May Projects

Wildlife Art created for the Museum of Idaho. The pieces will be available in their gift shop.

The month of May flew by furiously for us (literally and figuratively....that darned Idaho wind!) as we checked off project after project we had been wanting to get done, both in glass works and home improvements. In between large orders of glass wildlife, Russ somehow found the time to also build a new and improved backyard deck. Of course, I was there to help him whenever he needed an extra pair of  hands. (We have been working well together for quite some time now.) I have to say that we are both absolutely tickled with the outcome, and thank our lucky stars he had the foresight to purchase the lumber at the beginning of the year before the prices of lumber skyrocketed. (Some people have not done so well from pandemic-related isolation, but Russ is not one of them. He is checking off project after project, as he is spurred on by views of a well-earned retirement on the horizon.) He had really wanted to get this project done before retiring, and sure enough, he "got 'er done!" in record time.

A lot of material lists and planning went into the substructure and layout of the deck. 

We have already spent many hours outside, enjoying the new and improved deck.

Festive lights really add to the deck's beauty. 

Somehow that man of mine also managed to design and build a "Catio" for our indoor cats in the month of May. All they do is jump through a kitty door that was installed in the screen window, and enjoy hours of  bird watching. A win-win for us, as there are too many predators where we live for these 3 precious ones to roam freely. (Besides, we put too much money into them since we rescued them, for them to just mysteriously disappear, as happens quite often in our neighborhood.) It's only good for the warm months, as we will need to close the window when the cold autumn nights arrive. But, I'm sure they will have had their share of bird watching by then. 

Russ designed and built this fun "Catio" on the side of our home.

 Once again, we breathed a sigh of relief as the Yellowstone Park Store's orders were completed. In between blowing, sculpting and packing up hundreds of wildlife pieces, Etsy orders also rushed out the door. I know we are both ready for a break in the Studio for a bit.

Some of the most popular blown glass wildlife pieces in the Yellowstone Stores.

These pieces are now packed and ready for distribution in the Yellowstone Stores. 

Only one more big outdoor building project to go, and then time to enjoy some weekends with family and camping in the mountains. That's what summer is for, after all. We are also excited to mingle with friends this year, a welcome to normalcy after a year of uncertainty. We hope this Memorial Weekend allows you to begin anew too.  Here's hoping you can also enjoy the summer months ahead. 

Peaks and Valleys

Time for another blog entry as to what's going on in the Studio....This month was spent organizing a variety of  different types of glass, and wrapping up our Yellowstone order, plus creating another float glass mountain scene. The wolves pictured below were the last of the glass wildlife packed up and headed to the Park Stores. I got to hand deliver all the pieces personally, and enjoyed a side benefit of Old Faithful erupting while I was there. The Park looked healthy and vibrant,with patches of snow still hanging on in the high country.

Our Border Collie Maggie seems to want to help with the work.

Howling wolves headed for Yellowstone Park

Once back from the day trip, it was time to focus on organizing glass in the Studio. Also, as seems to be the norm now, we have to attend to a constant stream of Etsy orders coming in every month, like the colorful teardrops pictured below. 

Swirls of color were added to these teardrops

It's always nice to get creative in the Studio and try something new. Russ actually had time to create a unique piece of new art work for one of our Nephews this month. Below are the steps taken to create the "peaks and valleys". Russ started out with a concept drawn out on paper. Then he used the new glass saw that we purchased at the Glass Expo a couple months ago, to cut away the mountain range and rolling hills in sections. This project was all made out of float glass.

First stage of the "Peaks and Valleys" Mountain Scene

Cutting into the glass with our new saw. Such an improvement from the old one!

The next step was to fire them in the new kiln, to heat the rough-cut glass down to a soft edge.

Float glass ready to be fired in the kiln

Kaowool was placed under the float glass' top edges for the mountain peaks. This technique is used to give them the contour and illusion of snowy peaks. Once fired, it peels off.

Kaowool technique

The kiln was fired up to 730 C to get the effect Russ was going after. The final stage was to sandblast the rolling hills that were placed in front of the mountain range. 

Firing the Float glass

The finished project is pictured below and will be used as a back splash behind their kitchen sink, and once installed, can be seen from their kitchen and living room area in their home. We're hoping it works with their vision of what they want for their home's decor. They live in a beautiful valley in Montana surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. It was a challenging but fun project to take on. 

"Peaks and Valleys"

Below is a different background for the picture. It was so big that taking a picture was a bit of a challenge. Looking forward to having it delivered this weekend. Now on to a myriad of other projects, because around here the fun never ends. 😊

Grass is always greener on the other side....