3 New Summer Glass Goodies!

Yesterday was pretty productive in my studio, despite the heat and looming running-out-of-gases threat (I'm a worrier, but see I'm working on it! :D )  To top off that productivity, I actually photographed the new goodies this afternoon, wow! I know, it's really not that difficult, but for a procrastinator that gets distracted by all the shiny things, foodstuffs and electronics, this is an accomplishment for me.  Behold three of my newest summer jujees:

Beach Scene Shell Pendant

Green and Blue Sparkly Flower Implosion Shell  Sea Turtle

Orange and Purple Dragonfly Pendant

New designs on the way, so stay tuned.  I know these are a few of my traditionally awesome designs, but I have some new tricks up my sleeve... ;)

(Edited: Blogger made my pics darker with "Auto-Enhance" unbeknownst to me, so I had to re-upload them after turning that feature off)

Tide Pool Challenge! (Glass Art from the FD Group)

Right now the Fire Divas July challenge is going on, this month's theme being "Tide Pool." There are some really fantastic beads entered into this one, so you know us Fire Divas are excited.  Even though it's a bit of a competition each month we hold it, we are all glass fans at heart and love to see what everyone is up to in such a talented group.

Voting ends tomorrow! Please vote for your favorite entry on the right side of the Fire Divas blog and leave a comment there to be entered to win a $20 gift certificate from ME! Goodies that you can use the gift cert on can be found at Shepherd Creations ArtFire Studio! Please include your email address with your comment (does not have to show, I don't think) so that the Fire Divas group are able to notify you about your prize. :)


***You can find the poll to the right and at the top of the Fire Divas blog page***

You have to check out the blog to vote and qualify to win my $20 gift certificate, so what are you waiting for? Get over there! :)

Remnants of Fruit!

So much of my inspiration comes from nature, that my yard is always a source of interest :)
We had loads of delicious fruit, and luckily some is still around!  I'm fine with fruit on the ground if someone is still eating it...

This bee had a huge appetite!

The great part about grazing insects is that I get to observe them up close while they're distracted...

This threesome stuck around for a group photo, but I can't guarantee they survived after the photo shoot...

And this little guy is still guarding my plums from other would-be assailants

Well, I can't leave you with a spider in mind, so enjoy this photo of a cluster of grapes from our little slope :)  Someday we'll have enough for a glass of wine!

In the meantime, they do make a tasty snack...  Plus I can work on my grape cluster design!

Sunday Show-Off: August 22nd, 2010

Two blog posts in one day?  Ridiculous!  Now if I could get you to read both... then that would really be something :)

Today I'd like to showcase my new summery beach goodies, with my favorite first:

My newest beach bead, Beach Scene Shell Pendant

Then, my new whale tail pendant (my Sealife Series):

 

Whale Tail Pendant

And lastly (part of my Botanicals Series):

 

New Palm Tree Pendant

The palm tree is the only one listed for now, but after I measure the others they'll get on Artfire too.  I just wanted to share them with you guys and gals first!  See you again soon!

Beach Weather Ahoy!

It's that time of year again folks: Beach weather, picnic time, blue skies and nice days that you can spend outside enjoying the quiet beauty of nature.  It's a great time of year, and the mornings especially lend themselves well to outdoor exploration and tourism. Make sure you soak up some sun, but don't forget the sunblock.  Here's a final goodbye to my beach scene pendant I've had on display for a while that was purchased this past weekend, and went to a good home as a gift.

Beach Scene Pendant

Well, now that means I have to make another one, and I have just the idea...

Autumn is Here!

So what will you miss about summer?

Autumn is indeed here, and I'm pretty happy about it. The studio isn't air-conditioned, so it's sooo much nicer to be sitting in front of a torch when it's cool outside. It really is. I'm happy :)

With the fall comes harvest festivals, a great season of craft fairs, holiday shopping, and careful planning for all of us, I'm sure. I'm going to try to send out Christmas cards again this year, but I think I'm writing them over the next few months and then having them all ready-to go before Dec. 1. When do you actually put them in the mail though?

Paul and I are working on making our glass display a bit snappier, so look forward to those changes. I've got some new designs too, so our season is just beginning. It's exciting, but what I'd really like is a comment or two on this blog post ;) SO Share with us!

Now that the sweltering summer heat is mostly gone, what is the best thing about summer that you'll miss till next May?

Handcrafted Holidays: Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father’s Day!

To all the fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day! Now don’t say we never gave you anything : ) . We already called both our fathers and should see them within the next month or so, traffic permitting (one’s a trucker). The other one we should see near our next show, and his birthday is coming up. Our family is one that lumps celebration occasions together: We’re efficient! So, that will be coming soon, as we also don’t feel the pressures of society to celebrate all at once like the masses…Conformists… Hallmark didn’t win this round :P Oh, and now that we’re into Etsy we have access to all kinds of handmade wonderful cards. I’ll be stocking up soon in time for the birthday/Christmas rush.


Well, today is more or less for resting, as we got lots of yardwork done yesterday and some great glass pieces that included some wicked flowers and a cute flower brooch. It’s summer, so yard-inspired glass is where it’s at. The apricots are juicy and delicious, and the plums are not far behind. Peaches, well I think those don’t usually ripen till July anyway, but we’re waiting with baited jam jars… Paul made some great medium salsa the other day, but we went through 40 ounces of that in a heartbeat (a week), so now if I want to make enchiladas I’d better whip up a batch of my own. Again, have a great Father’s day and visit Etsy for handmade cards to express how thoughtful you can be that won’t be mass-produced as 50,000 other dads are reading the same card… lol. Here are some of my favorite shops for cards so you have options for the next holiday:


All Handcrafted Goodies, Too:
Ideadesigns Lovely Cards, Invites and Scrapbooking Bits
Freedom To Express Beautiful Photo Cards
Farouche Personalized Cards, Tags, and Notes