Product Testing

In April, I decided to open a new shop on Etsy. Sometimes, my creativity bug drives me beyond glass fusing. Sometimes my children want to create things. Often my children want to create things. So, I decided to open
www.withthese2hands.etsy.com
with the intention of offering collaborative creations. If you check out the new shop, you can see some things that have made the cut. My son designed a banner and logo that I need to upload. He also did the product cards and business cards. My daughter loved selecting designs from the Japanese washi paper for the rings and pendants. They both took a turn with the drill press, once they agreed to the safety rules. I am excited about the shop and so are they. BUT..this bowl of stuff??? Well, it was an attempt at making play dough or a similar substance. It smelled nice (peppermint). It contained sooo many things that I think it might have been toxic in the end..but boy did they have fun. Me, well....I must say the clean up was not so bad. They initiated the project and followed through with the clean up. Next time, they say that the original recipe would be the way to go. Somethings are tough to improve on.

It is good to be back after a busy summer with my children. School is back in session here, so I hope you stop back often.

Takota Bear

Meet Takota, whose name means "Friend to Everyone". He is our Native American Dog, also known as a NAID. If you visit the home page of Night Eyes Farms. , you can see him as a puppy on the puppy mover monorail. Takota is riding second from the front. Native American Indian Dogs are a rare almost extinct breed of dog used by the Native Americans to pull a travois across thousands of miles of the North American continent. There are about 5 certified breeders of these dogs. Takota, true to his breed, is a problem solver. He is a watcher. Takota thinks ahead and plans. He is sometimes scary smart. Takota is also a big baby, who likes belly scratches and, best of all, being covered up in my blanket. Of course, I have to watch him with said blanket. He will shed it in an instant if he decides to. It is impossible to find a toy that he can not destroy. If any dog toy makers are up for the challenge...contact me!

in the light box

I think that bottles are too tight a fit for my light box. I think I needed to have a better backdrop. I know that I have put off photographing a bunch of slumped bottles because they are unruly. I tackled a few of them today. My camera (yikes!) almost fell to the ground. My table light was pulled to the floor by one of my four legged helpers. :)

However...I do like how the bottles look, especially when the light shines through them.

Blue

I love to buy glass to fuse with, but I really like to recycle glass into usable art.

My dad stopped by yesterday with this garbage container filled with blue bottles! I have had a couple of blue bottles to work with in the past, but for me they are hard to come by. I plan to slump some for platters and spoon rests. Others I plan to cut into rings and fuse them into donut shaped pendants and rings for wind chimes. Some will become frit (smash, smash!!) and will be fused into shapes in molds. When using frit from bottles, you need to keep the glass from each bottle separate to ensure compatibility. Tomorrow I am going to have a bottle washing party in my back yard and everyone's invited. :)

Reminds Me of Jade

This glass cab does remind me of jade. It was cast in a mold from bigger pieces of frit (crushed glass) so it has very few (if any!) visible bubbles. I scored around the edge and wrapped it in sterling silver wire that also forms the bail. I am not sure if I will use this as a focal bead in a necklace or if I will list it on Etsy as a supply for one of the very talented beaded jewelry designers to consider purchasing.

Ever since my son and daughter were little, I would have them balance an egg on end on the first day of summer. There is some debate if this is just a legend or if it is a scientific fact that the earth's energy is aligned in a way that egg balancing is possible on this day. I can't comment on that as we do not attempt to balance eggs at any other time of the year. What I do know is that it is yet another little tradition we have as a family and that makes our yearly egg balancing special. It brings us together and creates a new memory.

Perfect Fit

When I look at my collection of clovers, I am often amazed at how they seem to elude fitting into the settings that I have to work with. Note to self: learn to make bezels. :)

This clover pressed so nicely **and** it fit in this sterling silver adjustable bezel ring. I have it on a layer of white resin with a thick clear resin cap. It is really nice. I would wear it to Las Vegas!

Time For Luck

Soon to be back in my shop on Etsy! These are empty vintage style pocket watch cases that have a beautiful, real, four leaf clover set in resin inside the case. They are not watches, they do not tell time. But they can make a wonderful pendant hung on a chain or just put into your pocket when you need a 'bit of luck (power of positive thinking!). It is hard to find clovers to fit into these empty cases, so they are only available when my husband is lucky enough to find one!!

Resin Infused Copper Bangle

This bracelet is so different I wish that you could hold it in your hand! First you would notice its weight, because it has some real substance to it. Then you would look under the glossy surface and see tiny little flecks of copper all held together by the resin. Almost a solid copper bracelet, with a very unique visual texture. I have a pendant to match in my etsy shop. You can see it here.
Thanks for visiting.

Magically Delicious

A buyer on Etsy had a wonderful idea...Lucky Charm cereal marshmallows set in resin. I was up for the challenge and this is what I came up with! My daughter is modeling the finished necklace, adorned with the "lucky charms".

First of all, I had no idea how many different marshmallow shapes there were. Last time I looked, there were 4. Now there are seven! And....marshmallows float in resin. I kept poking them down into the molds and finally the resin set and I covered them with the final layer. When cured, I sanded, polished and drilled them for the hand wrapped wire bails. Magically Delicious...to the eyes only. :)

Pressed and ready to start another life as a ring, a pendant or perhaps a bookmark....these four leaf clovers were found by my husband, who just has that eye for luck! I have others, still being pressed and now that the things are growing here in New Jersey, he is sure to find more. The real challenge for him is to find them before the bunnies eat into a leaf or two. Look for the finished product in my Etsy shop soon. www.aardvart.etsy.com

Musical Glass

I tend to work tiny with glass, but I find myself more and more interested in designing larger pieces. This wind chime combines so much of what I love about working with glass. Glass mixes well with metal and here I have copper wire that was formed into jump rings, copper sheet that was worked into the hanger, chain that holds it securely in the breeze. The glass is transparent, and makes the most beautiful sound when it moves and bumps into its neighbor...no need for an "excuse me" here....these pieces of glass need to be a bit clumsy in order to make their music. These are custom order pieces and can be a visual and auditory delight either inside or outside of your home.

Gingerbread Houses!

With the supplies at the ready, my son and daughter were eager to begin to build their annual holiday gingerbread houses. We do it on Thanksgiving day, as if the bird and the stuffing is not enough to throw us over the edge....mmmm...candy!!



This year, my 11 year old daughter went with a traditional look....above is her house in progress. My son's house started out great and then...well..and then he decided to put in the detail of the reindeer ummm....marks. While I snapped these pictures, he was making a sign that said do not eat yellow snow. Ha. He is 13 and well....full of life. That is a good thing.

Thank You Pie

Apple pie with a 240-volt outlet with switch as a vent. Maybe the first apple pie like this you have ever seen! What's it all about? Well, I got a new kiln and it needed a special outlet. My father came and did the wiring for me and he is really hard to buy something for as a thank you...but he loves homemade apple pie! You should have seen him smile when my children and I brought it to him. I have fired the kiln a couple of times and am loving it!!

Passion and Action

My daughter's second yearly fundraiser for the wolves of the Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia NJ was last weekend. Check out this wonderful place by clicking here:
Lakota Wolf Preserve


Despite the nice weather, she did not have as many people stopping by her table to check out her wares. She made these cool bracelets and helped me design and make some fused glass wolf pendants and wolf pillows. She raised a bit over $50.00, which will help the Preserve feed the wolves and provide for medical care. She had quite a few items left over, so I put them in my Etsy shop, in their own section. All proceeds will go to the Wolf Preserve. Stop by to see! www.aardvart.etsy.com

Owl in a BowTie

As soon as my daughter started to develop fine motor control, her creativity began to emerge. Although I was and continue to be somewhat weary of her experimental ways, I strive to allow her color outside of the lines. Never one to like little arts and crafts kits, my daughter will take the ordinary and make her inner vision come to life. Like when at 2, she made it snow in her bedroom and down the hallway with a container of cornstarch. Much to her older brother's initial horror, he too enjoyed slipping and sliding in that "snow". At 3, she began a series of toilet paper sculptures. Lined up in the bathtub to dry, I was happy that we had another tub to actually take a bath in. I never took a photo of those sculptures. Not even the one that ended up being 2 feet tall. I regret that.

She is 10 now and shows some interest from time to time when I am working with my glass. She had me cut an oval and I showed her how to cut her glass selections with the glass cutter. I kept quiet while her inner vision surfaced, and smiled when I saw the owl that was born. She warms my heart.

Political Pendants

Fresh out of the kiln, these are my new Republican and Democratic fused glass pendants. Designed to be passed on through the generations, these pendants will help support your favorite political party. We have a presidential campaign right around the corner, so lets start thinking about who we believe will best lead the USA. One vote can make a difference.