La Strada dell'Arte, day two

I had to leave early during day one, so I was surprised to see how much of the background was colored in at the beginning of day two! When I arrived, Michele was busy blending blues and whites and green for the sky...
Sharon was keeping things together in the booth. Thankfully, today wasn't nearly as windy as yesterday. Due to the wind and the way we had displayed some plates (on plate stands), we had a couple of casualties on Saturday:( But, we picked up the pieces, and hopefully they will be incorporated into another piece.

Kaila showed up to help fill in the details. She had to work a double yesterday, so was anxious to get her hands dirty today.
So, after a bit of blending and definition, we took the tape away from the borders and Voila!

The proud artists: Carrie, Kaila, and Michele

A Fair(y) Use Tale

WOWsers! This must have taken forever to put together. And how well done it is!
I saw this on BoingBoing.net tonight and just had to share it.

La Strada dell'Arte, day one

Today was a beautiful day in Napa! It was also the first day of the "Italian Street Fair" at Copia (the Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts). Below, Michele and I are filling in our square, which is a recreation of Michelangelo's Cherubs.

The artists all started setting up at 10 AM or earlier today. First, we began by blocking off our area with painter's tape, so that when the masterpiece is finished, it will have a nice clean edge.

Next, we snapped chalk lines onto the pavement, dividing the square into a grid for correct proportion.

Then, we began to fill in the details...
Tomorrow, we'll start again early, and hopefully, by the time I have to leave to go to work, we'll have it all finished so I can get more pictures up to share!

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall....

Who's the fairest of them all?

I'm almost finished with the stained glass mirror that I've been working on. Just a little patina and clean up, and it's ready to hang!

Stepping Stone Unveiled...

I got the original pattern for this stepping stone from a book in Michele's library. However, the mold it used was much bigger than the molds available in the studio. So, I had to sketch it out and scale it down before making the pattern pieces for cutting the glass.
I don't think it's visible in the photos, but I used iridescent glass for the hummingbird's heads. I also threw in some white iridescent glass in the background to give it some sparkle when the sun hits it. For the background, I used the mosaic nippers to break up a bunch of different colors of blue and white pieces to puzzle together.

Playing with Powders

Today, I played around in the studio and got quite a bit accomplished, I'd say.
First, I cleaned up a couple of mosaic-ed stepping stones and poured the cement for mine. I'll have pictures up of that Monday or Tuesday, I imagine. The cement we used, Quikrete, takes 24-48 hours to set, depending upon the size of stone made.
After pouring my stone, I UV glued the bases on some of the Intermediate Glass Class Final Projects. So, that means that mine is finished:) Here are pictures from all angles:

I used a quote from As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, "Dreams are the seedlings of realities."
When viewed from the side or the top, you can see the layers of glass used. There were three 1/4" thick pieces of glass "painted" with powders, and two 1/8" glass spacers to add depth. It was on one of these spacers that the quote was written on.
The piece is translucent, and from the back you can still see all the layers, although it's not as impressive from that angle...
After gluing this piece to its base, I soldered up the rest of the pieces for my stained glass mirror. It is now ready to assemble, apart from the cutting of the actual mirror.

Lastly, after loading the kiln, I started on a "palette project." I have decided that I really like working with glass powders and the painterly effect that they offer:

I started this one as an example for my fusing student and it evolved into a princess and dragon scene with a few paramecium thrown in for good measure:)

I love the shadow that the piece cast, and I'm thinking that I'd like to make a series of sconces.
So, my "palette project" consists of using different powders together to come up with a palette of colors for use in future "paintings." I'll post pictures when I have the samples all finished and fired.

Soldered Pendant Necklaces

Finally, I've assembled not only the soldered pendants, but I've gathered all the components to actually piece together the entire necklace. I've got two beautiful necklaces so far...













These are both made with Czech fire-polished glass beads, about half of them have an Aurora Borealis coating which gives them a gorgeous shimmering effect. Both necklaces are finished with pure silver findings and silver chain measuring a total of 16".








I also thought that my fused plaid pendants could use some dressing up, so I wired this one together with silver chain and assorted glass beads:

Glass-making 101

From Stained Glass Step By Step, by Patricia Ann Daley:

I love this book for its plethora of information, from the process of making glass to types of glass to leading and foiling methods of assembly. The projects focus on different types of assembly. A list of projects includes: a Fleur de Lys Panel (Lead Came Method), a Butterfly Sidelight (Copper Foil Method), a kitchen wall clock, a mosaic-ed vase, a six panel lamp, and an Alaskan Totem Light (Sculptural Element).

The first 10 page chapter tells about the process of glass making, as well as describes the different types of glass...

First and foremost, glass is a liquid. Mind you, it's a solid liquid, because it moves so slowly that we don't notice it. However, if you were to examine a large cathedral window that has been standing upright in the same position for many years, you would notice that at the bottom, the glass has flowed downward and become thicker.
Glass is made from silica sand with 1% iron, soda ash, limestone and borax, plus added metal oxides for color: dichrome=green; copper/cobalt=blue; cadmium=lighter reds, oranges, and yellows; gold salts=deep, rich reds, gold pinks and purples.
Generally, most glass that is on the market today is machine-made. The process begins with a carefully measured dry mixture that is place in a crucible, a large "bowl," and then placed in a furnace to slowly heat the mixture to white-hot temperatures. After reaching the high temperatures, the glass liquid is ladled onto mixing slabs where the glass is twirled with a two pronged fork, similar to the way salt water taffy is twirled to mix it. The color changes to a bright orange and the consistency resembles taffy as the glass begins to cool.
The glass is now ready to be rolled, and this is the point where it is textured. The bottom roller gives the texture to the glass and is engraved with the texture. For standard glass, the thickness is now at 1/8" and the color of the glass mixture becomes a dull orange/red as it has cooled even more.
At this point the glass enters the annealing lehr, a conveyor line that slowly cools the glass by moving it from the hottest end of the "oven" to the cold, room temperature side. The glass is ready to be cut and packed into crates for distribution.

Bullseye's e-merge 2008

"A juried kiln-glass exhibition for emerging and intermediate-level artists"

Yowsers! Talk about exciting news! Bullseye has announced its juried contest for 2008.
From their postcard:

"e-merge 2008, the fifth in a series of juried kiln-glass exhibitions, aims to recognize students, early-career artists, and those artists not regularly represented by the top-flight national and international galleries...e-merge 2008 is your opportunity to compete for $5,750 in awards and representation in a full-color catalog documenting impressive kilnwork by the rising talents in the field."

The great part about this announcement is that the submission deadline isn't until February 22, 2008. Plenty of time to implement those great ideas that have been brewing!

For more information, check out the Bullseye website at www.BullseyeGlass.com/emerge.

Types of Stained Glass...

from Creative Stained Glass - Modern Designs & Simple Techniques:

There are two main categories of stained glass: cathedral and opalescent.
Cathedral glasses are clear or transparent, while opalescent glasses are, well, opal.

Antique Glass is made to look old. If it is machine-made, it will have a slightly distorted texture but be fairly even in color and thickness. If it is mouth-blown, it will be more varied, and show distortions, some bubbles, and differences in color intensity.

Bevels are thick, flat, precut glass shapes that sometimes come in prepackaged clusters for inclusion into stylized designs. They act as prisms, refracting the light that passes through them into rainbows. Bevels are usually clear, but may be glue-chipped.

Glue-chip glass is a textured cathedral glass that has been treated with hot glue, which then peels away to create a pattern.

Iridescent glass can be cathedral or opalescent. It is coated with metallic oxides that produce a rainbow effect when light reflects off of it.

Hammered texture glass also comes in cathedral and opalescent. The "texture is similar to that of hammered copper."

Glass nuggets are small globs of glass which are flat on the bottom and rounded on the top. You've probably seen these in your local craft store in the floral aisle.

Ring-mottled glass is an opalescent glass that is mottled with small, circular patterns, similar to a tortoise-shell.

Ripple glass can be cathedral or opalescent and has a rippled texture.

Rondels are mouth-blown glass pieces spun into a flat circular shape. They are similar to the bottom of a wine bottle and are usually transparent.

Seedy glass has many seed-like bubbles trapped below the surface.

Wispy glass is made by mixing cathedral glass with another more transparent color.

Streaky glass is made up of one or more cathedral colors mixed together with a white opalescent color, creating a thinly streaked, multi-colored glass.

Wavy glass has the appearance of a "gently rippled lake".

So that's about it for the types of glass section of this book. I'm actually fairly disappointed with the descriptions given for the types of glass. I have been reading another book, "Stained Glass Step By Step" by Patricia Ann Daley, and I think I'll have to do another post that gives some of her explanations. They are a little more explanatory and make much more sense.

"Creative Stained Glass - Modern Designs & Simple Techniques" by Christine Kellmann Stevenson has a few intriguing patterns towards the back of the book and is heavy on leaded glass patterns that seem to mimic one another. All around, I wouldn't recommend this book, although it has gotten one (of one) good review on Amazon.com.

Happy Anniversary, Mark and Lindsay!

Our friends Mark and Lindsay got married last year, but at the time, we had no idea what to get them. So instead of just getting something for the sake of getting something, we opted to wait until inspiration hit. And Wow, did it hit.
Check out the spread on this plate!



I have fallen in love with the Spectrum 96 glass that I've been working with lately. It does all the work, and I just cut!
However, the plate would have been entirely too naked presented all by itself. So, Todd and I went to Rainbow Coop in San Francisco to pick up some wonderful cheeses to accompany the tray.
I have to say that it was very difficult to pick a favorite, they all had their own appeal.



On the top left side of the platter is a Vermont, Taylor Made Farms Maple Smoked Gouda, sweet and milder than hickory-smoked gouda.
Top middle is the Welsh Red Dragon, a smooth, firm Cheddar made with Welsh brown ale and mustard seeds.This cheese is buttery and a bit spicy.
On the top right side of the platter is a Dutch Delft Gouda, a cow's milk blue cheese that was slightly crumbly but still a bit creamy.
We had an Ubriaca del Piave (from Bellunao, Italy) a couple of months back and it was wonderful. However, it is only on the market for a few months. So, when we asked for Ubriaca this time, we were guided to the Drunken Goat Cheese from Spain.
It is washed with wine as it ages.
The Carr Valley Mobay sits in the middle of the platter at bottom and is made in two halves with grapevine ash in the center. One half is made with goat’s milk, the other with sheep’s milk.



Nestled in the middle is a spicy hot, organic, Springhouse Cheese Co., Mike's Firehouse Curds from Petaluma, California, flavored with jalapenos, red peppers, parsley and cilantro. At the bottom right of the platter is the Belgian Chimay Bier cheese, which has the consistency of a soft brie and is washed with Chimay beer while it is aging.

As we assembled the plate, we decided to add some dried fruit: Bartlett pear, mango, gogi berries, hunza berries, cape gooseberries and rainier cherries.

To accompany the cheese plate, I fired an oil and vinegar tray and a smaller salt dish. We also filled a 375-mL wine bottle (that I etched with a bamboo pattern) with an extra virgin manznilla olive oil. For salt, we gave them some Black Lava Salt and 'Alea Pink Salt from Hawaii.

All in all, I think it makes a wonderful gift! I hope they were even half as excited about the whole thing as I am:)

My Very Own Dichroic Tile

Today, for the first time, I really dug in and played with some dichroic glass. It's always been a bit intimidating for me, because the stuff is so expensive! But, I must say, it was far less painful than I had made it out to be.
For the tile, we started with a 4"x4" piece of thin glass. For the next layer, we used mosaic nippers to break up opaque dichroic pieces, staggering them on the bottom layer. And then, we topped that layer with broken pieces of transparent dichroic glass. The last layer is a thin piece of 4"x4" clear glass.
The tiles will be dammed in the kiln with fiber paper and hot bricks so that they keep their dimensions. After firing, we will cut them, re-fire them at a low temp to soften the edges, then glue on bails, or drill holes into them and they are ready to wear!

The line down the middle of the tile is the score line I made to start cutting it into little pieces for pendants...Then, I remembered I wanted to photograph the before image! So, I've finished snipping it into littler pieces, and the next step is to fire them in the kiln again to soften the sharp edges.

Finally getting some soldered pendants done!

You may recall back in my March 16, 2007 post, that I mentioned I had some new pendant ideas...
I have finally figured them out completely and have taken the pictures I need:
First, my custom pendants...
This one is for my friend who's daughter is turning 3 this year. Although, I've got presents for her daughter, Sequoia, I thought that it would be appropriate to put together a necklace for Mommy. Someday she can pass it down to Sequoia, when she's old enough to appreciate it.

Another custom image pendant I did was with a photo of a Giant Sequoia:

And then, finally, I finished my stained glass leaf and flower pendants. Very time consuming, indeed! First, you cut all the tiny pieces. Then, you wrap each one with copper foil and burnish. Then, arrange them without letting them slide all over while soldering. Attach a jump ring, rinse, polish, and voila! They are very pretty. I think I'll incorporate them into some beautiful beaded necklaces.

Beginning fusing and stained glass classes...

Both classes went extremely well this week. Unfortunately, it seems that not many people are interested in fused glass this go around. That just means that my ONE student will get very extra special attention from the three people available to teach her! Also, it means that we can add another independent study night at the studio.
The stained glass class was overwhelmingly popular in comparison. We expected only four students to walk in the door and have now got a class roll of nine! Yea! I have a good feeling about the next 8 weeks and some of the amazing projects that will be spilling out the door in the hands of this group of students.
Well, I'm off to bed to dream about glass and mosaics! Tomorrow evening is the mosaic stepping stone class and I can't wait to make mine! Hopefully, I'll get the chance to head to the new climbing gym in Napa with Todd. I can't wait to try it out.
Goodnight and sweet dreams:)

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I Love My New Dip Dish!!!

Fresh out of the kiln, I'm so happy with the way this dish turned out.
For before pics, check out this post.
Notice how the red glass struck (turned color with the heat) to a bright orange.

Have I mentioned Etsy?

I absolutely love this site for finding homemade and handcrafted items when I'm looking for gifts for others, or if I'm just in the mood to indulge myself! Also, I've got a shop there, of course!



I highly recommend that any sort of crafty person be involved in some way on etsy. Marketing is a different story. But if you're crafty enough, I suspect you'll be just fine:)

New Plate! and I may be close to finishing...

My final project from Intermediate Glass is going in the kiln within the next few days! Finally!
There's been a huge line-up at the kiln for a few months, but it's time... Soon, this piece,

will be totally altogether as one. I'll photograph that as soon as I have it:0)

And these lovely pieces below...
at top : the mold,
the bottom layer of glass in in the middle, and the top layer of glass at bottom.

Also, I assembled a new dish to full fuse. I'll have it out of the kiln and then back in for a slump firing which will give it its shape. I will post those as soon as it's done as well!

New Plates and Paperweight...

I DID IT!!!

I went outside on this beautiful day, in the sunny Napa Valley, and took these shots of my newest projects:

This is the fused paperweight I made in February during Bryan Northup's class at M.Mitcavish Glass Studio "Pattern Bar & Kiln Casting."

Kiln casting is the technique. We used firebrick and carved out a design, which we then filled with pieces of glass, including some of the pattern bars.

These are images of the plate I worked on in March, in Intermediate Glass at M.Mitcavish Glass Studio. We created a cut sheet first, which are the three pieces in the middle picture. Then, I surrounded it with the teal green and transparent purple pieces before fusing it together. Finally, it was slumped into a mold to give it the shape.The lovely fruit bowl (at the moment) set is Spectrum 96 COE glass. It's beautiful splotches are the big attraction to this series of glass. I've been working on some cheese plates, with accompanying oil & vinegar dishes to create matching sets. I even created my own mold for the O&V plate!

On my way to the studio...

Yesterday, I finally finished cutting all the pieces for my Frank Lloyd Wright window that I'm working on for the studio. Yea! I'll remember to take my camera today, I hope, so that I can get some pictures up here!

Today, I want to go and play with glass and make some plates and bowls with the new molds that Michele picked up down in Vegas, baby!

Oh, and, if I remember this as well, I've got some plates sitting around that I've been wanting to get online as well. I'll go get that done right now! See you soon!

What a fun night I had...

For anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to work in a restaurant:
WaiterRant.net

A Picture of a Prairie Window

Found an image of the original piece from which the pattern I am working from is drawn.

Here's the photo.

The piece resides in the Barton House and is in a door of a dining room oak buffet. It's hard to tell what the color scheme is based on the photo, but I think it's a light blue...
I am using Chicago Art Glass that Michele Mitcavish has been hoarding since her Delphi Glass days. Chicago Art Glass reproduces glass that looks like the glass that Frank Lloyd Wright originally used in his stained glass pieces.
I'm getting very close to being finished, with the cutting of glass. Then, I only need to lead, solder, putty, and polish! Is that all?!?

Frank Lloyd Wright Stained Glass & my new best friend...

So, I've started my next big project at the studio....
On May 6, Michele's studio is on the list of studios being featured in a private tour for Magrit Mondavi and some friends. This is a big event! Michele's studio is filled with marvelous pieces of art, but she has been wanting to display some pieces more prominently for quite some time and this is just the kick in the pants that she needed. (You know, the house always gets the cleaning it needs when guests are coming over!)
So, she's had some Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Glass Stained Glass Window Patterns that she has wanted to hang and has graciously allowed another assistant and myself to learn leaded glass on the pieces. So, we each have our very own pattern to use in creating a beautiful art glass window with Chicago Art Glass, no less (That's antique glass that Mr. Wright used in his windows.) It's like our own private leaded glass window class!
I've begun to cut my first pieces for my pattern (the name I cannot recall right now - I can't even find a picture of it on the web!) Let me just tell you, the Morton board and cutting system is my best friend just about now!!! Can you believe that the diamonds he cut for this window are not 45 degrees, but an even 44-1/3 (or something crazy like that)! So, the cutting of the diamonds (mind you, they are not even all the same size) has provided me with the inspiration I needed to more fully understand and appreciate the inner workings of the Morton glass cutting system. Granted I was just learning, but it still took a good 2 hours (or slightly longer) simply to cut the fewer than 20 diamonds! Of course, seeing as how the pieces I was cutting are from the very limited supply of antique Chicago Art Glass, I was extremely precise and made sure that my diamonds were just so, cutting up scrap pieces of clear glass first and fitting them to the pattern.
I'm looking forward to going to the studio again tomorrow to begin cutting some squares. Much, much, much easier! I should whiz through those in no time at all. Before you know it, I'll have finished pictures up:)

Sauteed Seitan in Miso Sauce

Serves 3-4
1/2 cup miso
4 T water
4 tsps sake or dry sherry
2 T sweetener *see note that follows ( I like to use 4 T apricot or plum jam)
1 pound seitan, sliced
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp chili oil
2 leeks (white part only-clean thoroughly to remove dirt), julienned
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
2-3 carrots, julienned
2-3 stalks celery, julienned

1. Prepare sauce by mixing miso, water, sake, and sweetener. Simmer sauce over low heat for 3 minutes.
2. In skillet, saute seitan to crisp and brown. Set aside.
3. Over medium heat, add vegetable oil and chili oil to empty skillet. Add leeks and saute for 3 minutes until translucent.
4. Add garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute.
5. Add carrots and celery; saute for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in seitan and sauce; turn heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Serve over rice.
Enjoy!

*Sweetener substitution and conversion chart:

1/2 cup sweetener =

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1-1/4 cups maltose
1-1/2 cups barley malt extract
1/2 cup fruit juice concentrate
1 cup sugarless fruit jam or jelly
1-1/4 cups rice syrup
1-1/4 cups dried fruit puree
2 cups fruit juice
1 cup fruit juice and 1 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup unsweetened frozen juice concentrate

Tree of Life - Kiln Casting

The beginning fused glass class that Michele offers through the Napa Valley Adult School just completed their final projects - kiln casting.
Since I'm helping out with the class, and there was plenty of materials leftover, and space in the kiln...I decided to try my hand again.
First, we sculpt the piece out of clay. When it looks just right, we prepare a mold of the clay and then fill it with shards of scrap clear glass. The emphasis on this project is 0n the amazing textures that can be accomplished with just clear glass.
Overall, I'm very pleased with how this turned out:)

I Love Alanis Morissette! and other studio news...

Check out this great spoof on the Black-Eyed Peas "My Humps" from YouTube.



In studio news, Michele has been in Las Vegas for the last week with a couple of friends checking out the glass expo. She promises to come home with lots of new toys!! Yea! I can't wait to see!

Also, with Michele away, I've been firing the kilns. I love coming up with my own firing schedules - even more so when they turn out the way I thought they should.
I just unloaded a bunch of new pendants for my Etsy.com shop using 22k gold decals. I'm so excited to get them finished and up online. Hopefully within the week!

Plus, I've got a bunch of stained glass pendants that need to be soldered.

So, finally, after a long vacation, I am getting back to my work. It feels so good!

Okay, I'm getting ready for bed, really!

Just had to add a bit of comic-relief. I love this Weird Al video that parodies that one rap song. Yeah, I'm up on pop culture. Totally!
Myspace.com

Getting to Know You...

Well, I just got my brand new Morton Maxi Surface and Portable Glass Shop out of the box and am in the process of learning all about its many benefits. There's an audio CD talking me through reading the manual, so far. And what a nicely illustrated manual it is! (It is available to download here, if you need it.)
While sitting here, I came across an interesting tidbit that I was about to highlight, but figured I should just blog it instead. So, tonight I am sharing my Morton board lesson with you all:)

The first interesting fact I came across was the Flares, Burrs & Voids section. "These are terms to identify unwanted results when scoring and breaking glass." Turns out that a flare occurs when the glass cutter runs at an angle to the glass you're trying to cut. In other words, the cutter should be held perpendicular to the glass while scoring it. Also, they suggest picking up a Morton Runner Safety Break, a device that allows you to start the break in the middle of the piece of glass, as opposed to the edge of the glass (like when you use running pliers).
I've found that if you're trying to make a long break in a piece of glass, it works well to gently squeeze the running pliers from one edge and then finish the break from the other edge, also squeezing gently.
From the instruction manual: "It takes time for the break, that was started by the score, to travel through the thickness of the glass. As you add pressure to break the glass, a slow steady squeeze and hold type of pressure, is much more effective than a quick hard squeeze with no holding pressure."
Okay, so I really haven't had too much concern over "flares" on my glass. True, they can surprise you with a bite that bleeds, but flares are not that hard to grind off with the grozing side of the breaker-grozer tool. The edge may not look perfect, but chances are that it will look fine when it melts down in the kiln. (Unless, of course, you're going to be foiling the piece for stained glass work, in which case you'll be covering the edge with copper tape.)

I have made a mental note, though, to check out the angle of my cutter the next time I am cutting glass. I will try out this "new" technique with my Morton board tomorrow and get back to you with results. Flares be warned!

More on this subject as I read on. But for now, I'm off to bed to dream about glass:)

Biodiesel Dreamin'

For nearly four years now, I've dreamed of having a car that could run on veggie oil. Biodiesel is a close second and recently the Napa Valley Register ran an article on Biodiesel. They listed retailers of biodiesel that deliver to Napa County as well as a few others that do not. I just thought I'd document it for future reference.

Deliver to Napa County:

Sonoma biofuels
21600 8th St. E.
Sonoma, CA
996-7284
www.sonomabiofuels.com

Royal Petroleum
365 Todd Road
Santa Rosa, CA
707.540.0054
Royalpetroleum.com

San Francisco Petroleum
4290 Santa Rosa Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA
707.586.2765
(can deliver depending on quantity)

Yokayo Biofuels
150 Perry St.
Ukiah, CA
877.806.0900
www.ybiofuels.org

Peoples Fuel, San Francisco
415.747.6152
www.peoplesfuel.org

Biodiesel pumps in the region:

Biofuels Oasis
2465 4th St.
Berkeley, CA
510.665.5509
www.biofuelsoasis.com

Golden Gate Biodiesel
3575 Pacheco Blvd.
Martinez, CA
925.228.2223

San Francisco Biofuel Cooperative
8th and Bryant
San Francisco, CA
www.sfbiofuels.org

New pendant ideas!

Well, it's been quite awhile now since I've produced any new pendants. What with being away from the studio for two months, and then having my father visit for a month, and fighting the "blahs" of winter, and not having the proper lead-free Silvergleem solder...I'm finally approaching the day of reckoning! Yes, today I am gathering all of my design ideas from the last three months and beginning to cut some glass!!!
I've wanted to make some glass pendants that are "stained glass"-esque, and I've got lots of ideas floating around in my head. So, keep your eyes out for my new offerings!

Update...check out this post for finished pendants.

How to Make Nourishing Herbal Infusions

Susun Weed started the Wise Woman Series and Ash Tree Publishing. She teaches classes at the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, NY. My introduction to Susun Weed began with her book, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year.

From an article by Susun S. Weed.

An infusion is a large amount of herb brewed for a long time. Typically, one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb is placed in a quart jar which is then filled to the top with boiling water, tightly lidded and allowed to steep for 4-10 hours. After straining, a cup or more is consumed, and the remainder chilled to slow spoilage. Drinking 2-4 cups a day is usual. Since the minerals and other phytochemicals in nourishing herbs are made more accessible by drying, dried herbs are considered best for infusions.
I make my infusions at night before I go to bed and they are ready in the morning. I put my herb in my jar and my water in the pot, and the pot on the fire, then brush my teeth (or sweep the floor) until the kettle whistles. I pour the boiling water up to the rim of the jar, screw on a tight lid, turn off the stove and the light, and go to bed. In the morning, I strain the plant material out, squeezing it well, and drink the liquid. I prefer it iced, unless the morning is frosty. I drink the quart of infusion within 36 hours or until it spoils. Then I use it to water my house plants, or pour it over my hair after washing as a final rinse which can be left on.
My favorite herbs for infusion are nettle, oatstraw, red clover, and comfrey leaf, but only one at a time. The tannins in red clover and comfrey make me pucker my lips, so I add a little mint, or bergamot, when I infuse them, just enough to flavor the brew slightly. A little salt in your infusion may make it taste better than honey will.

Roots & barks: Use 1 oz (30 grams) per pint (500 mL) of water for 8 hours minimum.
Leaves: Use 1 oz (30 grams) per quart (liter) of water for 4 hours minimum.
Flowers: Use 1 oz (30 grams) per quart (liter) of water for 2 hours minimum.
Seeds & Berries: Use 1 oz (30 grams) per pint (500 mL) of water for 30 minutes minimum.

Business Development Grant for Bridge Jewelry

So for those of you who are over-achievers, and have your taxes done already...I'm sure you're looking for another project to tackle. PLUS, this one gets you money back...a whopping $6,000.00!!!

Okay, so what's the catch? Well, you must be an aspiring businesswoman who:
-is a student or professional jewelry designer
-intends on pursuing a full-time career in bridge jewelry
-intends on developing a branded line of bridge jewelry for resale
-intends on selling their branded line on a regional or national level
-started their bridge jewelry business after January 1, 2004
-has never been convicted of a felony
-is a US citizen

What is bridge jewelry, you say?
It is the middle segment of the jewelry industry that falls between fine jewelry (precious metals and gemstones) and costume jewelry.

Halstead Bead Inc. is interested in supporting jewelry designers in this segment due to the increasing competition from mass merchandising and cheap products from overseas.

A list of the things they require for entrants:
-Short Answer Application Questions
-Long Answer Application Questions
-Application Form
-Signed Contest Terms and Declaration of Originality
-5-10 Color Photographs of Original Bridge Jewelry Designs
-List of Materials Used in Each Design
-Wholesale and-or Retail Price for Each Design
-Marketing Collateral Materials- tags, brochures, catalog, etc.
-Resume including education and past employment
-Business Plan

If this sounds like something you may be interested in, check out http://www.halsteadbead.com/Grant/.

Have fun and good luck!

DRM

From http://www.DigitalFreedom.org

Never before in history have copyright terms been so expansive. The big studios have gotten the limits on copyrights extended more than a dozen times, far beyond what the authors of the Constitution could have ever envisioned.

DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a technology used to control access to and usage of digital data or hardware, and is often used to prevent people from copying their music to share with others.  But, at times, it also prevents you from accessing music that you purchased (like if you wanted to switch from a Zune to an iPod, for example).
    There have been arguments throughout history for restricting access to music:

From DigitalFreedom.org...

" I foresee a marked deterioration in American music…and a host of other injuries to music in its artistic manifestations, by virtue—or rather by vice—of the multiplication of the various music-reproducing machines…"
- John Philips Sousa on the Player Piano (1906)

"The public will not buy songs that it can hear almost at will by a brief manipulation of the radio dials."
- Record Label Executive on FM Radio  (1925)

"But now we are faced with a new and very troubling assault on our fiscal security, on our very economic life and we are facing it from a thing called the videocassette recorder…"
- MPAA on the VCR (1982)

"These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it.  So it's time to get paid for it."
- Universal Music Group Chairman/CEO Doug Morris, November 10, 2006

Now corporations are trying to manipulate copyright laws to protect their bottom line, while restricting our access and taking away our freedoms.But check out this...

and this...

My first California Earthquake...

So, I was sitting in my bedroom, pruning back the poor peace lily that's been sitting in sub-zero temps in the back room all winter, when I felt a jolt like someone pushed the room from the outside. Everything moved for a split second, and then stopped. It really spooked me out until a few minutes later when Todd announced that there was just a 4.2 magnitude earthquake centered in Lafayette (about 30 miles SSE of Napa). Wowsers!!
Now I know.

On another note, I just finished writing out the quote, "Dreams are the seedlings of realities," from James Allen's book "As a Man Thinketh," on a 1/8" piece of clear glass to be fired with my dimensional "painting" project. See the pictures below for a better idea of what I'm talking about:



The three layers of 1/4" thick glass laid out side by side...



and the three stacked upon each other. Next week, I'll add the text layer. After that, a little UV glue to secure it to a base, and the piece should be finished.