Today I give away my heart

Today, after just over a year of blogging, I celebrate my 100th blog post. As promised I have the spoils of last weeks hot glass fun, so if you would like to win a heart, here is what to do:

Post a comment and tell me which heart you would like, all of them have names. On monday next week I shall draw a winner from the magic bag and tell you here! The winner can then give me details for sending the heart to it's new home. Hope you like it!

The hearts:

Cherry Darling: Red frit with gold overlay, deep dark color and weighty.

Midnight sky: Aqua blue frit with gold overlay, looks like a meteor shower in the night sky.

The dark side: Feminine pink and dichroic glass, all wispy, with a black liney dark side. We all have a dark side!

Spring flowers: Light and pretty, multi colored frit over clear glass makes for a confetti like spring flower mix.

How to make a heart

Into the mold

Necking the glass

Working at the bench

Into the crucible

At the glory hole

Adding the colored frit

Back into the crucible

I've been pondering the 100th blog post, and what to do for a giveaway. Inspired by Valentine's day, I decided to make a hot glass heart or two, post the pictures here, and then give one away to you!

So, here is the process, and when they come out of the kiln tomorrow, I will post pics of the finished hearts, and explain the giveaway!

Happy Valentines to you!

Five years ago

Five years ago today, having packed boxes and cases, we waved goodbye to friends and family and came west to America.

Everything is so clear in my head. Trying to get Ruby and Dolly to pee at 4.30am in the freezing dark in Staines,UK before kissing them and loading them into crates for the flight. Wondering how there were, 5 hours into the flight, hoping they weren't scared. Landing at SFO, picking up a rental car and wondering where we would be sleeping that night. Arriving at our 'new home' and having to think of strangely practical things like: what shall we have for dinner, and where is the nearest supermarket to buy it?

Each year, we like to remember the day, and recognise it's importance in our life. This year is no different except for the fact that Ruby and Dolly are both gone now, and we have a baby!

I mentioned the anniversary to a friend this morning, and she asked: were we scared?

No, we were not. Occasionally in life you have such clarity and clear vision, that it is remarkable and extraordinary. Coming to the USA on that day was like that. We knew without a doubt that it was the right thing for us, and five years later, the clarity is still as clear as if it were yesterday.

The picture is of Ruby and Dolly in the UK before we came here.

Spring around the corner

With all this rain recently, I notice that the garden is full of dormant and newly awakening life. Plants bursting with buds and new growth, and green abounds in a way not usually seen in these parts - especially at this time of year. Spring feels like it may be just around the corner.

I realise that come 9th Feb, I will have been blogging for a year! and I am also coming up to the 100th post, which, given the latter part of last years baby related blogging quiet, feels like a little achievement at least.

I plan to do a give away of sorts to celebrate, so watch this space for info!

Random note

Hooray! Finally got around to ordering giclee canvas prints of bunny and Boo paintings. I will be very interested to see how they come out. Who knows, I may get around to opening an Etsy shop yet. Maybe this year is the year!

This is a somewhat random photo of a book shelf in my lounge. I prefer to upload a picture as well as words. I know I like having something to look at when I visit other blogs.

I seem to have a bit of a thing about pears, as you may see - there are several of them of these shelves. Hope everyones Monday is a reasonable one.

New year, new hope, new painting

It is time to put some of the sadness from Dolly's passing away, and replace it with warm thoughts and feelings about the thirteen and a half years I was lucky enough to share with her. Thank you, kindly, to those of you who left a comment, they were all greatly appreciated.

My other dogs - the buttons (Pixie Stix and Cookie Baxter) are doing very well, and have adjusted to the new 'shape' of things. They seem closer than ever. Cookie has resumed training (when Dolly was alive, she prevented her from doing so, being the Alpha and all) And Cookie is now rather good at: sit, stand, dance, down, beg, shake, and roll over!! not bad work for less than a month. She seems to love the challenge, and she certainly enjoys the treats that come with it. Pixie on the other hand, just enjoys the treats!

I have been really quite busy with work of late, which is very nice. Mostly because of the sense of achievement it brings. I'm sure many people would think that raising a baby is enough work by itself, but I do put pressure on myself to do more than that.

I have just finished this commissioned painting of a teapot. It is 14"x 14" acrylic on canvas. Still life is not really my thing at all, but I enjoyed the challenge, and think the results are quite successful. I'm a bit naughty posting it here today as the client hasn't even seen it yet, but I couldn't resist, and I'm sure all parties will have seen it by the weekend anyway, so you just get to enjoy it first!

Still working on some illustrating work too, so will post that as its ready.

Happy new year to you all.

The saddest of news

It is today, with great sadness, that I blog about our dearest Dolly being put to sleep on Monday. I didn't have the heart to write about it before, I still don't really have the heart, but the fingers can type - so that will have to be good enough.

Dolly was thirteen and a half years old, and we had recently discovered she was suffering from advanced liver disease. We did the things we could to help, but after several months of very frequent bloody poop, we felt it was time to make the hardest decision of all. The final straw came last week when she started to poop every hour, 24-7. We were exhausted, and she was distressed, so we booked an appointment for Monday.

The weekend was special 'Doll time'. We took her to Carmel beach, out for lunch, curled up on the bed with her, and gave her so many treats and snacks that she has been unable to have for months. It was time well spent, but didn't make Monday any easier.

Now, my heart is broken, but I know it will mend, and in it's place shall be so many memories and thoughts of a truly loyal companion.

I'll probably post a few pics of Doll over coming posts. Ones which make me smile and remember all the great things. Many have probably been posted before, but all are worthy of posting again.