tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442120731160124472024-02-18T21:45:15.819-08:00Studiowhimsy & Whimsy LabsA look into my experiments in creativity, with associated musings thrown in for good measureUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-76553506841000851112012-02-05T18:46:00.000-08:002012-02-05T18:46:28.226-08:00Sandblasting Glass<br />
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I recently took a class at Pratt that taught a particular technique for transferring images onto glass. It allowed me to finally get this particular idea out of my head and DONE.</div>
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This is a window from the nose of a B-17. It's about 1 foot wide at the widest part by about 2 feet tall. It was going to meet with an uncertain fate, so it was given to me when I said <b>I'd</b> do something with it.<br />
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<img height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILAy5uVRvVFegghdDcPqs1HgKC0dIZbsWwtLhIRsFxDT0gILlb0wM4yUENojrxMlqEZncgpWk7Lxh_xqoxczc4cD1TfwFlarPomgpPb4UC-Vu5dyXarHZjJgyUTCa77LnVFexMdadRRwN/s400/img_3815.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> I had this idea to put the image of a B-17 onto it, maybe an image that looks as it would have if you were flying in one B-17 and looking out of this window at another B-17.</span>
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I started with an archival photo of a B-17 that I edited the heck out of to have a very high-contrast image that I liked.
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />I had to decide whether I wanted the black or the white parts of the image to be the sandblasted areas, so I did a couple of test pieces -</div>
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I decided that the shadows/dark areas would be the masked parts and the white would be sandblasted. I made this masking stencil by processing my image on UV sensitive masking film, then placed the sticky masking film image where I wanted it on the window and masked off the frame and back of the window to protect those areas from being blasted.</div>
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And into the sandblaster -</div>
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This is the sandblasted image, with the masking film still on.</div>
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And a couple of detail shots with the mask washed off -<br />
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I was super excited to give this to my dad for his birthday. It's now HIS job to figure out how to mount it for display.</div>
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In the future I will share pictures of a couple other experiments that took my sandblasting on glass in totally different directions...</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-40427491132679307272011-04-29T08:12:00.000-07:002011-04-29T08:12:22.312-07:00A Little Yarn Bombing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdHAobZdx2ymSYmwjrTiClxoWVqsJTcwc1qo7E3UP_t9j_g0OaiQc9WCwaMwCJnMH3WseC7GSY3gfggkwU8bK492BQAzjA9eoBtjVShBW7sJ4YQkdqfYtCM7USr5fzELmSjk1bxKBg9Rq/s1600/crocheted+rock+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdHAobZdx2ymSYmwjrTiClxoWVqsJTcwc1qo7E3UP_t9j_g0OaiQc9WCwaMwCJnMH3WseC7GSY3gfggkwU8bK492BQAzjA9eoBtjVShBW7sJ4YQkdqfYtCM7USr5fzELmSjk1bxKBg9Rq/s400/crocheted+rock+cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
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A couple of weeks ago I did a little private yarn bombing project. I was inspired by someone near and dear to me who had been doing a lot of work with rocks in her yard. Once the idea struck me, I couldn't wait to do this.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">OK, so I covered 4 rocks and <i>one brick</i>, for a little extra humor. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I began with this rock and it remains my favorite. This one is crocheted. I made up the design as I went along, "engineering" it to fit. </div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a fun challenge to figure out how to crochet something to fit around an ovoid. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rest were just rectangles that I knit on relatively large needles and sewed closed around the rocks. I decided to make plastic tags for each rock that said 1/5, 2/5, etc., so that my victim could figure out that there were five to find. When I placed them in her yard, some were more obvious than others .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I am surrounded by rocks like these -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">...it really doesn't seem THAT bizarre to cover rocks with fuzzy yarn.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">To see some really amazing yarn bombing projects, check out <a href="http://yarnbombing.com/">yarnbombing.com</a>. One recent project that is particularly stunning is shown in the post <a href="http://yarnbombing.com/hello-spring">http://yarnbombing.com/hello-spring</a>. I'd love to know how they got the fire department to help with the installation!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-33484416820873373942011-04-26T11:17:00.000-07:002011-04-26T11:17:31.940-07:00Wooly Peeps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrAWJ4u2Rn3AP9kV4OIZni5qkjS1pJvxRZmsQ_SpFfr3J1srhhPBXsmpFp2xZB33b5YN-oCY6eWpfOzUHtA4BrTcOjveYhFV3eXG4V15SEslJqGAXXUGov2aX00bikyXBN1OajuIGN3Ng/s1600/img_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrAWJ4u2Rn3AP9kV4OIZni5qkjS1pJvxRZmsQ_SpFfr3J1srhhPBXsmpFp2xZB33b5YN-oCY6eWpfOzUHtA4BrTcOjveYhFV3eXG4V15SEslJqGAXXUGov2aX00bikyXBN1OajuIGN3Ng/s320/img_0039.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock star peep</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Not too long ago Craft Magazine posted a link on Facebook to a very clever Easter-y project by <a href="http://radmegan.blogspot.com/">radmegan</a> - needle-felted Peeps! What a great idea! Luckily my thoughtful cousin re-posted the post and tagged me. I bought the instructions from radmegan on Etsy and had quite some fun. I'd forgotten how great needle felting is. Except for the pain from occasionally poking my finger...<br />
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</div><div>I was lucky enough to take a needle-felting class by the amazing <a href="http://www.madebymoxie.com/">Moxie</a> several years ago, so I had amassed the necessary tools -<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7kbUTyJOWQ/TbcAY5NE2BI/AAAAAAAAET8/SM7pMzDaFQk/s1600/img_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7kbUTyJOWQ/TbcAY5NE2BI/AAAAAAAAET8/SM7pMzDaFQk/s400/img_0057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">foam block and sharp-as-heck felting needles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Mvx-5OLnNk/TbcAY0jjP6I/AAAAAAAAEUA/fEGjR2KcenA/s1600/img_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Mvx-5OLnNk/TbcAY0jjP6I/AAAAAAAAEUA/fEGjR2KcenA/s400/img_0055.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wool roving</td></tr>
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</div><div>By the way, Moxie has foam blocks that are biodegradable, which is very cool. This one is from a kit that <span id="goog_1991175000"></span><a href="http://www.weavingworks.com/">Weaving Works</a><span id="goog_1991175001"></span> sold that included needles. I came upon this multi-colored roving in the knitter's guild booth at the craft fair held out in Ocean Shores over Thanksgiving weekend. You can buy <b>single</b> colors from sources like Weaving Works.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br />
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So, it was obvious that whereas radmegan's peeps were true to the real Peep colors, mine were going to be funky. <br />
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This handful of roving -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-kXLVFeet-AZ_HJ0gcXLNXIetc8vQ9xpaL67JSTeFJf8JLCrdOPEHLIxChyphenhyphenriVg1u9duwkwzGJRiBEF8w2q-cOMatwyd-1x42Gp2vVcme84A5uD4fvU0puPoZBrirIOU8VaBO3NM9Kle/s1600/img_9930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-kXLVFeet-AZ_HJ0gcXLNXIetc8vQ9xpaL67JSTeFJf8JLCrdOPEHLIxChyphenhyphenriVg1u9duwkwzGJRiBEF8w2q-cOMatwyd-1x42Gp2vVcme84A5uD4fvU0puPoZBrirIOU8VaBO3NM9Kle/s320/img_9930.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">equaled this peep - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYKCHPHi7rk/Tbb4p2YEGTI/AAAAAAAAES0/xGclGPsOJ3w/s1600/img_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYKCHPHi7rk/Tbb4p2YEGTI/AAAAAAAAES0/xGclGPsOJ3w/s320/img_0044.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropical sherbet peep?</td></tr>
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</div><div>A few more -<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EzD9l3JbfU0/Tbb4rqbhSuI/AAAAAAAAETM/GpRI6sUCJM0/s1600/img_9987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EzD9l3JbfU0/Tbb4rqbhSuI/AAAAAAAAETM/GpRI6sUCJM0/s320/img_9987.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tie-dye peep for my cousin :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62IXYiB99U/Tbb4rYyz_bI/AAAAAAAAETI/Vg30GJhzKio/s1600/img_9974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62IXYiB99U/Tbb4rYyz_bI/AAAAAAAAETI/Vg30GJhzKio/s400/img_9974.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peep gang</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then one last design that I HAD to try - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ODNRAWfmXk/Tbb4q0atOnI/AAAAAAAAETA/KljlUIIDoDE/s1600/img_0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ODNRAWfmXk/Tbb4q0atOnI/AAAAAAAAETA/KljlUIIDoDE/s400/img_0054.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">skully peep<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARoLLSSv1Pia1Gpf4VWv2oaUZkvB57pSkCkSdfIljNaXPMzv7ep_OVE1RW8u56EkqKkZXlckIWBjQ7e9fbWW3yQxb13sG6PgxsiQPTpg3XEKePvXPJlHuGLk1p3a3Qisuojj1Qhbu56Fx/s1600/img_0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARoLLSSv1Pia1Gpf4VWv2oaUZkvB57pSkCkSdfIljNaXPMzv7ep_OVE1RW8u56EkqKkZXlckIWBjQ7e9fbWW3yQxb13sG6PgxsiQPTpg3XEKePvXPJlHuGLk1p3a3Qisuojj1Qhbu56Fx/s400/img_0051.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock star photo of skully peep</td></tr>
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</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-44980817049548715752011-03-10T16:01:00.000-08:002011-03-10T16:01:50.138-08:00Watercolor on Gessoed Paper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbSz0nNA9Bu6_C5i4TEPRsZR-yzQW8plSQEzlzCRJ9w36XCfPkK-Jx35HQJwHCX4vP4zYYKKFU5kAG8mULqBZ9JVAyiHby6rb4OL-0u2oBUtobcFIHmUIAni9wAO74Q8j9NVHC243FCv2/s1600/img_9527_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbSz0nNA9Bu6_C5i4TEPRsZR-yzQW8plSQEzlzCRJ9w36XCfPkK-Jx35HQJwHCX4vP4zYYKKFU5kAG8mULqBZ9JVAyiHby6rb4OL-0u2oBUtobcFIHmUIAni9wAO74Q8j9NVHC243FCv2/s400/img_9527_0001.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I was lucky enough to get to take a watercolor workshop at <a href="http://pratt.org/">Pratt</a> this past weekend <i>with</i> my younger son. I wasn't sure which way he would go when I suggested that I sign him up with me, but he didn't hesitate to say yes, which I thought was awesome. He was the only male and the only youth/young adult, and the instructor said she thought he was brave (?!) to do it. Regardless, he liked the class a lot and I thought I was the luckiest mom on earth.<br />
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The class was all about painting with watercolors on gessoed paper. You can get some pretty intense colors out of your watercolors this way, AND you have more of a chance for do-overs since you can wipe your paint back off. To varying degrees. <br />
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This is my first painting, which makes me nauseous. But it was a learning experience -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR__FXnu6PFTr4wq0_pIsr_FQgs805cm7K1Pr7QKMYsNbqoSgRKWVV51Er6sOiEtj9fc-owcUQ5ovdOt5tGQjtipwf8N0HEsDYUl7rQZn8Ob6aYFChdF-UUZdpJ_FEhm7eAW0w7Dp6EzF/s1600/img_9521_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR__FXnu6PFTr4wq0_pIsr_FQgs805cm7K1Pr7QKMYsNbqoSgRKWVV51Er6sOiEtj9fc-owcUQ5ovdOt5tGQjtipwf8N0HEsDYUl7rQZn8Ob6aYFChdF-UUZdpJ_FEhm7eAW0w7Dp6EzF/s200/img_9521_0001.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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The smaller I make the image, the better, as far as I'm concerned (it's really ~7x11"). The photo makes more contrast in the background than there really is. And the pink? Not my marks - the instructor added them. I've not had that happen before! Ever. Anyway, this wretched painting gave an idea for how to tackle the beautiful moonflower in a different way next time, so all is well. I think it would have been a better one to do on regular watercolor paper.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg-o_5uDgQs9xu9uVLVBwR7iCl0n3AOPUkwJsDr4Yynxc_FJ7abQRh5cQ-2c_UKeW0dUl6xc6URzY8EsoFRSvKcznXds5pWqU7o6JyvoFyYVemRKxrXqtJrRgDWNx9OHQCyZHLQtoBSq5/s1600/img_9525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg-o_5uDgQs9xu9uVLVBwR7iCl0n3AOPUkwJsDr4Yynxc_FJ7abQRh5cQ-2c_UKeW0dUl6xc6URzY8EsoFRSvKcznXds5pWqU7o6JyvoFyYVemRKxrXqtJrRgDWNx9OHQCyZHLQtoBSq5/s400/img_9525.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Version #1 - The instructor pointed out that I was certainly painting like an oil painter. But I was enjoying the brush strokes. I tried to work "juicier" in the middle and bottom but this amazing Quinacridone Gold bunched up and looked like strong brush strokes on its own anyway. I'm learning. I hate the lighter colors added onto the black at the base. That was a suggestion, and I should cover it over... It looks like reflections/ripples in this photo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Trva-SAs7F4/TXldFANnXeI/AAAAAAAAERI/Tjqwu81GTYI/s1600/img_9516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Trva-SAs7F4/TXldFANnXeI/AAAAAAAAERI/Tjqwu81GTYI/s400/img_9516.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Version #2 - Tried to stay looser and juicier. I also tried to make the silhouettes look less like buildings and more like the rocks that they are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was working from a copy of the photo below. Our instructor encouraged us to feel free to "adjust" (my word) our subject and not worry about it being exactly true to life, which is a very freeing idea for me to always keep in mind. When I looked back at the original photo again, it just makes me want to experiment more with the colors and the glowing light in this photo - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ixMKyz96_lRe5xOL1MgvoT0dx5pG_GukplhqsmLthdGEEwefmho0bvIQMJUz1W7tHRrTywZlutQMB54monGlhqsSnB9BeaOq0MCtaWNlSpTs2ApfggU0E9Skk9Fy4VRHBQy65ZE9fv77/s1600/dscn0787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ixMKyz96_lRe5xOL1MgvoT0dx5pG_GukplhqsmLthdGEEwefmho0bvIQMJUz1W7tHRrTywZlutQMB54monGlhqsSnB9BeaOq0MCtaWNlSpTs2ApfggU0E9Skk9Fy4VRHBQy65ZE9fv77/s200/dscn0787.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe I shouldn't have put the photo on here, because it is so superiorly gorgeous!! If anyone wonders why we keep going back and going back to Utah's redrock country, this is a great example of why. This photo was taken at the Golden Stairs camping area in the Maze District of Canyonlands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-59861959626221081582011-02-08T15:07:00.000-08:002011-02-08T15:07:07.924-08:00Still working towards selling on Etsy....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/TVHD69f5-MI/AAAAAAAAEJc/qCC2stnHVqg/s1600/img_9150_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/TVHD69f5-MI/AAAAAAAAEJc/qCC2stnHVqg/s320/img_9150_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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This has been my ongoing project for, oh, 2+ years - to actually list some things to sell in my Etsy online shop. Looks like I may be a little late to take advantage of Valentine's Day gift shopping (oops! second year in a row!), but hearts aren't only for V-day?!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Today I worked on mastering the art of the adjustable knotted cord necklace. That's what I've decided upon for for turning my pendants into necklaces to sell. I think I worked out a length that adjusts from choker length (16"-ish) to approximately 32". I'm using a faux-leather cord - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Hg1VlnBoM__xMRCgdpqU7glVltEi-7obFE0d7gnC5xnvoZmQWmQJ8hHdSpGtCBNAp4H12lDMfXtEckJXmBIeeP-hyRYv2M5yS_5U8jRRFcnsp9I1EhzAMyUeOYk3BVYTu_XJ5kkxoxcK/s1600/img_9198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Hg1VlnBoM__xMRCgdpqU7glVltEi-7obFE0d7gnC5xnvoZmQWmQJ8hHdSpGtCBNAp4H12lDMfXtEckJXmBIeeP-hyRYv2M5yS_5U8jRRFcnsp9I1EhzAMyUeOYk3BVYTu_XJ5kkxoxcK/s400/img_9198.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found the most helpful tutorial with excellent photographs of the steps here - <a href="http://www.ejrbeads.co.uk/adjustable%20page%201.htm">http://www.ejrbeads.co.uk/adjustable%20page%201.htm</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I read somewhere that the best lighting for taking photos of your items is daylight on a bright, cloudy day. Here are a few photos taken in the sun the other day - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHDIl3bA5eL2-Ci1FeEV8Iieb2mFXUK7LpgvPeKLyiOEume7EC9U5MHrKo-Rc2xrp7T1dqKpVwInWgLO-1hVQ2f5LVlpelIf5yWiNdYmn4R9EuQTfsjDF4D7zh80MDEjjo8Xe8D_DdoAz/s1600/img_9119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHDIl3bA5eL2-Ci1FeEV8Iieb2mFXUK7LpgvPeKLyiOEume7EC9U5MHrKo-Rc2xrp7T1dqKpVwInWgLO-1hVQ2f5LVlpelIf5yWiNdYmn4R9EuQTfsjDF4D7zh80MDEjjo8Xe8D_DdoAz/s320/img_9119.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">I like the shadows myself. I'll experiment with more photos on the next "bright, cloudy day"....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/studiowhimsy">www.etsy.com/shop/studiowhimsy</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-12070411488469530182011-01-17T18:22:00.000-08:002011-01-17T18:22:38.538-08:00Just try it, already!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCE8eh4ZyBPW_xxPDsxX_IIPhrKfJxp3R_iKHG69kBGQn5QAdYYu7J_Y1-JVSgsF86tyXVaplt3sc7kRHyliY0pzskw13R3ek9LdOLH3pfaIHkm8K7IcBGlSoV8CplljsS-AIHoOFOx56/s1600/img_8904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCE8eh4ZyBPW_xxPDsxX_IIPhrKfJxp3R_iKHG69kBGQn5QAdYYu7J_Y1-JVSgsF86tyXVaplt3sc7kRHyliY0pzskw13R3ek9LdOLH3pfaIHkm8K7IcBGlSoV8CplljsS-AIHoOFOx56/s640/img_8904.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bwaaahaha! That's what I told myself, "Just try it, already!", and look what happened! I really can't believe that this worked out as well as it did. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because I save broken glass stuff (I can hear you, Eric!), I had two broken wine glasses from the set that belonged to my parents, one glass with a broken base, and one with a broken top. It occurred to me that <b style="font-style: italic;">maybe, </b>just possibly, I could use the torch to combine the good parts to make a new glass. I figured I really didn't have anything to lose. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I couldn't believe that the glass didn't fracture while heating up or cooling down. And I can't believe how well the junction turned out. I hoped to do something besides a lump where I melted them together, but I didn't expect to be so happy with the connection. This "crystal" glass seems to have a fairly low melting point, but not the sensitivity to thermal shock that the "soft glass" rods that I have for bead making have. Score!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before you start bringing me broken wine glasses to fix, keep in mind that I think this was beginner's luck! A martini glass that I tried to re-attach to its base did not work. So it goes back in the garden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Uh, those weren't the only glasses to break. This is one that I slumped in the kiln until it was flat. I did this a while ago.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-12175229185001503472011-01-11T08:47:00.000-08:002011-01-11T08:47:52.862-08:00Latest Work in Recycled Plastic Bag "Yarn"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I made this bag for my mother-in-law out of New York Times delivery bags that she collected for me. My plastic yarn bags are usually striped, being knit with "yarn" made from a variety of plastic bags. But I found that these soft newspaper bags are definitely a nice type of plastic to stick with for an entire bag. I loved this blue, and I was happy to discover that I was using NYT bags in two slightly different shades of blue. The black print gives the finished product an almost heathered look, if you use your imagination.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-51884834083443191092011-01-06T21:56:00.000-08:002011-01-06T21:56:46.697-08:00Rain Wind Chime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">The rain has obviously returned. Maybe I brought it back by finally finishing this idea that was stuck in my head. I was thinking of slow-motion raindrops. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">glass, a chunk of corkscrew willow, copper wire and fishing line</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">approximately 12" x 5"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">residing at Carol's house</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-61481119649254976372011-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:002011-01-02T14:29:31.753-08:00Resolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Ok, ok, I am brushing away the cobwebs on this ol' blog and I'm determined to post more frequently this year than last year, which *ahem* won't be too hard to do. So I guess that's my New Year's resolution, if I'm pushed to state one. <div><br />
</div><div>Two above-and-beyond-amazing events occurred in my studio in 2010. First, I have incredible new workbenches/organized storage space. I guess I lost the "before" pictures of the studio that I had taken, but here are a couple shots taken today. Some other time I'll post pictures of the lengths of bowling alley that Eric's co-worker turned into these incredible, bullet-proof counter tops...</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The second monumental thing to happen in the studio was that I finally got a bench-mounted torch for working with glass. I'm so excited to be able to work with glass in 3-D. I took a Flameworking class at Pratt Art Center this fall that gave me the final nudge to get set up in my own studio. Pictures from that class later. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>Meanwhile, here are more pictures of my little vessel creature. It just makes me smile. I can't wait to do more.</div><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-12758718147420840232010-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:002010-08-12T10:42:51.291-07:00Pike Place Market Secret Message<div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">A couple of weeks ago when I was at the Pike Place Market I noticed <i>for the very first time</i> what looked suspiciously like a Morse code message worked into the tiles on the wall in the women's bathroom. I think I actually said "Ha!" out loud when it suddenly popped out at me. I scribbled the patterns of dots and dashes down on a scrap of paper, in the process receiving some funny looks from other women in the bathroom, and looked it up later. Yep, much to my delight, I discovered that the bathroom wall message says....</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"meet"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"pro-"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"-duc-"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"-cer"</span><br />
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(In case you are wondering, taking photos of the walls in the busy bathroom did feel really awkward...)<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The Morse code message is a play on this sign on the outside of the Market building - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYGwtYKe-cpRHDC3e7kNJSG0YCooa_5k7Cpd_cov6XPln4BUCvcYrXz33Mr9UYX5a9d0VxDIHwFeslwhhz6yj7P9L1ZlqgmwNO9bEY9ZLgWTowI8y0MaklVi1T6HZmUlrMqaNIKmNTRDs/s1600/Photo-748833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYGwtYKe-cpRHDC3e7kNJSG0YCooa_5k7Cpd_cov6XPln4BUCvcYrXz33Mr9UYX5a9d0VxDIHwFeslwhhz6yj7P9L1ZlqgmwNO9bEY9ZLgWTowI8y0MaklVi1T6HZmUlrMqaNIKmNTRDs/s400/Photo-748833.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perhaps you might call that phrase the "motto" of the Pike Place Market. I'm not sure when that bathroom was remodeled with the new wall tiles, but I'm sure that it has been it a while. Funny it never caught my eye before. Nick verified for me yesterday that the same message is on the wall of the men's room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I shouldn't have been surprised by the secret code message. Here is the tile floor at the entry to the women's bathroom -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/TGQlhOBk-jI/AAAAAAAAD3A/h4ZMaBZx-_A/s1600/photo-720754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/TGQlhOBk-jI/AAAAAAAAD3A/h4ZMaBZx-_A/s400/photo-720754.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">THAT has been there forever. Actually, the tiled floor of that very bathroom at the Market is what inspired my choice of tile for the bathroom floor in my studio several years ago. Voila! - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/TGQmum6sMCI/AAAAAAAAD3M/zJ2WmMTbJWA/s400/photo-730397.jpg" /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-24847616277281304372010-05-25T22:50:00.000-07:002010-05-25T22:51:37.141-07:00Tibetan Monks Creating A Sand Mandala at Bastyr University<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH8WeDq_KTZ2ioNid1tmlj6d3VGfHKjqWwC0jMkBJm6EUV3Vi1GyaYlgPVflAzWLwWL0yZi84SH5erhDl2pN0L6KvIadymqZUbafIxZvL6qoJyGMynH_P4X9Z4-w2uqnroZIqGArNU5-A/s1600/dscn0465.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH8WeDq_KTZ2ioNid1tmlj6d3VGfHKjqWwC0jMkBJm6EUV3Vi1GyaYlgPVflAzWLwWL0yZi84SH5erhDl2pN0L6KvIadymqZUbafIxZvL6qoJyGMynH_P4X9Z4-w2uqnroZIqGArNU5-A/s400/dscn0465.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475402678793241506" /></a><br /><div>What better way to get back to blogging here than to share pictures from an amazing event that is happening this week at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India are creating a sand mandala all this week in the cafeteria at Bastyr. They began with an opening ceremony at noon yesterday to consecrate the site. I visited and took these pictures in the early afternoon today, and I can't believe how much has already been done.<br /><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Right after the opening ceremony the monks draw out the lines for the mandala design. The line-drawing process takes a few hours. I've never seen the opening ceremony, so I have to take their website's word on this. Then the colorful part begins. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>From what I have read, nowadays the "sand" is dyed powered marble, but historically the sand for the mandalas was made from stones of different colors. Here are the sand colors being used at this mandala at Bastyr - </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_ED4ZkCWpt9SoI7UQ1LSY1jGkZiMqOEur6ymFYWZRwlt23q1eJPcFziCxUb9Vp93AfDiOnS0SQ-spNvCTap9y_2B9biWrY5QtWjhhtKLUJnGwaAompJ9Jt1g5yHOdQjErIAbBYeKg0dY/s400/dscn0467.jpg" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The monks use these long, skinny conical funnels called chakpur to scoop up sand and apply it precisely to the design. Here is their collection of chakpur - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcGcypUoGGiGdAJHvm7AE5fNLER-V0RrP8gi-qQppR0kS1ac_oqscOmZ-lvCBnVn08GuyReECmKIZg_kvUfg3IQIxt0VQsZhDCjfXS5SRd4erafYgbIWLw_7V6c5_6DfyyiJKrn-PY55S/s400/dscn0468.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By running a rod up and down a ribbed section near the small end of the funnel, the monks can make the sand flow out at a controlled speed. It is an amazing thing to watch, and the rubbing sound is mesmerizing in itself. Here's an "action" shot for you (ha ha) - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDEn2z49LnxgQ7U0MwgdIgOlHSe4WUr8TYAmtKlsXL-JcpSPgUrg3qe6HD40zrfgAdlyy-HD3tC77pQpOidzlZyD-Jd5AmJKlwLMP1dFoaVFt1Yc4hV9icuA3M3CFPac5c1sCxQ0mCy9z/s400/dscn0466.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've seen up to four monks at a time working on the mandala. My neck gets sore just thinking about working like this for long. I haven't paid attention to how long a given person will work at a time before taking a break longer than just refilling/changing colors. I did notice today that the monks have amazing flat-backed posture. Their heads and backs are in a straight line, reminding me of yoga. It looked like healthy/happy neck posture. But I do think my eyes would definitely go nuts working that closely!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDuS1poVlWRXFb_ARsNhrdqVjZfF9M9GXzdDj6Wk3jocDW-AIl7kmFTUcsjvwvQAxaImvP3tjJUbzQtJ33iJlSe-XMXDlIDPmCMLKAOqr_EE4gC204WEzlO1UtZjR33FYArR80xUZXgNJ/s1600/dscn0469.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDuS1poVlWRXFb_ARsNhrdqVjZfF9M9GXzdDj6Wk3jocDW-AIl7kmFTUcsjvwvQAxaImvP3tjJUbzQtJ33iJlSe-XMXDlIDPmCMLKAOqr_EE4gC204WEzlO1UtZjR33FYArR80xUZXgNJ/s400/dscn0469.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475398632172610802" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My final picture is a close-up shot of part of the mandala - </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtzlqRztE4J4A3viHGIP72xLnGqdtJ7GidrQayqP52JUobYVB3fNGT7Rq37x9Uy4ewu-NJGC_BaHBlNeAFZffaU59JLXa1OaRX6Yh6aqjxUbFMPHAnv6E3iGuJbsjJV4ZZHBX5L2AAZ41/s1600/dscn0470.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtzlqRztE4J4A3viHGIP72xLnGqdtJ7GidrQayqP52JUobYVB3fNGT7Rq37x9Uy4ewu-NJGC_BaHBlNeAFZffaU59JLXa1OaRX6Yh6aqjxUbFMPHAnv6E3iGuJbsjJV4ZZHBX5L2AAZ41/s400/dscn0470.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475398619978760306" /></a><br /></div><div>I hope you can see the 3-dimensionality of this amazing work! The blending of the colors of sand in the larger areas is fascinating, too. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I will try to return in the next couple of days to take pictures of the progress of this mandala. If you are in the Kenmore area, you should check it out, too. It is in the cafeteria at Bastyr - just park somewhere at Bastyr, fill out a visitor's parking pass and put it on your dash, and ask at the office for directions to the cafeteria. The closing ceremony will be at noon on Friday. It is an amazing thing to experience the monks chanting and playing traditional instruments, and the first time I saw a closing ceremony I didn't know ahead of time that they would destroy the mandala as part of it. It is very moving to watch the product of all that careful work get swept up to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists. The first mandala I saw created and destroyed was at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center. Half of the sand was distributed to the people there for the ceremony (usually in tiny plastic zip bags or vials) and half was carried in a urn by a monk in a procession down to Lake Washington where it was poured into the water. I believe that the sand is to be poured into a body of water that flows to the ocean so that it can spread peace and healing to the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a link to an amazing website that is presented by the Drepung Loseling Monastery and Richard Gere Productions - <a href="http://www.mysticalartsoftibet.org/">www.mysticalartsoftibet.org</a>. It has terrific pictures and explanations of the mandala construction process.</div><div><br /></div><div>One last thing that I learned today, thanks to the "magic" of the internet. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, 20 monks from this same monastery created a seven-foot-wide sand mandala in the Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery in Washington D.C. It was offered for the healing and protection of America. The website associated with that project is full of interesting information about sand mandalas and has a time-lapse slide show of the creation and destruction of a mandala. Check it out at <a href="http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/mandala/default.htm">http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/mandala/</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-84690974230660140192009-12-24T08:48:00.000-08:002009-12-24T08:55:10.922-08:00Oh, just playing with glass in the kiln...<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5gWWGk8pL8zdDBypOiNyBiqYLPMm0ZvqTWH_DlkPZ7F6LZBhwMc4luJ_ctzXLvSSZVLe_e66dzovvjjKf2fmGYemHD6yWtKvRmr68-KRfTwYt_GchEWi6OmKPmdJyJSYMWWSpvrmg-vz/s1600-h/DSCF5728.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5gWWGk8pL8zdDBypOiNyBiqYLPMm0ZvqTWH_DlkPZ7F6LZBhwMc4luJ_ctzXLvSSZVLe_e66dzovvjjKf2fmGYemHD6yWtKvRmr68-KRfTwYt_GchEWi6OmKPmdJyJSYMWWSpvrmg-vz/s400/DSCF5728.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418690845028510850" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I think that my favorite artistic creations are probably the things that make me smile or outright laugh when I see them. I have to humbly admit that I <i>cracked myself up</i> with the results of this little slumping experiment. I slumped a broken wine glass in the kiln, just to see what would happen. Hee hee - I loved the results, and I'm pretty sure that if I did it again it would never turn out as well! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbeNcs3KCNCYnq_dGAEHWroHxMVeELJ9My-X63ClnYzxJX-VEe1ndqCnFjDNYAG7UUIRv0IhmTQpEOVvpT9nYQ3vfVxn7IzIoJfIqsApKf7B0TcTgFZ3iZbJnwJWrNXrTKg-0WKUaMgT0w/s400/DSCF5731.jpg" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a couple of funky shots of the flat glass compared to a normal one - <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5gWWGk8pL8zdDBypOiNyBiqYLPMm0ZvqTWH_DlkPZ7F6LZBhwMc4luJ_ctzXLvSSZVLe_e66dzovvjjKf2fmGYemHD6yWtKvRmr68-KRfTwYt_GchEWi6OmKPmdJyJSYMWWSpvrmg-vz/s1600-h/DSCF5728.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCcw0XIl-KsPsKKvJvAt6-YLGJw9ctO9PFcSJ9MbwWPN_b5mD7i3ijBEik87F3pTPVDm8sR3c66-cEB7DQ6sbkxs1fAxFAYq1WdkChHuBNOKXt6PtLHdHxiZcRgps9wWG5sMjYbuVixPR/s400/DSCF5729.jpg" /></div><div><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SzMOmkaVlUI/AAAAAAAADcA/E24sc4SyghY/s1600-h/DSCF5722.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SzMOmkaVlUI/AAAAAAAADcA/E24sc4SyghY/s400/DSCF5722.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418690832428799298" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a martini glass that needs to be slumped standing up, I do believe. So stay tuned for that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">------------------------------------------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are some more things that I've been doing in the kiln lately:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SzMOB_LZH5I/AAAAAAAADb4/aouryu5gDi4/s1600-h/DSCF5703.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SzMOB_LZH5I/AAAAAAAADb4/aouryu5gDi4/s400/DSCF5703.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418690203958714258" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Snowflakes in the kiln, ready to fuse</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SzMLlm1p-gI/AAAAAAAADbY/zV58bZpBOYI/s400/DSCF5667.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Icicles made from roughly-matched scraps of art glass</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RpsKkyCGg7VltNV_-LghqjXr0CzkPNSHD7Tbp4iGTVrkjhFBrAnWEW_Ty1ZoPmSRgwVoAGEhJGYvWR_uBeYaHGEg4-awIUGmB-FE7q_sHqo56qRxaxQrzgK2eEWOTJk81ZhrvXXDuT6T/s1600-h/DSCF5672.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RpsKkyCGg7VltNV_-LghqjXr0CzkPNSHD7Tbp4iGTVrkjhFBrAnWEW_Ty1ZoPmSRgwVoAGEhJGYvWR_uBeYaHGEg4-awIUGmB-FE7q_sHqo56qRxaxQrzgK2eEWOTJk81ZhrvXXDuT6T/s400/DSCF5672.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418687746496458770" /><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Those icicles, after fusing<div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUislLTxsJfvuECs5nC-tgKTqlC5MAVQBHAPcfp4fpPJoN-bzFDPBNUSMMzguoSXXu2WhluK8L17kry_MokSyK-FE5fQpqM9y4fTQsd56GSFHlcipNIdtsork0jviznnHdDdOi13m3UKnb/s400/DSCF5697.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Just one little icicle, with a penny for scale</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was pretty happy with the look of the hammered copper wire for a hook. I made hooks like that for all of the icicles and hung them in a vine maple in our yard, along with a couple glass snowflakes and the wine glass.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And finally, I made a bunch of glass stars to sell at a very small craft fair (but only sold a few) -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqrjCTdziG603hQ3mRLu7uV5zyvqXA3_xaENAh2s1Y3l7xZBkNySrYAvAfdtjQupSA6dmUAx1Jlf1CZ5ae91Nzw2NsDFZnDn8zSe5bXCAUGjN0ioOsZP-74JKWs-7yn85aFiw3FrMIip6/s400/DSCF5693.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These are a fundraiser for my P.E.O. chapter. All of the proceeds go to our scholarship fund for local women pursuing post-high school education. My intentions were to try to sell the stars from my Etsy store, but I just didn't have time to get that all set up. So NEXT year I will!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-3792295244632524632009-12-05T22:48:00.000-08:002009-12-05T23:03:55.053-08:00Glow-in-the-Dark Reflective House Numbers Project<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a funny project that I did at the end of the summer, only to somehow loose all of the photos that I took during the process. I've recreated my project a bit here and now for your amusement. You know it has to be good if it involves glow-in-the-dark paint and a material normally used by street painting crews, no?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jVkUbxSOHXFDfcR9xCBKvrVHaOZWxohxEBHkQ5rtLT-M2isY_XgZ9jC4KJA_ediMP8rjiGMXfbJS9Tj247BmZQJPlGCMOQ0DaFmFCKT50yUYUGIIRqeK2G73R2oqkHWS4dh31UsKrcgL/s1600/DSCF5570_0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jVkUbxSOHXFDfcR9xCBKvrVHaOZWxohxEBHkQ5rtLT-M2isY_XgZ9jC4KJA_ediMP8rjiGMXfbJS9Tj247BmZQJPlGCMOQ0DaFmFCKT50yUYUGIIRqeK2G73R2oqkHWS4dh31UsKrcgL/s400/DSCF5570_0001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409349718565339362" /></a><br /><div>It really started with the need to redo our house numbers on our paper/mailbox post. I have had this bag of reflective glass "beads" for many, many years just waiting for the right use to come along. These "beads" are what are sprinkled on top of wet crosswalk and fog stripe paint, for example, to make them really show up in headlights. A short while back I ran across the glow-in-the-dark paint at Home Depot, and since I have always LOVED glow-in-the-dark stuff, that had to come home with me. Those materials mashed up in my brain, and I knew what I needed to do for our numbers.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SxCsabdxsFI/AAAAAAAADZo/xrtxatb-lbE/s1600/DSCF3944.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SxCsabdxsFI/AAAAAAAADZo/xrtxatb-lbE/s400/DSCF3944.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409012722521190482" /></a><br /><div>I cut our house numbers out of a scrap of fiberboard that is finished (smooth) on both sides. This is where I am missing all of my pictures, unfortunately, except for the lone one above. For the most part I used the scroll saw to cut out the numbers, filing and sanding the edges to finish them. I sprayed them with primer, and then gave them a few coats of the glow paint. After applying a final coat of the paint, I dunked the numbers into a little tray of the "beads" to coat them well. This picture shows you the size of the "beads" - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7P3lqUfdKh8a-qcDKaGwG3YwZUXDYYzJ2E0PYv2oZsnRnZpjaN_wboXyQBvwEu_tRO1OqBxnq80ga3SKCksOaGvV0D1sJvEul9jUGrpBjpV8CuHhHBeC9LkhS1lgQXwzWFBBjU-l88-D0/s400/DSCF5573.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here it is, the finished project - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaGxUyqN4IQUMmGCB1s3VUXEFpCEldI-eAtmBWeoa-4wLnfg0b4g4bYc1FYvCy5Gwkp7psd6nD-Pv9o41WGyy6eFTF5PTx4HmHRhLTNCC_AvTYkWD_5tWq2cUhHeSNpi6lCCpD_zaotwz/s1600/DSCF5325.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaGxUyqN4IQUMmGCB1s3VUXEFpCEldI-eAtmBWeoa-4wLnfg0b4g4bYc1FYvCy5Gwkp7psd6nD-Pv9o41WGyy6eFTF5PTx4HmHRhLTNCC_AvTYkWD_5tWq2cUhHeSNpi6lCCpD_zaotwz/s400/DSCF5325.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409012712823340514" /></a><br /></div><div>I actually considered the reflective bead part of the project a bust, because when I drive up and turn into our driveway, my headlights don't reflect off the numbers like I had hoped they would. No big deal; at least we have new, legible numbers out there. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb1vcpzf8uOZjUYJsHRkoHSHhpMLKM88foGihGIXnUt4J4Sj6wFnSv_deAn3CLpun9OJY6mo7nNGDPSF7Qggeg6stCwmVPYlO2cgFH2XFliUsY7JdjwdkovGSKUFTlEF5sl_MkCk1i0Qd/s1600/lit+up+address.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb1vcpzf8uOZjUYJsHRkoHSHhpMLKM88foGihGIXnUt4J4Sj6wFnSv_deAn3CLpun9OJY6mo7nNGDPSF7Qggeg6stCwmVPYlO2cgFH2XFliUsY7JdjwdkovGSKUFTlEF5sl_MkCk1i0Qd/s400/lit+up+address.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409012704418121954" /></a><br /></div><div>Last night I finally dragged a shop light out there to try charging up the paint to get a glowing-in-the-dark picture. I'm pretty sure that the people who drove by thought I was a crazy woman. But it worked, a bit - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPd9ksblb3SjyKnd5Nct0nMS08ZNdS-GQlRii78k9ddRHckh86uB-oQaRYbqF9sIsd7EHaI5WAwchOdvPyQQvfcJthp4d1ckVLrPWy5Dm61L88X-MzKgWj4IvcBRfyxh-YrD3CXFxnPal/s1600/Glowing+address.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPd9ksblb3SjyKnd5Nct0nMS08ZNdS-GQlRii78k9ddRHckh86uB-oQaRYbqF9sIsd7EHaI5WAwchOdvPyQQvfcJthp4d1ckVLrPWy5Dm61L88X-MzKgWj4IvcBRfyxh-YrD3CXFxnPal/s400/Glowing+address.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409012328644338322" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The camera was influenced by the streetlight off in the distance so the shutter didn't stay open as long as I would have liked. The best thing was to see that when cars drove by, their headlights did reflect off the numbers after all. You just have to be at the right spot to catch it. Ha! See for yourself -</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuXUEIOCSP8LpretfLdDe4LNpt15qnhtSQqGsMZjQssp4BFYLnCQMByjkXLWKs25aqixDrDzDS-ciIGn__OG3UaBvF9tX27c1F5IGDtSJoeJZxOLFur9qcscaIiinekEcZ468ayIZayVU/s1600/reflecty+address.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuXUEIOCSP8LpretfLdDe4LNpt15qnhtSQqGsMZjQssp4BFYLnCQMByjkXLWKs25aqixDrDzDS-ciIGn__OG3UaBvF9tX27c1F5IGDtSJoeJZxOLFur9qcscaIiinekEcZ468ayIZayVU/s400/reflecty+address.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409012328467146578" /></a><br /></div><div>That was lit up by a passing car, not me!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I guess at some point I need to make a matching set for the other side....<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-21662773712527634902009-10-24T15:01:00.000-07:002009-10-24T15:21:45.773-07:00Making up for lost project pictures...<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XhOZuWi2NS999sLyWHcy1tCiMBDHSOWYvx-ISawKl1GvxqOCrUQ-fuY6DsypVLC4q1MEcOoTC_IVgZEYszQvAJNnmvVs3QgK06eTRXFvuoxVp8WRfj6wSqu8M_SR7wSTAaB4YPxturzB/s1600-h/Craft+Show+application+pics.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XhOZuWi2NS999sLyWHcy1tCiMBDHSOWYvx-ISawKl1GvxqOCrUQ-fuY6DsypVLC4q1MEcOoTC_IVgZEYszQvAJNnmvVs3QgK06eTRXFvuoxVp8WRfj6wSqu8M_SR7wSTAaB4YPxturzB/s400/Craft+Show+application+pics.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">I finally got to a point this week where I could sit down and catch up on some blog posting only to discover that I can't find the pictures that I took while working on a couple of projects this summer and fall. DARN IT! I prefer showing the process and not just the finished project. How frustrating.</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">So in the meantime, while I figure out what to do with the images that I can cobble together, I thought I would just post the photo collage that I submitted when I applied to be in a local craft show that was held earlier this month. These are images of some of the different fused glass things that I've made in the last couple of years. I ended up backing out of the craft show, but I hope to someday sell some of these things in my (now empty) Etsy shop, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/studiowhimsy.etsy.com">studiowhimsy.etsy.com</a>. I have a LITTLE bit of inventory. First step (still) is figuring out the whole business part of selling through Etsy. One of these days....</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-82095374498716372042009-09-03T17:30:00.000-07:002009-09-03T17:32:15.414-07:00"Collection #1 - Salmon" -- the beginning of a new string of ideas<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjufxA1uAYJzNLAUSKnQpHN2SH6Qnobv-tPuIDmO9_ez42rUCy0ytrhGvqnIPV0RzTuMFm2o8-b6-YtqMO7ziY39s-kyh40MsR2Yo_6KqpISHp2ZK7zE5INZiZ2A7y6rzgvVV4QBBj3RK/s128/DSCF0724.jpg"></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SqAlnbym8RI/AAAAAAAADNA/FSEerRQ4QR8/s400/9+finished+salmon,+second+shot.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339314485522706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">Oh boy, my posts on here have been few and far between this summer. I will start my catching up with this particularly exciting project that was accepted into the Kenmore Art Show last month. It was actually purchased! It was all very exciting. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So here's the skinny. First of all, in June I attended another fabulous Miniature Encaustic workshop taught by Larry Calkins at Northwest Encaustic Studio. Larry is so inspiring and full of tons of knowledge that he happily shares. Thanks Larry!! I had a new idea I wanted to work on and I was ready to roll.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I bought some chunks of sheet metal for a song and a dance at a place in Ballard called OnlineMetals.com. Very nice people there. My dad graciously cut my chunks up into smaller pieces for me on a large piece of metal-cutting equipment that he has access to. The metal plates that I used for this project are about 4" by 3" and probably about 1/16" thick.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">About my new idea... After doing this miniature encaustic piece a little while ago -</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjufxA1uAYJzNLAUSKnQpHN2SH6Qnobv-tPuIDmO9_ez42rUCy0ytrhGvqnIPV0RzTuMFm2o8-b6-YtqMO7ziY39s-kyh40MsR2Yo_6KqpISHp2ZK7zE5INZiZ2A7y6rzgvVV4QBBj3RK/s128/DSCF0724.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 85px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- I wanted to do more salmon. Why not a collection of all the salmon native to the Pacific Northwest, in their beautiful spawning colors of course. I loved fixing this first salmon painting into its little protective box, and I had just the idea for a box to hold a <b>collection</b> of salmon paintings...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I LOVE rock collection-type specimen boxes. The kind of organization where each item has it's own spot. In an organized grid. Even the cloud chart on my dad's workshop wall. The cubbies at preschool. That was how I would organize my salmon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I traced the outlines of the salmon onto pieces of tissue paper that I had placed on top of a thin layer of rolled-out printer's ink. I used watered-down white glue to attach the tissue paper pieces to the metal plates. Ink-side down. Then once the glue dried, I used watercolors to paint in the backgrounds, trying to make each one a little different but using the same basic colors. Here's a shot that includes one of the fish outlines without any watercolor added yet - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexJRarAuOnMwWrAbwmsprt5ClHIURMfYDrJRdb6tmUnhUzpGBOvmxU8cxV5xH8WhbitMy8c0fzrK4D1wgdfLcQbTDdcLHi4mzOu3DSu7eJhyphenhyphen6ULwL5KTIqOOarwvBrV_UkDSGjJNMLqdG/s1600-h/2+Salmon+step+one.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexJRarAuOnMwWrAbwmsprt5ClHIURMfYDrJRdb6tmUnhUzpGBOvmxU8cxV5xH8WhbitMy8c0fzrK4D1wgdfLcQbTDdcLHi4mzOu3DSu7eJhyphenhyphen6ULwL5KTIqOOarwvBrV_UkDSGjJNMLqdG/s400/2+Salmon+step+one.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339782351234194" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>I kept working the backgrounds...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnVfcG64kP-EqUeprQ2N0V8zmD6fy02L4UQfbJ-U0UP8IXAa1JMlppwtKp74oGMHaG2uUR9ao1snwjlY6Y34FfbpA63AmiX8WiVmD4qLe98rf_TnWcL7GwUaaOr8xV5nUkRxp6LAD0aT8/s1600-h/3+salmon+step+two.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnVfcG64kP-EqUeprQ2N0V8zmD6fy02L4UQfbJ-U0UP8IXAa1JMlppwtKp74oGMHaG2uUR9ao1snwjlY6Y34FfbpA63AmiX8WiVmD4qLe98rf_TnWcL7GwUaaOr8xV5nUkRxp6LAD0aT8/s400/3+salmon+step+two.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339768216854642" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I eventually used watercolor to add color to the fish bodies. In this photo I've already applied a coating of clear encaustic medium to the top three pieces -</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5IE4ucDcDt0HR3LbZafCiSblOm-Fr6dscB-nsyPb2_M4HZTE73AYs2D6YisEuBnBGYs7IZIy8CPyPbyypvpRpWzYMbnxowDXlqnVU7XZ83HK6BRCwj3LDEXphsrYm01FRzXF2OwwewDm/s1600-h/4+salmon+step+three.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5IE4ucDcDt0HR3LbZafCiSblOm-Fr6dscB-nsyPb2_M4HZTE73AYs2D6YisEuBnBGYs7IZIy8CPyPbyypvpRpWzYMbnxowDXlqnVU7XZ83HK6BRCwj3LDEXphsrYm01FRzXF2OwwewDm/s400/4+salmon+step+three.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339759196110642" /></a><br /></div><div>It really tones down the color of the watercolors! The wax is a bit cloudy at first but eventually clears up. But the fish images still are a bit stifled, even when the wax clears. But that is OK, because I was only half done. Or less then half-done actually, time-wise.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next step was to add fine detail to the salmon by adding colored wax with a wood-burning tool. To do this I dipped the end of the hot tool onto a block of pigmented encaustic wax and drew and dotted the color onto my fish. I mostly accentuated the dark details in this way, but I also added color and white to the fish, too. I didn't do anymore work on any of the backgrounds after coating the watercolor with the clear wax. This photo is a great before and after example. The two fish in the middle have been "detailed", while the other four have not - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNQ5DSHoA0fIMhWN3Q8F92SEwa-yEvKq0t87pWvseUBwdhJnMPt-zmUvrqnt_xsq-b5aF-ZfN7f6dLBrEZ6pMAM98PjFcBH2A7Y7F2ViHAqUWDndve6Kz6SVABbD9zsylFP6FacFNeUoF/s1600-h/5+salmon+step+four.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNQ5DSHoA0fIMhWN3Q8F92SEwa-yEvKq0t87pWvseUBwdhJnMPt-zmUvrqnt_xsq-b5aF-ZfN7f6dLBrEZ6pMAM98PjFcBH2A7Y7F2ViHAqUWDndve6Kz6SVABbD9zsylFP6FacFNeUoF/s400/5+salmon+step+four.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339748615665202" /></a><br /></div><div>Yep, that was just the ticket to bring the fish out. What a difference!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a spur of the moment picture of my wood-burning tool and the handful of different tips that it came with. And the regulator that I use to dial down the temperature. (If you use the tool plugged straight into the wall it is too hot.) - </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK48LFDOmraGCHvbh-cnEWNuvyt-uanKhU1faQMlK_aJhSMW7UNmGXcmVC58bLaTZnT5dmtC2UBY06yY9MajQOawVujBMBY-Wgeag75m51ZRVI_SFADJQkROHc1Lzek4H2qpUsH92iD2OS/s1600-h/photo-711060.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK48LFDOmraGCHvbh-cnEWNuvyt-uanKhU1faQMlK_aJhSMW7UNmGXcmVC58bLaTZnT5dmtC2UBY06yY9MajQOawVujBMBY-Wgeag75m51ZRVI_SFADJQkROHc1Lzek4H2qpUsH92iD2OS/s400/photo-711060.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377386293659486882" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;">A few close-up shots of some of the fish when they were all done and glued into the box, with "scientific" labels - </p><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMuIw0sy-Hk941KMJJrwi0WVSTae054c-9zoTknzfZog9lOlNeN0KXXXx53bV2CutUxqvcKSxm09Qslybj148Tl2LwkbOxpoBf6w3t_CKGxWR1bEn6dZLqUsR99BDjNo5xhAILUdpJ5fk/s1600-h/6+Chinook+close+up.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMuIw0sy-Hk941KMJJrwi0WVSTae054c-9zoTknzfZog9lOlNeN0KXXXx53bV2CutUxqvcKSxm09Qslybj148Tl2LwkbOxpoBf6w3t_CKGxWR1bEn6dZLqUsR99BDjNo5xhAILUdpJ5fk/s400/6+Chinook+close+up.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339348662687458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DFTGfjqfEKOtxYmYh7jA1YnJJvMwtDpBCdrwrpt0NPgkhksgE08at82ydRf2QrSCH4vkkoP__z5HpBwtdxZhjH12ZLtatU5CYKHBhwI6XefL6ceQwt6GPXFcR-yqozolZtrpoghrjB0/s1600-h/7+Coho+close+up.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DFTGfjqfEKOtxYmYh7jA1YnJJvMwtDpBCdrwrpt0NPgkhksgE08at82ydRf2QrSCH4vkkoP__z5HpBwtdxZhjH12ZLtatU5CYKHBhwI6XefL6ceQwt6GPXFcR-yqozolZtrpoghrjB0/s400/7+Coho+close+up.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339336201106530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGmw7VUPWm4a9_MShIpAujbCBjLVXCYTgcRdNqHYCx0khKgVKGEBTK4XikHZvSnrzJ_OL5ZTjwdJCNuftbHzHwAfOj7pVqK0TvVVCj7AnGIbx3UHZIrhZWnU2XeCeuhOHPeZ_SvmzXaer/s1600-h/8+Sockeye+close+up.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGmw7VUPWm4a9_MShIpAujbCBjLVXCYTgcRdNqHYCx0khKgVKGEBTK4XikHZvSnrzJ_OL5ZTjwdJCNuftbHzHwAfOj7pVqK0TvVVCj7AnGIbx3UHZIrhZWnU2XeCeuhOHPeZ_SvmzXaer/s400/8+Sockeye+close+up.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339324888682098" /></a><br /></div><div>Too bad I didn't take any pictures of the creation of the box. I treated the surface in a way that Larry C. has demonstrated in a couple of his classes - you brush wood glue onto the surface and then "cook" it with a propane torch. You keep adding layers of glue and torching them until you are happy. It's a bit like roasting a marshmallow. You decide how dark you want it. I've added paint to the finished surface before, too, to make it darker.</div><div><br /></div><div>One last shot of the finished piece - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SqAmDIzMswI/AAAAAAAADOA/YzE0QIzQ0sA/s400/1+Finished+salmon+painting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377339790424060674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 297px; height: 400px; " /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I seem to have had a little problem with a fish-eye effect in some of the pictures. Oops. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I entered this piece in the Kenmore Art Show last month. I helped out with some of the set up of the show, and I happened to be there on the morning that the jurying took place. I saw first hand how many entries had to be juried out due the large number of beautiful submissions. I truly felt honored to be in the show. And then I was so excited to hear at the end of the week that my piece had been purchased! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I feel like this is just the beginning of a "Collections" series. I have several more collections of miniature paintings that I would like to create and put together. Now that I've said that outloud, I'll have even more motivation!</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-73573978290341893342009-08-02T16:54:00.000-07:002009-08-02T17:50:25.713-07:00"Bedazzling" a commercial bag to make it YOURSI just submitted a couple of photos to a readers' photo gallery connected to a <i>S</i><i>eattle Times</i> article about reusable shopping bags. One photo I shared was of one of my knitted plastic bag bags, and the other was of my favorite Trader Joe's bag that I blinged up with beads and eyelets, just to make it MINE. Thought I would share the photos of the Trader Joe's bag here for fun.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SnYnnqkBQ_I/AAAAAAAAB8c/mtJf5SnvZ58/s1600-h/DSCF2571.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SnYnnqkBQ_I/AAAAAAAAB8c/mtJf5SnvZ58/s400/DSCF2571.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365519568452273138" /></a><br /><div>I<b> really</b> loved this bag to begin with, maybe because it has my favorite green on it, but mostly because I love its crazy collection of images. It was a bargain at $1.99. And it was crying out to be embellished.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was flat-out sick at some point after I bought the bag and needed something to do while crashed out on the couch besides knitting (what?!). This bead sewing extravaganza is what resulted.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">I sewed beads around the name on both sides of the bag -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTk3KYeUxrdgBDCDxfUP-b3WhaE_sPrhrNF7EYPIeEZImil2OFW2ArRy6lCTd0eDVG_RAonpXvvtmj8dhK_jaCIpqAW-5X_Mae-u6Uk8vd9zs57fz1wCpAdrdNL2ipUlI0yy9IGPIU-bl/s1600-h/DSCF2578.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTk3KYeUxrdgBDCDxfUP-b3WhaE_sPrhrNF7EYPIeEZImil2OFW2ArRy6lCTd0eDVG_RAonpXvvtmj8dhK_jaCIpqAW-5X_Mae-u6Uk8vd9zs57fz1wCpAdrdNL2ipUlI0yy9IGPIU-bl/s400/DSCF2578.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I added beads here and there where the design called out for them - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SnYnPoB-DvI/AAAAAAAAB8U/zDshIYoStc8/s1600-h/DSCF2575.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SnYnPoB-DvI/AAAAAAAAB8U/zDshIYoStc8/s400/DSCF2575.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu8HWmN4RjrK5K_ikVZ54UZMg_bxWbh3giZndms6-0WE2HPW-mr04OJwITuLAzpMP3lHbm3J7yyuYXK51nXiBRqnR9fqqL0NlWt1cy9qMvt64K26393XH2tSDV-4YXu7ds4WKUjUSlVvk/s1600-h/DSCF2577.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu8HWmN4RjrK5K_ikVZ54UZMg_bxWbh3giZndms6-0WE2HPW-mr04OJwITuLAzpMP3lHbm3J7yyuYXK51nXiBRqnR9fqqL0NlWt1cy9qMvt64K26393XH2tSDV-4YXu7ds4WKUjUSlVvk/s400/DSCF2577.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">I added these cool little eyelets where there was a funny grouping of little circles in the design - </div><div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWKqi7tPzq70kebjcLHSocoK6IFwGgz7uElucudOVce5tclsgCWP-xdpX_VWCOU2bdtf60D24jMTAQ5Izeln_J5grIyyA0AWb6tXthbaNb6EFRApWoDQAuvK9lLXOxIO6mxmCK-hD4iY4/s1600-h/DSCF2576.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWKqi7tPzq70kebjcLHSocoK6IFwGgz7uElucudOVce5tclsgCWP-xdpX_VWCOU2bdtf60D24jMTAQ5Izeln_J5grIyyA0AWb6tXthbaNb6EFRApWoDQAuvK9lLXOxIO6mxmCK-hD4iY4/s400/DSCF2576.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">There are some similar red circles that I bought red eyelets for but I never got around to adding them. Hmmm...</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; ">Here is a link to the article on the Seattle Times website:</div><div style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2009518543_webbagfashion22.html?cmpid=2628">Living | Reusable bags: What are you seeing on the streets? Share photos | Seattle Times Newspaper</a><br /><br />Shared via <a href="http://addthis.com/">AddThis</a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-62019986852649784172009-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:002009-06-04T13:44:18.247-07:00The Big Raku Project<div><br /></div><div>My good friend Carolyn invited me to come to her school last month to be a part of an amazing Raku project. She and her co-art instructor at John Hay Elementary School had arranged this project with Seattle Pottery, who provided the special glazes and all of the equipment for the firing. Every child at school (and some adults) made a piece of pottery for the project. They had a whopping 500 pieces of pottery to fire! They were all done in two long days.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-s4ok2d9vu80uoJJcgEILYaL_VtpFYSov3t3fXFEhWvnhZE_40r9OqdBWqPzRIaAbXkYjcAQQ_yHH2WJJTztZK1CImd9UmnFa-ItAN8C2F1_Tnneao6lpai1_73QhGV52HxmckH3phvQ/s1600-h/shot+with+towers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-s4ok2d9vu80uoJJcgEILYaL_VtpFYSov3t3fXFEhWvnhZE_40r9OqdBWqPzRIaAbXkYjcAQQ_yHH2WJJTztZK1CImd9UmnFa-ItAN8C2F1_Tnneao6lpai1_73QhGV52HxmckH3phvQ/s400/shot+with+towers.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339204679994122866" /></a><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Setting the scene -- this picture gives you a good overall idea of the set-up... in the corner of the school playground! Across the street you can see the old Queen Anne High School, which is where my dad went to school. (That school building has been turned into condos.) You can also see one of the three huge broadcast towers that are on the top of Queen Anne. What an awesome urban setting!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MHRS5CsWWp3i1e2gPusEGzZsYe9kxaasugJb6MlsNlgsrJFXIYB9DZLhh0yitAVP3iVZor0qhSCbTJzYzk7g6pU9ym_YnLdgVrh5FYTj1zUOD1jPKKi8EgJbWvlp4yRobVM10XmTeEns/s1600-h/ceramic+pieces+glazed+and+ready+to+go.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MHRS5CsWWp3i1e2gPusEGzZsYe9kxaasugJb6MlsNlgsrJFXIYB9DZLhh0yitAVP3iVZor0qhSCbTJzYzk7g6pU9ym_YnLdgVrh5FYTj1zUOD1jPKKi8EgJbWvlp4yRobVM10XmTeEns/s400/ceramic+pieces+glazed+and+ready+to+go.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339204676649990626" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are some of the ceramic pieces that are ready for the kiln. Lots of cute pinch pots in this batch! Carolyn and her co-instructor had already fired them in the school kiln and then the kids glazed their pieces. They were able to choose from White Crackle, TZ Copper, or Dolphin glazes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLURP-zAguCchNqYhoHeiq5itN3wiLGfdpv-3hNOIOp_RlAWr8vBDaibZ6YtBgVlHmwRfh8TJ-ddRjZYlby3CDrDCvHE0VPgE-_PS9zsT8ySFmPEiRyTvWbHvdvA4hit0qtvvhsKOCwSx/s1600-h/the+setup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLURP-zAguCchNqYhoHeiq5itN3wiLGfdpv-3hNOIOp_RlAWr8vBDaibZ6YtBgVlHmwRfh8TJ-ddRjZYlby3CDrDCvHE0VPgE-_PS9zsT8ySFmPEiRyTvWbHvdvA4hit0qtvvhsKOCwSx/s400/the+setup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339204672957276786" /></a><br /></div><div>Here's another view of the overall setup, with the kilns, the metal cans, wet towels, and plastic buckets full of crumpled up newspaper. That's Eric from Pottery Supply. He ran the operation.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShiqW24UoYI/AAAAAAAABn0/UJkHOzZ6lAU/s1600-h/one+kiln.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShiqW24UoYI/AAAAAAAABn0/UJkHOzZ6lAU/s400/one+kiln.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339204667913314690" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Pottery Supply makes and sells these outdoor kilns. Potter Eric pointed out that they've made improvements over time, including putting a couple little wheels on the bases for portability. The top is like in inverted glass. It's made of kaol wool in a cage. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDNsHvdGr0BOcg3MVFTYBd2zspzupW8_9Lug2KV0BGjZEkcumrojEORHZ8UKzipMoMjuGCdDRFsEm5l9-l5X_y_Tt4Gzx29_2nWlo91TXUjlb2rIyZcH_2ocheuxsvd4TKSqT6h2p9Qdp/s1600-h/pieces+arranged+in+kiln+prior+to+firing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDNsHvdGr0BOcg3MVFTYBd2zspzupW8_9Lug2KV0BGjZEkcumrojEORHZ8UKzipMoMjuGCdDRFsEm5l9-l5X_y_Tt4Gzx29_2nWlo91TXUjlb2rIyZcH_2ocheuxsvd4TKSqT6h2p9Qdp/s400/pieces+arranged+in+kiln+prior+to+firing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339203858762100898" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Glazed pieces were arranged on the single shelf at the bottom of the kiln.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shipnp4WFWI/AAAAAAAABnk/fB6h4HqoGaQ/s1600-h/lighting+the+torch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shipnp4WFWI/AAAAAAAABnk/fB6h4HqoGaQ/s400/lighting+the+torch.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339203856969897314" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The kilns were heated by a propane torch. Several firings could be made from one standard (backyard BBQ-sized) propane cylinder.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShipnY38H7I/AAAAAAAABnc/qf0IduHWx1c/s1600-h/torch+in+the+kiln.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShipnY38H7I/AAAAAAAABnc/qf0IduHWx1c/s400/torch+in+the+kiln.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339203852404793266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The flame fits in under the shelf, and the top part of the kiln is lowered down to close it up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQ91ET8qsb6pZ1kVPQLaT4depJUZoAPDbiervh_Ej-33ljJmx8Qim7PLj_LSpyr4zxJqEuR4v8nY1SnEoBdDgiusf9uAi8N22TnI0b26ZOHn8mVfkC6ki1qHGcQ2KYEYf_5nCvo01tiI/s400/kiln+almost+ready+to+unload+-+with+flames.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202792494098610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A digital pyrometer is used to keep track of the temperature. 1850 was the magic number. In this shot you can barely see orange flames coming out of the hole in the top of the kiln.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLlDvh3HehjrCXfQi4fyOp8ETCE_o-eU696z4XzzXlsF1sIb4W6IUAc0lQ8MxkM7_lDGjP5iYAJlJgS9fkFf48ufS6kOhO5i9WhU1CA1YzoESa_vRpAG6TYZyBhrcukEawo_E9sOx7it3/s1600-h/a+raku+tub+with+burnt+newspaper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLlDvh3HehjrCXfQi4fyOp8ETCE_o-eU696z4XzzXlsF1sIb4W6IUAc0lQ8MxkM7_lDGjP5iYAJlJgS9fkFf48ufS6kOhO5i9WhU1CA1YzoESa_vRpAG6TYZyBhrcukEawo_E9sOx7it3/s400/a+raku+tub+with+burnt+newspaper.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339203843002513586" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile, Eric had an assortment of metal cans with lids that we would use for the Raku/reduction part of the process. My understanding is that you put the red-hot ceramic pieces into the metal cans filled with combustible material that you can seal. The combustible materials burn and the special glazes that were painted on the pieces do strange and magical things in the absence of oxygen in the containers.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4AdN_07iUr6biT1DCGcRh6K0Lhd3E72lG4hvhuf8WBmGuAHFgS17YZ0BAtE-D5_e4rZ14eYtCSovNSns2eSoAFWqVPAptXGxT79dLr99WovG5KeOvOZJSbbDP6ORD1dipQEjTZ1MTzmX/s1600-h/the+raku+tubs+ready+to+go+for+the+first+time.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4AdN_07iUr6biT1DCGcRh6K0Lhd3E72lG4hvhuf8WBmGuAHFgS17YZ0BAtE-D5_e4rZ14eYtCSovNSns2eSoAFWqVPAptXGxT79dLr99WovG5KeOvOZJSbbDP6ORD1dipQEjTZ1MTzmX/s400/the+raku+tubs+ready+to+go+for+the+first+time.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339203840692798242" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">These cans are ready to go for the first batch of the day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQ91ET8qsb6pZ1kVPQLaT4depJUZoAPDbiervh_Ej-33ljJmx8Qim7PLj_LSpyr4zxJqEuR4v8nY1SnEoBdDgiusf9uAi8N22TnI0b26ZOHn8mVfkC6ki1qHGcQ2KYEYf_5nCvo01tiI/s1600-h/kiln+almost+ready+to+unload+-+with+flames.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShiopdMExNI/AAAAAAAABm8/zKc1-pIc9QQ/s1600-h/red+hot+pieces+ready+to+transfer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/ShiopdMExNI/AAAAAAAABm8/zKc1-pIc9QQ/s400/red+hot+pieces+ready+to+transfer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202788411098322" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">These ceramic pieces are red hot and ready to be transferred into the metal cans.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwALN-xWQ69dJFwykwXMh2qtlSDzO9Lo3KQ_usCAPTKQt3MZlLZY81fy4MJlZQsfwAgh97YDZ-FM7EuOnuUjt8HrosU89CFDKVrTxchsU9_ZXN1ew2cj6aIE_5DYRA1v0WEaKSN0Qc2K2/s1600-h/at+the+ready.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwALN-xWQ69dJFwykwXMh2qtlSDzO9Lo3KQ_usCAPTKQt3MZlLZY81fy4MJlZQsfwAgh97YDZ-FM7EuOnuUjt8HrosU89CFDKVrTxchsU9_ZXN1ew2cj6aIE_5DYRA1v0WEaKSN0Qc2K2/s400/at+the+ready.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202784111328994" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Helpers are ready for Eric to transfer the hot pieces from the kiln. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eRsCcc1-BSSYO8Q5Ng2-0O2BHEr4o2NGXWOWqWMy1wk3sxrXBKLE6rC8wXAw53SiMm8w5n1kwxiTAbcVwsZgHcToyW78LrVAKwsCxnOqMv-vt7m47IGaD9TbaFOCnvhCD6zleFKUfdx0/s1600-h/first+piece+in+the+tub.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eRsCcc1-BSSYO8Q5Ng2-0O2BHEr4o2NGXWOWqWMy1wk3sxrXBKLE6rC8wXAw53SiMm8w5n1kwxiTAbcVwsZgHcToyW78LrVAKwsCxnOqMv-vt7m47IGaD9TbaFOCnvhCD6zleFKUfdx0/s400/first+piece+in+the+tub.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202778174526146" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eric used tongs to transfer the pieces from the kiln to the cans.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrfg4cbsbnQzv1hgzltf6EaBP_2Grai5_Fvi5MHHalHH9f5jKMg2JxVVV_XCWZxtgyvuAS0ukCQnasczEUodBlHS74UdrzSFor0BW6AlSVRyeEVsVnw6klBV9G61EPat-aDhIOaUguzuG/s1600-h/flames.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrfg4cbsbnQzv1hgzltf6EaBP_2Grai5_Fvi5MHHalHH9f5jKMg2JxVVV_XCWZxtgyvuAS0ukCQnasczEUodBlHS74UdrzSFor0BW6AlSVRyeEVsVnw6klBV9G61EPat-aDhIOaUguzuG/s400/flames.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202772403784338" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course, the hot ceramic pieces immediately ignited the newspaper. A few/several pieces of pottery would go in each can, with a well-orchestrated addition of newspaper occasionally.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2WknMcXO9ZWvSDN40Jg5NHSmk869gOZTPJ-DdMNE82utM5P7xzEZ1Kohtv8FkYKcFHJWsOT516leG4Va1lhsfzVAfA52K1rLeyPyA1yhBeKZ_OdJSnKClGGzU1j76-A-h_49WxBxGo5m/s1600-h/tubs+sealed+with+wet+towels.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2WknMcXO9ZWvSDN40Jg5NHSmk869gOZTPJ-DdMNE82utM5P7xzEZ1Kohtv8FkYKcFHJWsOT516leG4Va1lhsfzVAfA52K1rLeyPyA1yhBeKZ_OdJSnKClGGzU1j76-A-h_49WxBxGo5m/s400/tubs+sealed+with+wet+towels.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202074433236274" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When a can was "full", the lid was slammed down and the cans were covered with wet towels to help seal them. They would hang out and cool for a while. The pieces were still pretty hot when Eric removed them from the cans, but they cooled quickly when set out on the pavement.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyBAAG449q__n1SFD42T1f9eLkgbG0DZoGg-62V4nKC2RLII0DShSEjETAf20kZaBIJp-6WIpz0riLiRdBsX2o3AGH_wQZbmD2hie5_YkFdRIFkaSCfJ1lZdtC0zhK8TtoHzeFNQl7RG-/s1600-h/ready+for+pieces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyBAAG449q__n1SFD42T1f9eLkgbG0DZoGg-62V4nKC2RLII0DShSEjETAf20kZaBIJp-6WIpz0riLiRdBsX2o3AGH_wQZbmD2hie5_YkFdRIFkaSCfJ1lZdtC0zhK8TtoHzeFNQl7RG-/s400/ready+for+pieces.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202069057826882" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Carolyn is ready for the first piece of another batch, waiting to add the first of the newspaper when Eric gives her the word.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6p-CZALP8IqzHagsWouF5XxiIZqOx7-QBTwC5mnAC32oYpeJuxfjdO-bWPekO7jRqcJ_cYX1Y8cNNGne38uo14E8hkzWu45TRPQe_ogGwTYmWdmv9x_iFu-r4dIbjkb4JWWGTynk_RvO5/s1600-h/adding+a+hot+piece+to+a+tub.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6p-CZALP8IqzHagsWouF5XxiIZqOx7-QBTwC5mnAC32oYpeJuxfjdO-bWPekO7jRqcJ_cYX1Y8cNNGne38uo14E8hkzWu45TRPQe_ogGwTYmWdmv9x_iFu-r4dIbjkb4JWWGTynk_RvO5/s400/adding+a+hot+piece+to+a+tub.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202066562845906" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">A hot piece being added to the can.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shin_EkRtVI/AAAAAAAABmE/QU5LRqpw-CM/s1600-h/flames+from+adding+a+piece+to+the+tub+of+paper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shin_EkRtVI/AAAAAAAABmE/QU5LRqpw-CM/s400/flames+from+adding+a+piece+to+the+tub+of+paper.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339202060247217490" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nice shot of the flaming can!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shina_Y9xDI/AAAAAAAABl0/0VswIqQkwLg/s1600-h/ready+to+cover+with+wet+towels.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Shina_Y9xDI/AAAAAAAABl0/0VswIqQkwLg/s400/ready+to+cover+with+wet+towels.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339201440382305330" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Can is shut and ready for wet towels.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vOKBUOKPHwlopNYDIQzfrRN1A8Ui22RfijhSv3pyRybDN8QD-Z-pjIrye00jfny5V00ieYS3i3w_PsueBRdmzH2s9m-lPNUW4bj8jvZd81og83MgfPGiLY03xRLuNNVpsSByQmF5wlRX/s1600-h/tub+done.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vOKBUOKPHwlopNYDIQzfrRN1A8Ui22RfijhSv3pyRybDN8QD-Z-pjIrye00jfny5V00ieYS3i3w_PsueBRdmzH2s9m-lPNUW4bj8jvZd81og83MgfPGiLY03xRLuNNVpsSByQmF5wlRX/s400/tub+done.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339201435182209650" /></a><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Done!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqP67h98Xj5CS7YJa57vNoctqDvp_K3bYGSdgVjUmvh0PDr8qMkHXJGc2ZYS05ZrVL_ns8hZJbXIYyFN9_k4q6x3ahogE8Ffn75FI1l0m0X_X4AZIHz-A-P-actZVHDfksRatba8PJCAt/s1600-h/lots+of+finished+raku+pieces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqP67h98Xj5CS7YJa57vNoctqDvp_K3bYGSdgVjUmvh0PDr8qMkHXJGc2ZYS05ZrVL_ns8hZJbXIYyFN9_k4q6x3ahogE8Ffn75FI1l0m0X_X4AZIHz-A-P-actZVHDfksRatba8PJCAt/s400/lots+of+finished+raku+pieces.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339200834193625266" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What a successful day!! Two of the glazes made amazing multi-colored metallic-looking finishes. One was glossy and one flat/satin with a strange bumpy texture in some cases. The third glaze was White Crackle. Eric had to blow on those ones before he transferred them into the metal cans. That way the glaze would craze (crack), and those little cracks would become black from the smoke in the cans. Any part of the pieces that weren't glazed turned black, which would be a fun detail to work with when glazing a piece....</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-53427178240487236242009-06-04T11:48:00.001-07:002009-06-04T12:44:31.789-07:00Knitting Progress<div>Baby flame hat is done! </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOtWKFL6wX74VkwsN2EqcB3sd7fltjTuePAOAmbLQcddGlSbnsbnUDl18gnuL1zd-UiBk99fUPTblBaF3TtIDYfCwiMpiBftSLBkQZE6SB8gG4l1gbjQTGW42K1H_Mrk6GPf8M1cm7p-m/s400/flame+baby+hat.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343547347489829378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I just hope it fits the baby's head, at least someday. I feel like I was blindly making the hat and just assuming that it fits...not the best feeling. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are my do-over socks in Green Envy Red Heart sock yarn ("with aloe"!) -</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad9ehMqDlk_LYg4fh-GL3kaxoYe0j17zp6suewDumCQMAq7kalv5R24fGOzcTNGyqZ4YWt19zbDdVZpc2M6trSnQH2exMnc7ZVvaj06oyntU-53W9J1cDz5Ti-I6K9KMmPhyphenhyphenwoplqCkkF/s1600-h/photo-720900.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad9ehMqDlk_LYg4fh-GL3kaxoYe0j17zp6suewDumCQMAq7kalv5R24fGOzcTNGyqZ4YWt19zbDdVZpc2M6trSnQH2exMnc7ZVvaj06oyntU-53W9J1cDz5Ti-I6K9KMmPhyphenhyphenwoplqCkkF/s400/photo-720900.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343546282208428418" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was working on these a bit as I rode the bus to and from Mount St. Helens on a field trip with the 8th grade, so I took this picture on the bus. I can't say enough how much I love the colors in this "Green Envy" color combo! I think I will be putting this project on the back burner until later. I picked up several skeins of that same yarn to make a funky-colored baby sweater, and I need to get on that project <b>now</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqme3JPCFUnlmDaQfCO7s2GFGrtnvY17Fw5WFkOkPwT7HfcMccT7OawrdWTFTU_ZaxmgiWFYRMHDUm7xmvP8XIv9gaQICJmt6QGgTCFKP5Heph1hWI3vbOSHK1zyv6p0J8T2iQ2-pxzUM/s400/Spokane+bag,+halfway+done.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343551249923492178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On a car trip to Spokane and back last week I started a new recycled plastic bag bag. I have finished 10+ inches, and that took more or less 10 hours. I had been TRYING to keep track of how many hours it takes to make one of these, but it's hard to keep track when I work on them in lots of short chunks of time. The long stretch of knitting time on that car ride was the key to getting a clue of the time required. I would guess at this point that it takes about 20 hours to make one of these bags. Or more if you count the time spent cutting up bags.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lucky for me this spring my sister-in-law brought me a bag-load of colorful bags, and she and our kids cut them up for me! So instead of automatically having stripes of color on the bag as I work with one cut-up plastic bag and then move on to another, I am pulling plastic strips somewhat randomly from the mixed-up collection of strips this time. It's a nice change. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3IhEFUSzfOdRWuZor6g86uNS5DpTb6rxYvmE6HaSPolYKKNi8m9QQE6kNjnh2yLKxl6i03BveWZSrGl86KjaYD-XUHCnHf_viLS1lvof-ZYtekZ-cmXq_VlwLfmI6zzJ7G9DM0YkzEuY/s1600-h/strips+for+plastic+bag+knitting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3IhEFUSzfOdRWuZor6g86uNS5DpTb6rxYvmE6HaSPolYKKNi8m9QQE6kNjnh2yLKxl6i03BveWZSrGl86KjaYD-XUHCnHf_viLS1lvof-ZYtekZ-cmXq_VlwLfmI6zzJ7G9DM0YkzEuY/s400/strips+for+plastic+bag+knitting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343551254495858594" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqme3JPCFUnlmDaQfCO7s2GFGrtnvY17Fw5WFkOkPwT7HfcMccT7OawrdWTFTU_ZaxmgiWFYRMHDUm7xmvP8XIv9gaQICJmt6QGgTCFKP5Heph1hWI3vbOSHK1zyv6p0J8T2iQ2-pxzUM/s1600-h/Spokane+bag,+halfway+done.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><p class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-353261964813904162009-05-21T21:41:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:50:08.708-07:00Flame Hat Progress...<div>It seems like forever since I've posted anything. That would be because I haven't been able to carve out creativity time. But I've worked a little bit on the flame pattern baby hat, so that's something to share....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM1mhgbr_vrlqHachPO1lqPq0N20ZT6-j6TG94TuD5YY2dWnlZNJ1HR-th1HvVsTksoGFOtR3od_7boseVzpOA_0ioOMCxh_-TLig5Z0oA5peqVuGE2oCBqn6_a8LS6RMuBO5EImO6Soo/s1600-h/flame+hat+midway.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM1mhgbr_vrlqHachPO1lqPq0N20ZT6-j6TG94TuD5YY2dWnlZNJ1HR-th1HvVsTksoGFOtR3od_7boseVzpOA_0ioOMCxh_-TLig5Z0oA5peqVuGE2oCBqn6_a8LS6RMuBO5EImO6Soo/s400/flame+hat+midway.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338504341036228770" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-63962957746146824542009-04-28T20:14:00.001-07:002009-04-29T09:41:34.609-07:00The Bag of Frustration<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMwmG0GI/AAAAAAAABaQ/7XkTQsUeEpk/s1600-h/Finished+bag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMwmG0GI/AAAAAAAABaQ/7XkTQsUeEpk/s400/Finished+bag.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329949905056616546" /><br /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMwmG0GI/AAAAAAAABaQ/7XkTQsUeEpk/s1600-h/Finished+bag.jpg"><br /></a><div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank goodness for the fantastic support of friends and family. Otherwise, this bag was leading me down a path towards a existential crisis regarding my creativity! <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wanted to contribute a bag to my dad's Lions Club's annual fund raising auction. I had my eye on a felted tote bag in a fabulous knitting book I have called "Alterknits" by Leigh Radford. I knew it would be a great project for using up a bunch of wool odds and ends. And there was a variation in the book that has handles made out of clear vinyl tubing. I really liked that handle idea. Here is a picture of the bag from the book's website, this being the version with felted handles:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffPJIh7wmI/AAAAAAAABaY/YHilZLyuDU8/s400/felted_bag.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329956439831855714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 219px; " /><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div> I decided to make the version that is supposed to be about 20"x20" after felting.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So I followed the instructions religiously, following directions for needle size and the number of stitches to cast on. I did what is a pretty crazy combination of colors for me, but I liked the tropical feel to the mix. I knit and knit and knit. Luckily it was mindless knitting on circular needles (all knit stitch), good for movies, car trips, etc. When I finally reached 35" long as directed, I did a 3-needle bind-off for the bottom seam and here it is:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMWLkVmI/AAAAAAAABaI/aVMAGWo0lks/s1600-h/pre-felting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMWLkVmI/AAAAAAAABaI/aVMAGWo0lks/s400/pre-felting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329949897965983330" /><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>A long skinny sack. I was suspcious of how long and skinny it was at this point (like the perfect size for a long, skinny skirt), but I know that knitting shrinks more vertically than horizontally when it is felted...so I wasn't worried. I finished the bottom as directed so it would be flat like the bottom of a paper grocery bag and popped it into the washing machine to felt.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I was expecting a square bag, so I was a bit shocked to see a most definitely rectangular-shaped felted bag come out of the machine - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMP6cl2I/AAAAAAAABaA/hyk3imGqYlY/s1600-h/post-felting.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffJMP6cl2I/AAAAAAAABaA/hyk3imGqYlY/s400/post-felting.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329949896283559778" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think this picture even does justice to how long and skinny the bag was at this point. It went from about 34" to 20" long, but I didn't measure the beginning width for a comparison there, darn it! It ended up being about 13" wide. Darn! Not the big tote shape that I had in mind.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I was soooo frustrated with the long skinny shape. I was ready to cut several inches off the top or the bottom. But I took it for "show and tell" to my knitting buddies, and a couple of them came up with the idea of simply turning down a cuff - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIWoUlAGI/AAAAAAAABZ4/ZtiqLjFVdsg/s1600-h/DSCN8840.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIWoUlAGI/AAAAAAAABZ4/ZtiqLjFVdsg/s400/DSCN8840.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329948975122677858" /><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>The fact that there would be two layers of "fabric" for the handle to attach through seemed like a great bonus. So that's what I did. Thanks a ton, my wise and clever friends!!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>You probably have no idea how hard it is to find clear vinyl tubing with no permanent lettering on it, and I wouldn't blame you for not knowing. Take my word for it. Our local pet store had enough of the right size tubing for one handle. This tubing had very little writing, but it had a slightly bluish tint which I didn't really like. I found beautiful crystal clear tubing at McLendon's Hardware, and I spent an afternoon trying to figure out a clever way to remove the lettering on it. No solvent that we have worked. I tried different abrasive attachments with the Dremel, and that left long frosted patches instead of print. So did a little buffing attachment I have for the Dremel. I thought that maybe if I carefully heated the frosted area up with a little tiny butane torch it might shine it back up, but that made the tubing have a slightly opaque cast. Grrr. Finally I tried a pet store further afield and found more of the bluish tubing and decided I'd have to go with that and the little bit of writing it had on it. Amazingly enough, I discovered in the end that I could rub the lettering off of the pet store stuff with my fingernail. Crazy. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The instructions in the "Alterknits" book say to attach the tubing by hand-sewing it onto the bag through a couple of holes, with a button sewn onto the outside of the tubing in the process. This was not bullet-proof enough for me. I came upon something to use that is now my new favorite fastener - copper rivets! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMIUkXmb2uI67uIZomFHNlF5qKm2QcsTp8ZJgVgYzE2HW4WWjvWrOXPuH-PqYJCnL-IT_tntXbDS55fD45XeCDkdv3v_oHc1E3uUVSjj_ZbaE_KRe4fYqmYjPAxZnfhDQpUVIJJnxxJXC/s1600-h/copper+rivets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMIUkXmb2uI67uIZomFHNlF5qKm2QcsTp8ZJgVgYzE2HW4WWjvWrOXPuH-PqYJCnL-IT_tntXbDS55fD45XeCDkdv3v_oHc1E3uUVSjj_ZbaE_KRe4fYqmYjPAxZnfhDQpUVIJJnxxJXC/s400/copper+rivets.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329948970412654626" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We had some of these in the hardware that we brought home after cleaning out my step-grandpa's basement workshop, but I had no idea what they were for, until now. Thanks to some awesome help at McLendon's, I realized that these rivets would do the trick to fasten my handles to my bag in a very solid way. Luckily the rivets come in different lengths, because I had some serious thickness to fasten together. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what the attachment looks like on the outside - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHaBC7ZhJ_5zlwyxKSmxicOkBP-w5WnkD8UvJ_XhRdORU51quozC1zuSOoy8layqyHIa8xbvRpf2GIKgUjfNg1Y1Aqfoi5Nz0stcIt1O6OdAtcgGWnJqP3DFOVEWd5tMrg59vNJ5QJAhe/s1600-h/handle+attachment+-+outside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHaBC7ZhJ_5zlwyxKSmxicOkBP-w5WnkD8UvJ_XhRdORU51quozC1zuSOoy8layqyHIa8xbvRpf2GIKgUjfNg1Y1Aqfoi5Nz0stcIt1O6OdAtcgGWnJqP3DFOVEWd5tMrg59vNJ5QJAhe/s400/handle+attachment+-+outside.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329948966558308610" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>And here it is on the inside - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIVzTyIDI/AAAAAAAABZg/mbVoonw5ir4/s1600-h/handle+attachment+-+inside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIVzTyIDI/AAAAAAAABZg/mbVoonw5ir4/s400/handle+attachment+-+inside.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329948960892264498" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That copper washer and the head of the rivet both are about 1/2" in diameter. I added larger washers under the copper ones to spread out the pressure and/or keep the little copper washer from pulling through or something. The coolest thing was that I learned that you use the round end of a ball-peen hammer to flatten out the end of the rivet! I never knew what you would "traditionally" use that round end of the ball-peen for. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I cut and finished a piece of masonite to put in the bottom (on the inside of the bag) to give it a good, solid base. Here that is, on the outside, obviously - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIVgyweNI/AAAAAAAABZY/Hh5_1uPpz0I/s1600-h/masonite+for+bottom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SffIVgyweNI/AAAAAAAABZY/Hh5_1uPpz0I/s400/masonite+for+bottom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329948955921905874" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><div>Done, and in time for the auction. Even if it wasn't quite how I had envisioned. I actually enjoyed the problem solving challenges of this project, except for the fact that it was a bit too down to the wire.</div><div><br /></div><div>The real frustration/self-questioning came when there were three minutes left in the section of the silent auction that the bag was in. There was only one bid on the bag, and that was for the starting bid of $15!! I was flabergasted, after putting all that work into it. So Eric encouraged me to bid on it and just get it back, which I did after one other bid by that first bidder. That was a crazy blow to my creative ego. But luckily my wise women knitting council came through again this Monday and pumped me back up with their outrage and encouragement. At their suggestion I will either keep the bag for myself, put it up for sale in my (still empty) etsy shop, or donate it to the junior high auction next spring. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, my fused-glass windchime in the auction went for the "buy it now" price of $45, which I think was actually much too low. (I am terrible at pricing my own work - after it was too late to change the value for these auction donations an awesome woman who works at the glass supply shop suggested a value of $60-$75 for it...) The time spent on the windchime was a fraction of that spent on the felted bag! I don't think you can ever get fairly compensated for your labor/time spent on a decent-sized knitting project....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-10213325478517962002009-04-24T20:40:00.000-07:002009-04-24T20:45:11.722-07:00Knitting Flame<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oeWL6Hh686AhpcCWJcM8wrCmmrIzoDKvqc430KqyYAP286oqkyd2YJ0OAJTs0WOI45KnRPgcVnDB97wuFTjNo6AvY0cjDCUidkNSYi_Ooc8l8qEpc3cDuUPMehxXwFTnINNGjLkVkX2E/s1600-h/Flame+Swatch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oeWL6Hh686AhpcCWJcM8wrCmmrIzoDKvqc430KqyYAP286oqkyd2YJ0OAJTs0WOI45KnRPgcVnDB97wuFTjNo6AvY0cjDCUidkNSYi_Ooc8l8qEpc3cDuUPMehxXwFTnINNGjLkVkX2E/s400/Flame+Swatch.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328376657021355138" /></a><br /><div>I had an idea pop into my head to do a baby hat with flames for a couple of firefighter babies. I was very happy with this sample swatch of flames and had to post it! I actually made the image up as I went, so I'm quite pleased that it worked out the first time. Is this what happens when a painter knits?! Now I need to translate it into a hat, and I have a couple of hat styles to try. One is a baby "skater" hat that looks very cool. I'll post pictures of them as they are created....</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-87191521990751230442009-04-23T20:32:00.000-07:002009-04-23T21:51:01.379-07:00Spring Wind Chime Redux<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SfE1RLEMuQI/AAAAAAAABWY/g2NZFOQWsjw/s1600-h/DSCN8839.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/SfE1RLEMuQI/AAAAAAAABWY/g2NZFOQWsjw/s400/DSCN8839.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328098403300456706" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>This is obviously very similar to the wind chime that I featured in my last post, but with one little change that I loved. Instead of grabbing one of the heart pendants that I had lying around the studio to hang at the bottom, I made a little flower pendant in clear glass to match the main body of the piece. The little flower is quite cute, and it is another potential jewelry item to market. The fact that it matches the main part of the piece in both image and clear-ness was a detail I was very happy that I tried. Here is a goofy shot, but it makes it obvious which parts are all clear glass -</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfsTgxkD3Bg344ErRufk6cYo9WM1T2kTcefzvX2frwXHJTfmGxD-AKyk27ry6plzqYjRq3O6jof_vCkoss41Eq-CyLeyvW529D08v0PGaJZn3HvG36jWOBLeBlJSNF_1lQ4viZXGnIsOX/s400/Second+spring+wind+chime.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328105155500181730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This project was a donation to the fund raising auction for The Attic Learning Community. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And speaking of goofy pictures, here is last minute one of an idea that popped into my head for still another pendant idea to work on....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjpO2L4xRqshowp81l1-ep0UHUcl5QIGTfQ7kv1UM3AEIMQGJ1-4cOW-64InsK1bavx-w8I-gHPhb52Fch92ArvXOf_llnKpzdGSa6Z50aZDMB8p0dIGE8GrKY0cBppJRLP9EnGkvdqci/s400/DSCF1760.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328107305867880050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll be working on the size and/or proportions of the recycling symbol, but I think that would be a good necklace pendant AND an especially a fun thing to potentially hang on my recycled-plastic-bag bags as a cool little token to emphasize that they are made of recycled materials.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-64450980920636638502009-03-27T14:17:00.000-07:002009-03-27T18:02:20.133-07:00Working on Glass Wind Chimes<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><div><blockquote></blockquote><br /></div><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Sc1VLedD-8I/AAAAAAAAA4w/auB-9JT7htg/s400/DSCF0781.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318000390636305346" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Sc1VLedD-8I/AAAAAAAAA4w/auB-9JT7htg/s1600-h/DSCF0781.jpg"><br /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was asked recently if I would be willing to donate items to a couple of fund raising auctions. I am a sucker for making stuff for a good cause. Plus, having a concrete reason to create something (and having a deadline!) gets me working in the studio. For each auction I decided to make a fused-glass wind chime and a knitted bag of some sort. I'm posting pictures of my work so far on these two wind chimes to show-and-tell how I make them...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Sc1EIxK4b5I/AAAAAAAAA4A/B9eh3MLsh9Y/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Sc1EIxK4b5I/AAAAAAAAA4A/B9eh3MLsh9Y/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317981652423045010" /></a><br /></div><div>This is my beloved kiln, by the way. I bought it from the man who owned the jewelry studio where I worked before Nick was born. I spent HOURS making beads in it for the jewelry studio. I just realized this week that it might be 30 years old, but I'll have to check with my buddy Carolyn, who was the studio manager and worked there way before me. Nowadays you can buy kilns to use to fuse glass that are totally programmable. Luckily I'm an old school kind of gal. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For these two pieces I decided to make flower shapes out of copper wire and fuse them between clear glass for the body of the pieces. For the hanging/chiming parts I planned on scavenging spring-ish colors from the miscellaneous glass that I have. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My layout plan:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w5Dr04YXlbahaug1HfZURcdeVpDwoXbv5Hc1XeplHProyeBRuKUYOwgcBPCHFweEBllE7B-I3-bRZgTQNX9qWZIYrNwVRmZOrCsHIc4P8mJBAUgurPyG8LWpfkwyFeSYNJHEixhycgk-/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w5Dr04YXlbahaug1HfZURcdeVpDwoXbv5Hc1XeplHProyeBRuKUYOwgcBPCHFweEBllE7B-I3-bRZgTQNX9qWZIYrNwVRmZOrCsHIc4P8mJBAUgurPyG8LWpfkwyFeSYNJHEixhycgk-/s400/4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317980752698388082" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><span><span><br />This is a shelf full of finished hanging parts for two wind chimes. I fused a strip of clear glass on top of the strips of colored glass and included copper-wire rings at the top for hanging. This picture shows you the size limitation that I have to work with in the kiln... the kiln shelf that I use is about 8"x9" - </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpzy5lAidWkdwygl4t4qqlAEKEwJnOXAYknGzKxriDWW36iufSz_-YSYlxcnOMTKR-4B4z5XATiwudxPxO3wOT8w6WIMy3gRr_AkRFrpWF3ixfC3NS153DDEcOdNfMUKdtrts3joFiVO_/s400/2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317981654472680034" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span><span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I divided up the parts for the two pieces - </span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9akjN0Q_IrSMo9mR8tmxvyWXatufGYjMSWjxeADYwGgPFXY6w-t1uzKHJxvUNMl43azFsWFk6VXkcUhHSJnVE0lYxgNrSwk21hVpKoRGBRnR0y336p9Nhp8uukPWaLyko-tBBWbo5qcU3/s400/3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317981645979078210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><span><span><div><br /></div><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><span><span><br />While the hanging parts were in the kiln I figured out the layout of the flowers and the ring placement for the main part...</span></span></div><div><span><span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JbUij2RKmSfaOse0LI75pc1g4WP1YItVbgZlPi1c3OgOGfY_3s9bCViJ7GAh-6se9rJDrfTznD6-uqmldrl-FCFk3HYP8x3yM-YAn2HbaInV7znivAkOeVPa3l_ixdWptNDO2SLXoWYB/s400/5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318001164250099442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Ready to go in the kiln...</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDHYo0hMIZNysVgoncY1aGF-_iGEVSta_kcx37rwMzxQ2geec6H5iVqAFszlbCml-HrJfRO69ijtvzz_YGJRABgnCfjw-Sth3CDG5_dsO-CeLgqj21fAnyMqXG1Q0Z9vIYSOC4aAnlvBM/s1600-h/6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDHYo0hMIZNysVgoncY1aGF-_iGEVSta_kcx37rwMzxQ2geec6H5iVqAFszlbCml-HrJfRO69ijtvzz_YGJRABgnCfjw-Sth3CDG5_dsO-CeLgqj21fAnyMqXG1Q0Z9vIYSOC4aAnlvBM/s400/6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317980743849605506" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOmBIowHGEnI2VjUXTSRvCdvwsd8gm3qrBoMxdVjkrApNHNwR-coR-I05Z-Ob3U_5wVsB0PvnAmPkr6LUJ0DAT2m9VEvg2_b8OBEQs1OqwoX6NwuyEFX7OsEC9zdlNSkS91_tq4Gog-sk/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOmBIowHGEnI2VjUXTSRvCdvwsd8gm3qrBoMxdVjkrApNHNwR-coR-I05Z-Ob3U_5wVsB0PvnAmPkr6LUJ0DAT2m9VEvg2_b8OBEQs1OqwoX6NwuyEFX7OsEC9zdlNSkS91_tq4Gog-sk/s400/7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317980742812569778" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And the body of the piece after fusing in the kiln - </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HFRBTsUqRabG2_GArIZJ2JD35sUINTs6dmb10CloN59rYDcZKMwLNSkZMa5T9TF1Ai3LlASqfa52pEz1MbHZb08zwz0GSzVh2lFvzHjSoYRLKpxXNRzUxXmz30Fvt0Lg4psdSMvtY-WL/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HFRBTsUqRabG2_GArIZJ2JD35sUINTs6dmb10CloN59rYDcZKMwLNSkZMa5T9TF1Ai3LlASqfa52pEz1MbHZb08zwz0GSzVh2lFvzHjSoYRLKpxXNRzUxXmz30Fvt0Lg4psdSMvtY-WL/s400/8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317980740173786818" /><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I had to take a picture when I saw the late afternoon sun shining on it. This is a good shot of the kiln paper that I use to keep the glass from sticking to the shelf. The paper basically turns to powder after being in the kiln. Nasty-for-your-lungs powder. Maybe someday I'll try kiln wash on the shelf instead, but for now I'm careful not to breath this stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; "><span><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span><span><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXK4sQ9dQ46BZKoqQ9au6E6JcrKuM36TV9Q1SNv6XUPF1OFpCoLoLoQNcE2XkEJv-4l09Cjb_EpZFolGV4rcIjESIh_pYgTq5N8-SRJUb_U16g8VZkgzPweSRIMausHyHn0yU_c0hr7nV/s400/wind+chime+against+trees.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318002373500660306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"></span></div><span><span><br />This final shot shows the clear glass better than the first picture. I decided that I wanted to hang an additional something from the bottom of one of the hanging parts , so I used a heart pendant that I already had. For the second wind chime I will fuse a little copper wire flower in clear glass to use instead....</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span><br /></span></span><span><span><span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-47725449512312586992009-03-08T08:45:00.000-07:002009-03-08T18:05:18.461-07:00Playing around with glass stars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHA8-W2iIdQlftvgDXnb8qxbPajPSqtFEgmotszbXx3nbUm-Q8I58M7GlJue_8HtEbrNDddzucYM5by2JpfwMnA1HL3B3mpixrKNfnTp1AW8Aet9VgcgzZZeP0aKX_akecigmNf0KAQ15/s1600-h/Single+glass+star.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHA8-W2iIdQlftvgDXnb8qxbPajPSqtFEgmotszbXx3nbUm-Q8I58M7GlJue_8HtEbrNDddzucYM5by2JpfwMnA1HL3B3mpixrKNfnTp1AW8Aet9VgcgzZZeP0aKX_akecigmNf0KAQ15/s400/Single+glass+star.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310852528341374866" /><br /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div> I have quite of few of these glass stars left over from the holidays. I made them to raise money for my PEO chapter's scholarship fund, and we made about $500 in December, which was a fabulous surprise for everyone, most of all me. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been very curious what it would look like to fuse a star onto a piece of flat glass in order to end up with a coaster/trivet kind of thing, and I finally got around to trying it out. I used a smaller and a larger star, each on 4" squares of glass. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHDrEHex2Lrz-ONyHGODumtkhz0QeqwOsk35u1lH9CKhMyHYU_YNRwspkfTpG2YTSqUrxYR37DQe4R4NGuw85FgweSGNyaBGjlDl-LFMg6kbARNBX4zv4bpvzJMvK4if_JE63Zoeycd_h/s1600-h/Glass+star+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHDrEHex2Lrz-ONyHGODumtkhz0QeqwOsk35u1lH9CKhMyHYU_YNRwspkfTpG2YTSqUrxYR37DQe4R4NGuw85FgweSGNyaBGjlDl-LFMg6kbARNBX4zv4bpvzJMvK4if_JE63Zoeycd_h/s400/Glass+star+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310845688382615138" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I used two layers of flat glass in order for the pieces to have a decent thickness - <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU0FpLP3j-RDLofHhyWKUCt625qQ229R3HRAJHGShFqHGfB-TDu_1i3zoOTiJtGHAHWb1VPYhPbEw02hRETcQhPXTPDfoay8t8nsocqVvrXVVXv-xHlU2VKmguElhEXfWGR18Z02V18z5/s1600-h/Glass+star+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU0FpLP3j-RDLofHhyWKUCt625qQ229R3HRAJHGShFqHGfB-TDu_1i3zoOTiJtGHAHWb1VPYhPbEw02hRETcQhPXTPDfoay8t8nsocqVvrXVVXv-xHlU2VKmguElhEXfWGR18Z02V18z5/s400/Glass+star+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310845681610751746" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I kept the pieces in the kiln until the stars melted down enough to be quite flat. The shape of the star kind of ballooned out as it flattened. I was sorry to realize that the transparent yellow gets a bit lost in the clear glass, visually. And the square needs to be larger than 4" in order for the star to melt in without pushing out the edges near the points - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tdD73nJ-jCK83ohc_fRj0WcBG2VFVWAkHmuGL9eZtjT70SdZpsSBzvXhiEDoy89BaIISD9FIpdxhC1fibjyzupWHqafAIgl8_qEXh-WUjLQPwlQP7_tfZYVNVlZ0LeDL2PMqU486dlG6/s1600-h/Glass+Star+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tdD73nJ-jCK83ohc_fRj0WcBG2VFVWAkHmuGL9eZtjT70SdZpsSBzvXhiEDoy89BaIISD9FIpdxhC1fibjyzupWHqafAIgl8_qEXh-WUjLQPwlQP7_tfZYVNVlZ0LeDL2PMqU486dlG6/s400/Glass+Star+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310845672239789986" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I made a second attempt, this time using white glass and making the square slightly larger. The star obviously is more visible in this one. And the star fits within the square better - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJfYfLf5bQEFjN7CGyIdCiChy4mcCNiDFlJ3uanT7D9kNPPxKS3hROlSJwLgygfSmWu4yryTS206VzNFXZsqql1ztMYw6hOM0p_rFQN7mUQeLKF-8oLUGbGS2ykIp0LVMDfRXEteLWhAC/s1600-h/Glass+Star+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJfYfLf5bQEFjN7CGyIdCiChy4mcCNiDFlJ3uanT7D9kNPPxKS3hROlSJwLgygfSmWu4yryTS206VzNFXZsqql1ztMYw6hOM0p_rFQN7mUQeLKF-8oLUGbGS2ykIp0LVMDfRXEteLWhAC/s400/Glass+Star+4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310845668046981730" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the four pieces from this experiment - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d-pNcnj7dp8YYblJ3rf-6uA_O2dIpWP4NdQW-dWRuV6N-tL5spfJEqg3-8GAY_eVMLblU0Hj0IdLqOovmga4fQmvr3723yP6gtZkEy4muJrB7ykEAgkOOEQE7PEUSE9y7GW62ZiVz1Bu/s1600-h/Glass+Star+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d-pNcnj7dp8YYblJ3rf-6uA_O2dIpWP4NdQW-dWRuV6N-tL5spfJEqg3-8GAY_eVMLblU0Hj0IdLqOovmga4fQmvr3723yP6gtZkEy4muJrB7ykEAgkOOEQE7PEUSE9y7GW62ZiVz1Bu/s400/Glass+Star+5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310845665900390210" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I only had enough white glass for one square, so for a second one I used a thick strip of white glass with thin strips of clear at the top and the bottom to make a full square. I like that one better, I do believe. But I'm biased - I like anything with clear glass. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure whether we will want to pursue this idea much or not. The stars take such a small amount of glass, so they have a small materials cost. The double layer of flat glass increases that quite a bit, relatively speaking. But it was a good way to use up some stars that were a little funky.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-844212073116012447.post-86114591712221389982009-03-02T19:29:00.000-08:002009-04-24T22:13:38.885-07:00Encaustic Painting Workshop continued - Day 2 = Sa-weet success!<div><br />The second day of this Encaustic Miniatures class rocked. Everyone got down to business and created some amazing work. <div><br /></div><div>First, I finished my anemone - </div></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsSkmzt59WoYQhSMEl5SEGYHh8uj-oBGuHvD-ReRm7bgnq9ozILQ1LxdbZoTHnLrZJfmWoQGEmSmeBRue6w3zu1SvuQgNxOiekd2Eup-lqoYysgclI9fx02Dlosa9OlZG2_VoOkJqqfm3/s1600-h/DSCF0725.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsSkmzt59WoYQhSMEl5SEGYHh8uj-oBGuHvD-ReRm7bgnq9ozILQ1LxdbZoTHnLrZJfmWoQGEmSmeBRue6w3zu1SvuQgNxOiekd2Eup-lqoYysgclI9fx02Dlosa9OlZG2_VoOkJqqfm3/s400/DSCF0725.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801489976513554" /></a><br /><div>It is about 2.25"x2.25" on a thin piece of steel.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Next was a salmon, specifically a coho in its spawning colors - </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjufxA1uAYJzNLAUSKnQpHN2SH6Qnobv-tPuIDmO9_ez42rUCy0ytrhGvqnIPV0RzTuMFm2o8-b6-YtqMO7ziY39s-kyh40MsR2Yo_6KqpISHp2ZK7zE5INZiZ2A7y6rzgvVV4QBBj3RK/s1600-h/DSCF0724.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjufxA1uAYJzNLAUSKnQpHN2SH6Qnobv-tPuIDmO9_ez42rUCy0ytrhGvqnIPV0RzTuMFm2o8-b6-YtqMO7ziY39s-kyh40MsR2Yo_6KqpISHp2ZK7zE5INZiZ2A7y6rzgvVV4QBBj3RK/s400/DSCF0724.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801481178438786" /><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>The painting is on a thin piece of steel, too, and it's about 3.5"x3". The background/water is actually the watercolor underpainting on the surface of the steel and then coated with clear wax. I didn't want to mess with it. The salmon was over-painted on the clear wax coat by applying pigmented wax with a wood-burning tool. This piece is in a box that is a signature thing for our instructor Larry Calkins. He has a bunch of little, whimsical miniature encaustics that are glued into shallow boxes with lids. He finishes the surfaces of his boxes by slathering them with a thick coat of Tite-bond wood glue and burning it with a torch! It makes the coolest, kind of gross, surface. The process is like burning a marshmallow, the way the surface of the glue bubbles up and scorches. So Larry had us all make boxes for our work, too, if we wanted. I'd like to find some tiny hinges and attach the lid on this box to open to the side.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So,</div><div><br /></div><div>the cool boxes got me thinking in a new direction. Anyone who knows about my goofing around with slumping insulin bottles in the kiln is not going to be surprised that I took a couple slumped bottles along with me to the class, just in case... And I really loved the look of the shiny, smooth bottle in this slightly wicked looking, texture-covered box. I just happened to paint a tiny little pancreas on the front of the insulin bottle in this one - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP45Nxa0irTS5codLUJ2mCv6_J97-5uqXp4kipyboXRIZ4earF1k-FPyuU6YW2NHa7qGjJoujmOqxvGKqzTuYIlxkhz52wZcM-6ciBKYfjroIjtqZRBazMFT55NpoObgzj0BHM08MHno8/s1600-h/DSCF0720.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP45Nxa0irTS5codLUJ2mCv6_J97-5uqXp4kipyboXRIZ4earF1k-FPyuU6YW2NHa7qGjJoujmOqxvGKqzTuYIlxkhz52wZcM-6ciBKYfjroIjtqZRBazMFT55NpoObgzj0BHM08MHno8/s400/DSCF0720.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801476440515522" /></a><br /></div><div>This little beauty is about 3.5"x3.75".</div><div><br /></div><div>I was thinking about painting an ominous skull on the back side of that bottle to loom through behind the pancreas, but I decided it probably wouldn't be visible/obvious enough. So I decided to do the skull on my second slumped bottle instead. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For the skull bottle I was going to prepare another box with the funky burned-glue texture, but then I watched another woman in the class darkening her box by scorching it a bit with the torch <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">before <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">doing</span> </span>the glue slathering and burning. I just decided to take that a little farther and thoroughly burned my third box. Yep, art aided by fire. I worked outside, don't worry! Then I coated the burned box with clear beeswax and melted it in with a heat gun. I was SO excited, and here it is - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Saymz4EFyQI/AAAAAAAAAwg/2Nic6I6vawU/s1600-h/DSCF0719.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zjviI-U6Zjw/Saymz4EFyQI/AAAAAAAAAwg/2Nic6I6vawU/s400/DSCF0719.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801470916053250" /></a><br /></div><div>This guy is about 3.25"x4.25"</div><div><br /></div><div>And the most exciting part is that instructor and the studio manager want these two bottle pieces in an upcoming show!! WAHOO!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, a piece to finish at home, since the class ended before I could finish it - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO90SMArOh5oMx0INBKoXOx4QeQDjl0HPyajBB8rJH_eUvUHh18QoiEcxTupjGur525zy1rPZC5JZT5fUYq_BybN6CMrDFVXyXsKYz0JR9eNGHSgNiiApcCVFaMX_zFarlo2YxTAyEbeuc/s1600-h/DSCF0726.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO90SMArOh5oMx0INBKoXOx4QeQDjl0HPyajBB8rJH_eUvUHh18QoiEcxTupjGur525zy1rPZC5JZT5fUYq_BybN6CMrDFVXyXsKYz0JR9eNGHSgNiiApcCVFaMX_zFarlo2YxTAyEbeuc/s400/DSCF0726.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801467153506402" /></a><br /></div><div>I've always loved this blue sky with a fluffy cloud image. </div><div><br /></div><div>I saw a show once where a whole wall was covered with dozens of paintings that the artist did recording the sky conditions once a day for many days. I think it was his warm-up exercise before painting every day. They were probably all less that 12" square. It was the coolest thing. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1