And won't be online again for almost 2 weeks.
My only contact with the big world will be twittering with my cell phone.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Meatfest 2009
If you're a vegetarian it might be wise to skip this post.
Today was the first annual Meatfest - something cooked up by my friend Jeff to celebrate his birthday. He felt he needed some sort of excuse to bbq his first whole piglet.
The pulling of the pork.
It was a grand day - the air was full of smoke and laughter. Dick did one of his bourbon soaked turkeys in the Weber grill. Just look at that ragtag collection of old rockers watching meat roast.
The late afternoon light was amazing and later the battered old tiki torches were lit...
the yellow cake w/ chocolate frosting was cut and the dog stole a beer.
A fine time was had by all.
Today was the first annual Meatfest - something cooked up by my friend Jeff to celebrate his birthday. He felt he needed some sort of excuse to bbq his first whole piglet.
The pulling of the pork.
It was a grand day - the air was full of smoke and laughter. Dick did one of his bourbon soaked turkeys in the Weber grill. Just look at that ragtag collection of old rockers watching meat roast.
The late afternoon light was amazing and later the battered old tiki torches were lit...
the yellow cake w/ chocolate frosting was cut and the dog stole a beer.
A fine time was had by all.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Purple? No.
I am not a purple person.
Someone asked me to make some purple beads and I didn't know what to say.
I have some time scheduled with the torch this afternoon. Happy sigh. I want to make some more murrini and some bumble bees and some yellow plums and some faux labradorite. I am bursting with plans for fall beads. Autumn is in the air here. We're still sleeping with the windows wide open but is was so chilly this morning that the poodles had burrowed in under the covers with me. They're such rotten little thieves that they'll even steal your body heat.
Someone asked me to make some purple beads and I didn't know what to say.
I have some time scheduled with the torch this afternoon. Happy sigh. I want to make some more murrini and some bumble bees and some yellow plums and some faux labradorite. I am bursting with plans for fall beads. Autumn is in the air here. We're still sleeping with the windows wide open but is was so chilly this morning that the poodles had burrowed in under the covers with me. They're such rotten little thieves that they'll even steal your body heat.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Frou Frou Raku
Another set in the making.
The base of each bead is black glass with a splattering of large size raku (iris orange) frit.
Each bean shaped lentil has a murrini that was added after pressing the bead. I use a pair of stainless steel ice tongs to make my funky lentils. Yes, I made the murrini.
Making murrini is very addicting.
A gratuitous plush photo.
It's a beautiful sunny morning here, cool and crisp. The light is long and slanting, a sign that fall is coming. I'm heading downstairs in a minute for a breakfast of sweet, local yellow plums and some nice strong black coffee.
The base of each bead is black glass with a splattering of large size raku (iris orange) frit.
Each bean shaped lentil has a murrini that was added after pressing the bead. I use a pair of stainless steel ice tongs to make my funky lentils. Yes, I made the murrini.
Making murrini is very addicting.
A gratuitous plush photo.
It's a beautiful sunny morning here, cool and crisp. The light is long and slanting, a sign that fall is coming. I'm heading downstairs in a minute for a breakfast of sweet, local yellow plums and some nice strong black coffee.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Branching Out
More fake coral branches - I make a few each time I torch.
So my pile of them has grown from this to this -
Lots of colors of glass - opalino carnelian, cosmic storm, seashell swirl, copper green and opalino pink all embellished with a splotch of 24k gold leaf.
Kiki P. Oodle s'lounging in the late, late afternoon sun.
So my pile of them has grown from this to this -
Lots of colors of glass - opalino carnelian, cosmic storm, seashell swirl, copper green and opalino pink all embellished with a splotch of 24k gold leaf.
Kiki P. Oodle s'lounging in the late, late afternoon sun.
Twerp
Tweet.
A little bird made with a center of Cim's Sange, a bit of fine silver foil encased in pale transparent aqua and spotted with happy white polka dots.
Tweet.
A little bird made with a center of Cim's Sange, a bit of fine silver foil encased in pale transparent aqua and spotted with happy white polka dots.
Tweet.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Partytime
Excellent!
A bouquet of sunflowers and basil on my dining room table.
Whirling in my kitchen like a dervish.
There is going to be a really big picnic at my house today - it's a dish to pass but that's not stopping me from going on a late summer cooking spree.
The centerpiece of the meal will be one of Dick's smoked turkeys done on the Weber grill. The big bird is happily soaking up a whiskey brine right now. He's also going to grill up a huge pile of hot Italian sausage links and some breakfast sausages. He loves to do the wee sausages, he refers to them as "sausage shooters."
I am making a red and yellow tomato salad with oranges and pickled red onions.
Two kinds of fresh salsa - first a red tomato, roasted corn, black bean and cilantro salsa with lots of jalapenos and a fresh peach and yellow tomato one. Maybe a white bean hummus. Of course there will be corn on the cob.
Oh, I almost forgot I whipped up some fresh dill pickles. Everyone needs to eat more pickles - people seem to have forgotten them. When I serve them guests go nuts - like they're something exotic?
And for my finale - fresh black fig gelato. I busted out my big Silmac icecream freezer, one of my all time great junking finds - only $30.00. I made a gallon of the stuff. The custard base is all figgy and brown sugar and vanilla - I am an icecream goddess today.
A bouquet of sunflowers and basil on my dining room table.
Whirling in my kitchen like a dervish.
There is going to be a really big picnic at my house today - it's a dish to pass but that's not stopping me from going on a late summer cooking spree.
The centerpiece of the meal will be one of Dick's smoked turkeys done on the Weber grill. The big bird is happily soaking up a whiskey brine right now. He's also going to grill up a huge pile of hot Italian sausage links and some breakfast sausages. He loves to do the wee sausages, he refers to them as "sausage shooters."
I am making a red and yellow tomato salad with oranges and pickled red onions.
Two kinds of fresh salsa - first a red tomato, roasted corn, black bean and cilantro salsa with lots of jalapenos and a fresh peach and yellow tomato one. Maybe a white bean hummus. Of course there will be corn on the cob.
Oh, I almost forgot I whipped up some fresh dill pickles. Everyone needs to eat more pickles - people seem to have forgotten them. When I serve them guests go nuts - like they're something exotic?
And for my finale - fresh black fig gelato. I busted out my big Silmac icecream freezer, one of my all time great junking finds - only $30.00. I made a gallon of the stuff. The custard base is all figgy and brown sugar and vanilla - I am an icecream goddess today.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Vintage Venetians
You just cannot make glass more beautiful than the Venetians.
A pair of vintage Venetian glass cabochon earrings.
Look they're made with clear, nile green and aventurine.
All of which are still in production, and available, today - I might have to give this combination a try...
They would make lovely glass buttons, no?
A pair of vintage Venetian glass cabochon earrings.
Look they're made with clear, nile green and aventurine.
All of which are still in production, and available, today - I might have to give this combination a try...
They would make lovely glass buttons, no?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
10
If you see Napoleon P. Oodle today be sure to wish him a happy 10th birthday!
He does not have any special plans - just a full day of napping on my bed.
Maybe for kicks he'll grab the latest 'New Yorker' magazine and play a spirited game of keep away with Dick. Actually, a more accurate description of the game is - will you trade me this magazine (cd, toothbrush, bra, piece of mail, dirty kleenex, sharpie, whatever) for a baby carrot from the refrigerator? If he's feeling really sassy he'll hide behind the chair in the front room and dash out the door when no one's paying attention and race over to the neighbor's to see if there is any delicious cat food on their back porch. Of course, there is always just hanging around looking out the screen door and barking at absolutely anything that moves. oh yeah, It's good to be the dog.
He does not have any special plans - just a full day of napping on my bed.
Maybe for kicks he'll grab the latest 'New Yorker' magazine and play a spirited game of keep away with Dick. Actually, a more accurate description of the game is - will you trade me this magazine (cd, toothbrush, bra, piece of mail, dirty kleenex, sharpie, whatever) for a baby carrot from the refrigerator? If he's feeling really sassy he'll hide behind the chair in the front room and dash out the door when no one's paying attention and race over to the neighbor's to see if there is any delicious cat food on their back porch. Of course, there is always just hanging around looking out the screen door and barking at absolutely anything that moves. oh yeah, It's good to be the dog.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
S'melting
Long time, no blog, sigh.
It's too hot to do anything but bum around looking for air conditioning.
Normally it's not hot enough here to need artificial cooling - but not this past week and a half. We're melting, smelting and cranky, with no end in sight.
A close up of a large, long heart shaped focal bead that was wrapped in silver foil and remelted. I love the lacy, iridescent tracings the silver made on top of the dark red transparent glass.
Another of my long, lost plush buddies.
I took quick portraits of some of my favorites before loading them into their bags to be carted away and sold.
It's too hot to do anything but bum around looking for air conditioning.
Normally it's not hot enough here to need artificial cooling - but not this past week and a half. We're melting, smelting and cranky, with no end in sight.
A close up of a large, long heart shaped focal bead that was wrapped in silver foil and remelted. I love the lacy, iridescent tracings the silver made on top of the dark red transparent glass.
Another of my long, lost plush buddies.
I took quick portraits of some of my favorites before loading them into their bags to be carted away and sold.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Antique Weed
I put loaded a bunch of treasures into my etsy shop today.
A giant old skeleton key, some cigarette cases, a double strand of glass baroque pearls that someone should take apart and make into some wonderful jewelry and two pairs of big gaudy clip on rhinestone earrings.
And best of all this...
An Art Nouveau Marijuana leaf brooch.
Yes, they smoked weed over 100 years ago and apparently even wore jewelry that depicted it. This brooch is a ruin, but it is of exceptionally fine quality. The blue around the edges is probably smoke trails.
A giant old skeleton key, some cigarette cases, a double strand of glass baroque pearls that someone should take apart and make into some wonderful jewelry and two pairs of big gaudy clip on rhinestone earrings.
And best of all this...
An Art Nouveau Marijuana leaf brooch.
Yes, they smoked weed over 100 years ago and apparently even wore jewelry that depicted it. This brooch is a ruin, but it is of exceptionally fine quality. The blue around the edges is probably smoke trails.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Letting Go
This morning I packed up my entire vintage plush collection and sent it away to the Madison-Bouckville Outdoor Antique Show . Three giant black plastic contractor bags full of crazy, adorable old plush and rubber animals - to be sold. If you're going to the fair, please say hello to Dick and Margaret - they will be set up hawking our wares and living in the van until Sunday. Row 6, Booth 18, opposite the South Entrance.
This was not easy.
I think I will go make some beads.
This was not easy.
I think I will go make some beads.
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