SOLD!

This was the first platter sold....Oregon maple with a glass manufactured and made in Oregon! The black center has a dichroic pebble stream perfect for holding some brie or other cheese. This platter can also be mounted on the wall.

Jack Liskear is the wood turner.....it is so much fun to make these various bowls and platters with him. This is also turned from a block of local maple. I call my contribution "graffiti glass." 

All my glass comes from Bullseye Glass here in Portland. My studio is in my home in Southwest PDX.... Jack's studio is just across our turn-around behind his garage! 

Collaboration is awesome!

I am pleased to be part of this low key art show at Baerlic Brewery!

I have some new work in collaboration with my friend Jack Liskear He is a wood turner and I have been making some glass inserts. I'll also have some glass pendants, dishes, and slumped bottles. 

I know I will be there Friday afternoon and Saturday evening. 

Jewelry will be available for purchase from Esther Liberman and beautiful paintings by Emina Musanovic will also be there.

The art is affordable and beautiful.

Come see us!!!!

Celebration of Art 2016

This was my booth this year. It was a great event ! I am most grateful to my customers!

Stay tuned....I'll be selling at another event in December.
I still have some inventory and small project commissions can be created before the winter holidays!

Commission Completed!

This triptych measures 24" in height plus the spacing between the pieces. 

The base glass is clear topped with iridized cobalt, powder, and aqua blues. There are clear bubble dots and pink shard of glass  tacked on to the top. The pinkish glass is from the couple's broken wedding glass. Going into the kiln the glass had a bluish tinge , but the heat transformed it into a striking iridescent pink.

I hope to get a photo of this once it is wall mounted!

Commission in Progress

This is a small part of a triptych  commission.
More beads and wedding glass shards are yet to come. I can hardly wait to see it finished. So far, so good!

Taste of Art/Celebration of Art

November 5-6 At the MJCC: 6651 SW Capitol Highway

ORA NW Jewish Artists is again presenting a fabulous show and sale!

Saturday evening 7:00-9:00 we will feature a live band, gin and beer sampling and some tasty treats. Over 20 artists will be available to sell you art.

Sunday the doors will open at 10:30 am. More live music and lots of beautiful art work to enjoy and purchase.

I have new artwork....stop by and see me! Lots and lots of glass!!!!

Photos of new work coming soon!

Oh, what a little Heat can do!

If you saw my last post (scroll down) you saw that I was about to fire bluefish shards of glass from a crushed wedding glass.

The bluefish glass struck a rose color that is just awesome...although the design I am working with really called for blue glass. I love the color of this glass and think it will actually accentuate things in a great way.

Because of Jewish holidays , my production has been spotty....but I am taking advantage of spare time between holidays to get some work done. I do have a show on Nov. 5-6 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center (I'll post new info shortly!) that requires me to make some new things so....this commission gets worked on when I can!

Check out these shards!

A New Commission Begins

Shards from a broken wedding glass...MAZEL TOV!!!!

The clear specks are made of large glass frit.  The blue shards are from the wine glass, but won't be compatible with the rest of the glass design so those soon to be rounded bits will behold fused (glued) to the master panels. Stay tuned! More will develop here in the next few days !

Sometimes things break

Things break in the kiln ... often when the glass is unevenly weighted....the stress of that unevenness as it slumps creates the crack.
I thought I had adjusted to the heat to accommodate.... but that was a bad guess.
And now...I shall start over.
OUCH!...another lesson learned.

Vineyard Bowl Taking Shape

This is built on a white base. The back of the white disk is sprinkled with blue frit 

After fusing the background I added some leaves and grapes

then added even more leaves and more grapes!

Hundreds of mini-blobs

Handling each tiny little blob requires care. Squeeze the tweezers too hard and sproing....they go flying! 

Using coarse fit was definitely the way to go!

These are my grapes....I made  500+....a commission in the making.
I hope to have it completed by the end of next week. But first....I shall take a short vacation!

Maintenance Time

Scraping kiln shelves before coating them with kiln wash. It's tedious but necessary. 
Step one is to wet down the used shelf....then I use a razor blade scraper to remove the old kiln wash. That's the tedious part. Once it's nicely cleaned I put at least 5 coats of fresh kiln wash using a Haake brush. It goes on pink but once I dry it in the kiln it turns white and is ready for glass.

I am blessed to have a wet working space on my deck...so  the sounds of my creek and the birds chirping up the canyon make the work rather pleasant.

 I have many projects just waiting for me....now to make the time!

GOBY!

My neighbor is a woodworker...today he took me to HIS candy store....GOBY!

I like working with pretty, shiny things. Wood is pretty. It doesn't shine...at least not in its raw form. But oh my, wood is seductive!

And I couldn't just look...right?   I had to buy some pieces. I am excited about the pieces I selected, even though it means finishing and oiling the wood to bring out its characteristics. These pieces will become mounting boards for my glass work. I am quite excited about the prospect and am looking forward to some future design work wth the wood in mind! Tonight I shall have dreams of wooden tables made from the slice of a tree. Someday, I will make one!

Bargain Basement #4

Tallit Clips and Bottle Stoppers.....below cost...priced to sell!

top to bottom
rectangles with dichro   $12
chamsah in dichro  $14
pomegranates  $14
60% + off!

Bottle Stopper  $15

Dove Bird Stopper  $15

Tallit clips
rainbow clips $12
white w/ dichroic purple squares $14

The Bargain Basement Part 3

Lovely striped cheese/appetizer plate with knife
 6"x 5"
4 silicone feet hold it off the table. Includes a small knife.
was $25...now $12

Spoon Rests!
were $15 each...now $8 each 

The BARGAIN BASEMENT part 2

Here are a few more goodies available to you at ridiculously low prices! I am cleaning out my bins to make room for new items. Take advantage of this opportunity. Most items priced below my cost!

16"bowl 

was $98...now $50...includes small sushi dish 3"x3" (free)

(priced well below cost)

small sushi dish free with purchase of bowl above

small prized blue dishes...great for holding jewelry, tea bags, coins
was $20 for the set....now $10 SOLD!

small sushi style dish with kiln carved chasmal design.

Was $18.....priced it at $12...but changed my mind....yours for $10

Matzah Tray
about 11"x11"  Lettering reads "Matzah" in hebrew
was $95.....now $45 dichroic letters

Shalom in the Mirror
11"11" soft blue plate with dichroic letters....Shalom! (Peace)
was $105...now $50

ART DECO copper fil circles embedded in glass with red stringers
was $45...now $25

BARGAIN BASEMENT SALE! part 1

See something you like? 
Send me a message: sparksofspirit@gmail.com

       Most items are priced below my cost...it's called making room for new inventory!

8"x8" sushi style plate....just in time for Sukkot!
was $40...now $25

Hard to see...I know! 

Clear drop dish with etched leaves pattern on it.

8"x8" was $35...now $20

11"x11" origami shaped dish...streaky red with  dichroic lettering
CHAYIM (Life)
was $95.....now  $42

6"x6" sushi style plate
The letter Hebrew letter Ayin (Eyes) in dichroic
was $36...now $18 (below my cost)

The Monumental Sort!

I am sorting through all my glass inventory, display stuff, and bubblewrap!

Thanks to the assistance of my husband....who has no emotional attachment to any of this stuff...we have whittled everything down to a manageable set of storage containers.  

I know....all you can see is part of a messy table. It's more interesting than neatly packed rubbermaid containers.

The end result is a clearly written inventory of what I have and a glaring awareness of what I need to create to have a beautiful fall show.

My next post will share photos of my Bargain Basement items...priced to sell. My mark up is never high so sales are rare. 

At this point I want to make storage available for new items, so it's good news for you bargain shoppers out there. Most items will be priced at cost of glass...not cost to make (kiln time, tools, my time, etc) A few items will be featured BELOW cost!

That post will be up later today. I just need to take photos and asses the cost per item. I will post a few at a time!

INVENTORY TIME!

We need a new garage door. 
That means I have to move my boxes of inventory, display racks, and packaging that are in the way. 

This isn't my garage...but it looks like it if you turn it into a 2-car garage. One of our cars does fit....but mine stays outside...at least for now.

The new door arrives tomorrow. I am gifting myself the work week to sort and then re-store my stuff.

The question is what to do with the oldest inventory that no longer resembles work I do?

Hopefully some answers will emerge as I sort!
....wish me luck!

Berlin Glass

More Prague

Prague: Cathedral Windows

Prague Synagogue Windows