Here we are. September.

 The weather is turning cooler. The days are shortening at an alarming pace.

Damn.

I have worked on many different glass projects this summer.

This is a glass on glass mosaic that has been planted in my front garden.

I have finished another circle and started a new mosaic of a flower.

My goal is to replicate this picture of one of my flowers - 

My bees are doing well. I did a successful walk away split that created its own queen.

The new queen is in the middle of this picture. I was so excited. Since this happened in the middle of July the new hive has been doing really well.

I now have three hives.

I love seeing my bees pollinating flowers in my garden and in the fields on my walks. It was a great year for sunflowers in my garden and the bees loved them.

I walk daily with my Sam. 

He has been a great addition to our household and gets me outside at least twice everyday for good walks.

I routinely find feathers on our adventures.

As well as many other critters. On this day we found six baby snapping turtles that had just hatched.

SO COOL!

I am really going to miss the flowers of summer.

Other end of summer thoughts - 

Our garden did very well this summer and is now winding down. 

I continue to create beads and try to improve my lampworking skills. I've got over 100 beads ready to ship to Beads of Courage this month.

I learned how to make glass chain this summer.

I continue to enjoy keeping track of area wildlife via my trail camera. I check weekly and have found many interesting animals including deer, mink, skunk, squirrels, coyote, and this fox.

Keeping the kiln warm,

~ Julie

Early May 2020

The first week of May finds us Safe at Home.

I am trying to continue to make art each day. Many times this will consist of just a hand full of beads for Beads of Courage, but it gets my kiln warm and sometimes it spurs a new idea. I do love experimenting with animals and animal heads for the kids.

We have had some warm weather and are in the process of getting the garden prepped for seeds and starts. We will start planting as soon as it is warm enough, but we are expecting freezing temperatures over night for the next few days.

I love this time of the year with the tulips, daffodils, magnolia and dandelions blooming.

I have one bee hive that is very active. I lost my other hive in April, but I'm getting a new package of bees this week. The package will include a new queen and bees so I can continue to have at least two hives this summer.

Recently I sold a few pieces on Etsy.

I enjoy making these assembly pieces. There are a lot of flowers that make up one piece, but it is so enjoyable to put them together and have them become a larger assembled wall hanging.

It is difficult to ship these pieces. The flowers are somewhat fragile. 

I haven't heard yet, but I hope they made it to their destination and didn't break in shipping.

~Julie

Staying warm

Wisconsin is cold and full of snow. Our last snow storm almost buried this garden art. 

I tend to create with flowers and colorful glass when the landscape outside gets bleak.

This is a bowl or bird bath in the kiln ready to fire.

I have been playing with Bullseye reactive glass. There are only two colors of glass, but when they are fused together they have a reaction that gives the darker outlines and a third color.

This is a small 8x8 plate. Lovely.

I have been working with lampworked flowers and creating them into hangable wall art. I thought a nice bee would be a great addition. This bee is my first attempt. It needs work, but I was proud of it.

A few of my lampworked flowers that will either become magnets or pins.

~ Julie

Summer half full

as opposed to half gone.

I agreed to share my glass this fall at a Ladies Night at a local gardening/landscaping business.

The event isn't until October, but I need to create a few pieces of glass to present.

It's hard to think of Fall ideas now in the middle of summer.

I am already a bit apprehensive because I have never done a public showing/selling of my glass. This will involve a table of wares and a bit of a demo.

Ponder - 

 How does one demonstrate fused glass?

I started making a few new pieces.

Here is the glass portion of a plant stake.

I did a partial fuse to try to give it some dimension. 

I need to work on this technique.

Since last blog post - 

a graduation -

a 4th of July celebration w/ parade - 

a birthday for my oldest -

Sorry for the blur,
this is the best pic I have of the
zucchini pancake in the shape of Mickey
served up for birthday breakfast.

I started the kiln today with a few flower/nature pieces.

Fall seems far away.

Happy summer!

~ Julz

Kiln is warm again :-)

This morning I was able to create a new design and get it into the kiln -

~ feeling good about that on this sunny Sunday ~

* random flowers from my garden

~ Julz

Summer Solstice

My lilies are blooming.

 

My daughter graduated from high school.

My mom has been sick, hospitalized for a week, and is now in rehab.

Glass work has taken a back seat to the rest of life this month.

This is my latest -

It's a blue box with cover. I took a short cut and didn't kiln wash the mold. The kiln wash stuck to the glass and now there is more work because I need to clean the glass before I can decorate.

I'm thinking of a yellow flower for the top of the cover, but this may change.

Hope you have a great Solstice!

~ Julz

More garden stakes

Daisies are one of my favorite flowers.

My iris are blooming.

Here they are on my work bench. I need to get them framed with their copper this weekend.

I have moved on this morning and actually have a bowl in the kiln, but I have stayed w/ the flower theme.

:-)

Have a grand Memorial Day and relaxing weekend. Please take a moment to remember those who have given and are giving now to allow us to live in freedom.

~ Julz

Garden Stakes

Recently I have been making glass objects in groups.

First - I made a group of small dishes.

Garden stakes are my recent grouping of hand made items -

Here they are on the front sidewalk with the glue hardening.

I never did make my other circle fuse w/ the bubble into a garden stake.

Perhaps - I will for one of my gardens that is not next to the house. I don't know how many people would see the bubble, but I know it is there.

I am hoping to give these as gifts this summer.

A nice trio among the daisies.

~ Julz