WOW long over due but finally got back to taking some pictures and uploading here. We will start with some cast jewelry done with mixed frit colours.
A new piece of cast dichroic. 
And some tableware etc.
I decided to fuse a piece of glass that I really liked and turn it into a lamp shade. Needless to say it was the only piece I had.
Really is nice, this is the back and I just have it sitting in a stand to hold it.
This is the front. Don’t ya just love those bubbles in the center,especially the large one.
Also made several other pieces. Another piece of Our Town Series
A few small bubbles in this but that is common in fusing. Done on clear with transparent pieces of glass for the houses.
And 2 pieces that will probably become clocks.
Not all the weekend was bad however, spent several days in River Bennett with Shari,lots of relaxing time and great friends.
Also went to Cheticamp and stopped along the way for some pictures.
It was a warm sunny day so a few minutes along the ocean was justified. This is the shore at Belle Cote. Can’t imagine the wind here in the winter. This poor house has to get the brunt of high winds.
Will try again tomorrow for more pieces and figure out what kind of offerings I need to appease the kiln gods.
Tomorrow is the third ship day of our season and from Sydney the ship is heading back to Europe. Sometimes I wish I was on it with them when it’s going somewhere I haven’t been. But if there is one thing I know for sure I am a true Cape Bretoner both from birth and more importantly because it’s where I want to be.
That being said these are being readied for the ship sales tomorrow. In sea lore they are known as mermaid’s tears and that story will accompany each piece sold. Every piece has been collected from a shoreline somewhere in Cape Breton. Other than drilling holes nothing has been changed. They are the real deal. It will probably not be to many years before there will be none left. We have become more environmentally aware and most bottles have become plastic.
These have been created by many years of being tossed around in the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean among the rocks and sand and eventually washed up on the shores usually after a rough sea. The4 genuine pieces of sea glass have a pitted surface that only the salt water and sand can produce. The fake glass is tumbled and has more of a smooth etched surface.
I haven’t been posting much but have been working. The frame set is gone to it’s owner. The drawer pulls are gone to their owner. The ship season is now only weeks away and I have been rummaging around to see what I can make with supplies that are already here. I am forever buying supplies and putting them away saying someday I will do something with that. Well the day as come.
Here is an example of pieces that I will be making for sale with previously purchased wire and crystal beads. They will be called Doodles
I must admit I really like them.
Also have been playing with some millefiori. I think the translation is a thousand flowers although in modern times they are making the canes in more than flowers.
Do I make the canes? NO and never, here is a picture of how they make them
They take all these tiny pieces of glass and very concisely arrange them in this steel mold to form flower shapes. The mold is then heated until all the glass is fused into one piece and looks like the pieces beside the mold. They then cut these canes into small pieces which can be used for many things. One is placing these pieces into molds to make jewellery and once again heating them until they become one piece. I buy them in pieces and fuse them. This picture is an example of that, a piece being put together, but not one of my pieces.
The second is one of mine finished because today the bails finally were found and I was able to finish a piece and get a picture.
Not to many of these because I am using up all of our stock but I am happy how it turned out and who knows what the future may bring in goodies.
Okay so the Olympics has taken over my life, it is almost over but remember the Brier starts on March 8.
Just to let you know that although I haven’t been blogging I have been working at glass in between everything and have some pictures to prove it.
Night lights finished, bagged, tagged and ready for sale
Stars – made, bagged tagged and ready for sale
Pictures finished, framed and ready for sale
And last but not least spent time trying to decide how to display our table this year as we are only going to have one instead of the 1 1/2 like last year. So room is the key. Found these new display items for our jewellery pieces.
It’s great, will hold approx 25 pieces and will take up less than a foot of table space.
So that has been my past 2 weeks.
There are drawer pulls firing now as I try to construct a back for them, there are clock pieces being done, lupine hot pads and belt buckles in the works.
Next week, new month
Even though I haven’t posted for the week I have been busy working on the business. The last 3 days and the next 16 or so are going to be tough as I am a great winter Olympics fan. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it is in Canada either, except the other side of the country and late hours for me.
However back to the challenge. Here are some pictures of some items done this week
Large piece within the series started last week. Colours get added and dropped depending what I am working on.
Also carried it through to some night lights
They look good plugged in with the light shinning through. You can see the different sizes of glass used and the texture on these are great.
And last but not least pieces for our town series that also will be made into night lights. These are fresh from the kiln in these photos and still have some fibre powder on them but look good.
These are my accomplishments this week. Also am working on a new computer program for artists. It is being developed by a company in the States and Jim has very graciously allowed me to participate in the testing. So I have started populating it yesterday. It will be amazing once I get the info in.
