We've also seen many birds of prey, but they are harder to get a snapshot of. And owls hoot away at night, perched in our tree tops in our backyard, waiting to snag one of the many rabbits around the property. Have I mentioned how much I love witnessing the plethora of wildlife and the nature around here? 💓

Two bucks in our backyard.

The first full moon in January was a sight to behold in the early morning hours. It made me long for a zoom lens so I could get a better shot of the man in the moon. 😊 As you can tell by the picture below, we are experiencing a good Idaho winter this year. As I get older and wiser, I realize how important the snow pack is for our summer months. So, while it may be cold and dreary this January day, I accept it as a good thing. A good snow pack means a good storage of water for those hot summer months coming down the road. Well, time to stop daydreaming of Summer and get ready for our "Hot Date Night" Valentine lessons. See you next month.

The first full moon of the year, setting over our sleepy little town.

Butterfly Memories

Mom's Butterfly

Today is a day of reflection....it would have been our Mother's (in-law's) 82nd birthday. We said goodbye to this beautiful soul not quite 2 years ago. At the time of loss, Russ was moved to create a special blown glass butterfly especially to remember her by, pictured above. This month he just happened to be creating more butterflies for others in the Studio....coincidence? Or was she there helping him create? Whatever the case, butterflies will always remind us of our dear Mom and her graceful ways. Russ inherited his love of creating from his Mom, and it shows in so many of his works. 

Some other ideas and creations were also completed this month. We were able to hang the Chickadee Art work in the Studio, along with a new piece of kiln work, depicting a school of fish swimming in the Ocean current. Russ really enjoys creating new works in between working on the orders that need to be filled for clients. One of our customers requested glass bobbins for bobbin lace making, an interesting commission that was created, and pictured below. 

Glass Bobbins

One more fused piece was just completed last week. Multiple colors were cut, then fused in the kiln. The final step was to slump on a mold, and smooth down the edges of the bowl. Blown balls compliment the finished fused glass bowl. I really am fond of the earth tones. That is the latest coming out of the Studio for the month of April. We hope the coming month of May allows you to spend a day or two with your own Mom, or reflect on happy memories of her.

Finished Fused Glass Bowl

Spending some time with Family this March

A rainy day at Zion's National Park

 March was the month we were able to quickly slip away from our Studio for a few days, and enjoy family time at Zion National Park. (What a national treasure!) We also went down to Arizona to celebrate Russ' Dad's 82nd birthday. It was a quick trip down in a rental car, (Our cars are showing their age) but we appreciated the time away, even if only for a few rainy days. The Southwest's scenery did not disappoint.

We hiked in the rain, but still enjoyed the scenery.

One of many arches in Zion.

Lots of red rock to explore.

We saw a number of mountain goats.

Meanwhile, many different projects are going on this month, many Yellowstone wildlife glass works, alstrom drops for a Non-profit Organization, never-ending Etsy orders, and some new art that I'll highlight next month. In the meantime, this month I am highlighting some past glass pieces that were created in our Studio over the years. Well, I'll keep the blog short this month, I need to get behind the torch. Russ and I will be working nonstop the next little while to catch up on orders. Until next time, enjoy Spring...

Sculpting glass at the torch

Spring Florals for a wedding cake top

Slumped wine bottle with florals and dragonflies.

Blown glass Bass on Manzanita wood

Slumped and fused "Seasons" on wood base.

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