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It has become obvious to me that I have a thing for birds. It's not that I every denied it, or even supressed it. I just didn't really think about it. But, a quick glance at my Etsy favorites will reveal the truth.

A bird house, a bird print, and a decorative bird take up the first 3 of my Favorites.

And a trip through my Etsy shop will yield 5 bird themed items......no, make that 6.

Let's not get started on twitter, and all the bird references there (who would have thought, that at 37 years old, I'd be using the word "tweet" as a verb on a daily basis?)

Birds are everywhere......including a nice little nest under my bedroom air conditioner. I had planned on removing the air conditioner last weekend, but got a little nervous about disturbing it's home (okay, okay....I got nervous that it might fly into my room). It's already been established that I like birds, but not under my AC. Even Olivia (dog) doesn't really care for them living there. She is not as kind as me, and tends to bark loudly at them.

But, the AC must come out of my window, as it is getting colder these days. Wish me luck, as I attempt to safely remove it. May no harm be done to me, Olivia or the little birds.

I think I'll wear safety glasses.

Harmony

Harmony: Adaptation of parts to each other, giving unity or a pleasing whole.

In August, my Etsy team challenged it's members to create a piece based on the word Harmony.

This was not a mandatory challenge, and at first, I did not think I would participate......

But, after giving it a little thought, I went back to the drawing board. Literally. You see, long before I was a glassblower, I loved to draw. And I still love to draw, but find that there is little time for that.

Charcoal was my favorite medium.....the more blurry the lines, the better. I loved shadows, fades and the little bit of structure I would achieve with charcoals.

But, now, I find myself really enjoying structure. And getting a bit more abstract. I'm inspired by Indian prints, and simple designs. So, for this challenge, I decided to combine my past and present, and really challenge myself to try something new.

I really like the contrast of using a sharpie (bold, solid lines) with the soft tones of the colored pencils. And the white background, white wood block and magnifying element of the glass (handmade, too!) makes these colors more vibrant.

It's a little out of character for me, but I like it.

If you like it (enough to own it!), you can buy it here

Broken

The furnace is broken. And Mercury is in Retrograde.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of astrology. I like to read my horoscope (Scorpio, in case you were wondering) from time to time. But, since this furnace fiasco, many people have been telling me about Mercury in Retrograde. In a few short days, I have become a believer.

For a glassblower, there is no other piece of equipment that you'd like to see broken. The furnace is the core of our work. It keeps the glass molten, and without it, there is little that can be done.

Is it fixable? Yes.

Can we do it? No.

So, we must wait until our "furnace guy" is available to come to town to fix it. At this point, it looks like we won't be back to 100% for 5 weeks. (*gulp*)

I know what you're thinking......but Christmas is right around the corner!!!!! I know. I KNOW.

Fortunately, I live in the land of glassblowers. There are many studios in Rhode Island, and a good number of them will rent studio time. As best I can tell, I really only need a handful of days to keep my inventory in check.

It's not ideal, but it's the best I can do.......for at least 5 weeks.

Thankfully, Mercury will be long gone from Retrograde when that time comes.

(not soon enough for me).

Olivia

Olivia on the day I brought her home.

Just over 4 years ago, I adopted Olivia from the Warwick Shelter. I'll be honest, it was not a match made in Heaven......we had a rocky start, but with A LOT of patience, hard work, and a good dog trainer, we survived.



Now, she's not perfect.....she still likes to pull on the leash, eat stuff she's not supposed to, and *occasionally* ignore my commands, but I love her. Man, do I love her.



And we have some things in commom. Besides our mutual love of peanut butter, Olivia and I also share an affinity for Glass. As you know, I'm a glassblower.....I like to make things with it. Olivia seems to enjoy stepping on it, cutting her paws, and requiring emergency trips to the Vet.

(not at the glass studio.....no way is she allowed there! She *finds* it while running around some local parks).



Three times we have rushed to the vet. Twice she required sedation, many stitches, and 3+ weeks of recovery. Not fun. I repeat.....not fun. For either of us.

It was after the first Vet visit (and Vet bill) in 2006, that I looked at her, and told her "she needed to start earning her keep". She just stared at me, unresponsive.

As I stared back, my brain started turning with ideas........and the ideas quickly became products. Mostly centered around sandblasting Paw Prints on glass, I added those designs to Sea Stones, ornaments and magnets.



Now, 3 years later, Dog and Cat themed items are a major part of my work. Good Dog and Good Kitty magnets have become a top seller at my craft shows and in my Etsy shop. And as I continue to expand the designs available for the Leash hooks, they continue to sell well.



The moral of the story? There are two.
First, inspiration is everywhere.
Second, necessity is the mother of invention.



And it looks like Olivia has earned her keep. *phew*