I am happy to announce a new shop carrying my pendants. Green Springs at 117 Ram Cat Alley in Seneca, South Carolina. The owner, Alison Springs, and I met during the Pendleton Spring Festival, and she was interested in carrying my glasswork in her shop.
Even better...I got word a few minutes ago that I had sold my first piece there and it's on it's way to Ireland.
So, if you are in Seneca, check out Green Springs. You an also visit the Green Springs website (http://shopgreensprings.com/) or Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Springs/149626039292)
I got an email from Interweave publication today with a YouTube clip that I thought was funny. If you've spent any time at Art Festivals, you will understand why. There are birds everywhere, on everything...realistic, cartoony, cloth, metal, felted, printed, wood cut, recycled, upcycled...birds.
People love them and they sell!
If you glance back at previous posts, you'll see that I've created a few myself.
Anyway, the clip is from the television show "Portlandia" - I haven't seen it, so I can't recommend you watch it or anything. It sounds like it's a little out there. I think it was created by a SNL guy - the show "lovingly" skewers the 90's hippie, recycling manic, feminist, enviro wacko, slightly weird culture that is still going strong in Portland, Oregon.
Don't you hate when your hand falls asleep and you know it will be up all night. - Stephen Wright
A while back my mom cut her thumb on a tin can...really cut her thumb. She severed the tendon that makes it possible to bend the thumb and required surgery to repair her hand. The doctor was able to reattach the tendon, and using magnification he also reattached a nerve that would give her back feeling in one side of her thumb.
It has been a fairly long recovery for her. Just last week, she got out of the cast that kept her wrist and fingers immobile. She has been going to therapy once a week to help her slowly regain use of her hand. She recently asked me to create a pendant that she could give to her physical therapist as a thank you for her hard work.
I decided to do the pendant in copper enamel. I created a small hand cutout that I could use a a mask. I was able to sift the enamel on top of the cutout and then just pull off the hand to reveal the layer color below. It took some practice and several layers to get the look I was after, but I was happy with the end result. The pendant also has a reverse side with no hand.
I had a chance to take a brief break and visit the beach last week with my mom and mom-in-law. The ocean was just lovely. We spent some time walking on the beach, especially late in the day when the sun was setting.
Below are a couple of photos from our walks.
A long stretch of highway takes you there... Miles of marsh and salt-kissed air.
Around the bend the lighthouse stands... Green gray water and warm white sands.
Little houses, tropical hues... Brightly splashed, they welcome you.
Long walks, flip flops, sand and sea... Tybee simply let's you be!
Thanks to everyone who commented on my 100th blog post. I put all the comments in a basket and had Ben draw a winner out for me. To find out the winner watch the video...or, scroll down on this page.
Congratulations to Ruth Bartholomew! I will be in touch about getting your pendant to you.
This entry marks my 100th post. Actually, I enjoy blogging more than I thought I would. In some ways it has become a way for me to journal my experiments and experiences fusing glass. I can look back and see what I was doing a few months ago.
I appreciate those of you that have come along with me on the journey. I love getting feedback and suggestions on projects. Thanks, too, for the encouragement you've offered!
In honor of making it to 100 blog posts, I will be giving away a pendant to someone who comments below. Next Monday, I will draw randomly from these comments. If possible provide your email so I can notify you in the event you win!
This past weekend was the Historic 34th Annual Spring Jubilee in Pendleton, SC. It was my first time to be a part of this festival, and it was a lot of fun. It was extremely well planned, the people that organized it were nice and helpful, and I would go back next year without question.
The weekend did get off to a rocky start when my iPad inexplicably failed to fully charge overnight Friday. Had to stop at Walmart at 7 AM and buy a $30 car charger. The iPad is my credit card "machine" - so I needed to make sure it was fully charged all day.
Then, when we pulled the canopy out of the pack, we found one of the roof beams was bent and in short order...broken. We did manage to get the canopy up and fairly stable with the three functional roof supports.
About noon, on Saturday, the big winds blew into town. I would estimate 50 mph gusts. Our already hobbled tent, was firmly bolted, tied and weighted with 45 pound weights on each post, but it took a beating. The broken rod eventually wore a small hole in the roof.
We ended up leaving the tent beside a garbage can when it was all over. My mom reported that the guy that was picking up the trash salvaged it and was taking it home to repair. He planned to make a nice shade for his wife, so she could enjoy sitting out in the sun. I was happy to hear that wasn't a total loss.
The good thing was that sales were fairly good, and that when things started up at 1:00 on Sunday, our tent was still standing, the winds were calm and the weather was perfect.
