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....

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

Taking Earth Day to Heart

A beautiful tree blossoms this Spring in one of our local parks.

This past weekend "Earth Day" was celebrated in our community. While the weather wasn't very cooperative for an outdoor celebration, just the act of celebrating the Earth causes one to pause and reflect how each of us as individuals can do our part in being good stewards of the land. I am reminded by events like these how important it is that we each do what we can to conserve and take care of our planet. And since moving out to the country a few years ago... I have seen in our own lives, the gratification that comes from working the soil. Also planting trees, flowers, gardens, and recycling has given us a sense of purpose and responsibility for our own patch of land, minuscule as it may seem for our planet's overall health. 

A double rainbow delights us after a thunderstorm.

Spring has a way of  reminding us everything old and washed out can become new again. Mother Nature displays awe-inspiring rainbows after a sporadic thunderstorm. We are busy planting new seeds in the greenhouse and taking care of our young "ugly" chickens so they can give us fresh organic eggs later in the year.

New chickens in their awkward, "teenage" phase. 

Just beginning to see plants coming up in our greenhouse.

We use the blue barrels below to water the greenhouse and chicken trough. When a fresh rain falls, it is collected in our rain gutter and stored in the containers for future use. 

Our water barrels help us recycle rainwater.

We also try to reuse as much as possible in our Studio to prevent waste. Below are two pictures that show how we take old scrap glass laying around, and cut it and rearrange it in various patterns. Next, it is slowly heated in the kiln. The end result has taken the scrap glass and turned it into a functional glass vase.

Kiln heating up scrap glass

The end result is a pretty decorative vase.

 Probably the best way our Studio helps recycle unwanted waste, is to "upcycle" used bottles. Below are a few samples of the many 100's of wine bottles we have flattened or slumped in our kilns. I hand engrave a design on them, and accessorize with bead work and copper wire to dress them up. Now they have gone from trash to treasure, as they are functional kitchen art that can hang on the wall or be used as trivets. 

Wine bottle art 

We have many designs and sayings to choose from.

Dragonflies are popular.

An affordable gift to give.

A great accessory to the kitchen.

These two are slumped together, and make a great trivet.

We have plenty of options of the bottle art to choose from in our Studio, as an affordable gift to give. We also have many other uses for the bottles, such as drinking glasses, tiki torches, wind chimes, or hummingbird feeders like the one pictured below.

Many functional uses for old bottles are available, including hummingbird feeders.

Finally, to go with a recycled theme, the vase and platter pictured below were created from old float glass, or window glass, that would have been discarded and taken up more space in some land fill. This process gives it a whole new life. We really enjoy taking the time and effort it takes to turn trash into treasure. Hopefully we will continue to think of new ways to be good stewards of the Earth and recycle. 

Turning scrap window glass into functional art work.