Easily Distracted

This week has been wet. It's also been overcast - but mostly it's been wet.

Wet here apparently involves huge drops of moisture alternating between pelting down manically, flooding guttering so that it overflows drenching humans, pets & plants within minutes, & stopping suddenly leaving a person wondering where the heck it has gone. The saving grace is that it is also warm - with temperatures still being 24° - 29°C ( 75° - 84°F those of you stateside).

Given that the rainy/storm season has finally arrived I had made plans for the days when I couldn't be working outside this week. They involved a little painting &, more importantly, unpacking the rest of my glass now that I finally have more storage sorted. Or so I thought.....

Right up until the time that I stopped to make my first cup of coffee & looked out the kitchen window...

This little guy was sitting on the patio railing. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing at all unusual about Rainbow Lorikeets in the garden - apart from the fact that they don't usually venture up to dog & cat territory. Just as well the dog is a rain wimp & was curled up in a pathetic wee ball on his beanbag - with the cats doing similar in the bedrooms.

This particular Lori wasn't at all afraid of the human that, feeling sorry for them that the bird feeder had just received an impromptu clean out & was now a water bowl, ventured out with a freshly peeled lychee & two slices of mango. He just sat, not even a foot away along the rail, & watched me - then when I backed off  he invited his friend up.

What happened next was as funny as a play! Straight off he knocked the first piece of mango off...
It really doesn't need a dialogue but I couldn't resist.

"Oh darn, Ethel - that's one down."

"You go for the next thing, Archie - I'll just keep an eye on 'er over there!"

"Easy there Archie - don't scoff too much, you never know what it could be."

"Hmm, Ethel - I'm not so sure about that one...unusual texture."
"Careful Archie - you nearly knocked me off!"

"You sure it's not some sort of egg?"

"Oopsy, seems it just joined that other thing."

"This isn't so bad - you hold that end & make sure it doesn't fall."

"Grr - I said hold it Archie!"

By the next downpour the mango & lychee are forgotten as my latest distractions take refuge in the tree right next to the deck & groom each other in an attempt to dry off.

 

 

These birds are so entertaining to watch - gregarious & unafraid, for the most part, of humans. They did go down onto the patio & eat the fallen mango between showers - but left the lychee for the ants. 

Just as well really - it could become time consuming peeling lychees for the Loris ;)

The Goddess In My Garden

Sitting outside on an overcast but warm day it was hard to ignore unmistakeable buzz of the bee's as they busily flew from bloom to bloom gathering pollen. The breeze gently moved the plants & grasses while I was planning what had to be tied back or deadheaded before what looked like the threat of rain became a reality.

Rather than stick with the job at hand my thoughts drifted to melting glass (isn't that always the way?!) then, in turn, to a gift I had received some time ago. Bear with me here.....

I've never had much by way of statuary in my gardens, but was rather taken with some of the Indonesian garden statues I had seen in Brisbane. They'd lent an air of calm grace & peacefulness to what were otherwise hot & vibrant gardens. I'd decided that "one day" I would have one.

The gift, which normally graces my windowsill in the kitchen where she sits framed against a backdrop of greenery & catches the light play all day long, that my mind went to was one of the lovely & super talented Angela Greer Garren's glass sculptures "Pillar of the Sun". I realised that I already had a beautiful piece of garden art - even if only while I was out there during the day.

So out she came to watch over me & enjoy some filtered sunlight.

Pillar of the Sun

Ang - if you read this I'd just like to say "Thank You" again - you've no idea how much pleasure this particular piece of glass has given me.

Idea's Anyone?

I was blessed in on February 22nd, no doubt about it. However I have a problem that I need help in solving.

All of my 104 COE Glass survived in tact - my Gaffer Glass not so much. The reason that my 104 glass defiantly survived is because of the fact that, when I set up my storage shelves in the garage, I ran a wooden wedge underneath the bottom front of the shelves so that they leant back towards the wall. Thank goodness that I did.

The reason I did this was really just to counter balance the weight of the glass where it overhangs the front edges of the shelves being aware from past experience with any laden shelves that it can cause them to easily tip forward. I pretty much have every large piece of furniture wedged in this place, primarily because I have always found that carpet edges don't provide an even surface for furniture that is against walls to sit on & because we rent we aren't allowed to put holes in the walls....& therein lies my problem. The easy answer would be to use brackets & screws to secure shelve & cabinets making them as earthquake proof as possible.

Now that I'm as ready as I'll ever be to tackle the job of assessing the damage to the rest of my supplies in my studio area & set things up again I'm also trying to figure out how to secure the taller shelving.

Unfortunately one my taller shelves that housed my supplies of pretty much everything else glass related didn't survive the same treatment of wedging & fell over breaking & damaging a whole raft of things. I've lost frit, enamels, chemicals & bead release,  the majority of which can't be replaced locally, & even though I imagine insurance will cover most of it I'm a little reluctant to restock my shelves unless I can make things a lot more secure.

I've drawn a blank - the "no holes in the walls"policy is creating a mind blank that I can't get past as quite simply I know what I'd do if this were my house.

Does anyone have any idea's?

Keys

For ages I have wanted to try putting some glass on keys. The only thing that stopped me was the feeling that I would be better put spending my time practising the basics.

For goodness sake, I was still struggling with getting nicely shaped, well centred beads on the bigger mandrels - what chance did I have of achieving anything remotely simialr on a key with protrusions getting in the way.

Having sourced some keys a few weeks back I finally made a start & it was much easier than I thought.

And the Mailman Brought

Bliss in a box aka my supplies!
Oh yeah! Almost nothing excites quite like new glass.


Ok, perhaps it's just me that feels the thrill! The ginger ninja seems to be in deep denial



Yet, a couple of weeks ago, when I was trying to sort my chalcedony glass & get some packed for shipping....

A Little Bit of Beady Colour

I've been trying to get brighter with my bead colours. While my precious stash of Stripy Coral was willing to come to the party - it's supporting act, 'Magic', was busy acting less magical & more like a spoiled diva refusing to perform.

Orange Loses it's Magic

Still I do like every other aspect of this bead ;o)

Boadicea

I received the smaller copper beads in the post on Saturday, needed to finish this bracelet this weekend.
I'm not 100% thrilled with the toggle clasp - but it was all that I could get locally that was of a reasonable quality.

That aside - I love the way this bracelet has turned out, once again using early beads.
I'm hoping that someone else will love it too as I have just put it up on my website.

"Boadicea" Bracelet

I've just realised a huge drawback to shopping in person....I have no idea of the name of the gemstone rounds that I bought to work in with it!! At least with buying online you have a record of these things - sounds like a darn good reason to shop to me!!
Just as well that I'm off on a shopping trip with a friend, that will take me back to the bead store where I purchased them tomorrow, at least I can clear up the mystery.

Colourific Wednesday

How good is your perception of hues, tones & shades? I never think too much about mine, & to be honest when it comes to putting glass colours together for beads I pretty much suck.....big time, unless I have specific instructions.
But that is just in beads - in everything else it is not a problem. Go figure!

Not to blow my own trumpet (well not too much anyway), but in fabrics, yarns, clothing & decor it is not a problem at all. In fact more than once I have been asked to consult on colours for peoples decor, & I've lost count of the times when I was at the Gallery that an artist would ask "what do you think it needs" when it came to an incomplete artwork that needed a touch of 'something more' to give it a lift.

Then there was the framing - I could just glance at an image & straight away go to the right mat boards, mounts & frames that would compliment it the best ... & there were physically thousands of choices in both tones & shades of every colour imaginable.

There is alsocolours as I see them in my minds eye - I once amazed a certain male by buying 20 meters of organza swearing that it was exactly the right tone to match the antique gold that was in my duvet cover..... I didn't have the duvet with me. I just knew.

So why the hassles with glass & beads? Is it some form of mental block - or perhaps that fact that so many colours seem to react 'not quite as anticipated with each other.

Don't mind me - I'm still just trying to figure it, but in the meantime if you have a spare moment take this 'Hue Test' that a friend sent me a link to a while back - it's fun, even if my perfect score the first time around made me wonder all over again just what is wrong when it comes to me & glass ;o)
FM Hue Test

(here's a hint - if you find it a bit tricky - squint!)

Colourful Fibers Spin my Wheels & a Sneak Preview

Well, they're are going to take a spin on a Kumihimo disk - so I'm not telling fibs!

I love fibers & textiles, especially colourful fibers & textiles. I buy them, I stash them away & I hoard them, occasionally I take them out & fondle them! The fact that 80% of what I have bought doesn't get used is academic! It will.....one day.
That, however, doesn't stop me from buying more, although I must admit that since glass I have been very well behaved...sort of!

This lot I shall happily blame on Jo - they were her discovery at Hands Ashford. Of course it wasn't me that suggested a trip into the country to visit the showroom of the creator of these wonderful hand dyed fibers last Friday. Jane's studio was a positive Aladdin's Cave of delightful colourful fibers & threads. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet Jane, but her wonderful husband Rob was more than willing to help us out & let us browse & buy.

If you are into fibers I can highly recommend a visit to Janes Van Keulen's website - there you will discover an array of hand dyed silks, rayon's, cottons & so very much more. Of course if you are hesistant about buying online, prefering to have a more 'hands on'experince - I will gladly offer my services as a personal shopper!

Additions to my Fiber Stash

Now for a sneak preview at a couple of beads that will be part of my totem....or parts of them anyway ;o)

Saturday Show Off ...Well it's Saturday here!!

Shortly we are off to the Airport to welcome Sophie home - I have a feeling that we are going to be just a few among many!! I cant wait to see her - apparently she has been ready to come home for a wee while now, but has been travelling around China & enjoying the sights.

For now here is another of my beads from the past week.

"Shrinking the World" - Treasury for You

OK - Blame the title on Ang.....no, on second thought, congratulate her for it.
This is one way of making the world seem not quite so large & all of the wonderful friends I have made online seem not quite so distant.
It also makes the selfish side of me also feel not quite so isoalted ;o)

I have to admit there is one piece of non-glasy goodness in there. I discovered this the other day & have been mopping down my monitor ever since!! Take a look at Maiaart's Tutankhamun with Scarab Pyrographed Gourd!!

This time I have remembered to put a link in ;o) "Shrinking the World"

Also here is another TV commercial we have here - kind of appropriate (& I wish it were this easy - lol)

S'hard Days Night

"Picaro"

It’s official – I suck at shards. OK – I hear you say “but you’re meant to blow shards” & I do. But even when I blow I suck! Believe me on this!

For those of you not into playing with the awesome combination of fire & glass (are there any such people out there?) who are unfamiliar with what shards are – they are …well what the name indicates, shards of glass. These are used to decorate the beads, sculptures & fused glass work.

In this instance, flameworked beads, the shards are created by forming a hollow ball on the end of a stainless steel tube & then gently blowing down the tube to expand that ball, resulting (if you are extremely lucky & the moon is in the right phase & the great deity of glass is looking upon you favorably) in a thin walled glass ball about the size of an orange. This is them smashed into smaller pieces, which of course makes the fact that I can’t get it up in the first place, even more unpalatable.

I fluked it once – there were no deities, moons or four leaf clovers in sight – so I know it was a fluke. The problem is I like the results I got from this particular silver glass in shard form – so much so that I have now wasted an entire rod trying to make more shards.

Today was another unsuccessful shard day…. & evening. Fortunately I moved on & played with some of the fabulous gaffer glasses instead - in green of course.

I rather like this & any sympathy I may have had for Kermit is quickly fading – maybe he would have felt better about green if he had accessorized with purple – a bit feminine perhaps …but better ;o)

This advertisement below almost accurately describes the least of what I was saying after each shard attempt. Click on the link if you want to see....

"Bugger"

Imitation - the Highest Form of Flattery......

"Winged Isis Egyptian Goddess"

AngelinaBeadalina

Every so often, well - quite frequently really, a thread will come up on LE about copying. Now while it is all very interesting & sometimes aspects of it are realtively valid in certain instances, I personally feel that it's not worth get all hung up over. Far better to put ones energies into creating, rather than debating.

One particular lady on LE, an artist whom I very much admire not only for her gorgeous glass creations & sculptures but also for her wonderful insight & brilliant words of wisdom is AngelinaBeadalina (or Angie or Ang - lol), summed up the whole issue perfectly:

We each make our own footprint in glass. If you look ahead of you, there will be the footprints of those who came before you. You will notice their footprints crossing over one another, sometimes landing in the same space even though they've come from different directions and once again diverge and follow different paths. If you look behind you, there will be the footprints of those coming behind you. You will notice some that appear to follow you, but if you put yourself in the shoes of the people ahead of you, then you realize that to them it may look as if you are merely following in their footsteps. You will also notice those behind you moving at different speeds and in many different directions. We are each making our own footprints, but you'll notice it is inevitable that all the ground as far as you can see before you and behind will become covered with footprints. Before you assume someone else is following your path to closely, better look at your own from a different perspective. . . just because your feet have landed momentarily in the same spot does not make either of you owner of that spot.

No one owns a piece of the path, no matter how heavily or lightly trodden it might be. Just enjoy the walk!
Oh, and a few other thoughts that could come from this loose analogy:

--If you have made some superduperspecial bulldozer to clear part of the path, don't forget that someone ahead of you probably used a different version of it somewhere along the line. Feel proud of your work, but it might be arrogant to assume no one else in history has ever used the same type of idea. Also, remember that just because you moved part of the path still does not give you ownership of the path itself.

--If you pay someone to guide you along a new or difficult part of the path for you, show them respect and thank them for their help. If you take money from someone for guiding them along a part of the path you know well, show them respect and thank them for trusting you. Both of you should remember that neither of you owns the path.

--Remember that babies learn to walk partly by observing others and partly by trying to walk themselves.

--If you always ride piggyback, certain things will happen: you may never learn to walk by yourself again; or you may get a needed break and then walk stronger; or you may only succeed in hurting the back of the one who carries you while simultaneously deepening their footprint. Still, no matter what happens with the footprints, neither of you will be able to claim that part of the path as your own.

--If someone alongside you could use a hand as they traverse the path, please be kind. You never know when you will need their hand in return.

--This path really is a wonderful one. You share it with many wonderful people. Share it, enjoy it, glory in it .

~~X~~

Be sure to check out Ang's blog & her gallery at BeadArtists.org - both are well worth adding to your favorite places to hang out!