Flowers in January

I love glass.

I especially love the sun shining through glass. I love its luminescence.
Glass sun catchers are particularly wonderful when experiencing a Wisconsin winter.

Keeping the kiln warm.

~ Julie

New Year

2019 has been snowy in Wisconsin.
I was able to get out and continue walking which is good. I prefer snow over ice.

I have been both lampworking and fusing this past week.

I made simple beads for a new bracelet. The colors don't show well in this pict, but they are a pinkish with green - lovely. I am using a purchased frit blend from Val Cox to provide the color.

 

I created a recycled plate/dish with recycled glass and enamels for color. I think I'll call this one the starry night. It is dark with the black on the one side.

I finally slumped this dish and it turned out better than expected. I had created the glass round for slumping in a summer class that I took last August. I like how the colors work together.

Another project that has been sitting on the back of my bench was this vase. I created it by dropping glass through a drop out mold at least 5 years ago, but never cut off the top to make the vase.

I fixed my glass saw this week.

I loved it and was excited until is broke as I was smoothing/sanding the top to finish it off yesterday. I will have to drop another vase/glass now that my glass saw is fixed.

Keeping the kiln warm.

~ Julie

Unexpected

Some times the unexpected happens.

This past summer I purchased a beautiful yellow, orange and white piece of glass with a specific goal in mind. I wanted to create a strip cut bowl, a bowl made of strips of glass.

I cut the strips and assembled the bowl for it's first fusing paying careful attention to the pattern in the original piece of glass.

I had extra strips of glass and decided to use them to create a small square tile. 

During construction I was worried that the orange color might not present itself to show the pattern.

And.

This morning I pulled this from the kiln.

~ Julie

Saturday Wreaths and Glass

Today my husband and I were honored to be able to place wreaths for Wreaths Across America at the King Veterans Home. It turned out to be a beautiful day, not too cold with plenty of sunshine - perfect for walking the hill and placing wreaths next to grave stones.

 

I am smitten with sunflowers during this Wisconsin December.

Here is a new one in shades of blue and purple.

 

I love seeing the sun shine through it.

This sunflower will be in my Crystal Lake Glass Etsy shop either today or tomorrow.

~ Julie

Snowy Day with Flowers

Wisconsin is having a very snowy day today.

This morning I pulled a new sunflower suncatcher from the kiln. I love the bright colors.

 

I just need to get it cleaned up and wired for hanging.

~ Julie

Two Warm Kilns

I have been both making beads and some recycled glass items.

Thus far this year I haven't made any Christmas items in glass. Until now. . .

I just couldn't not try to make a snowman. 

My beading skills are improving;-)

I also have been working with recycled (float) glass and enamels.

This is a small dish with bright enamel colors. I love that enamel will give the very subdued greenish hue of recycled glass very bright colors.

~ Julie

Walk in the Woods - Color Inspiration

Today was a great day for a walk in the woods. A great way to keep the step count up. I have been wearing a Fitbit for about 6 months and really try to get at least 10,000 steps in a day. Today's weather was cloudy, but warmer than it has been recently with a temperature of 34 degrees F. The warmer temps started melting the small amount of snow that has accumulated in the last week.

My walk provided great color inspiration.

Wilted leaves and small ferns in the snow.

Berries against a stark background of bark.

Moss on a log beneath the snow.

Now to get my latest creation into the kiln.

~ Julie

Recycled Glass

Just out of the kiln.

Recycled glass.
Strips of glass fused together.
Slumped into a shallow tray mold.

 

I am now conflicted about whether it should be used as a tray or a piece of wall art.

Keeping the kiln warm.

~ Julie