Glass Blowing Weather

Just found a photo of something we blew in December of 06 that I had meant to post but didn't. I really like the pink and black color combination. (We've sold 2 of the "Sea LIfe" sets in that color scheme.) It has the fishnet pattern on it. We were pleased with how it turned out.

Well, Micah and I started tweaking the studio on Wednesday. What that means is thowing a bunch of junk away and trying to declutter the studio. I had ordered a new optic mold and got it in. It is the Jim Moore stainless steel and aluminum mold that has interchangeable ribs or fins. ( http://www.toolsforglass.com/store/other_stuff.html ) (scroll down until you see the 5th picture. It is the "Detachable Fin Mold") I eagerly look forword to using it. I recently ordered hundreds of dollars of color from Olympic Color Rods and it came in last week. I believe I now have about 80 different colors of rods and about 96 different jars of frit. I have been getting all the new stuff labeled and organized and also updating my frit jar system the last week or two. I was using glass milk bottles and glass "fuse" drink bottles. Glass bottles are really cool to put my frit in, but the bottles weren't really big enough and the mouths of the bottles weren't really big enough to make pouring the frit back into the bottle easy when I was cleaning up. Also, a huge reason to make the switch to large mouth plastic jars was I could only imagine what I would feel like if they dopped to the concrete floor. So, cool or not, plastic it is. Now I can sleep at night.

Question to glassblowers: What size/s frit do you like to use the most and why?

The weather was perfect today for blowing glass. Did we blow glass? No, my furnace is off. I certainly have the glass blowing itch. I will prob. turn on the furnace in about 3 or 4 weeks. Micah is healing up nicely. Thanks again to all who have called, written, and come by to express your concern. It means alot.

I may have to take some photos of all the color that I have and post them. I just like going out to the studio and looking at all the jars full (some 1/2 full or so) of color. It brings inspiration.

We are going to try to do some welding and other little projects while the furnace is off. It feels kind of good knowing a steady stream of $10 bills are not flying out the window 24 hours a day while the furnace if off. I can actually go do something and sort of relax when the furnace if shut down. Having said that I really miss blowing glass and can't wait to start again.

Did I mention that in December of 2006 that I was the first one to sign up for a 3 day workshop given by Dante Marioni ( http://www.dantemarioni.com/ ) and Janusz Pozniak ( http://www.jpozniak.com/ ) at a pre Glass Art Society Conference in June of 07 in Pittsburgh? Man, am I excited about that! I'm even a little intimidated about that. I am told there will only be 10 or 12 in the workshop. Class will be from 9 in the morning untill 10 at night with an hour break at 5 - 6. I am really looking forward to learning alot! I hope Dante and Janusz are patient, kind, persons with the ability to bring the best out of people! I intend on my best coming out.

Linda and I went to Chicago about 1 1/2 months ago and went to the Marx-Saunders Gallery (Mr. Saunders was a really nice guy) and saw some of Dante's work in person for the first time. Amazing!
Warning!! Novice's opinion, WARNING!!
As beautiful as Chihuly's work is... and I DO think it is beautiful, I believe that not everyone that could do Chihuly type of work could do what Dante does. Anybody that could do what Dante does could easily do what Chihuly does. The technical precision is extraordinary!
(Novice's opinion about famous glass is over)
We saw Lino Tagliapietra's work also for the first time. ( http://www.linotagliapietra.com/ ) Magnificient!! I think the least expensive piece of Dante's was about $17,000.00 and the least expensive piece of Lino's was about $33,000.00 up to $50,000.00. FOR 1 (COUNT IT) ONE PIECE OF GLASS!!! We also saw some pretty neat stuff from Stephen Powell. ( http://www.stephenrolfepowell.com/index.html ) I can't wait to go again and take Micah with me and show him. Chicago is a pretty cool place to visit.

Whats Been Up

As some of you know, Micah got a severe injury about 4 weeks ago. (Not glass related) I haven't blown since then and finally shut off the furnace about 2 weeks ago until he can get healed up and I get my head back on straight. Micah had another doctor's appt. today and got a good report. About another month or so he should be able to help and I will turn the furnace back on. We are continuing to sell glass at our retail outlet @ Italian Jim's Pizzeria. We have sold a couple of nice sets in the last week. The newspaper is wanting to do a story on us. We are looking forward to getting going again.
CM

Speaking of a "fully involved pizza". . .

Glad to see Scott come up for air! Hey, the bottom photo shows a pic of our Super Pepperoni pizza I told you that I would put up sometime. Yes, this is a normal 20" "Big Jim" Super Pepperoni and yes, that is layers upon layers of pepperoni! We even have a bigger one. It's called the "Humongous Jim" and it's 24". How's that for "fully involved"!

The photo at the top show some more of our pizzas. They are larges (14"). I took the photo right before we put them in the oven and cooked them. The pizza with stripes is a Meat Combo, the "Work of Art Looking Pizza" is a "Garden Veggie", a couple of "Super Pepperonis" and a couple of "Chicken Fajita" pizzas. When they're cooked, they look a little better, but we had to get them to where they need to go ASAP and didn't have time to photograph afterward.

Thanks!

Just wanted to take a few minutes and say "Thanks!" to all who checked out our website and a "Big Thanks!" to all who came into our retail outlet at Italian JIm's Pizzeria @ 342 S. Mustang Rd. in Yukon and bought glass this last year. We sold quite a bit here at Christmas and I want to thank all who chose to give the beautiful, lasting, tasteful, gift of hand blown glass from Bella Forte Glass Studio. So far the feedback that I have gotten says people like to receive the distintive gift of custom blown glass.

As I have said, gifts are important. Proverbs 18:16 (Amplified Bible) A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Gifts speak to people. . .
What does a Gift say?

A gift says something about you, the giver.
It also says something about the recipient to whom the gift is given.
Distinctive glass, given as a gift, says alot!

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and may you have a prosperous New Year!

Going to town on new "Sea Life' series

Here are 3 more sets of our "Sea Life" series that we blew recently. The first picture is pink with black accents. The second picture is Cerulean blue with cinnamon accents, and the third picture shows in a little more detail what we call the "exploded body wrap" underneath the main platter of the set we blew last night. It is opal sky blue(I think - not for sure) with crown yellow accents.

BLUE SAGE STUDIOS HOME SHOW!!!
THIS WEEKEND FRI-SAT- SUNDAY
In addition to our retail outlet @ Italian Jim's Pizzeria @ 342 S. Mustang Rd in the Yukon-Mustang Rd-Reno area, we are planning on having some things out at Andy Boatman's Blue Sage Studios in the Lake Arcadia Area.

From Edmond Rd @ 1-35 (Where that big white cross is) go about 4 miles east to Post road and then about 1.7 miles south to Andy's place. Blue Sage Studios is behind (west) of the old rock house. Micah and I will probably take some turns doing demos on Friday, Sat. and Sunday

CM

New Photos!

Here's the new set Micah and I did! What do you think? All the colors are the same, but we did each of the accent colors with a different technique. We used crown yellow and lapis blue.

Another new technique!

We spent about 2 1/2 - 3 hours tonight blowing glass. We tried a new technique that we are kind've excited about. Nothing big, just new to us. Can't wait until 2 pm tomorrow until it comes out of the annealer.

If it turns out cool, I will take some photos and post. Sometimes you're really excited when you finish a piece; then all the waiting and it comes out, and it really wasn't that cool. Hope that's not the case this time.

We also blew another set of our "Artifacts" Series.

See ya.
CM