New Trends in Indoor/Outdoor Art

In the recent past I have been given several projects which have challenged me to accommodate my clients wishes in having old pieces of stained glass transoms rebuilt. Their desire to have these pieces fit both inside and outside locations are intriguing and have given me a chance to research early art pieces to get a better idea of both the effect of glass which is lit from behind and the same piece in the evening with indoor light. Any of you who have watched the show "Salvage Dawgs" can relate to the kind of pieces that have been brought to me. Many of them are missing pieces of glass, the leading is missing or the frame is so rotted that it is amazing they even got to my shop in one piece. Although these may seem like crazy projects to take on, I have willingly agreed to work on no less than 6 of these over the next six months. In one case, I have been given a box with 6 lbs. of glass in it and a picture of the object that it used to be. There are approximate dimensions for this piece, but nothing else. I am fully aware that there is a good chance not all the glass made it into the box, or that this glass may not be manufactured anymore. In spite of this I have agreed to take on the task. The client will be stopping in from time to time to check on my progress and to "tweek" it as we go. I'm really quite eager to start these and will try to update as the progress permits. Wishing you the best this Holiday Season and a Hope for a Prosperous New Year

Catching Up

As I sit down to look over this blog, I realize that I am severely behind on it. We have had a very busy first half of 2013 and with local sales of my glass garden art and a full music schedule as well, it was decided that I was not ready for internet sales. I continue to create the stepping stones as a hobby and thoroughly enjoy the time creating. Each of the stones weighs approximately 30-35 lbs. and so shipping these creations makes the price somewhat restrictive to many who have shown an interest. This was another reason for not creating an internet outlet for them. In spite of this, sales have been very good and we will continue on with this at a local level for now. Thanks to everyone who has shown an interest. Please respond to this blog if you would like more information.

New Beginnings

I am very excited to let you know that very soon I will be starting a business using much of the garden art glass items I have made and placed around my property for many years. As I entertain guests and invite people into the gardens to see what is growing, I have been encouraged by many over the years to share the craft of glass stepping stones. Since retiring from teaching, I have had quite a bit more time to devote to this hobby and so now I will begin offering the stones and other "garden art". Along with the stepping stones, there will also be outdoor garden twirlers and sticks. Many of these I have pictured on some of the older posts on this website. With each new year comes different creations along with some of the "tried and true" ones I have had for many years. This is all outdoor glass. In the past 20 years, I have refurbished glass items for the home as well including transoms, windows and sidelights. With the current trend towards saving historical buildings in their original state, this has become very popular and one of my favorite work assignments. I once had a client bring me a box of glass she had in her attic. When I asked her what this had been, she dug down in the box and found a picture of the transom where it had originally been in her uncle's home. Her intent was just to give me the glass to use, but after discussing the contents of the box and the picture, we decided to rebuild the transom. The "new" transom hangs between her dining room and parlor - keeping a window to the past of the memory of her uncle's old home. As I get closer to the launch date, I will provide a link to the website where you can see some of my work, order glass items or contact me with a special project you have in mind.

Too Hot !!!

It is July 3rd and the planes are flying overhead preparing for the annual 4th of July celebration. We have several Air Force personnel who fly over the river near our home in formation to signal the start of the Fireworks Display here. Unfortunately, we are experiencing very high temperatures and have been for the past few days. It is expected that we will reach 100 degrees sometime this afternoon. Added to that misery is that our lawns are quite brown and we have not seen, nor expect to see rain until well into next week. Due to that fact, I am not outdoors today, but have decided to spend some time in the glass shop. As I listen to them fly overhead, I am in my basement working on glass twirlers to be auctioned off for our church to raise money for the NICU unit in a nearby hospital. These twirlers are anywhere from 6 inches to 12 inches in diameter and when completed can be placed on a porch or in front of a French door or window. What makes them twirl is a gadget you might find in a fishing tackle box. Any pattern can be used to make these little beauties and the subject matter is only limited by your own imagination. Since I live in Green Bay Packer Country, I will be making quite a few of these to auction off. To satisfy other possible bidders, I have added several different kinds of flowers, birds, dogs, angels, and assorted other themes to each circle. I always like to contribute to the community in any way I can and the profits certainly go to a great cause!

Color Added!!

Enclosed in this post are a couple of pictures of the plain bird houses and butterfly houses projects from a few months ago. The larger bird house on the left is only about 1/3 of the way done. I haven't decided what I'd like to put on this one, and until I do, it will just sit and wait.
However, I decided to go a bit "whimsical" with the bird bank and just couldn't put my brush down when it came to the butterfly house. Of our 8 acres there is a very small area where the butterflies congregate, but the variety of colors on these amazing creatures is inspiring.
There has also been a huge movement in our area to try to bring back the bluebird. At the moment I am looking to find a good set of plans to make several to put on our acreage. If any of you have found plans that will build a shelter for bluebirds that withstands temperatures down to -30 degrees, please send them my way - won't you?
Thanks much!

More Ideas For Your Garden Areas

Using glass in the garden is something that can be integrated into any color scheme or plant texture. Whimsical glass sticks can be placed in the garden and add character to even the smallest of gardens. The picture above is from the yard of a rental property where we used to live. Look closely and you can find a tulip and a lady bug glass stick. In the other photo (middle) are examples of other themes you can use - a garden angel and a frog combined with a sun face stepping stone and a moon and stars stepping stone. The picture on the top is a close-up of some of the possibilities.

Some of the stepping stone patterns come from a wonderful book entitled, "Tiffany Gardens", written by Julie Bishop-Day from the Glass Workbench. In it she explains the entire process of making stepping stones and the book has several patterns from which to choose. If you are looking for more information on this subject go to info@sunshineglass.com.

Depending on the length of the stick, you can use these near ground cover crops or even in tall grasses on your property. Each year I try to come up with a few more ideas. The same patterns used for the stepping stones can also be transferred to the garden sticks as well.

Each glass stick is soldered to a piece of 1/8" copper rod. This kind of sturdy base allows the glass to blow in the wind without breaking. Ribbon and other accessories can be added to each piece.

Adding Color To This Season of White

The birdhouses from the previous post have been sitting in my basement for quite some time and I needed to get some inspiration in order to get going on them.
It came to me today when I was looking through my latest addition of "Organic Gardening" magazine. There were several pictures with vines and also birds that mark the onset of spring here in Wisconsin. The pictures with their vivid colors and contrasting foliage were just what I needed to get going with these little gems.
I have to say that once I get going on these things, I find it hard to know when to stop adding color. But as I look outside and see nothing but white, my senses are starved for something from the color wheel to get me through. If the groundhog is right, and we have 6 more weeks of winter, this will be a long wait.

Projects Discovered

As I told you, over the Christmas Break, I went back into my tub of possible projects for the winter and found that I had purchased several birdhouses and a butterfly box kit. I will be using ideas from the book I mentioned in the previous post and am gathering other items that will be a part of the finished birdhouses.

In order to get a good variety of birdhouse themes I was able to buy the rest of the wooden birdhouses from the clearance shelf back in November and so this picture shows the variety of themes possible.

Unfortunately, I was sick for most of the Christmas Break so these are projects that will take some time over the next few weekends to complete.

Once these are decorated they can be given as gifts or saved for my own backyard. One precaution, however - if you plan to keep these birdhouses outside make sure that the first coat of paint you put on them is a GOOD sealer. This will keep the wood from weathering over the course of a season.

I'll post pictures of these projects as I finish them.

ENJOY !

It is December 8 and this past weekend, we had our first "official" snowfall. In my backyard I have 7" of snow and I've made certain that the three bird feeders on my back deck always have bird seed in them. My kitchen sink is strategically placed below a window with a direct line to see these feathered creatures come to feed. I also have a reference book of bird photos which sits near the window sill so that I can identify each winged "diner".


Later on in the season, when we start eating grapefruit (to beef up our Vitamin C intake), I take the emptied rinds and fill them with a combination of bacon fat and bird seed. The birds love it and it helps boost their layer of "insulation" through the really cold months of January and February.


While I was browsing through the wood section of my favorite craft store I came upon unfinished wooden bird houses and a butterfly box that were on clearance. I snatched these up in a hurry and decided that over Christmas break I would paint these and get them ready for next Spring. I bought a book several years ago and took my cue from some of the suggestions in it. The book is entitled, "Quaint Birdhouses You Can Paint and Decorate", by Dorothy Egan. The author presents several different ideas on how to paint your birdhouses. There are birdhouse "libraries", "churches", a "Post Office" and a restaurant - just to name a few.


As much as I love winter, when the mercury dips below -10 degrees and the wind chill is enough to freeze a foot of ice, I'll leave the outdoor stuff to the ice fisherman in their little huts on the Mississippi. This is when I get out all the craft projects I've been collecting over the year and get "busy".

Gardens and Glass - A Great Combination

About 20 years ago, I started "dabbling" in stained glass. I learned two different methods including copper foil and also leading and at that point I was hooked. Any book I could get my hands on with patterns ended up in my shopping cart.

People started bringing boxes of glass pieces to me and asking me if I wanted them. One client showed me a picture of a transom that had been in her great uncle's home before the house was sold and said she thought the glass had come from that. After 2 months of matching glass colors and textures, I was able to reproduce the leaded glass transom - much to her delight.

Over the years I have developed favorites and among them have been the items I consider Garden Glass. These includes stepping stones, garden sticks and twirlers. Each ads color and depth to a garden space.

The subject matter of each can be matched to the personality of the client. It can also help to accent certain plants or plant colors in each garden. Above are a few examples of stepping stones I've made. I use these EVERYWHERE. They are fully functional and you can step right on the glass stones to get from one part of the garden to another. These allow you to step through the garden and work in any area of the garden without ruining the soil composition - especially after a rainstorm.

Community Gardens - Filling the Need

Not too long ago, I read an article about a movement to bring together gardeners and those who were not able to provide enough food for their families. (My High School English teacher would have a fit if she knew I was writing this without citing my sources. )

That being said, the idea of planting extra and offering it to members of our communities is a brilliant idea and not a new one at that. In Biblical times, the accepted practice in some lands was to allow travelers a chance to pick from the trees that lined the roads of their journey.

The article went on to say, that several states were asking lawmakers for help in putting legislation on the books that would encourage more access to fruits and vegetables by promoting programs to help organize and maintain gardens within the community. In the case of the article I read, the idea started in one neighborhood of a small community. Once word spread of the idea, several other states followed suit.

The positive effects of this are obvious:
1) it brings people together with a common need or goal
2) provides fresh food grown locally
3) teaches sustainability and a respect for the land, and
4) provides much needed food supplies for people who may have no other way of providing for their families.

In this season of giving it is good to remember that much of what we are capable of starts with just one seed, one idea and the possibilities are endless.

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Art In Your Garden

When people think of gardens usually flowers, shrubs, trees and perhaps a fence or two pop into their minds. But how about going a bit farther with your imagination. Adding a framed archway to that fence, or perhaps a mobile sculpture that moves as the breezes blow might be more your style. How about a set of stepping stones that you can walk on to get to that certain daylily you'd like to include in your dining room table bouquet?
Or maybe you would like to build a sitting bench around the tree where you can sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor?
Additions like these to your gardens and walkways can be made of wood, metal, concrete, stone, glass and wire - just to name a few.