Lodahl Art Glass

Beautiful set of boro on Etsy...

2012-01-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Where have I been!!

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

It is so hard, during the winter, to try to stay fit. Argh, I hate working out. Used to do Curves but gas got too spendy for that. My $36 a month membership fee didn't include the $40 a month for fuel to get there...

So much for complaining...

Winter is a great excuse to stay in and paint or do glass torching. Put some electroforming together and completed a couple of projects, also. And of course, doing pottery also works for me as the wheel is in the heated tack room.. Everyone loves these little "horse pots". I need to make some more as these have gone as gifts.

I put some new stuff up in my Etsy store as I have been pretty slack in that area. I think the addition of www.Pinterest.com has really helped with my sales.

Artists' Journal Workshop: Watch for Interview #17--Scotland's Catriona Andrews!

2011-12-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Artists' Journal Workshop: Watch for Interview #17--Scotland's Catriona Andrews!:

'via Blog this'

A page in the blog of Cathy Johnson.

2011-12-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

Best Wishes of the Season | Flickr - Photo Sharing!:

'via Blog this'

2011-12-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

How can you NOT love a face like this!!

Caramel Topped Shortbread Bites | She's Becoming DoughMessTic

2011-12-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

I have made salted caramels before and it's delicious!! Here is another yummy sounding recipe I am going to try this year..

Caramel Topped Shortbread Bites | She's Becoming DoughMessTic:

'via Blog this'

Winter's here.

2011-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Well, not officially but sure feels like it. Temperature's been in the teens. But one thing is for sure and that is Christmas is around the corner. I have been busy making icicles and Christmas elves for local craft fairs and my Etsy store.

Icey Red Winter Berries - a watercolor painting

2011-11-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

Now I started out with a reference photo that I took but as the painting progressed, I created my own image and let the paint do the talking.. I like the soft focus background...

Workshop with Tom Lynch

2011-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Having spent three days in a class with Tom Lynch, I came out of all this with a whole new outlook in the applications of watercolor art. Spent the nights dreaming in values, shading, contrast, colors and shapes, all of which apply to Tom's view of true art.

It is all like riding a horse, you learn your way only to find out it is harder to retrain yourself than if you had learned right in the first place. I am not saying, so much, that I want to change my art. As we all know, art is in the eyes of the beholder and we all have to develop our own technique, but when I do a piece, it is my goal to have people stare at it to discover what makes it so compelling...

Take a look at this painting of Tom's.. now who would have thought you could make a piece of art from a visual of a studio! The unity of color, shadows and the light in this piece are dramatic and very pleasing to the eye. I find myself searching for things as my eye travels around first to the light and then to discover what lies in the shadows. I love it!! And warm colors are my favorites.

Now I want to share with you a painting Tom did in class, yesterday. He did this painting in less than a couple of hours and I enjoyed his narration of progress during the whole procedure. Again, warm colors with some contrast of cools that I love. It is stunning in person. Size is approximately 15x22 and done on a watercolor paint canvas. Much different than paper and a fairly new product. I wasn't too impressed with this product till I saw Tom make magic with it and now can't wait to give it a try.

ah.. new adventures...

2011-11-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Having a kiln can prompt one to go into so many directions.

A good friend showed me how to work on a potter's wheel. Working with clay is very satisfying.. the texture as you work a mound of mud into something visual, tactile and possibly even functional.

The process of glazing is another field altogether. More like lampworking and fusing glass. Compatibility issues come into play as well as the rewards of opening the kiln to see what transpired between the kiln gods... having discovered that arguments do occur at times.. lol. This is the first load they let me have..

I look forward to the long hours of winter where I can totally surround myself with my arts.. though I will miss the long ride in the woods and trails on horseback.

This weekend will be very rewarding. Tom Lynch is in town and I have signed up for his three day workshop hoping for improvements to my watercolor adventures. Check out his website to see where I want to go..
http://www.tomlynch.com/

Sketching in Nature: Inspired by Fall Berries - Lin Frye

2011-10-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love the loose technique here..

Sketching in Nature: Inspired by Fall Berries - Lin Frye: Inspired by Fall Berries , a photo by linfrye on Flickr. 9" x 12" Arches 140#CP The culmination of a plant's lifecycle is the return to the...

Great new adventures...

2011-10-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have had a great experience at a friend's house doing some pottery throwing.. Researching Craigslist, I found a great deal on a wheel and poor Mike can't keep up... He is so patient with all my attempts at staying busy.

Sometimes, I wonder why we don't travel being retired but I have so much I want to do at home. I think some people are just bored and have nothing else to do to keep them out of the bars! I have absolutely no excuse for having nothing to do... I wake up every day wondering which way to go and no matter the direction, I can always choose another the next day. Life is good.

Glass adventure to Seattle

2011-09-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

My friend and glass partner, Barbara, just returned from a trip to Seattle on a glass buying adventure. It was fun just for us two gals.... husbands stayed home. Thank goodness for shopping with your husband is like hunting with the game warden!!

We went to Momka's Glass and enjoying the tour of her new facilities in Arlington, just north of Seattle. She has a wonderful place to work now. Not quite as big but it has room to grow. And Momka is so happy as she can have a garden now and the cost of doing business is so much better for her. We were privileged to see what's new and her excitement showed. We were even allowed to offer a new name for this product so it really has a personal touch for Barbara and I.

We went to Olympic Color Rods and was glad our timing allowed us to watch David Wight, an exceptional glass artist and very personable man that has not allowed his talent to overwhelm his courtesy to a couple of "seasoned ladies" that enjoyed the attention. We were also treated very well by the crew in the warehouse and in the office of OCR. Having been there before, I know for a fact, that this isn't anything less than what they do for all their customers. I even got a shot of pure espresso .. I am sure to enhance my shopping abilities... lol. It was a lot of fun. Like a candy store.

Our next stop was at Hot Glass Color in downtown Seattle. Both OCR and Hot Glass provided some real navigating challenges for us country girls but with the help of my Samsung Fascinate, Google Maps, and a cute guy at the Verizon booth in the Everett Mall, we managed quite well. (I had forgotten to take my GPS but am glad now). I think Barbara is leaning toward a new phone now.... tee hee. Hot Glass people were great. I managed to pick up some boro rods I didn't think would be available on our trip and we bought a lot of TAG glass that they had in stock. We were in total gaga over this guy's tatooes... he had hinges on his legs and shoulders with an oil can on one of his knees. It was pretty cute.. I called him the "Tin Man".

Friday morning led us to Gaffer Girls in Kent where we were greeted with smiles. Their latest glass promotion has kept them pretty busy and they are out of stock again as the 199 and 198 fly off the shelves. I have to admit that it doesn't slow them down. It is ordered again and due to be back in shortly so I highly advise my glass friends to order now as they place those orders first when stock comes in. We did of course manage to pick up a few sticks to play with till the next shipment. Believe me, with all the other colors they have there, we didn't leave disappointed. I am back ordering some cinnamon.... yummy stuff. And a big thanks to Robin Poff for the paddles of color she made for the girls. It was really helpful.

I only wish we had more time as we might have gone down to Frantz but my glass friends realize that a trip to his store could turn into an all day affair and expensive!!

Barb and I had lots of good laughs. We stayed in meager accommodations... kinda roughed it out but what a sport Barbara is to travel with. It allowed us mo bucks to spend on glass!

Wednesday evening was a real treat as we meet our daughters and my grandson for dinner at the mall. And on Thursday evening, we were privileged to attend a volleyball game my granddaughter, Paige, was participating in at her school. And they won! She did wonderful.

Okay. Now today I play with clay as a friend invited me to get muddy at her studio. Yay. Off my ass now... Have a great day, friends...

New colors..glass addictions

2011-08-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

I can play with paint for awhile. I can play with borosilicate. I can ride. I can ignore anyone of these for any length of time.. but when a new glass color comes out that wows you... I have to torch!! Check out this awesome purple and blue colors. I can't imagine why it is on backorder... lol

Playing around with pottery specifically Raku

2011-08-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

I posted these little treasures on my Etsy store this am. Not too sure I even want to part with them as they are so cute. I love the process of Raku art. A friend has a raku setup in their shop and we get together once or twice a year to play.

2011-08-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have not been around this page lately.. Hard to remember it as seems Facebook has overwhelmed the communication and networking world. But I actually enjoy the blog site more. Personality comes through with each post.

I was gifted some watercolor tablets recently and it occurred to me, I should do some journaling and sketching of some art work and maybe ramblings of my day. Who knows but what the kids might get a kick out of it someday and it could have meaning. This particular blog Nature Sketches has been an inspiration to these ventures.

And for those interested in my glass art, mostly, I just posted some new items in my Etsy store or you can see these on my Facebook pages. Check out Kay Lodahl or Lodahl Art Glass on the FB network.

fall aspen forest watercolor painting...

2011-07-04T21:20:00.000-07:00

Just started this as a putzing project. I like how it turned out..

I enjoy making these little electroformed jars..

2011-06-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

Having a few little jars laying around that I had made some time ago, it seemed inevitable that they would get electroformed living any where near my studio as of late... I like them even better now.... they can still live here... lol

Rode My Ass

2011-06-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, I did. Yup. His name is Sawbuck. The funniest, cutest little mule.. we have had him since he was 8 and he is now 30. A treasure.

I have a lot of history with this little guy. And he has taught several of my grandchildren how to ride. Sawbuck isn't very big for a mule and that is just fine with me. I have no idea why tonight inspired me to get him out of the field but having not been on him for almost two years, I was a little nervous getting on bareback but he was a champ!! Was just like I rode him yesterday.

This I call keeping it between the ears....

Her Highness..

2011-06-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is Irene. She lets us live here. A watercolor excercise in realism with an abstract appeal.

Beautiful Open Heart Electroformed Necklace

2011-05-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

A Reminder about the Ann Kirk Clinic this weekend.

2011-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sensible Horsemanship with Ann Kirk

Ann is giving a progressive clinic in Elk, WA. To learn more about Ann and her clinics, check out the link above.

Dates: May 21 and June 4, all 9:00 to 5:00 with hour for lunch. Bring your own lunch or there are nearby fast food services.

You may register for one day or both days. This clinic is a unique way to learn as you go. Take two weeks to practice what you learn and if you have issues, you will have the opportunity to work them out, with Anne, in the following days.

Class has a limited number of participants so be sure to register soon. Covered arena available should weather be incremental. Call 509 292 9980 or 292 2475. Or feel free to ask questions at kaylodahl@gmail.com

Introductory rate of $100 each day.

Auditors welcome at $20 each day.

oh my.. getting noticed.. these pieces sold today!!! Wahoo.

2011-05-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Lampworked Glass Horse with electroformed main and a copper chain..

2011-05-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous lampworked glass horse was electroformed to enhance the main and forelock. Now finished into a beautiful necklace with crystal accents and an antiqued copper chain. Kathy did a great job of making this little horse shine!!

Electroformed Organic Glass Copper Necklace...Beautiful!!!!

2011-05-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

This is another beautifully designed electroformed organic bead. Hangs on an antiqued copper chain. Truly a one-of-a-kind designer piece.

Organic Electroformed Bicone Necklace

Watercolor Painting on Acrylic Linen paper.

2011-04-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I had no idea this would be so fun. I really like how the paints react on this paper.

Copper Rose Electroformed Lampwork Glass Pendant

2011-04-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

I would have never have guessed that this little pairing of glass and metal would have turned into this absolutely, lovely piece of wearable art jewelry.

STUNNING!

Click on the pictures and hopefully the link will take you to the Ebay listing for more information on this gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pendant.

Sensible Horsemanship with Ann Kirk

2011-04-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ann is giving a 3 day progressive clinic at our place in Elk. To learn more about Ann and her clinics, check out the link above.

Dates: May 7, May 21 and June 4, all 9:00 to 5:00 with hour for lunch. Bring your own lunch or there are nearby fast foods services.

You may register for one day or all three days. This clinic is a unique way to learn as you go. Take two weeks to practice what you learn and if you have issues, you will have the opportunity to work them out, with Anne, in the following days.

Class has a limited number of participants so be sure to register soon. Call 509 292 9980 or 292 2475. Or feel free to ask questions at kaylodahl@gmail.com

Introductory rate of $100 each day.

Auditors welcome at $20 each day.

Karen Watland Fresh Paintings

2011-04-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

Karen Watland Fresh Paintings

A long time friend of mine. Take in some of Karen's artwork..

2011-03-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this little guy when Janelle posted him on FB. It is her cat, Beanie. Look at that adorable little, smug face.. So I did a watercolor painting of him.

New Beads on Etsy..

2011-03-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

This beautiful bicone bead is of softglass. The eye catching swirls of glass are reduced in the flame to provide the shimmer and the amber gold ends also shine. The fuming process provided a very pretty amber tone to certain parts of this little treasure.

I am also including a 12 inch strand of amber glass teardrops and a strand of opal heishi 4mm beads that go great with the focal. Opal strand is 14 inches long. The bicone is 44x10mm and made on a 3/32 mandrel. I anneal all my beads in a digital environment for strength and durability..

ALL THESE BEADS ARE INCLUDED IN THE PRICE!!!! GREAT BARGAIN. WONDERFUL SUMMER COLORS.

New Fused Glass Dish on Etsy... fun to make...

2011-03-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful hand fused glass dish...

Organic Boro Cubes Southwest Colors

2011-03-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

Great Southwest colors and really fun to make Listed on Etsy.

Cowboy Comrades

2011-03-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

I painted this from a 5x7 old photo. The man on the left is Tex Hunt and the other is Neil Petitt. Taken sometime in the late 50's (note the hat style). The picture tells a story. These guys used to enter roping contests throughout the region in Northern California. Tex is my cousin's grandfather and we used to go to his ranch on weekends. He is the first man that ever put me on a horse.

Ivory Creamsicle Kalera style with .999 fine silver accents on Ebay

2011-03-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

Very popular fun set of pressed beads.

Surviving Winter

2011-02-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

I honestly don't know how anyone remains sane if they don't have some sort of hobby or activitie to help keep them busy during the long, cold, winter months. And holy moly!! What about Eskimos! Though I suppose their "activity" would be just survival tecniques. Shelters, hunting, fishing... I can't imagine all that they have to do just to stay alive.

We are so absolutely spoiled that the hardest thing I find to do in the winter is keep the pounds off. I can stay pretty busy but lamp working and painting isn't exactly conducive to a good weight program. I laugh at Mike as he is always suggesting I can dig some fence post holes, stack hay, plow or something. I volunteer to help him with firewood but then he says he wouldn't have anything to do. Okay? So the horse stalls need cleaning maybe. Ah ha... therapy. Only to find out he already cleaned them... So much for remaining sane. Guess I will walk up and get the mail..crapola, it's Sunday. Back to the exercise machine. Then a nice warm torch.

Yet another watercolor class but I am psyched...

2011-02-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

I took a 2 day weekend class in watercolor art with Stan Miller. The subject being buildings and bridges, though I think back now.. we never did any bridges but applying the principals we learned, I suppose I could flow with the same concepts.

I will post our projects here but the most fun one for me was the Venice boat scene. Not perfect but considering my talent and knowledge, I was pretty happy with it. The biggest challenge was the farm project. I love the tip Stan gave about using a photo program to enhance the contrast in your potential project to establish it's values.

The pictures are posted in the order in which we progressed. I welcome any feedback but remember now, be nice. LOL I am a student ... a work in progress by myself...

New fandangled web apps

2011-02-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the little "store" on the left of this post. An application I found to help promote my Etsy store. I am so in awe of all the apps available to the general public.

Having purchased one of the new fandangled phones from Verizon, I found I have become the person I used to say "hang up the phone and walk!". Instead of reading a book, anymore, I use the phone. I actually found myself watching CSI on my cell phone the other day on a road trip. My grandkids now call me "techy grama". Yup, I text.

Too bad my husband just installed a remote start in my car. Now an app is available to do it from your phone for Pete's sake...

All for now. Enjoy my little Etsy store app for easy browsing. I am off to research stock purchases in the world of finance.. Must be an app somewhere for instant $. LOL

2011-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Okay. So it is really snowing out right now. Fire in the wood stove is so comforting on days like this. I love that we have big picture windows that overlook our fields, providing a winter wonderland scene. I ask myself, now," why are you sitting on the darn computer when it would be nice to be doing some painting?". Or even working on glass. Then I answer myself and people tell me that is scary. But, to retired people, the options are such that we have more time to dwell on them.

Of course, snowplowing, is not an option. It is a necessity! Poor Mike. I am thinking he actually enjoys it though as it provides more options for his day...

Quite a contrast between these two pictures. But it is our world.... Fall and winter.

Abstract woods

2010-11-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

I was wanting to do a painting with a really loose attitude and bright paint. Started playing with this technique and this picture gradually developed itself. I really like the outcome.. Just might have to try this some more and see what happens....

Debra Mickelson, Fine Artist - Home

2010-11-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

If you like horses and western art, check out this blog site.

Debra Mickelson, Fine Artist - Home

Original Art on Artfire curated by McIsaac on ArtFire.com

2010-11-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

This dear woman posted some awesome paintings in her favorite collections. My aspen painting was fortunate enough to be included in this list. ..

Original Art on Artfire curated by McIsaac on ArtFire.com

Adorable Friends

2010-10-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have some wonderful friends that live in Phillipsburg, Montana. Jake loves to do Pow Wows and Rosie buys vintage dresses and sews her own costumes. Don't you love it. Yes, Jake looks like a real Wild Bill Hickock. Even when he isn't in costume..

It is fall. Things are coming out of the woods.

2010-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

A neighbor came over today and I was delighted to discover the woods near here are full of mushrooms right now that are totally edible. I am hoping to have some time tomorrow to research locations for these real treats. Great stir-fried with garlic and butter or perhaps onions. The remainder goes into the dehydrator for future use in soups and stews.

My mistake paid off.

2010-09-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to art class this Monday AM, I arrived only to find I had scheduled wrong on my calender. I was rewarded instead, with a class room full of great paintings posted on the walls of watercolor art I had never seen before. In total awe of these pieces, I was promptly informed that they belonged to Lian Quan Zhen, a chinese artist of great talent and fame. Oh how I wanted to stay and partake of this class for the week but, alas, I had other commitments.

Grateful that I became aware of his talents, I was leaving the room only to bump into Mr. Zhen as he came for the introduction. Shirley Wright, our regular instructor, showed me some of his pieces and I was allowed to browse through his books and DVD's. Purchasing one of the books, he was gracious enough to autograph it for me in a unique style not seen by any other author in my world as yet. An actual, original, small, graphic painting in watercolor paints was applied to the page and then signed. It was a pleasure to watch him use his style to create this little original piece of art and it is in MY book. Hurray..

So the trip down town was not wasted. And I, for sure, plan to attend his next appearance in Spokane.

Here are a couple of his pieces and a link to his website. http://www.lianspainting.com/index.html

Who doesn't like old houses!!!

2010-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Took these shots in Ferndale, Calif. A lovely old dairy farm town near hiway 101 out of Eureka.

Northport, WA.

2010-08-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I took a road trip up to Northport, WA to visit a friend of mine who is also a glass artist. What a wonderful day we had. Barbara gave me inspiration for some new beads and showed me some great wirework I plan to apply to some pieces real soon.

She treated me to a trip to a neighbor's whose place she knew I would admire. What a treat and great photo opportunity. Their whole yard is a work of love and is art in itself.

Northport is along the Columbia River at the Canadian border.

And as many times as I

have been to Barbara's house, I have never seen this truck in the brush going up their one mile long driveway. They still have the last registration on it!

This is an old barn just out of Chewelah from Hiway 395.

Barb's friends did all the work on their place themselves. I love the rocks, logs, and antique furniture. The setting was just so comfortable and warm.

I photographed this birdhouse, which is huge, by the way, just so Mike could get a visual. Maybe someday we could have one. The picture on the right is a sweat house he made in the woods. They use the stove to heat up the rocks, then go out into the creek for that instant cooldown which he described is very good for the internal body organs.

Beautiful creek runs alongside of the property and has beautiful restful sounds. About 3 foot deep in one spot allows for a dip to cool off.A nature trail along the creek through the woods. We were constantly escorted by their two, very friendly dogs.
I admire, mostly, their ability to decorate using natural materials found in the woods. The stumpage was brought in from other areas and uprighted for decorative purposes. My kind of yard art!!

This little birdhouse put a smile on my face. The picture below is a guest room that has plans for the future to become a bed and breakfast. The window overlooks the creek and the sounds are wonderful.

Chickens greeted me in one garden area. I have never seen such a great setting for chickens. They have their own garden and are also feed lots of greens. I was treated to a dozen fresh brown eggs!!!
Handmade log stairs going down to the creek.

A very nice deck overlooking the creek provides a wonderful place to sit and relax with friends.
This is Barb's "orchard with an old cabin in the background. The view overlooking the Columbia River across the mountains..

Sand Point, Idaho

2010-07-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Mike and I are so fortunate to live in an area surrounded by beautiful towns with fantastic scenery. Sand Point, Idaho has been around for a long time. It is about a 20 minute drive north from our house and a great place to go browse the arts, scenery and the stores.

Our group of our friends are celebrating a birthday by taking in the sites in this glorious place and partaking of lunch.

I had better take my camera as I am sure there will be many photographic opportunities for my watercolor want-to-do folder.

My kind of picture.. horses. There is a Draft Horse & Mule Extravaganza every year in Sand Point.

This town is located very near Sand Point and is just as much fun.

Vote for my painting..

2010-07-21T08:20:00.001-07:00

Fading into the Past

by Kay Lodahl

Vote for my contest entry at

SmartFlix.com!

Cowboy Boots

2010-07-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Went to Costco today and everyone that shops there realizes that they have awesome books. I couldn't resist this one titled, "How to Be a Cowboy", by Jim Arndt. All these pictures were taken from one section, Lesson ONE, Boot Camp. The whole book is darn cute and if you are into western and horses, this be worth the $12.50 it costs.

Right off the bat, the table of contents will have you laughing and reminded me of the movie "The Cowboy Way". Remember this scene?? !!!!

Now for the boots:

"People just feel different when they're wearing cowboy boots. Your stance is taller. You make noise when you walk, and it's a powerful, ominous sound. Nothing gets attention like a great pair of cowboy boots. - Jennifer June, from "The Most Expensive Cowboy Boots."

And these Pony Boots are my favorite. Great spur straps, too!!

Watercolor painting of a Rooster

2010-07-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

This little big guy is done in watercolor paints and water reactive ink. He be struttin' his stuff!!

YouTube - Ranch Sorting in Red Bluff, CA

2010-07-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Ranch Sorting in Red Bluff, CA

I signed up for a club membership with the NITPA cattle sorting and team penning events. Just took the first day of a three day clinic to do the sorting. I am having a blast!!

Well, I finally picked up the torch again.

2010-07-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Been making these fun little hearts. They make great pendants or even zipper pulls on a bag or backpack.

Been a busy Spring this year

2010-05-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Wow. I haven't been here for awhile, I see.

It's been busy at the Ranch. We have worked hard.. had an addition put on the back of the shops, a 80x140 riding arena put in and Mike and I are currently installing the wooden fence surrounding it and we had a concrete apron laid in front of all the horse stalls. To say the least and on top of all the other spring things people do. We also now have a rock step/path behind the back of the house, along the patio out into the field with some addition of rock tiers with junipers and barberry plants in it.

(I want to post pictures here of the improvements but the Blog isn't letting that happen right now.)

Just took a trip to Northern California to visit some of my family there. Was an awesome visit. I wish we had more time to spend there as it is my roots and I wanted Mike to see "who I am". It made me miss all the Redwood trees and the coast. It was good to go over memories with my 85 year old uncle whom I lived with for a time as a teen. Mike fit into the group like the champion that he is. And my Uncle loves Ruby Ann. She went with us.

This is Bridgeville... a teeny, tiny, town for sale.. You could be a mayor of your own town even..
Beach scene south of Crescent City
Mike and Ruby Ann looking for her ball ... as usual
this used to be someone's house in Bridgeville. All that is left is this beautiful, old stone fireplace.

Old Ellensburg Homestead.

2010-03-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

this is the latest in my watercolor endeavors. It is an old homestead in Ellensburg, WA.

Abstract Art

2010-03-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Went to a friend's house today and we played with watercolor art. Carlene is my painting buddy and we inspire each other. She has been painting for awhile and has even sold her art. Not surprising as it is awesome...

In her quest to make abstracts, we tried this plastic paper called yupo. My first was the bright abstract. The second piece is a blend of colors and what I saw speaking to me was a desert scene. Mountains, grasses, a cactus and shrubs. If you look close, to the right of the cactus, I see a downed wooden fence in the amber colors...

A great lesson in letting the mind just see what's there...

Great watercolor art to admire..

2010-03-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Someday, it is my dream to paint as well as this!!

Watercolor barn, my first barn painting

2010-03-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

I am working on this project for my uncle. My aunt passed away a couple of months ago and never got to put up any pictures on the walls of their new house. He likes old barns. This is my first attempt at the subject.

Every time I think I am done, I find something else I want to touchup or add. For instance, the first picture is the original as it stands now. The second picture is saturated with more color and is what I want for end results, and the second picture is the first one only saturated using Photoshop. The original idea is a picture of a black and white shot of a picture near Deer Park.

I need to think on this some more... any opinions???

Vegging Out

2010-03-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

It is snowing out, currently, but I sit here all snuggled up in the easy chair near the fire in the wood stove feeling like I am on top of the world!! Got some work done this AM and went to some friends to see how they are doing with their logging project. Interesting watching this guy turn their trees into usable lumber with his portable mill. His 22 year old daughter was there helping him. It was her job.. she was a real cutie. Must be a fun girl as she is a barrel racer.

Came in when it started snowing and did some watercolor painting stuffs and watched a video on how to do some barns.. I am inspired now... Told my uncle I would try to paint one that I hope would be good enough for his empty walls somewhere... All this and I made some salted pecan caramel candy also. um um.....

Here are my paintings I touched up today...

Mo Beads... boro colors..

2010-03-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

Some borosilicate Kalera type beads

2010-03-08T21:13:00.001-08:00

I love the colors in this set. The blue is a beautiful aqua color...the shape is similiar to a barrel but then gently pressed.

Organic Boro lampwork glass cube beads

2010-03-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

I love making these little treasures. This set has a wonderful array of colors and the shapes have a textural appeal to them... hence the term "organic".

Just yesterday, I said I don't like doing florals..

2010-03-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

I am pretty pleased with this... will make a great note card.....

Just a thought and a picture I painted yesterday.

2010-03-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

I was thinking.. that alone is scary! But having gone beyond my youthful years, I filed for Social Security. Birthday was January 26. They tell you to file a month or two earlier than that so processing can take place, yet you don't receive any checks for as long as two months after that.

Just think about all the money the government doesn't have to put out if each person were to receive anywhere from $600 to $3000 a month per person!!! They manage to jilt each person out of the first one or two months of pay that should be theirs once each person reaches the required age for collecting. Shouldn't they be required to pro-rate it?

I did this painting at a friend's yesterday. We had a great time just playing with color and water. This was based on a flow of background colors and then I let the colors dictate my landscape design.. a lake with aspens. Could be spring or fall.. what do you think?

Graduated Set

2010-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

My friends laugh at me.. I tell them I hate to make a bead more than once...That's true! But by doing a graduated set, I can get away from the "duplicate" thing. At least I have to think about a different size.

Things have been jumping around our place.. A big machine is digging out a "flat" arena and round pen area for me to ride in. The previous ones were on a grade just enough to make it difficult for a horse to concentrate on what he is suppose to do without being distracted by grades of ground. Made for a lot of tripping some times.

This will be 80x140 and we are putting a nice wood fence around it. Mike said I need something to do.. like put sealer on the boards. Ha, he is so funny. But I don't mind. We will have a cap on the top rail angled for drainage and not angled too much so people will be able to sit on it. The cap also provides a measure of safety for when I get dumped into the fence! (Never happen..:-))

Blue slumped glass vase

2010-02-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

I managed to get this done before we had left for Tucson. Looking for something creative to do with different types of glass can, sometimes, be challenging. But I am liking how this turned out and hope to have it on display for sale, at my "meet the artist" day at the saloon where I sell most of my glass art. A person can use it as a vase or it would look beautiful with a candle burning in it.

Taking off today to my mentor to share some things I learned in Tucson at the Flame-Off and in return, he is going to help me perfect the little bottles I have been working on but having trouble perfecting.

Wish every winter could be like this one.

2010-01-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Unbelievably mild compared to what we have had in the last couple of years. I gauge my ratings on the amount of riding I can do during the winter months. Having pulled the horse's shoes off for the winter only allows for riding in certain conditions. Unfortunately the fields are not a good option as the dirt is so soft, there is danger of finding an unexpected hole but riding on the dirt roads as long as there are no big rocks and riding on the asphalt allows for a reasonably good experience for an hour maybe. Keeps me happy and the horses tuned up. I feel my day is complete when I can spend time with the horses and creative time in my glass shop. The end of a perfect day might be dinner with Mike and maybe some good friends.

I posted these little treasures on Etsy yesterday. Simple, but beautiful boro focals.

Organic boro bead sets..

2010-01-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

Any one using Google Chrome? Man, what a lot of bugs they need to work on!! I am back to Explorer till Google straightens out their issues..

The beads recently listed on Etsy ... I wonder if people would linger longer if they knew how much fun they are to make. Each application of color, clear and shaping is something that continues to mesmerize me at the torch. After all that and the annealing process, it is a joy to take them from the kiln and admire their glittering beauty as I string them on a cord to preserve their continuity. There is just something about borosilicate glass!

Beautiful Browns Barrel Shaped Tubes with 1/4 inch holes.

2010-01-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

People are using these to adorn horse halters. These are great colors.. Horse on the mind today. Mike and I got a ride in today as it was a beautiful day...

It's my Birthday.. I hate to admit... another one.

2010-01-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

A flame artist friend of mine sent me a link to a video to wish me Happy Birthday. I loved it. What a great birthday present... She knows my love of horses.

Here is another link to a very similiar video that I liked a lot and you might enjoy..

I Am - Horse

Pressed Barrels Lampworked Beads

2010-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have been playing with the currently popular Chalcedony glass. Great colors all from one rod of glass. I love the shape of these and the beautiful organic colors remind me of a ceramic glaze. Click here if you would like to view more pictures of these in my Etsy shop

Borosilicate glass organic cubes and.........

2010-01-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

I love how you can show off the colors in borosilicate glass with this style of beads. An array of colors are drop dead gorgeous when you coat them with a clear coat of glass to enhance the depth boro provides.. I am believing borosilicate actually provides more magnification than soft glass.

I just posted these on my Etsy site.

I think this is my most favorite style to make..

2010-01-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

The swirl of glass colors often results in an unpredictable ending much resembling a natural organic appearance. I often etch these as it provides a soft, velvet-like feel to the beads such as those produced by real stone. These make wonderful beads for a southwest design and men really like this....

Wonderful feature available on the Etsy forum

2010-01-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

This is a great feature on the Etsy sale site. A treasury they call it... take a peek by clicking on the link below...

they like my southwest design bead...

Last Two Watercolor Paintings.

2010-01-04T14:30:00.001-08:00

The pears have been an ongoing project for several days...

The woodpecker is a project I did in class this morning..

Really cute creative fused glass piece

2010-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

This was made by a friend of mine that I have been sharing fusing skills with... She is going to town. I was totally blown away by these little dishes. My favorite is the floral. The blue dish is only about 2x2.. great spoon rest or tea bag holder...

New pieces

2009-12-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have been saving mica chips I got out of my driveway from gravel delivered. But for those interested, I think you can by bigger chips at Michael's craft store in the rubber stamping sections. I used my new love... low-e glass. I discovered that depending on which side you fire against the chips, you can get a beautiful, golden, bronze-like halo around the mica chips.

This piece is a 5x5 sushi like dish and has clear rubber bumper feet. It would make a gorgous candle base also! I will put it on my Etsy site for $25 plus $5 shipping by Priority Mail. If a person where to order from my blog, I will sell it for $22.50.

Learn some things.

2009-12-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

Five days without water.. The guys finally got the pump to work today. Yippee!!! It was the electric wire. Conduit is better than direct burial!

I learned a lot:
1. Being without water in the winter is easier than not having it in the summer.

2. The hot tub comes in real handy.

3. How to wash my hair and rinse with vinegar so all the soap comes out. (Thanks, Grama)

4. Horses eat snow

5. Dishes can be washed using only 1 gallon of water

6. I have nice neighbors and friends that will let us use their shower and washing machine.

7. What a Marine spit bath is all about.

8. And the whole world is a toilet for you guys!!!

Beautiful Glass!

2009-12-26T09:24:00.001-08:00

I posted pictures of this glass once before but it did some surprising things in the sunlight, I found out.. Take a look at the beautiful blues in this piece!! And as the sun moved, the surreal blues turned magenta in places. It was gorgeous!! So I need to display it so it may show all it's magic!!

Oh, how I love old country cowboy stuffs!!

2009-12-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Husband, Mike, received a really great Cowboy Country Cookbook from some friends. Yup, I have a hubby that cooks.. and he is good. The recipes in the book look great but I fell in love with some of the pictures in it.. after studying them for awhile, I noticed the car in the window (boo!) and the garden hose in the skull and cactus shot. (again, boo). But alas.. I get the concept of the whole thing anyway...

Speaking of horses

2009-12-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

A funny little story.

I really enjoy hopping on my "big guy, Dan" and taking a jaunt around the neighborhood and local fields surrounding our property. At the southend is a restaurant down by the highway and I will ride that direction sometimes to educate him on cars and traffic but the funniest thing is when we walk by the windows. I suppose everyone in the breakfast/hamburger, country style atomsphere, gets a big kick out of watching us ride around. Road apples not on the menu though.

What is hilarious about all this is when Dan sees his reflection in the windows, he actually tilts his head with a real bewildered look about him. He is so curious. So, everytime I head out in that direction, he gets excited, wanting to see that "other horse". Just too funny.

Little Paint Pony

2009-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

I put this treasure up on Etsy this am. Haven't made any for awhile.

I was taught how to make this by a gal in Burien so I owe her some credit for her talent. Her name is Kathy Johnson and she owns Glassexpressions, a stained glass supply shop that has been around for years..

Clicking on the picture will take you directly to the listing. I am particularly proud of this gorgeous little guy!! He is a winner.. What horse lover wouldn't enjoy having one of these as a keepsake..

Tutorial for Making Glass Swizzle Sticks

2009-12-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Clicking on the link above or the pictures below will send you to my Etsy site where I have written a tutorial on how to make Borosilicate Glass Swizzle Sticks and it is available for purchase.

Even if you aren't a glass artist, there are some swizzle sticks available for you to purchase directly. I can drop ship them for Christmas gifts, if you wish. And you may request a swirl or heart on the end made with any color.

2009-12-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

So everyone gets a handmade Christmas card this year. This is just some of the watercolor paintings I have been doing. They are not any bigger than a 5x7 or smaller but it has been so much fun. Some will receive reprint privileges from my computer and printer but it will definitely be my own artwork.. Can you tell I love aspens and birch?

I have been watercolor painting again

2009-12-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

This was a class project that turned out to be a lot of fun.... Now I just need to figure out what to do with it!! Add it to my portfolio, I guess..

I love geckos.. made this little plate

2009-11-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

This turned out cute and was fun to do.

Some of my work on Ebay right now

2009-11-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Use the link above to take you there directly.. can't go wrong at the price either.. Started at .99

Happy Veterans Day

2009-11-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine what it must feel like to have someone close to you in the service right now. The anxiety of the wives, children and parents, and the stress of hoping you don't get that "visit" or "phone call" (though I would hope the service would care more than to just call about something like this!) My heart goes out to all the families and servicemen serving right now. And my thanks to all those that have served. You were sooooo brave. A great big HUG to all of you!!!

This is my husband, Michael, during the Vietnam war in about 1968. He was 20 years old.
Dong Ha, Vietnam War 1968. Never knowing what the next hour may have in store for you!

This is my Dad during his naval stint during WWII. I am not sure what year this picture was taken but I would imagine he is about 20 years old and am thinking that was 60 years ago!

Mini Vacation

2009-11-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last week was an unusual one but lots of fun. I spent a week with my best friend, Karen, in her hometown of Sequim. A very, fast growing little burg on the other side of the waters of Seattle. I was greeted with the damp atmosphere the west coast is noted for, thus cleaning out my sinuses but Sequim hardly received any actual rainfall as the surrounding areas were swamped.

Mike stayed home and tended the homefront. He was entertained by several of our friends and, of course, Ruby Ann shadowed him where ever he went.

Karen's hubby went hunting for almost two weeks so us girls had a grand time. Both of us torch glass and this trip, I showed Karen how to use her kiln to fuse glass. She is totally inspired now and having, also, showed her that she can do borosilicate glass with her torch and kiln, she now has bigger horizons to explore.

We managed to make a big mess every day, in some form or another. A couple days of rubber stamping, watercolors, crocheting, shopping, Casino (glad I stuck to the $20 limit I took!!) and and and. Karen is a wonderful cook, so we ate a lot more than we intended. With the husbands out of the picture, we had intended to eat light... HA!!!

Karen lives close to the Olympic Game Reserve and one morning (in the dark) I heard the Grizzly Bear roar. It was soooo loud. It resonated throughout the valley and scared the crap out of me as I was out in the dark looking for Karen's dog. I thought it might have gotten out and got the dog!! Karen laughed at me.. imagine that.

I wish I had a picture. Blogs are so much more interesting with them, I realize.

Wild attempt gone good!

2009-10-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

I decided that doing florals in softglass is a challenge but found out doing them in boro is even more challenging!! But look at this! It is about one inch wide.. l boro.... Wahoo...

2009-10-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

I actually put something up on Ebay this am. I haven't done that for two years now. Boy, they have made some changes... my sunshine set.. clicking on the picture should take you to the listing....

More fusing projects.

2009-10-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting some more with this technique. These projects came from the kiln. The halo gold really speaks to me but some of the other lustres, I am still exploring..

My little Dragon..

2009-10-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

I watched Dorian make this little guy. He is hanging in my studio for inspiration!! Lots of detail in him including his tummy. Tummy is made with dichro glass encased with clear...

My cousins front yard

2009-10-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

this is a not too uncommon scene from my cousin's place in Ketchikan.. Their house is to the left of the red one.

oh yummy.. I love these beads!!!

2009-10-08T14:28:00.001-07:00

Worked on some paintings today..

2009-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

I love feedback ... be it good or bad...

Made this piece to hang on the pergola

2009-10-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

It is made with Bullseye glass rods..

Eloika Lake.. One reason we choose to live here.

2009-10-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

The pictures in this portfolio are of the lake we live on. We don't have waterfront property, but we do walk to and ride our horses down to this lake.

The Lake is visible from our little ranch and right now the fall colors are coming to full bloom. Beautiful aspens quaking in the breeze outside the big picture windows in the back of our house. Every year there is a Poker Paddle and it is a lot of fun. The lake is about 3 1/3 miles long.

For the pictures, check out the link above... or here. Eloika Lake

My best friend is here.. yippee

2009-09-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Karen is visiting from Sequim. We are both flameworking artists.. After the initial visiting and catching up on things.. we spent time just putzing with glass and putting things together..

The first part of the day we are going to Ione.. a little town up north where another flameworker resides. Peggy Rose does awesome glass art and is sharing her time with us. We love networking!!

Here are some pictures of some of my last pieces... some fused plates and the first one is a candle tea light holder my DH made for me from an old fence post...

good friends, good horses and good times

2009-09-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

At the end of this ride, we have to pass by a latte stand to get home. We thought we might get in line at the drive-up window?? :-) Cheryl & me.

Cheryl, me, Nancy and Mike

Waiting in the latte line behind a car that was probably scared one of those "beasts" was going to run over her car... or maybe she didn't even notice.. she was on the cell phone all the time we were there.!