A Little Rusty

It seems forever since I was able to work on anything new. May is always so hectic because of my job with the school district. I try to keep my schedule clear of festivals and other events that require me to work on glass. So, when I pulled out my glass this past weekend, I didn't really know where to start. I felt out of sorts and rusty, so, I just willed myself to begin simply.

Almost all of my cut floral pendants are gone, so I decided to work on a simple group of those. I enjoy wearing and get lots of compliments on my daisy with the lime green center, so I created three of those. I did a few other color variations and used some scraps to created a red and black piece. It was good to get back up and running!

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day 2012

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

It is good to have a day to stop and remember. We are so busy and life is often hectic. We take so much for granted. In this country, we have so much. We have virtually unlimited freedom to believe, to think, to speak our mind. Facebook and blogs like this are a living testament to our ability to say anything at anytime. It doesn't mean we have the right to be heard, or that what we say will be met with universal acceptance - but we can say it!

Today, I am especially thankful for the men and women who stood up for our freedom. They sacrificed everything for people they knew and would never know. They fought and died far from home, compelled by the belief that what they were engaged in was right and true, and for the benefit of the greater good.

 

Time and Space

Still no time for glass work, I did order some new glass yesterday though - looking forward to it getting here.

I am still enjoying playing around with the "Paper" app. Yesterday, I created the piece above. It's called "Time and Space."

I've also downloaded an app called "Sketchbook Pro" - it has a lot more functionality than "Paper." So, it also has a bigger learning curve - I'm anxious to experiment with it when time allows.

 

Paper

I like to try new iPad apps, so the other day, I read about an app called "Paper" - I couldn't resist.

It's basically a sketchbook with a minimal set of tools for sketching. The app is free, but only comes with a couple of the tools activated, if you want more tools, color, etc., you pay 1.99 for each new option you want to add.

It really is a fun little app. I like trying to figure out what it will do, how to stretch the way it functions. Learning something like this forces me to think in new and different ways. It allows me to get outside what I usually do and create something new to me. Once you finish a sketch the app allows you to share on various social media sites and save into the photo stream. I've put several of my recent sketches in so you can get a feel for how much fun it can be!

I think it's perfect for quick on-the-go sketches, studies for larger pieces, playing with color. I love the way the colors mix and layer, and the neat watercolor effect you get when using the paintbrush.

 

Days of Creation

View from the 10th floor

I haven't done much glass work in the last week or two. I had a work trip to Atlanta at the end of last week. I enjoyed getting to do something out of the routine. I also enjoyed getting to spend the time with my friend and coworker.

We stayed in a hotel that practically sits on the runway at Hartsfield International. It was pretty inside, kind of a late 70's early 80's style - big open atrium, stair stepped floors...reminded me of the Hyatt in DT Greenville. Fortunately, they soundproofed the inside, so we really didn't hear any of the airplanes taking off and landing.

It has worked out well, aside from the decrease in sales, that I don't have any shows scheduled for a while. I've been helping to paint murals in the newly renovated nursery wing at our church.

We have so many super talented people that attend, and one of them is a wonderful interior designer. She has done a great job planning the decor - including creation murals in each room.

I love what she has done with this...very clean designs with the corresponding verse of scripture included. So far, we have worked on only two of the four rooms, but they are coming along really nicely!

The wall in progress.

The verse that will go in the sky on the wall above.

Variations on a Theme...

...or a color scheme. My friend and I are going to Atlanta to present at a conference. She requested a pendant to match the outfit she would like to wear that day. So, I worked a little on Saturday trying to create something that compliments the colors and style of her blouse.

I did a few with glass in various shades of brown and orange. Then I decided to pull out my Glassline paints and do some painted ones.

This is one of the pendants created using various shades of coordinating glass. She chose this pendant - the ones below seemed a little too much when paired with her floral shirt.

Glassline pieces drying in the sun. Once dry, I capped them with clear glass and fired them to full fuse.

Finished Glassline piece.

 

Show Us What You Make or Sell

Today, I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner Show Us What You Make or Sell day. I love it when she does this kind of blog. You get to see so many really interesting things that people all over the place are creating.

I create pendants and artwork using glass that I melt or fuse in a kiln. I'm posting a few of my newer pieces here. You can also look through some of my other posts and even click over to my LeisaWorks Facebook page or Etsy page.

 

Stained Glass

Saturday was a rare day for me. I don't have any impending shows, so I was able to take it easy and do things like clean up my work space. It felt so good to be able to organize my area and my thoughts. I am looking forward to having a little time to experiment and do some of the things That have been percolating in my mind for a while. I did do a couple of small firings on Saturday. I was playing with flat dichroic on a black base with no clear cap. These were 2 of my favorite pieces. They remind me of lovely stained glass windows, I love the geometric patterns and the way the dichroic looks to be softly glowing from within.

This one is a little different because I put a cap of clear glass on it before firing.

As you can see, my work space seems to get pretty chaotic. I bake glass the same way I bake a cake...stuff everywhere. This photo was taken before my weekend clean up and organization. It is much better now...but not for long, I am sure.

 

 

Ribbons of Love

Mother, the ribbons of your love are woven around my heart. ~Author Unknown

Mother's Day is coming up in a few weeks. In honor of my wonderful mother, I am giving away a pendant and a $20 Target gift card on my LeisaWorks Facebook page.

All you need to do to enter is click over to my page and leave a comment about mothers under the post featuring the photo above. On May 1, I plan on doing a random drawing. So, if you would like to win a gift for yourself or a deserving mom, enter now.

My lovely, talented, kind and giving mama helping me out at a recent show.

 

Belton and a new chair

Tim and I headed for Belton, SC early this morning for an impromptu show at the Belton Depot. I got an email last week asking if I would be interested, and I pretty much always am, if I have a free weekend. One of the best things about doing art shows and festivals is getting to see places I probably wouldn't get a chance to see and meeting people I would never have met.

Plus, I got a chance to try out my new chair! I picked it up over Spring Break, and this was my first show since I got it. I had been wanting a tall director's chair so that I could be up at the eye level of the people that visit my booth. I usually sit on a low lawn chair and spend lots of time popping up and down to talk to folks. So, now, I can sit and talk, and I am even able to use the back edge of the table as my desk...which is how I'm typing away right now.

The down side to the fact that I have time to be typing is that this hasn't been our busiest show ever. The good side is that the booth fee wasn't high and we have more than covered it with sales. More positives...we are inside the depot, the weather is absolutely perfect, the people are very friendly, and it's a chili making competition so the smells from outside are heavenly

And topping things off...my new chair works perfectly!

My new chair in action.

The "surly" help :-)

View from our spot

The Belton Depot

 

 

Patchwork

Last week on Spring Break, I had a chance to visit my favorite glass store. I picked up a huge sheet of black glass. It's like a staple for me...the base that anchors the colors I enjoy playing with. I also came away with a few vibrant sheets as well.

 

 

 

Toes in the Surf...

This past weekend, I finished up the show at the Anderson History Museum, with the help of my husband. Thanks Tim!

The next day, I left for a very quick trip to Tybee Island with my mom. It was beautiful there as usual. I got a chance to visit Atlantic Beacon Gallery and drop off new, fresh pendants just in time for the busy season to begin.

We had a great time. We got to shop and eat in all our favorite spots - including The Breakfast Club. They had a new dish that I tried called British Oatmeal Cake or Flapjacks. It was kind of a yummy, gooey oatmeal bar. It reminded me of a granola bar, but it was warm and they served to with vanilla Greek yogurt and Slices of peaches and oranges.

One morning, I somehow managed to wake up and go out on the beach before sunrise...