Learning to Sew ~

It's spring break so my son & I are working on some new projects.

One is learning to sew...or teaching a 7 year old

to operate the machine & complete a project.

The first step is to choose the colors ~

My plan was to use up some pre-cut fabric noodles, sew them together,

cut them back into strips, sew again, & then make some small

projects like potholders, doll blankets, etc.

You know...things I need for the house & kitchen?

William's plan was to sew up the noodles into a tube,

stuff it & make a "snake."

After making his fabric color choices he got right down to business

on the machine.  He's sewn before & even remembered to put the

right sides of the fabric together before starting the seam.

Good job William!

He needed a little help to guide the fabric straight &

 keep the machine at a steady speed. 

 Notice the machine??

It's a 1938 Singer.

Perfect for quilting & teaching kids to sew.

It only sews back & forward but after all these

years & many projects it still sews like a dream.

It's a perfect size for little hands.

After sewing the strips together & turning the tube

right side out ~ stuffing was next.

The puppy had ripped a hole in a sofa pillow so Will thought

it was perfect to use for stuffing.

A sword also works well to push the stuffing down into the snake.

Next...tongue & button eyes!

(notice the crazy hair & weird "clothes" ???

It's a jammy day at our house)

Bullseye Glass Delivery

American Fast Freight delivered my glass order from Bullseye today.

It was quite a feat considering the snow in the alley

& the maneuvering of the truck & lift.

It was a little nerve wracking...for me.

Not the guys ~ they were calm & efficient.

All of these boxes of glass were on top of the two crates pictured below!

Yikes!

All total it's almost 700 pounds of glass.

It's a lot to unpalatize & move.

I'm going to be sore tonight!

Aurora Series ~

I'm working on a new series of glass that I'm calling the

Aurora Series.

It's been a bit challenging ~ I'm still trying to get the colors right.

These are made  with many, many, layers of powdered glass.

I've been getting my opaques & transparents mixed up

which is not a good thing!

These have all been fired twice because I was trying

to intensify the colors.
I forget how washed out the transparents are when fired.

The beauty of them though is that they look like watercolor washes.

I think I need to paint these first ~ that seems to help get the colors

& the washes in the glass correct.

Beware of Artists....

Love this & so true!

The Snowiest Winter on Record!

Anchorage has had over 88 inches of snow already this year!
We're on record for the snowiest winter on record since 1954.
Check out this article in the Alaska Dispatch.

I believe it!  I'm sick of the snow & shoveling.



Here's a shot of the snow plow with Denali in the background.
So beautiful but soooooo much snow!

Accordion Travel in Style!

I'm loving my new hot-rod red accordion case!

It was sort of a splurge purchase on eBay

 (not price-wise but "do I really need it"-wise).

But now.... after it's arrival in the mail all I can is

YUM!!!  I'm in love!

Just look at her!  

How can you not love a hot red girl on wheels, 

with a telescoping handle & a plush interior???

She even came with locks & 4 keys & heavy duty straps if you want to 

strap her on your back & wear her like a backpack.

Made by Eastman Music Co. this is a custom case.

Look at my Petosa Baby Grand nestled inside!.

The interior is a beautiful, dark, red soft foam..just like a red velvet cupcake!

Snazzy!

Oh yeah baby...next time we play Chilkoots we're going in style!

Best of all is the shipping box!

Ta-da....who knew it was the same size as a seven year old boy?!?!

My Treasure has been Transformed!

Here's a shot of my finished table for the

Salvation Army fundraiser auction.

It looks better in person.

Glass is hard to photograph without getting glare

and especially when you're a lazy photographer

who didn't take time to set up the shot with a back drop & proper lighting.

What can I say?? 

I'm crazy busy these days in the studio & it's a donation.

3 days to paint the glass top.

I think I've paid my dues.  :)

Polka Fest at Chilkoot Charlies!

Join us January 8th for a blow out

Polka Fest at

Chilkoot Charlies!

Main Squeeze

Polka Dan

Polka Chips

Button Box Gang

Come & dance your socks off!

  ~  Happy New Year  ~

The Between Time ~

I love the "between time."

The relative emptiness of the days between

Christmas (Solstice) & New Year's.

There's sort of a timeless space

were everything slows down.

Not much is happening.

I find time for a nap, reading a good book,

playing on the floor with my child,

nibbling & drinking wine during the day.

Things slow down...

but I feel the building of things to come.

There are forces gaining momentum for a new beginning.

I've so enjoyed the holiday but as

Stephen King says...

"Talent is cheaper than table salt.

What separates the talented individual from the

successful one is a lot of hard work."

Got a lot of hard work to do this next year

& time to sleep when I'm dead!

Solstice 2011 ~

Happy Solstice!

Today is the shortest day of the year

and we're gaining light every day.

We're celebrating tonight!

iKlip ~ Love it!

If you have a musician in the family & need a last minute gift

here's the perfect item!

The iklip!

We purchased one in December & it's really cool!

No more bulky binders & loose pages of music falling off the music stand.

Music stand?

Wait a minute...you don't need a music stand because

the iKlip attaches to your mic stand.

One less stand on the stage taking up space.

Here's the iKlip attached to my mic stand.

Sleek & low profile.

Now to get all my music loaded & organized

& then I can just flip through the music with the touch of a finger.

Happy holidays!

Poppies ~ 2nd in a Series

Here's a second painting of "Poppies."

I thought the composition of my first attempt wasn't quite right.

I have more canvas stretched & ready to go so I'll paint another

variation either tonight or tomorrow. 

 I'm in the groove now.

Multiple layers of watercolor, acrylic, metallic & oil pastels.

This may be my donation to the spring Gala fundraiser

at the museum...maybe.(?)

Detail image 1.

Detail image 2.

Camera paper technique.

I'm lovin'  this application and am thinking about doing some

larger digital canvases with this technique.

(finished canvas 18" X 24")

Thinking of Summer ~

I'm missing my garden,

the sun,

& even the weeds a little bit.

Painting some poppies for a little inspiration.

Glass Bathroom ~

Whew!  The bathroom project is completed.

Here's a shot of the vanity back splash.

This is a mix of tiles that were cut down from the

 larger tiles used for the tub surround. 

The counter top trivet was also made from small left over

glass pieces.  I put bumpons on the bottom just to keep

it from sliding on the counter top. 

Love the purple-blue counter top~ it picks up the

neo-lavendar glass & is a good neutral with the other colors.

This is the coordinating tub surround.  It's flanked with

6 inch white tiles for a high contrast look.

The blue strip (3mm) was added after the 6 inch tiles for a

three dimensional and finished effect.

This is the finished piece from the previous post. 

It's a very large piece with all the shapes hand cut, layered

and then tack fused with an extended annealing period.

It'll be mounted about 2" out from the wall on brushed

nickel mounts.  The brushed nickel mounts match the

bathroom fixtures.

The paint color in the bathroom is white and the lighting is halogen

but there's also a glass block window there's plenty of ambient light.

Mounting it away from the wall will allow the glass to transmit

light & color.  Can't wait to see it mounted!

Glass Puzzle ~

Often, when I'm working on a large glass piece for a home installation

I start with a couple of color palates & then make up sample pieces.

It gives the homeowner & myself an idea of how the glass colors will look

in the home.  Light, both artificial & natural, is of utmost importance.

There's lots of variables such the wall color  (which is easy to change),

the natural light (not so easy to change) &

artificial light within the space (a possible

option to change) & how all of these things interact

with the glass.

These are left over pieces from a bathroom tub & vanity surround.

They are all 2 layers of 3mm glass which after fusing are 1/4" thick.

Some of these were cut down into strips & other patterns to create a

variety of sizes, patterns & shapes.

The tub & vanity glass has a specific pattern

(photos on that to follow). 

                   

There's a base piece of 3mm Tetka glass (24" X 48")

& the beginning of the layout on top. 

It's a bit like putting a puzzle together ~ trying to fit

pieces together & coordinate colors for an abstract look. 

These are thin strips that were cut off the edge of larger tiles.

Here's the thin strips used as fillers for a more random feel.

Here's the beginning of a big project.

UAA Crafts Fair ~

Please join me for my last event of the year!

~ Another favorite event & only 1 day ~

Booth number 43 in the student union cafeteria!

Lots of sale items & close-outs for the holidays.

As a UAA Alumni I'm happy to support the University

& love being back on campus...minus the homework!

See you Saturday!

Arts & Crafts Emporium ~

Don't hide out at home today!

Join me today for the second day of the 

Arts & Crafts Emporium!

11 to 5 pm

Dena'iana Convention Center

Man...Stop the Snow!

We've had over 15 inches of snow in the past few days!

While my husband & son shoveled us out

I worked overtime in the studio in anticipation of the upcoming

Crafts Emporium!!



Can you guess what inspired this piece??

I'm working on lots of new work & also dyed-up some beautiful

cut velvet scarves.

Crafts Emporium

November 19th & 20th

Dena'ina Convention Center

Anchorage, Alaska

See you there!



Aurora over Anchorage!

The northern hemisphere is being treated to

 beautiful aurora displays.

It's magical.

How I Love Sports ~

So......

My dear husband thinks I'm not into SPORTS?

Imagine that....(?)

So in the spirit of loving sports, here's a little trivia for you.

What famous sports movie does the above image reference?

It's my favorite sports movie of all time.

The first person to correctly identify the name of

"the sports movie"  will win a prize!!!

Yeah for prizes!?!?!

Comment with your winning movie name & win!