This year for one of my friends I decided to make an ornament – well it was almost going to be a pendant but I knew that she really likes having a decorated tree… so I added the ribbon.

I used carved bone beads, glass beads, color wire, and bright green ribbon.

I like how this turned [...]]]> This year for one of my friends I decided to make an ornament – well it was almost going to be a pendant but I knew that she really likes having a decorated tree… so I added the ribbon.

I used carved bone beads, glass beads, color wire, and bright green ribbon.

I like how this turned out – now if I mark my calendar for July – maybe I’ll have time to make a series of ornaments for Christmas sales by the Fall shopping season.

With thanks to Craig who sent me the following link:

http://weburbanist.com/2009/10/29/all-aboard-clever-recycled-train-car-homes-offices-hotels/

It involves the clever reuse of train cars. Now what I find so inspiring about this … well in college my friends and I found a couple of old wooden cabooses…sitting on abandoned tracks a short walk from our dorms. [...]]]> My inspiration of the month….

With thanks to Craig who sent me the following link:

http://weburbanist.com/2009/10/29/all-aboard-clever-recycled-train-car-homes-offices-hotels/

It involves the clever reuse of train cars. Now what I find so inspiring about this … well in college my friends and I found a couple of old wooden cabooses…sitting on abandoned tracks a short walk from our dorms. The tracks had become a cut through or back way to get to a local shopping center.  Since none of us had a car it was our preferred path and I saw them frequently over 4 years. I even thought of “stealing” the abandoned cars – but where would I put them? They are an enchanted part of my past – and involve one of my fondest fantasy:  re-using them for a private retreat, or art studio.  To this day it makes me sad to think of the neglect, and the vandalism. People had started fires in them and spray painted the interiors – it was so needless.

In an ideal (for me) world I would have a property that I could put a train car or two on – I’d be able to find the legal owners of the abandoned cars and buy them for myself and get them moved. I want to restore them and make an office / writing studio in one. In the other I would want to make a painting studio. For obscene amounts of space / time / money I’d have about 5 or 6  more cars and create for myself a village of train cottage work rooms for my various needs. Such as:

• jewelers bench and studio
• sanding, grinding woodworking (dust filled and messy)
• painting / finishing studio for varnishing, glazing, glazes
• kiln room for various kilns (jewelry fusing, slumping, etc)
• fabric arts, quilting, costuming, weaving, spinning
• an extra long car for raw material storage

In reality – I already have a nice little studio, and access to a garage fro all my woodworking needs. I just like to dream big and impossible things – after all who knows – maybe I’ll be fortunate one day and some more of my big dream will come true too.  After all I never thought I’d have the chance to stay home and work on my art and jewelery.

It may even be possible to one day have my village. But if I do it will more than likely be made of small and large work sheds – and in the center – my one lone train car to serve as my inspirational retreat and office.

Hey – I even forgot my photography studio and the clay shop! Do I have too many interests?

You betchya!…and counting…..

*fingers crossed* Wish me luck and I wish the same for your own Big Dreams.

I took a class back in Spring 2007 that I really enjoyed at the Vitrum Studio in MD from the same person who taught me to make torch work beads back in Dec 2000. I learned a few more techniques and found that I really want to get a larger kiln eventually. That way I [...]]]> I took a class back in Spring 2007 that I really enjoyed at the Vitrum Studio in MD from the same person who taught me to make torch work beads back in Dec 2000. I learned a few more techniques and found that I really want to get a larger kiln eventually. That way I can make some more of these:

Since not everyone has ever heard of, let alone made a faux stained glass window, I thought that I would share with you some of my thoughts about making one.

My goal was to make a fairly large window and I only wanted to do it once. I knew that I would need to make a [...]]]> Since not everyone has ever heard of, let alone made a faux stained glass window, I thought that I would share with you some of my thoughts about making one.

My goal was to make a fairly large window and I only wanted to do it once. I knew that I would need to make a sample piece before I did the big window, but what size should I do? I decided that a small project was best.

First I took an unused basic plain wood picture frame, that had real glass, from my stockpile of “up for grab” items. Then I went looking for an actual stained glass pattern at a local store. (you may be able to find simple patterns online for free) I found a nice Pegasus pattern, which after I had it about half done I decided might have been too ambitious.

Having previously purchased a variety of the paint colors I was set to go, so I removed the glass from the frame and placed it on a work table over the cut out stained glass pattern.

There were a lot of curves and I was using the liquid “lead” paint. Taking my time and doing a few practice runs on scrap paper I quickly got the hang of starting and stopping a constant line of paint. If you are doing a basic geometric pattern then using the strips of straight self adhesive lead lines is really the way to go.

As advised in the instructions I waited for the liquid leading to dry before starting the coloring process. Which basically consists of squeezing some of the right colored paint into the designated area, and using either a toothpick or in my case a stainless nut pick to guide the pooled paint into the entire target area and especially into the corners.

Things went very quickly but I was less than satisfied with my first attempt. I made a few rookie mistakes, and I had to keep checking that I had the right color in the right section.

I found that when using Gallery Glass Paints that I needed to make sure that each separate color is done and dried before working on the next color. This will help to prevent you from accidentally smudging the paint causing blotching and unsightly wrinkling of the paint. While it adds a lot of time – it gives you the best results.

The colors will be opaque to start and then dry more transparent or with a pearl finish depending on the color choice.

Overall I was very glad I made a “practice” piece first….here is the result of my large window wall piece.

Here is a brief list of tips to help you avoid some of the pitfalls I made on my first attempt and allow you to create a more authentic stained glass effect:

Place a dot of the “lead” paint at each of the joint intersections – this simulates a solder joint nicely.

Use two or more paints lightly swirled together with a clean toothpick to give depth of field. I like to use a translucent pearl with a solid to give a shimmer. Be careful not to over mix the colors together.

Where you intend to leave clear glass – use a clear glass or very lightly tinted paint – then when the paint is just slightly dry… swirl it to give a textured effect.

To fix a mistake – do nothing until it’s dry. Then carefully cut out the mistake and re-do. If you try to clean up an area that you goofed before it sets – you usually end up with a bigger mess that is smeared and a lot harder to fix.

Don’t forget to use a clean toothpick or straight pin to lightly pop bubbles as they surface, or you may end up with mini craters in the dried paint.

Tape the pattern to the underside of the glass – that way if you bump the glass – you don’t shift your pattern.

Use a copy of your pattern – not the original – so that you can mark it with color choices. Once these are marked make sure to leave the pattern in place until you are done. You will be able to easily see which color goes where without having to frequently stop and recheck.

Creating your own faux stained glass window can be greatly satisfying or tremendously frustrating. But I encourage you to give it a try – you may surprise yourself. I consider this a great way for people who don’t think they are all that creative to make something they can show off and bring sense of confidence to other artistic en devours.

Glass Pyramids

I really loved these pyramids – photo taken at Disney in FLA. Then cropped and embellished with a night sky to provide a portal effect.

This was an early picture of my dog…. when he was still cute and fluffy. Taken with an Olympus digital automatic…back in 1999 or 2000 I think.

Hey There!

If you seriously want to explore the whole photography as business idea -or – other passion [...]]]> I had a friend ask the question about taking his photography to a professional level and trying to make a living with it… I thought I’d share my answer since may others also may be thinking along those lines.

Hey There!

If you seriously want to explore the whole photography as business idea -or – other passion as business idea for that matter…. then I can point you at a website that I think has lots of good basic starting ideas.

http://changingcourse.com/

in particular they featured this info for photographers…

http://changingcourse.com/recommends/photos/

I would also check out the links targeted to travelers too… since frequently travel and photography go hand in hand.

The site is very much geared to drive you to go to their seminars… and we’ll help you find / fulfill your life’s dreams by creating the life you want to live. Which is a bit over the top at times. But much of the info and ideas are okay.

They offer things like tips on taking things part time while working at a job full time…etc.

Anyway – I remembered the photography thing – so I thought I’d point you over there… I’m sure there are lots of things like this out there…but hey a place to start your investigation!