Sunday, February 3, 2019

Crochet

When I was a child and teen I used to crochet. My grandmother taught me when I was very young. I always had my own technique, but it worked for me. Through my career I struggled with carpal tunnel symptoms, and crocheting aggravated these symptoms, so I put my needle down. I was looking for a good way to use my homemade beads and found drink/cup cozies. What a lovely way to use beads.

yellow cup cozy with heart bead
yellow cup cozy with heart bead flat


I love the idea of an item that is completly made by me. I crocheted the cozy, created the lampworked bead and put them together for a nice functional product. 💖

red cup cozy with yellow bead


I then decided that my homemade kombucha that I brew on the counter was too cold this winter and needed it's own cozy.

This is my kombucha brewing on the counter. The large gray cozy that I made today just needs an ornament.

I have been making some new beads and flowers recently. I think I will find one to attach to this nice gray kombucha cozy.

lampwork flowers

Of course I needed an appropriately large bead to match the larger cozy. The new beads that I made this afternoon are annealing in the kiln. I should have a good choice to attach tomorrow.

Keeping the kiln warm.
~ Julie







Friday, January 11, 2019

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.

Green centered flower1

Green centered flower2
Orange centered flower1

Orange centered flower2

Keeping the kiln warm.
~ Julie



Thursday, January 3, 2019

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.

snow in Wisconsin on a trail

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.

beaded bracelet
 beads

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.

recycled glass plate

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.

glass dish

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.

cutting glass

I fixed my glass saw this week.

vase


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





Sunday, December 16, 2018

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.

assembling strip bowl

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.

Fused strips


~ Julie

Saturday, December 15, 2018

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.


Purple Sunflower1 Purple Sunflower2

I love seeing the sun shine through it.

Purple Sunflower3

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

~ Julie



Wednesday, December 12, 2018

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.

sunflower, glass
 sunflower with snow in background

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

~ Julie

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

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. . .


snowman bead2
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.

enamel dishenamel colors close up

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