Out with the Old, In with the NEW!

It's been incredible the last 3 months. Hard to believe it's been since October since I've blogged. How time flies when you're having fun!! Guess it's time to bring everyone up to date on the latest news. It's been awhile in coming, but I've decided to close my Artfire shop. A bit misty eyed about that but I know it's for the best. I was picked up by a new shop in mid October that is keeping me very busy. Add to that I was asked to teach a 4th class for the tech, the other shops have been nuts w/orders, custom orders are piled up, it's been nuts at best so something has to go. AF has been fun, but since it generates the least of my income...it got the axe. :( I wish everyone involved with Artfire great and continued success!

I'm looking forward to the coming year. It's going to be busy and insane but since I'm still doing what I love, it's going to be good. I feel it in my bones!! The family continues to keep me on my toes. Chloe is a doll baby and her verbal skills have just exploded! She never ceases to amaze me with how smart she is. She's been a hoot w/the Christmas decorations this year. She'll get close to the Christmas tree, puts her finger close to her face, points at you and says, "No Touchin'!" with a very serious look on her face. Then grabs an ornament (thank goodness they're all plastic this year!) and says, "Uh-oh!" Those darn ornaments just seem to jump out and land right in her hand! LOL Too funny! She loves this season as much as I do. It's so much fun to watch her and view this glorious holiday thru her eyes. She loves the nativity set that I have on a low table. Almost too much. She insists that one of the wise men is Grandpa and is constantly rearranging them. Everyone is crowded around Baby Jesus! Although currently, Baby Jesus, the shepherds, sheep, and the cow have gone MIA. Not to worry, I found them. They are having a private party behind the recliner, all lined up on the floor. If I wasn't so old, I'd get them back where they belong but since she's little, I'll make her crawl back there and put them back in the creche. My life would certainly be empty without this little one around.

I hope you're lucky enough to have a little one in your life. Take some time, watch them experience something new and exciting. Even if you don't have a little one of your own, it's fun to people watch a young family, if for just a few moments. Makes one look at life in a whole new way. It refreshes the soul to watch a young one experience a new taste or sound or sight. Somehow it changes how I look at those little moments that happen on a daily basis and no longer do I take them for granted. I highly recommend it. ;)

Happy Birthday Chloe!

It's my granddaughter's 2nd birthday today so I'm skipping my usual Thursday blog and celebrating the entire day! I love being a granny! :) :) :)

How much she has changed!

Enjoy your days, hug your babies whether they're 2 or 20!

Say Cheese!

It's been a crazy week here! I've taken over 600 pictures and have spent the last several days on my butt editing, pricing, tagging, and getting things ready for Christmas shoppers. Yikes, I am so glad that this batch is done! There's more to come though! I have another load of mittens ready for the kiln and more need to be cut. I almost forgot to make more snowmen and penguins so I need to start a list. :) I'd be lost w/o my To Do Lists! I should probably start that now while I'm thinking of it or I'll probably forget again. I think my theme song should be "If I Only Had A Brain". :)

I can't wait to get back to cutting glass! My tail bone is screaming in pain from sitting so much. I need to get back on my feet and give my poor butt a break. LOL TMI? Sorry!! But seriously, I hate sitting!

All in all, life is good. May not all be good news, but the attitude is great and that's pretty much what determines whether life for me is good or bad. I did something I've never done before. I quit. I quit everything. I am sure I disappointed several people but ya know how it is when everyone has to have a piece of you? Will you chair this committee? Will you help me with this? Can you do that for me? We need someone to raise $800 to send a kid to camp....you're in charge of collecting the $$.... Being the ding-dong that I am, the first word out of my mouth is ,"Yes!" Well, I finally realized the importance of putting myself, my family, and my job first. Everything was suffering cuz everyone had more pieces of me than I did. So I quit. It is actually quite liberating! I feel like I finally have a handle on life again and it feels great. I highly suggest if that is how you're feeling, you need to quit some things in your life. If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of anyone else. So I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm taking time off from work, enjoying my family, not working 18 hours a day anymore. (ok, I'm trying not to work 18 hours a day.....roll eyes here!) I took Saturday off and my granddaughter Chloe and I went to the parade here in town for Horse & Buggy Days. Normally I work the Lost Arts thing for H&B Days. Not this year! Chloe is 2 years old and growing up so fast, nothing is more important right now than spending time with her! We had so much fun!!!!! She was so funny, the first parade she's been old enough to enjoy. Good as gold, even w/missing her nap! Eating watermellon and steak sandwiches, going to the petting zoo, and searching for balloons. We never did find one, how sad is that? Maybe it's just me, but I found it very strange that no one was selling balloons. Not to worry, the grocery store has them and now we have them too! It was one of the best days I've had in a long time. It's good to quit things. Especially when it makes room for doing the things that bring us the most joy. Chloe is my joy, there will always be time for her. :)

I'm also making time to hunt for Christmas presents. I don't think I've ever started this early! :D I'm pretty pleased with myself! LOL I know I'm going to buy too much this year but about now, I don't much care. I've found too many pretty things on Artfire this year so I won't be spending time fighting the crowds and wasting gas. I plan on doing alot of online shopping this year! I love the pieces from Clara's Clips! Just Ducky is so dang cute! But I think I need to buy the pony for Chloe, she sure loved those in the parade. :) http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=25057&op=new&body=1 Very pretty things!! And something that I will never make.... :( I could spend alot of $$ in Clara's shop and I just might! LOL

Another one that I discovered this week (hey, I get to take breaks from photo editing don't I?) http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=23062 Simply Lampwork. LMAO There is nothing simple about her beads!!!!!!!!! I know, I make lampwork beads and these are totally Divine!!!!! I can't believe her prices either. She's nuts. Nancy, you really need to raise your prices! Seriously. These are stunning. Before she raises her prices, get in her shop and buy her out. I'd rather you bought from me but I don't think I could do work like this. It's gorgeous. Lickable! I'd kill to make leaves like hers. Fan-Freakin'-Tastic!

Another very fun shop I found is http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=26650&op=new&body=1 Sweet Whimsy. I have to have the flamingo scrabble tile pendant! Chloe and I have a thing about flamingos. It's a daily tradition that every day she goes outside, heads to the side garden and makes the "mingos go Boing!" I have flamingos on springs and she thinks it's the funniest thing to make them wobble! Besides, I have flamingo pants that are my "party pants" and I made a bracelet and matching earrings. This pendant would be the cherry on the sundae to my "mingo outfit". :)

Not to be outdone by the flamingo...totally dig this paisley one. It's just so funky!

I think the ladybug box might have to come live here too, at least until Christmas...then I think it's going to my other granddaughter. ;)

There's alot of neat stuff out there on Artfire. It's been great fun for me to get out there, poke around, and find some really unique pieces, all handmade and original. No more "cookie cutter gifts" for this family. I'm going Handmade! :) I bet the family will be surprised that they aren't all getting my glass this year. LOL

That's about it for this week's blog. Time to get dressed, load the kiln, and hopefully have breakfast with my darling Chloe. I'm taking time off to enjoy the people and things most important to me. I hope you can do the same. Be blessed my friends!

Random Friday Thoughts & Eye Candy!

It has been the weirdest week of my life. I'm not even kidding when I write that. It's almost spooky. Not even Halloween yet. Full moon? I don't think so. Planets out of line? Possibly. Monday was a lost day. Ever have one of those? You know you had it, but ya don't know where it went. You tried to live it, you know you did, but you don't remember it. That was my Monday. No worries, Tuesday's another day, right? My Tuesday was great!! Got started on some fused glass mitten Christmas ornaments...loaded the kiln, fired the first load, worked perfect, now I gotta string 'em. (blech!) 3rd load is in the kiln firing now...2nd load, done, needs stringing yet (blech) of course, but I'll get to that this aft. Wednesday started out so perfect! Cold, but I love working when it's cold. Must be that hot flash time of my life or something (another blech), so peaceful out early in the morning, brilliant sunshine, good internet connection (rare in the shop!) and then things took a turn for the bizzare. 4 phone calls, all with freaky and/or bad news. They aren't kidding when they say, "When it rains it pours". I couldn't wait to go to bed that nite just so I could get up, have a new day, hopefully better! And I did. :) But it was also freaky in itself. How many days do I wake up only to get 5 new students, none of which are related to eachother or want the same class? Never. Or at least not until now. Wow! 5 new bodies to introduce to the wonderful world of glass art. Sweet. I bet you can almost hear me laughing...mwahahahaaahaaaaaaa! IT's gonna be FUN! Monday nite is the first class, I'm combining 2 students for stained glass. The other 3 will be in the coming weeks. Join me if you can. I teach great classes. Very laid back, chock full of info, and you can even bring a bottle of wine if you want. Just wear shoes. That's pretty much my only rule.
Ok, on with today's finds... Normally, I try to blog every Thursday. Well, as you have just read, my week has been a wee bit different so I'm a day late. I found good eye candy though and with Christmas coming up, we have to start shopping now. I think these hair bands will be a fun stocking stuffer for the young ladies on my list! They're also made from recycled goodies so I'll be saving the earth at the same time. Can't get much better than that!
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=36140&op=new&body=1 I really like this shop, she has some very cool earrings, hearts that are made out of some kind of wire wrapped wire I am guessing. They're fun and spunky. Right up my alley! Check it out if you can, fun stuff! She's JillsJewels on Artfire!

Since it's getting to be Halloweenie Time....for those of you that scrapbook, these are very cute! I had a hard time picking my favorite so I had to go seasonal. I may just have to take up a new hobby.... :) http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=22045&op=new&body=1 Syrena's Scrapbooking...way too cute, way too much fun. I don't know what she's doing to come up with all these designs, but I dig 'em all!

And then I found these....I absoluetly adore the slippers and covet the bag!! http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=16398&op=new&body=1 HookYarnInker is riding Artfire's Crazy Train today. I might just have to buy a ticket for this ride!!

So since I started this at 10 this morning and it's now 2....what can I say? I'm having way too much fun poking about on Artfire! LOL I better get moving on with the (blech) stringing work. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It's Horse & Buggy Days this weekend in Weyauwega so I'm closing the shop and heading up town for the festivities tomorrow. Be well, count your blessings, and don't have any freaky days. Until Halloween, and then steal all the kids' chocolate. Send me the extras if you have any. ;)

What makes you giggle?

Ok, so I'm a bit different. Lots of things make me laugh and some are totally not appropriate to laugh about. Lately, there's been alot of stress in my life and some days it's really hard to find anything to laugh about. I live in a 3 generation household. My husband and I have welcomed our son, his g.f., and their 2 yr old daughter back home to live w/us while Boy Wonder goes back to school full time. Stressful? OMG, you're not kiddin'!!!!!!! The babe is great, a total joy, love her to pieces! The Boy? um, well let's just say he's taken procrastination to a whole new level when it comes to helping around the house. As a dad, he's wonderful. As a son, he's incredibly special. As a slob? Fan-Freakin'-Tastic!!!!!!!!!! I keep thinking...who is this kid? Who raised him? Then reality hits and I realize he's mine, I raised him, and he's not going away anytime soon. HELP ME!!!!!!!! I love him, I really do. He's my only son, and he's my youngest. He's funny as the day is long. He's just got a way of really pissing me off these days. And if he ever finds this blog, he's gonna be all over my butt for my "nasty ass remarks". Whatever Boy, shift it to the right and move along!

That being said, when I found this shirt, I knew I had to blog about it!

Ashli's Armoire on Artfire is a great shop! I poked around there this morning and found several pieces that I just adore! Everything is made with love and care and definately with a great sense of humor. With our little granddaughter living with us, the delight of having a wee one about again is so much fun. I could very easily, spoil her rotten. I can so see her wearing this little outfit this October!

Now just How Cute is this?!? I can't even imagine all the time it took to sew this up. Check out all the pictures Aubrey has of this darling Halloween outfit. http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=368253

It just totally cracks me up how she turned Mickey Mouse into a jack-o-lantern (his ears are mini pumpkins, too funny!) and Minnie Mouse into a witch. Look at all those details! Fantastic Stuff!!! Her little girl is cute too, I wonder how much candy she had to bribe her with to get her to pose for the pictures? (I bet it wasn't as much as I'll need to bribe Boy to pick up the toys in the living room so *someone* can vacuum.....sigh...)

Another great find today is Myrna Migala. Very interesting watercolors! The first minute I saw her shop, I knew I was going to like her. She has cat and snowman paintings! :) 2 of my favorite things.

I love the personalities that Myrna has given her subjects. You look at the faces and really want to know what the kitties are thinking, or what the snowmen are whispering about. There's alot of talent here and it shows in her paintings. Her sky is awesome in the snowman painting. The shadowing on her snowmen...very cool. I haven't always liked watercolors, guess I'm just goofy that way. But these have me rethinking my orginial thoughts! I have a snowman collection (as well as a kitty collection) and I can see these 2 pieces as great additions to my collections. Myrna, job well done! I hope everyone has a chance to check out her shop!

She's riding Artfire's Crazy Train today! Give her link a click and have fun wandering about her shop, it's a wonderful experience and if you're like me, you may just find a piece or 2 to add to your collection!




http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=26245&op=new&body=1

Poking about all the different places on the net, I do find reasons to smile about, and yes, even laugh. I will make it a point to adjust my attitude today and count my blessings. I know it is a good thing we're doing for Boy and his little family, giving them a chance at a better life. It's not always easy living with them, but I'm pretty sure it's not always easy for them to live with me. So Boy, if you find this blog, I hope you read all the way to the end. I do love you and we will all make it thru this stressful time. Now, go pick up the toys and vacuum the living room. Do the sitting room while you're at it. LOL

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/afv--28366--18817_product_934250972_thumb_large.jpg

What a week it's been!

So many things going on in my life these days. I'm sure it's true for everyone. School is back in session, or will be soon. I don't miss the days when I sent my little ones off. As much as we all looked forward to getting the kids back in school, those first few days were always very bittersweet for me. Our house has always been the one all the neighborhood kids would flock to on a daily basis so we usually had anywhere from 3-10 extra kids here all day long. We had the "Barbie parphanalia" (as my mother would put it!) on the porch, hotwheels in the sandbox along with army men and tonka trucks. Water balloon fights w/a big wet mess in the bathroom. Kids running thru the sprinkler, leaving wet towels everywhere! Those were replaced with video games and mtv as the kids got older. Popsicles were always a hit, no matter what the age of the players. By the beginning of August, I was more than ready for the kids to go back to school. Not so much my kids, but I was ready for the extra kids to go! The first few days of school were always too quiet. Made me wonder what I would do when my kids had grown, moved on with their lives, married, with families of their own. Tears were always just under the surface!

Now here we are, the 3 oldest off on their own. Dan's in CA, Ben lives in Madison with his wife and daughter, Kate moved to MD. Only Tim is at home now, going on to college but the house is still full with his little women, Juila and Chloe. I love them both so much, they are a big part of my life! I know the day will come when he's done w/school and the little family will move on, leaving us with a big empty house. There are days when I can't wait for that, but I know that day will be bittersweet as well. I'll be happy to see them grown, matured, thru school, settled in their new home with jobs and "school daze" of their own as they send little Chloe off. It will be nice for us to have the house to ourselves again, but I have a feeling it will be way too quiet for me!

I'll still have my work, I'll probably always have my work. It is a big part of who I am. And there is never enough time to get it all done. This has been a crazy week. Lots of new fans on Facebook, setting up a biz page for the local art gallery, getting all the bugs worked out, making new lampwork beads, photos, and listings on Artfire, and keeping up with the forums. I seriously need some better time management! But good things are happening too!

I was invited to join the Fun Cute & Whimsical Guild at Artfire! Wow. First off it was neat to be invited, then accepted into such an ecclectic group of very talented artists! You can check out their work here;

http://www.fcwguild.com/ It's just chock full of all the best stuff! This piece just cracks me up!

You can find it here;

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=40825

Besides myself, there were 4 other new Artfire shops added to the guild. Check them out!

Antisparkle's shop is just too crazy! I love her sense of humor! http://antisparkle.artfire.com

You know that octopus necklace you've been searching for? Well you can find it here in Patsdesign Artisan Studio!! http://patsdesign.artfire.com/

Remember paperdolls? Oh man! I loved those things when I was little!!!! Shop66 carries them along with other great vintage inspired pieces. I could spend alot of time poking about in this shop! http://shop66.artfire.com/

If you're having a baby, or know someone that is, be sure to check out Blueberryjunkie's Artfire Shop. I adore her handmade goods! I may have missed out on getting one of her teething blankets for my babies, but you don't have to! http://blueberryjunkie.artfire.com/

I am going to have alot of fun as I check out all the great shops that are members of the Fun Cute & Whimsical Guild on Artfire. I'll probably be grabbing my credit card too! lol This is going to be too much fun!

It's been a busy week...YIKES! And now it's time to work on some custom orders due this weekend. Time to get dressed, grab another cup of coffee and hit the shop. Be blessed today my friends, in all you do. :)

Do you like coffee?

I do! One of my favorite things to do when I have the time is to curl up w/a big cup (and yes, my "cup" holds a half a pot!!) of coffee, enjoying the sounds of our small community mingled with the birds, distant traffic from the freeway, frogs and crickets while I wait for the rest of the day to unfold before me. It's the perfect time for me to count my blessings, and there are many. Even on days such as this when I feel invisible to the world around me. Time to make the coffee and concentrate on God's love for me. I hope you can feel it too.

IHOP Flavored Coffees

Cafe Bavarian Mint
1/4 C powdered creamer
1/3 C Sugar
1/4 C Instant Coffee
2 T cocoa
2 hard candy peppermints

Process in blender on liquify until well blended. Store in air tight container

IHOP Cafe Cappuccino
1/4 C Powdered Creamer
1/3C Sugar
1/4 C Instant Coffee
1 Orange flavored piece of hard candy

Process in blender on liquify until blended. Store in air tight container.

Cafe Swiss Mocha
1/4 C Powdered Creamer
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C Instant coffee
2 T cocoa

Process in blender on liquify until blended. Store in air tight container.

Cafe Viennese
1/4 C Powdered Creamer
1/3 C Sugar
1/4 C Instant coffee
1/2 teasp Cinnamon

Process in blender on liquify until blended. Store in air tight container.

What would go good w/a great cup of coffee? Perhaps some Cinnabon Rolls. ;)
Rolls;
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages dry yeast
2 T sugar
3 1/2 oz pkg. vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 teasp salt
6 cups flour

Combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir til dissolved, set aside.
In a large bowl, add pudding mix, prepared according to directions.
Add margarine, eggs, and salt, mix well.
Add yeast mixture and blend.
Gradually add flour, knead until smooth.
Place in greased bowl, let rise til doubled, punch down and let rise again.
On floured board, roll out to approximately 34" x 21". Spread w/1 cup soft butter.
In a bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the buttered dough.
Roll up very tightly, cut with a knife every 2".
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, 2" apart.
Lightly press down on each roll, cover and let rise til double.
Bake at 350 degrees, 15-20 minutes, remove when they start to turn golden. Do Not Over Bake!

Frost w/Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup margarine
1 teasp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbl milk

Mix all ingredients, mix until smooth.

Treat yourself today. You deserve it. Be well and be blessed my friends!

Hump Day!

Good Morning! I hope everyone out in blogland is doing well. I'm in the shop and ready to start working. Waiting for the kiln to cool down so I can start the painting on the new fused glass coasters. It has cooled off 200 degrees in the last 2 hours, but still too hot to open. Argh! I am not always patient when it comes to waiting to see new fused pieces. :)

I received a call from the client that ordered the Vegas pieces. She loves them! It was a relief since I went out on a limb on the design for those. Sometimes it's just gotta be a certain way, more than what the customer had requested but I'd rather go overboard and do the job right than to just to an average piece. I hope she comes up soon, I can't wait for her to see them in person.

Today's job should be packing up for Riversong Studio, getting them some new autumn inventory for the shop. She has such a lovely place! Chock full of wonderful accents for home and garden. http://www.riversong-studio.com/index.html If you're ever in the area, Riversong is a great place to spend a few hours browsing all her little treasures and treats! It's one of those places where you go thru and do a good look around, then go thru again and discover even more goodies. Laid back and genuine, funky to fabulous, this little shop is just a wonder that must be experienced first hand! Leslie herself is such a wonderful friend to many, myself included. I get so much inspiration from a visit with Leslie that I can't wait to get home and start creating. Everyone that has shopped at Riversong says the same thing so I know it's not just me.

So my friends, have a terrific day no matter what is on your To Do List! I'm off to see what kind of trouble I can get into here at the shop. Be well and be blessed.

Somedays I love my job!

As my kids would tell me, I am a Rock Star! LOL But after having a 12 hour day in the shop, no calls, no customers, it amazes even me what I can get done!! Sweetness and Light! There may just be a mess of new fall pieces for all the shops this year. I'm not sure where the ideas for these came from, but I am totally loving them all. Now I have more ideas, one or 2 large ones, and several more small to medium ones. I can't wait to get to work on them. But it will wait til tomorrow since I am going to reward myself and take off early tonite! Spending time w/the 2 granddaughters, Tim, Samantha, and Julia when she gets home....and my sweetie Bobo. ;)

Have a terrific nite everyone! Hope you were all Rock Stars today too!

things that make you go, "Hmmmm?"

Don't know why this one didn't load before so here it is! :)

Kick Butt Weekend!

Hi all!

Surprised to hear from me again so soon aren't you? tee-hee! Well it's been a kick butt weekend in the shop and I'm so happy w/all that I was able to accomplish! Got an order to Riversong Studio delivered today, 60 new pieces are already displayed in Leslie's fun shop! Got alot of pics taken too, gotta edit some of them but finally got the Vegas Collage

pictures uploaded to the bucket. It's been very busy but wow....I love getting so much done in such a short amount of time. Tomorrow it's back to work again of course, and some of the old mojo has kicked in and I'm anxious to get started on some new autumn pieces. Along w/working on the new pieces, there are some custom orders that will be in the works as well. Several fused pieces so I'll be able to kill 2 birds w/one stone in the coming week. Get the kiln loaded, then back to the new fall pieces. Hoping for a quiet week in the shop so I can get as much done as possible!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and are ready for the week ahead of us! Be well my friends!

Happy Friday!

Good Morning Everyone!
Looks like a lovely (but cool) Friday here in central Wisconsin. Almost feels like autumn! I have to wonder what's going on with the weather but it does make for some good working days. Not much heat and no humidity, keeps me moving and inspired.

It's been a busy week for me so far and I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can finally stay home, working in the shop all day long! Monday was the last nite of the fused glass class. The students were happy with their finished pieces and we had lots to talk about. 2 of the pieces got trapped on the molds so I need to fix those... got 2 choices and it will be interesting to see which one I go with. Tuesday...I can't even remember Tuesday but I know I didn't spend the day in the shop. How sad is that? Wednesday was a quick run to Oshkosh to pick up some tempered glass. Free off of Craigslist...oh how I love that site! Went to Lowes as long as I was there and searched for rods for the last remaining glass flower garden stakes. I have to say, the guys there were extremely helpful and definately good lookin'! LOL I am not kidding, you couldn't turn a corner w/o being asked by at least 2 guys if you needed help. Not one of them was hard on the eye....yummm. I still have some copper pipe to cut down, hammer, and a few more "plate flowers" to put together, then I can start working on a new project that's been swimming in my head for the past few weeks. On my way home from Oshkosh, I got a call from 2 women that had been to the glass art exhibit in Waupaca, they wanted to come see the shop. It was very interesting to meet them as they had lived in Israel for the past 30 years and are now home in the states. Very cool! Thursday was spent at the biggest rummage sale in the world! Yikes that thing is huge!! But I have to admit, I was careful w/my $$ but I did find some neat stuff to haul home.

Today I'm off to work the gallery. I'll be bringing in the fused glass buttons, at least the ones I am willing to part with. How silly is that? They're just so much fun, I'm finding it hard to send them off to sell 'em. :) I will take about 30 of them though...maybe. ;) LOL I'll also be taking the last of the recycled teapot bird houses. I will miss those too. But I will be glad to see that display out of the shop. If I move one more table....I'll be able to fit the antique vanity in here for a new jewelry display. I'm looking forward to setting that up. Along with the new wool rug I bought yesterday for $12.00! That was a sweet find cuz it's in mint condition and wonderful autumn colors. :) :) :)

I hear that the art glass exhibit is going well, I've yet to go look at it so I hope I have some time this morning to hit that before heading into work. A quick stop at Kmart, then it's home to work again. Too much running this week! I feel like I'm not getting anything done and it's frustrating.

Just a busy week all around since we've had our d-i-l and granddaughter here as well. Bob's been working screwy shifts, add in the golf and it seems like we're 2 ships passing in the nite. But hope springs eternal....Next week will be better. ;) LOL

Of course when I think of all the classes I'll be teaching in August, that month will go by too fast as well. Sigh.....how does one get everything done??? Tim will be back in school full time so I'll be babysitting for Chloe and that will take time away from the shop. But she's good for me and it's the perfect excuse to slow down and enjoy her while she's little. Hard to believe she'll be 2 on October 1st. She is my joy!

So that's all fron me this morning. Time to hit the shower, then hit the road. Be blessed in all you do today. Hug your babies, whether they be almost 2 or 52.

I miss making windows...

Just got done making the borders for 2 panels, they're going to be cabinet doors. Got the pattern done, glass cut, leaded, soldered, mud and whiting are on now. All that hands on business of the mud and whiting....sure makes me miss making windows! :( I think I need to put that on My List. I have one more panel to repair, the Vegas collages to finish up, a fused glass "cave man" dish to make, and probably some other things I'm forgetting about. Then I'm gonna build a window. I normally don't like to make them just for stock purposes, but sometimes we need to feed our souls. It might just have some "Tiffany" inspired parts in it. I have a stash of old BE ring mottle glass that I've been saving for just that, time to break it out and cut it up!

Toot! Toot!

Gotta toot my own horn today. This is pretty cool!
http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1637

Toot! Toot!

LOL This is such an honor even if it makes me feel kind of dippy, embarrased.... yes, roll eyes here! But it's neat!

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1637

I like buttons!

I know these are just silly, but I love them! I can see these being used on a really funky shirt or even on a purse or handmade tote bag. Such Fun are my Funny Buttons!

This one is just divine. Rather large but for just the right purse or even a decorative button on a tote bag, whatever, it's a great button w/22kt gold leaves...perfect for autumn!

A mass shot, I so love the big 2" purple dragonfly one!

Fancied up with platinum!

Snowflakes and dragonfiles, flowers and butterflies, abstracts and retros....can't pick a favorite!

Ok, so I have to admit....when I was first approached about making fused glass buttons, I wasn't too hopped up on the idea. The $$ sounded nice, but the ones this woman showed me....aaaahhhh...not diggin' 'em. Know what I mean? It's not that they weren't nicely done, they were. Very clean, no haze, no wonkiness, but they were lacking something. Design wise.

Since I enjoy this woman's company, the gallery atmosphere is so much fun, lots of great art as well as artists....I agreed to make a few. LOL A few???!!!??? One thing lead to another...too many ideas, too many designs, too many colors and not knowing when to quit, I now have over 200 buttons! Normally, I don't like to toot my own horn, but these ROCK! The only ones that were really a pain to make were the 2 hole ones. Drilling thru glass is relatively simple as long as your diamond bit is sharp. Mine? not so much! :( I did manage to get thru the glass but I also ordered a dozen new bits. :) I can't wait to see these all finished up, the shanks glued on, packaged up, photographed, and priced, inventoried and up on Artfire, Photobucket, the gallery, and I'm going to be hitting some yarn shops and such to market them. Not all of them will be buttons, some could very well be pendants or pins, they're beautiful enough to be worn as jewelry too! I am so pleased w/how these turned out!

I never considered myself to be a button nut, but these may have changed my mind! Even my husband is asking me..."Did they really want this many?" I can't tell him the truth....I can't tell him that I am now a button freak. Not that he'd care, but he'd definately laugh at me! Heck, I am laughing at me!

Hump Day!

It's cold today, perfect day for torching but I have to finish the frit on the new LSM piece. The kiln's still too hot to take out the Vegas pieces. I'm so anxious to see those! I'll get those foiled tomorrow at the hospital while I wait for Bob to get done w/his tests. I should spend the day working on glass cutting, get as much cut as I can since I'm not sure how much time I'll have to wait tomorrow.

Got a PM today, I might get to meet Luckywine next week! That would be so cool!! :) :) :) Her daughter lives in Hartford and they might drive up to see the shop. I'm encouraging them to make a day of it, visit the area, sternwheel cruise on the Chain o' Lakes in Waupaca, shop, eat, and just enjoy their time up north.

On a sad note, Peter's granddaughter was assulted. She's 13 and my heart goes out to them. It will take some time to get over that but God willing, they will come out the other side stronger than before. There are such terrible things that happen in this world but there are good things too. We do our best to deal w/the bad but we need to remember to focus on the good.

Be well my friends.

http://artfireshops.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=170

http://artfireshops.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=170

So here I am, in the shop, in my jammies (yeah, again....) trying to figure out all this new computer bullshit (sorry!), linking to this, banner here, edit that, get hits on this site to boost my ratings on that site and I am a Total Loser!!!!!! Can someone help me? LMAO Seriously, this is insanity at it's best. I read the words, I follow the instructions and NOTHING WORKS like it's suppose to. I even see all the "right stuff" in the preview pages, I SAVE it, it shows up like it should but when I go to the real page, it's not there. Grrr! I'm about ready to Nut Right Up!

Sorry for the rant, I just hate being stupid and frustrated.

Honest to pete, I used to be the one everyone came to, to fix their computer problems. Now? Ha! Stay away from me, I'm dark and twisty and just plain jinxed I do believe.

On the bright side, at least my latest test in the kiln looks like it may have worked. Not gonna tell you what it is just yet....hopefully you'll see a pic of the finished piece in the next few weeks. This is going to require a lot of hours working it but it should (I hope!) be worth it in the end.

In the mean time, I need to get to work on the Vegas collages done in glass. I think I finally have worked out the design in my noggin so now I can start cutting glass. Good times! lol

Good Monday Morning!

LOL I'm in the shop, still in my jammies (I LOVE Working from HOME! tee-hee!), but I've managed to get alot done in the last 4 hours. Mostly working on updating my photobucket...

Yuck, a job I love to ignore but alas...it must be done! Got alot of pics up of some custom pieces I made in the last month, feels good to have that job behind me for a bit.

Here's some I did for Cindy Ripley...she wanted a bluejay in each frame along w/a flowering crab. Well, it looks like the pics have loaded above my blogging...but you're smart, you'll figure it out. I on the other hand....probably not! LOL I'm such a twit sometimes.

There's so much to do today, gotta run get some glass for a repair job. I sure hope I don't have to drive all the way to FDL....matching glass is not always easy when you don't know the manufacturor (sp?) (twit attack again) of the original glass. It will be fun though, digging thru glass usually is! :)

I had wanted to hit the torch today, it's gonna be a cool and breezy day. Perfect for sitting behind a 1500 degree torch, right next to a hot kiln. But....tomorrow's suppose to be cool too so I'll wait. The shop is a total disaster! I need to finish cleaning up before I can treat myself to a torch day. I did manage to get the van unloaded from Saturday's show (a rainy success but didn't get pics dang it all), got my new table set up for display in the shop (pics later, gotta vacuum!) and cleaned alot of glass. I'm so picked over though...I really need to spend some time working on pieces for My shop instead of the other shops and custom orders...too bad those take first priority. Sigh...but what's a glass addict to do? :)

I hope you all have a wonderful day! Enjoy whatever you're working on or with, wherever that may be!! Take good care of your loved ones, but remember....you can't take care of anyone until you take care of yourself. Be well my friends! :)

Diva Nite Success!

Here's a frame of handmade, lampwork jewelry....sold several! :)

Here's the main table, just a good cross section of the things I make. Sold lots of pendants and earrings in the tiered basket and 3 of my new "Diva" ladies!! Sweet!

The hanging display, the wine bottle lanterns were a huge hit. Could it be cuz of all the wine that we drank? naaaaa..... ;) LOL

The magnets had everyone cracking up!

Need a fast gift? How about a "$10.00 Quickie"?

The Big Tent, were all the fun was had!

Wow, what a nite! Shows are always alot of work but this one was the best. Torrential down-pour as I was walking out the door, good thing the van was already loaded or I may have thought twice!! Thankfully, it stopped raining just as we pulled into Oberstadts Landscape Center where the first annual Diva Nite was being held. Lots of great wine and desserts, fantastic people. They gave away a $500 shopping spree (but I didn't win) and loads of prizes! I can't wait for next year!!!!!

WWMD

It's not even 7am yet and I'm in the shop, waiting for the day to unfold before me. There's work to do in the shop, a bit in the house, the gardens are done for the most part. The kids come home today from a few days away. It hasn't been long enough for my liking but it's been quiet so I'm looking forward to the company.

I can't help but wonder what my mom would have done, had she had to live my current life. She had a way of making everything work. Somehow I seem to lack that ability. Sure wish I could have had more time with her so perhaps I would have been more prepared for what life has dished out but alas, that was not the case. Now it's up to me, to make this all work, to figure it out as I go along but I'd sure like to be more prepared.

Maybe there is no way to be prepared for what life brings us. So we do the best we can as it comes along.

bye-bye

Anything worth transplanting is gone now. It feels good to see the flowers planted in the new beds and the rest of the stuff gone to new homes. There are still beds I need to divide up but for the main gardens, it will be tilled soon and new grass planted. Bob figures we need about 250 pavers to add to the existing ones to fill up the new patio area. I sure wish he'd get that moving. That could very well be the next job we tackle. No sense in pulling up the pavers and just stacking them, might as well plant them in their new home.
I think the pool lady is coming tonite or early tomorrow morning. It will be great to see that gone. I hope she enjoys it, last time I talked to her she sure sounded excited! I have enjoyed the pool alot over the years but it's time it goes on to someone else. I will miss it though. :(
Might go look at new furniture tonite up in Green Bay, got a noon meeting today, then eye doctor, home for a bit, Bob's got a dr.'s appt, so it's going to be a day of running. As much as I would have loved to sleep in today, no such luck. Too many things to get at!

Chloe was so funny yesterday. She has discovered that the swing is FUN! She woke up at 4am, crying by 4:30 so grandma lady got up with her. The first thing she did (after chasing all the cats and meowing) was to grab her shoes and say, "Shoes on?!" "Side?" Even before the sun was up, even before granny was awake, she's begging to go outside. What a little loveable nut!

Enjoy your day people. No matter how much you have to do, whatever chores are ahead of you, it's up to us to make it good. I plan on doing just that!!

another dirty day

Gonna be another dirty day for this chick. Every muscle and joint in my body is screaming in pain but too bad, the job has to be done. It's coming along nicely out there, I should take another picture of our progress. Moved alot of plants, gave away alot, and more are going today. Tis a good thing! Share the wealth of foliage and flowers. I have to admit, it is funny to drive down our street...I see the same flowers as what I have in my garden. Maybe it's time to branch out and find more friends in other towns. LOL That's all for now, I gotta go dig. Have a good day no matter where you are or what you're up to! :)

wait a minute

I live here and have to find out via Facebook what's going on w/my own family. That ain't right.

So it's day 3 of the major backyard reno. My work will probably begin tomorrow, for now I'm just an innocent bystander, watching Bob put up the fence. It's not always good.

He'll start taking the pool down today, hopefully it will be gone by nitefall and then I can start planning where the seating area will be for sure (we'll argue about that) and where the gardens will go, the size and shape and all that happy crap. Oh joy. At least the sun is shinning and we're gonna be in the upper 50's today so it will be a decent workday.

Help Needed

Find me a decent, low cost (read that as damn near free cuz we're so damn poor!) make over of the backyard. I'm bleary eyed from searching the net for ideas on what to do w/that space. The pool is going, the fence is being moved, pavers ripped up, gardens moved, all to make room for a new play area for the granddaughters and a seating area for us while we watch the little yard apes. I love those 2 girls more than life itself, they are the brightest spot in my dreary, work exhausted existance. But I am impatient. I want the yard done now. NOW! I want the patio done, the gardens planted, and the grass growing enough so we can let the little ones out there and I can concentrate on all the other wonderful aspects of my life, like work. Cuz that's all I know how to do is work, work, work. I've heard of people that enjoy their lives, and granted for the most part, I do enjoy mine, but I'm feeling a tad bit drained these days.

Happy Hump Day

It's been a weird week. Every day, shoppers in to purchase new goodies for gifts. Pretty sweet! Working on prototypes for some garden art pieces using pot melts and copper tubing. Now that the sun is finally shinning, I might just get a few stuck in the front of the shop to see how they look. I'm pretty happy with them but need to test drive them and make sure they're stable enough to sell. Also working on some Grey Goose candle holders. Those are some neat bottles! They're a bugger to cut but they don't blow on me like alot of the wine bottles do. I'm anxious to see how these lite up at nite.

We're working on the back yard, making the play area for the granddaughters. Hopefully I'll be able to work out where the new flower beds are going to go soon so I can start collecting plants. I must be going thru some kind of transitional period in my life, I want a whole new look out there. Cleaner, simple, and lots of mulch so I don't have to weed as much! LOL I still haven't found a good "yard planner" online although I've messed with several, none of them seem to have what I need so the hunt is still on. Lots of plants to move, swingsets to build, a patio area, tons of thinking to do. Not to mention grass to plant once the pool is gone. And major clean up of the weirdness going on out there thanks to Bobo....grrr! It will get done, hopefully soon.

Time to get on w/the day. Have a good one!

Yikes!

It's only a few days from Easter and things are still busy, want to work on glass but I know I should work in the house. Got too many orders piled up, got a friend from IL coming and she'll probably want to take pieces back w/her....which haven't even been started yet. Argh! Maybe I'll work part of the day....clean later. LOL I should probably start by getting dressed......no matter what you want to do every day, clothes are probably required. ;) Have a great day everyone!!

Woo-HOO!

I'm so tickled!! I just got done adding more pieces to the Artfire site! What a relief to have at least some of the new goodies up for everyone to enjoy!!!!! Diggin' all the new work, can't wait to make more!

It's cold up here, but ya know, it's been a great day! Took Chloe to church this morning, she started singing when the kids sang the first song. It was so cute! She's such a sweetie! Hard to believe it's almost Easter, I need to get shopping for treats for the kids (and Bob!), get eggs to color and the house decorated. I'll have to post a pic of the Easter Egg tree.....brings back good memories. Hope you have a few too. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Peace. :)

Good Morning World! :)

Once again, things are backed up and way too busy. It's so sunny today, only a few puffy clouds in the sky so it's gonna be a good day! I've taken pics of the new jewelry. The glass forum got hacked so I spent the last few days parked in the shop at the laptop, figured I might as well make myself useful (yeah Ruth...for a change!) so I sat, kept an eye on the forum waited for things to get corrected, and made jewelry. I treated myself and made 2 necklaces, a bracelet, and 2 pr of earrings. I always make things for others, this time it was for me. I love how everything turned out (if the camera batteries didn't die, I'd post pics!), now I just need a new summer shirt to go w/the one. Not my colors but I love this piece so I'm going for it. While I had everything out, I made lots of new goodies for Artfire. Got those pics taken, now just have to edit them and get the copy written so I can post some new things for sale.
The shop is still a royal wreck from the IL show. The show was so much fun! Got to see people I hadn't seen since last December so it was good to catch up with them again. I sold alot which is good for the checkbook, but still have enough left to send out to the shops and galleries so I felt caught up for about 2 days. I still have orders to get at, a repair (yuck!), and then get ready for the next show in May as well as a garden luncheon in May. Classes to prep for, and still have time for the family.
I babysat last nite for Chloe, she is just the light of my life! So full of love and giggles and jumps and dancing. The kids got her a new cat book, totally funny to read her that one cuz she has to stop at every page and "kiss the cats"! LOL What a nut! She's starting to string together words into sentences and that's a hoot! It's fascinating to watch her learn new things. She has discovered the grand fun of standing on the couch and diving off, head first into her little foam Tinkerbell couch! Up and down and up and down, repeatedly! Scares the crap outta me but she's pretty careful. Definately a little dare devil! That girl is a total delight! Every day is something new with her and I'm so fortunate to be able to watch her grow and discover this wonderful world around us all.
I better get dressed and on with the day. Gotta lot of work waiting for me again today. Enjoy!

TGIF

Another Friday is upon me and I get to go "do my time" at the local art gallery. I get to work with Barbara today...she is so fun! I'm looking forward to our time. The last time we worked together, I got conned into holding a mosaic class. LOL This woman is a real go getter! Not to worry, the class is gonna be alot of fun and I look forward to teaching it.

Life here is busy, busy, busy. Too much coming up in 8 days and not near enough time!! I feel good about where I am as far as work done, picture day is looming now so I'm anxious to get all those edited and put up on the site.

Hubby is back to work, might actually have 2 weeks of work before another week laid off. Boy Wonder isn't though....kind of hit or miss w/his job and I'm wondering what will happen w/that place. Baby Daughter hasn't found a job yet either so....wow, this economy has really tanked. I'm sure I'm not the only one concerned.

The weather is back to semi-winter but alot of the snow is gone so it's only a matter of time now. I can finally walk into the back garden! Woo-Hoo! I miss that in the winter and it's always a wonderful, peaceful, feeling when I can get back there again. The bunnies have once again done a number on the shrubs....dang rabbits! But they need to eat too. Who knows, it might even done some good and maybe my mock orange will blossom again. Some of the plants are even starting to green up a bit. The dianthus and the small sedum....love when I see the first sprigs of green. The lilacs have buds, as do the maples, so I know the rest isn't far behind. I wonder what I'll plant this year?

We sold the pool and have plans on making a play yard for the granddaughters. I'll miss the pool but it will be so nice not to have the work (ha!) and have a fenced in area for the girls. DH has plans on building a swingset and I'm hoping a small play house. I want a small deck area w/a wadding pool so they don't get grass in the water. I can't wait to start designing where everything is going to go and what it will look like. :) We'll be moving the fort and sandbox over to the new area. That's gonna be fun! I have to start looking for a fast growing shade tree to plant out there. I know the bunnies nest under the pool deck now...wonder where they'll move to once it's gone. I sure hope we don't disturb the nest if there's new babies.

So many things to do and so many things to look forward to. I love the change in seasons, there's always something to look forward to!

I better scoot, hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Good Morning!

I have to write in Green today.....I think spring is right around the corner. As I was heading out to the shop this morning, in my slippers and jammies, coffee cup in hand....I heard and saw the first 2 geese returning to the area. I can't tell you how wonderful it was!! I know, it sounds silly but to see this first sign of spring after a long, snowy and cold winter, just made my day! The finches are even starting to show a hint of color. Sweetness and Light!! Speaking of light, we have to turn the clocks forward tomorrow. Don't forget. ;) Til next time, have a good one!! M

Thursday nite!

Ok, so I just signed up to blog....everyone says, "You have to blog to increase traffic to your site!" Ok. I'll bite. :)
And I have no clue what to write about. Or should I say *blog*?

A bit about me...married for going on 27 years, 2 stepsons, a daughter, a son, a fake d-i-l, a real d-i-l, and 3 grandbabies. I come from a wacky family, and over the years I've learned distance is a good thing. Love them all dearly, but they're all just goofy. Or maybe I'm the one that's goofy and am best keeping to myself. 6 of one, half dozen of the other...either way, it doesn't really matter. I'm terribly happy with my life. Granted I have troubles and turmoil just like everyone else, but for the most part, I'm happy. The best advice my dad ever gave me was this... "Nothing is so terrible you can't laugh about it." He was right. So laugh, I do. Every day. And a lot of it. My husband is down to working only 2 weeks out of every month (thank you economy), our son the same thing. I work 14 hour days in the shop, but sure don't get paid enough so I will soon be looking for a "real" job. That's gonna be a hoot!

The shop? What's that? Hmmmm, 10 years ago, I started a hobby, or so I thought. I had quit a job, the kids were young but in school. I had to find something to do or risk losing what was left of my pea brain. Something that had always interested me was stained glass. And thus the madness began...mwahahahahaaaaa! It soon became a business, I moved from working in the utility room to our "little house", and when the dh realized I was never home, we sold that place and built a shop behind the garage at our house. Now I basically live out here, going in for meals and sleep. Speaking of sleep, I could use some of that. ;)

My life is more like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride but I love it. The ups and downs, the ins and outs, the constant changes, there's always something going on here. My kids and husband keep me on my toes. As do my friends. Seldom does a day go by w/o having company of some sort, whether it be a friend over for coffee or kids visiting, or customers coming to the shop. The emails never end, and the phone rings too, and let's not forget to check all the glass forums, do my research, come up with Today's Plan, and help the other glassers as much as I can. There's always a stray to save too. No, not a critter, but some lost soul who needs some cheering up or a place to crash, or a letter or good long talk to help get them back on track. It's an interesting life. And I wouldn't change it for the world. As far as critters go, we do have 3 cats. Actually we only have 2 but when Boy and my fake daughter moved back in w/us so he could go back to school, their little girl has a cat. meow. So now we have 3. Oh boy! They're good cats and the kids are good too, and I love that little granddaughter to distraction! She is the light in my day. I'm so blessed by having the opportunity to have them live with us. Yup, I've got an interesting life. And a blessed one at that.

For now I shall post what I have, hopefully get back on tomorrow and blog some more. I hope everyone reading this takes a moment, sit back, and count your blessings. Even if you can only come up with one....that's more than some have. Be well. Til next time.... M