Torchsong Studio

A little tour of my world

2008-07-01T13:25:00.003-04:00

I thought today it might be fun to do a little tour around our place.

First stop is the Soap Studio.

I also have my torch in there for lampworking.

This is where I spend most of my time. It always looks so pretty in the summer with all the plants in front blooming away. The Monarda has taken over for now, but there's a huge conglomeration that blooms there in turn throughout the spring and summer.

It's such a great space. climate controlled and fitted out inside especially for making soap.

Next is the new hen house.

It's where the chickens roost for the night and also where the goats hang out.

I thought it was so cute when it was delivered and Bob actually made the little garden out front and planted flowers there and in the window boxes.

I wouldn't be surprised to walk out one morning and see that he had put up lace curtains!

This is the latest momma and her chicks.

She's the big momma around here with 16 of them. You can't see them all in the picture (because she carefully lead them out of range everytime I was set to take the picture), but I think I caught 14 of them in the picture if you look closely.

She's in special quarters for now to keep everyone out from underfoot of the goats and clear of the pecking order.

When the day is over and I wander into the house, this the scene that awaits me.

We put a permanent addition on the back of our house last year and it is really nice.

The pergola and the brick patio were here before and the workmen did a great job of working around them.

I love the lushness of the giant hostas and ferns under the kitchen window to the right and the way the light filters through the wisteria and the trumpet vine growing over the walk. This is always a cool spot in the yard even on the hottest days.

This is the trumpet vine. It is lush and bright and will forever make me think of summer.

I'm surprised I didn't get a picture of a hummingbird in there since they are often feeding at the flowers.

The seed pods for these will be all over the place this fall and there are lots of little plants coming up here and there in the ground cover near the house.

It's something of a chore to try to keep all those little plants from taking hold.

Suddenly Summer

2008-06-30T14:04:00.003-04:00

I know it isn't really sudden, but isn't it amazing the way the world changes in just a few short weeks?

It seems we were just wondering at the bright spring green shoots and waiting impatiently for the trees to be in full leaf.

Suddenly, we look around and see summer is here...

Everything is really "green" green.

We no longer wander freely through the woods because the undergrowth is so thick.

We are eating fresh vegetables from our garden.

This Robin is no longer a harbinger, he's just one of the many, many birds who contribute to the natural chorus in the summer...

Playing tag

2008-06-25T08:14:00.003-04:00

I was tagged yesterday and actually finished answering my questions in the morning. With all the things on my "todo list", I was a bit overwhelmed 'cause I forgot about the lavender wands we do every night and how frustrating it is to wait through various medical appointments and play phone tag with travel agents... so, I finally finished this up today!

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, and goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten years ago... My sister and I were partners in our herb shop, The Herb Basket. We would have just finished our midsummer class called "Eating Your Yard" where we would serve a backyard salad, stir-fried day lily buds and cantaloupe with rose syrup and anise hyssop flowers. My son would have been 12 years old and getting ready to enter the school that definitely made a big difference (for the good) in his life.

Five things on today's to do list... Taking my brother to Hershey Med for testing, finalizing reservations for my son's trip to the Netherlands in August, putting wash away from yesterday, preparing orders for shipment and hoping to get some time on the torch.

Snacks I enjoy... pretzels, bagels, when I'm feeling "healthy" - raw carrots. Oh, and Turkey Hill Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream!

Things I would do if I was a millionaire.... I'm not sure what I would change - I'd probably invest and live off the interest, then try to help loved ones become more secure financially.. (If we are talking big money here - a million just isn't what it once was!) Probably a few trips (first class, of course!) - Italy again, a Greek cruise, Bali and Morocco has always called for some odd reason(!), a visit to an exclusive spa for me and a group of friends, buy a house at the beach (in Bermuda?) - oh, heck, and one in the mountains too, and hire a personal chef and trainer to make me look great when I go to all those places!

Places I have lived... Lancaster, PA - born and raised. For a few years in my youth when my father was in the Air Force, Columbus, OH. When I was younger, I always wanted to live "somewhere else", but now, I can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else!

So now, my friends, you're it!

Tina at The Essential Herbal
Roe at Sunrose Aromatics
Rachel at Zonnestraaltje Designs
Marti at Marti's Majik

2008-06-18T08:46:00.003-04:00

So, apparently the teapots are habit forming! After posting the ones yesterday, I kept getting new ideas of how to make more and couldn't resist sitting down at the torch for a few hours to produce what you'll see below.

I woke up very early this morning and was excited to see what would come out of the kiln. I cleaned the beads and wired them up, photographed and already I have the pictures ready posting!

This one, I call "Elegant Pewter". It has a wonderful metallic sheen and the form makes me think of a silver tea service. I love the way the handle ends at the bottom.

For some reason, this one reminds me of leaves swirling in a pond as they dash by in the fall. I just adore this color combination and call this pot "Reflections".

This one has a very earthy finish. The glass used always winds up with the wonderful powdery blue/turquoise patches on the brownish red. It reminds me of a glaze that is used by a potter friend of mine.

I call this one "Tortoise Shell" because that is the effect that this particular frit on the topaz glass always creates.

And finally, "Wedgewood". This blue, when adorned with white or ivory stringer always reminds me of Wedgewood pottery.

Today, I will attempt to put the available teapots up on my website - in the Focals section.

Taking tea in a small way!

2008-06-17T13:38:00.005-04:00

More teapots! They took a little while to get finished, since we had other things (for instance a full day yesterday at Hershey Medical Center with our brother) going on, but I think they were worth the wait.

I placed a quarter next to each one when I photographed them so you can get an idea of the size. They are all hollow, so even though they are somewhat large for beads, will have much less weight to them than they would seem to have.

First, a periwinkle blue teapot with vining stylized lapiz and rose colored flowers dancing around it.

A celadon pot with green and pink frits added to look like a rosey pattern.

Milk glass with the same frit as above.

This base color is called opal yellow and I think the roses and forget-me-nots on the vine swooping around it give it a fairytale quality.

Finally, a second amethyst colored teapot with roses and forget-me-nots growing around the sides.

These will eventually go up on my website, but in the meantime, if anything tickles your fancy, please email me at mschwa@ptd.net. At this writing, they are $35 each and will look beautiful on your favorite silver chain.

Two Days at Alloway...

2008-06-08T07:39:00.006-04:00

Each year in the beginning of June, Alloway Creek Gardens, Littlestown, PA, holds a Garden and Craft Fair. We have attended as vendors a few times and every time it is an adventure!

This is the view from the side of the home - through the trees and across the fields.

Alloway is one of those treasures down a dirt road where you come around a turn and a beautiful homestead appears. It's in the middle of Civil War history - just south of Gettysburg and Barb and Roger seem to revel in the natural history around them.

Other than the fact that the weather never seems to cooperate - usually we manage to both freeze and roast at some time during the two-day event - it is such a lovely setting with fiddlers, good food, lovely crafts, and of course their gorgeous gardens and plants, it still makes for a wonderful time. At least this year, there was no overnight thunderstorm!

The "Old Log House" is the gift shop and even though I believe they moved it there - it fits perfectly.

Walking through the crafters' area is a joy.

The feel of the place is so laid back (or maybe it was just the heat of the second day!) that the odds and ends that have been brought along to sell seem to belong there.

Somehow Barb and Roger seem to do this effortlessly. Although I know it is a tremendous amount of work, they seem to have perfected the secret of appearing to be a duck serenely sailing along the top of a pond while his feet paddle madly below the surface!

A few more peeks at the gardens:

Lavender, glowing poppies and the fading flower of a spice bush.

Friday's forecast for highs in the 90's never came true and we sat under overcast skies with cool breezes blowing through the tent. It was pleasant, until the sun burned through around 1:30. But, Saturday was everything the weathermen said it would be.. hot & humid.

In my wanderings yesterday when it was so hot and exhausting, I came upon this little structure in the trees. Built, I'm sure for their grandchildren, I was sorely tempted to just climb on up in there and fall asleep in the blessed shade....

I didn't, I went back and rejoined the "grown ups" to enjoy the company and the day as best I could in the sweltering temperatures.

Requests

2008-05-30T09:29:00.005-04:00

Well, it began up at the Rosemary House at their 40th Anniversary Celebration.

I was a guest artist in the garden. Nancy Reppert, who owns the Sweet Remembrances Tearoom saw my aromatherapy vessels and asked if I could make a teapot along the same lines. These are the first attempts and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well they worked out.

Both are about 1" from the bottom to the top of the finial.

I tried a couple of times to make teapots with solid bottoms, like the vessels, but they just didn't seem to be working out.

The purple one was my first successful attempt and it's simply a hollow with the handle and spout attached. I played with stringer to add some vines and some stylized blue cabbage roses.

Then, I picked up the Pajama Blue and made another hollow, added a few daisies and again, a handle and spout. I love the "squatty", fairytale look of this one! It looks to me as if it came from Snow White's cottage.

Because they are hollow beads, it made them easier to wire together with a bead cap for the top and a single bead added for the finial.

You can click on any of the pictures for a closer look.

As the day went on, another Reppert Sister, Cary, requested a pendant similar to something I already had made, but with different colors....

This one is the result.

She wanted the organic background with the creased flowers in purple. I think I'll give this a couple more tries and send her some pics for approval.

Last week at our Farmers' Market, I had my jewelry along and a woman stopped by and asked if I had any "patriotic themed" beads. Since it was Memorial Day, maybe I should have, but I didn't.
Actually, I have a lot of trouble finding a good red for this type of thing, and I was trying to figure out how to do some kind of a flag design....

I made a few earring sets in the proper colors, as you can see - but the flag theme evaded me.

As I was standing in the shower the other morning, it suddenly occurred to me - I can use red enamel(!) ... and the flag beads were born. I still have to wire them up into earrings and a couple of pendants, but I'll have a number of patriotic themed pieces for her to choose from this week.

Finally, soap beads... I've been struggling with the old way I was making them, and had actually decided to just stop doing them.

Then I saw a post on one of the glass forums I frequent. A new press was out with words on it. I contacted the press place and asked if I could get a custom press made for soap beads and ... voila!

I can make them in any color that I have glass, but I think I'll try to pare it down to just 4 or five basics.... But, I can always make special requests for people who want to match them to their own soaps....

What has she been doing?

2008-05-29T15:57:00.004-04:00

You may think I haven't been doing anything just because I haven't been posting. Oh, but I have. This is just the tip of the iceberg:

"Spring Beauties"

"Happy Talk"

"Dark Shadows"

And finally - "Summer Chicklets". This is what happens when I get a new press that I happen to love! I've just been playing with all the bright colors and have plans for about 8 more beads to complete this set. I've been planning what to do with them as I worked on them. In fact after the first one or two, the inspiration struck to make a loong necklace that I can wrap around my neck a couple of times and that will match all my bright T shirts and other summer clothes.

I've had a number of requests recently and I'll be showing those in my next post. Teapots made in the same way as my vessels, a floral focal on an organic background and some red, white and blue beads for the patriotic holidays.... Soon as I can get them together with my camera, they'll be up.

I'm going to add these bracelets to my website for now....

Monday's beads

2008-05-13T17:10:00.003-04:00

After the Landis Valley Show this weekend, where I sold the bracelet I showed in my last entry, I was inspired to make some more of the metallic scroll beads. These aren't exactly the same. I tried a different base and it turned out pretty well. I do still have a large focal that matches the set I sold in a bracelet.
In honor of the little pink and white flowers that bloom all through our woodland area, I made these floral beads and call them "Spring Beauties". I love the pink blush on the petals. That was on purpose and it's always nice when the intended effect is accomplished.
These are called Persimmon Swirls. I think they will become a necklace and matching earrings. The glass color is persimmon and it is a very bright orange/red. The darker portion of the bead is transparent steel gray.

I'll be displaying (and selling) my work at The Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg this weekend. They are celebrating 40 years in business and I am so honored to have been invited to join the party!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-05-07T09:42:00.003-04:00

A busy day in the jewelry room yesterday. Along with a few pins and earring sets, I finished up some new bracelets with some of the beads I showed the other day:

Blue Nebula

Cloudy Nebula

Dancing Waves

Ladyslipper Nebula

Traceries

I'll be taking these to Landis Valley this weekend and, since it IS an herb festival, really don't expect to sell much. What is left will be put up on the website - finally, some new items!

Under the Sun - Something for YOU!

2008-05-06T08:02:00.007-04:00

Okay - yesterday, I mentioned some beads I wasn't showing because they were a surprise for someone...

Well, my sister, Tina Sams has a book at the printer. It should be delivered today or tomorrow. I made a bracelet based on the colors of the cover of the book and was planning to give it to her when the book was delivered, but I just couldn't wait.

I made two bracelets and she took her choice. There was a second bracelet made and I said, why don't we offer it as an extra incentive to buyers and contributors?

The bracelet to the left is the one we will be giving away. This is a $55 value. The large beads are handmade lampworked and the silver is sterling with a handmade "swan" clasp.

So, here's the deal... If you have already ordered the book OR pre-order before May 7th (at a special price, I might add) OR if you are planning to pick up your copy at the Landis Valley Herb Fair this weekend OR if you are one of the many contributors to this book... your name will go in a hat and on Sunday, we will draw the winner.

Now, the book.

"The Essential Herbal - Under the Sun" is a retrospective of the first five years (Spring and Summer issues) of the magazine, The Essential Herbal.

It's over 200 pages, packed with in depth information, ideas and recipes and I believe it is slated to be a classic - valuable to beginners and old timers alike.

I did the layout, so I'm pretty intimately acquainted with the contents and it is great.

So, order the book here , get a special deal on the first edition of a very special book you were probably planning to buy anyway AND you have a chance to also win a handmade one-of-a-kind bracelet!

Dancing Waves

2008-05-05T13:50:00.002-04:00

I have a few more sets to show. A couple are in the kiln and a couple more are a surprise for someone who might read this....

But, for today, I just wanted to post this set. I was pleased with the color combo and the salmon frit went perfectly with the turquoise and the rose colored transparent.

There's a large focal bead (about 1-1/4" diameter) that could be used alone in a necklace and then the five "smaller" beads that would make a gorgeous bracelet. It may just become a bracelet this afternoon, as a matter of fact!

The Spring Menagerie

2008-04-29T16:47:00.003-04:00

Springtime in Lancaster County, PA means new life...We've been watching the horse mommas through the winter and were rewarded in the past week or so with these lovely little foals... I believe, just as the greens getting greener every spring, the babies get even more adorable.

Our own additions are from the goat family. Years ago, before we moved here, we had a small herd of pygmy goats.
My husband and son decided it was time to have pygmies again and prepared a lovely fenced in area on a hill so the goats had a built in climbing area to play in. Unfortunately, the fence they built didn't work to keep the goats in - in fact they walked, or should I say ran - through it as if it didn't exist. So, the first few hours of goat ownership was spent chasing goats through acres of Christmas trees.

We caught one of them - well, she walked up to our son and he just picked her up. We tied her in am enclosure and the other two came to join her... much easier than the fruitless chasing!

The guys corrected the shortcomings of the fence and we released them again into their lovely new home. They were much happier - and we were relieved. The black and white ones are still a bit skittish, but the tan one, who we have named Martha after our favorite goat for the first herd, is very friendly and sweet. I'm sure I'll be getting some better pictures when they are more confident and come out of the shadows to see us!

Of course, we can never forget the banties...
They are still around, although a number of them were lost to a hawk over the winter. When we realized what was happening, we made an effort to protect them more carefully and those that are left have thrived.

I suppose I should be sorry to tell you that "The Captain", our nemesis, was one who fell to the hawk, but I'm not and the remaining roosters seem to be happy to share their area with us and the goats.

Drug Freebies - a physician's view

2008-04-22T07:28:00.003-04:00

We interrupt our regular light-hearted banter to share something important. This article was in our Sunday Paper and I think it needs to be posted here, too. The more people who are aware of this situation, the better...

IN MY OPINION
Time to opt out of drug freebies'
By JOSEPH IRWIN Special to the Sunday News

I am a family physician practicing medicine in Ephrata. I begin this letter with an apology to all of my patients for my complacency with the excessive marketing practices of the pharmaceutical companies. Although I have been concerned about the infiltration of pharmaceutical companies in my practice for quite some time, I admit that, until now, I had not given the issue the time and attention it deserves.
I joined a practice eight years ago, which, like many other medical practices, received certain "perks" from pharmaceutical company representatives, aka the "drug rep."
From the moment the drug reps walk into a practice, they are loaded up with medicine samples (which actually help patients and which I will continue to accept), but also with pens, paper, clocks, staplers, hand sanitizers, paper-clip holders, stuffed animals, mouse pads, tissue boxes, magnets ... you get the idea.
One of the favorite perks is the "drug lunch." In the back room away from patients, the drug reps lavish me and my staff with a gourmet lunch. But there is no free lunch in life. During this lunch, my prescribing practices (which the drug reps already know because the pharmacies sell my prescription patterns to them for considerable sums) are analyzed and every effort is made to refute a competing medicine (one that I might prescribe more frequently).
During this meal, there is little unbiased information presented by the reps.Their job is to get their drug sold. The more prescriptions they get in their territory, the better they do for themselves. (I have no animosity for them; they are simply doing their jobs. It is the flawed marketing system that I dislike.)
I am in one of the few businesses where, due to the power of the prescription pad, I am a commodity. There is no doubt that my business overhead is lowered because the pharmaceutical companies hope to sway my prescribing habits with these "gifts." It is argued that these items are of nominal value and of no consequence. I argue that they are part of a pervasive and wasteful marketing campaign by multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies who are focusing too much of their time and money on their marketing departments and too little on their research departments.
This marketing phenomenon is clearly illustrated by the explosion of television and magazine advertisements for different drugs. The public is bombarded by ads urging them to "ask their doctor if drug X maybe right for them." The ads are expensive and do little to advance and improve health care. Pharmaceutical companies have developed a group of "me too drugs," drugs that treat the same ailments with the same efficacy. By marketing these "me too drugs" aggressively to the public, these companies hope to create consumer preference, like the choice of Coke over Pepsi. Unfortunately, medicine is life-sustaining. It is a necessity, not a commodity. It must be treated differently than other consumer goods.
I have patients who face exorbitant bills for medications they need to keep them healthy. They are often faced with impossible choices: medicine or rent, medicine or food. The excessive and unnecessary marketing by pharmaceutical companies directly contributes to the skyrocketing prescription costs. This has to stop. The cost of medications to my patients, to all Americans, needs to be reduced now. I call on the pharmaceutical companies to stop spending billions on marketing and to fund research instead. I call on physicians to stop this relentless infiltration of "freebies" into your,practices.
So again, to all my patients, I apologize. I have taken steps to remedy the situation. My overhead costs will increase but it is the right thing to do.
Joseph Irwin, M.D., is a physician in Trout Run Family Practice, Ephrata, PA.

A Long 2 Weeks

2008-04-15T17:11:00.007-04:00

Sorry I've been so lax with my blog, but it's been a long couple of weeks. You can see that spring has finally spread across our county. The green grass is so lush and the sky is so blue. Baby animals are making their appearance as evidenced by the lambs among the sheep in this picture.

It started out when my guys came home from a cross country trip. The next couple of days, I managed to paticipate at the York Intergalactic Show as a vendor, tagging along with my friends, The Bead Ladies", Laura and Nolly. It was a great show and I think it convinced me I might be ready to do a table by myself.

On the way home from the show on Sunday, I got a call that our brother, John, was taking a turn for the worse and it looked like we would be making another trip to the hospital to check him in.

We managed to put it off for a few days, but he wound up in there anyway. He stayed for a week and a half and we spent a lot of time there trying to make sure the doctors were aware of the things we were. Somehow, their 5 minute visit in the AM didn't give them the same perspective we had! It all turned out okay though and he came home somewhat better.

I think he may not like having his picture taken, but after he was well on the mend, I snapped this one as he grimaced for the camers!

Somehow, during the time he was in the hospital, we still managed to get orders out and a few batches of soap made.

This past weekend, Tina and I were vendors at the Pennsylvania Herb Fair in York, PA. It was a lot of fun and a pleasant change from hospital duty.

The picture to the left shows our tables - that's Tina on the left!

Last evening, I finally sat down at the torch to replenish some of the "beadie" things I sold at the bead show and the herb show. The "Nebula" beads seemed to be in demand and so, I tried some new base colors to see what would happen:
First, the "Faded Denim Nebula". I can't remember the name of this oddlot gray/blue. I love it and was curious how it would turn out. I like it a lot and am pleased with the outcome.

Next, I tried Ladyslipper as a base and was again pleased with the result above. I tried making a few matching spacers, and they are okay, but very much on the gray side...

Finally, I grabbed some regular old pastel lapis and used a lot of silver to see what would happen. There are fine dots of silver all over the surface and the green reaction is something I really like about silver on blues...

These will make some really gorgeous bracelets for the next show at Landis Valley on Mothers' Day weekend.

Fresh from the Kiln

2008-03-28T10:47:00.004-04:00

I guess I'm a little excited about this bunch that I pulled from the kiln yesterday.

First the full set of the swirled beads that I mentioned yesterday. I'm calling them Taffy Swirl and I guess I'll just take them along to possibly sell as a set at the show this weekend. If they don't sell, I have some plans....

Next a good-sized focal. I was playing with the pleated bead technique but I think I stretched the pleats so far that they just disappeared! Actually, they're still in there, but very faint. I added a few stems and then the little flowers of pink and purple. When I pulled it out of the kiln, I was reminded of the beautiful little pink and white "Spring Beauties" that grow in our woods in early spring. It's a chunky bead, but the flowers on it are so delicate that it has a dainty feel to it.

Since I recently sold the black vessel on my website, I decided to make a new one. After the basic vessel was finished, with opaque top and bottom and a transparent "belly", I picked up a tiny black stringer and began scrolling curls all around it. My black vessels always wind up being called Midnight something and looking at this one, I immediately thought, "Midnight Lace". Isn't that an old Elizabeth Taylor movie? Whatever, it's a somehow "voluptuous" vessel!

Finally, I made some silvered ivory stringers, cut some pure silver wire, pulled out the Lapiz and transparent cobalt and started playing. This was the result. It looked like an interesting night sky with stars and comets streaking through it. I added the moon to glide serenely through it all.

I made a moon vessel a few years ago and it was always one of my favorites, so I'm happy to have a new one to add to my stash! Before I add it to my website, I'll wire it and add a few adornments.

We're having an overcast day today and the pix aren't the clearest I could hope for. When the sun comes out again, I'll get some better shots.

The Latest

2008-03-27T21:27:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been a busy week. For some reason, I got a cleaing bug and managed to get the house in really nice shape.

Delivered orders, took care of a lot of details I've been ignoring, made some soap and even managed to visit the new slots casino!

I also sat down and torched for the first time in a while and almost everything I made was a success.
For one thing, I tried blowing shards. I've been seeing some really beautiful things online made with dark silver plum shards and so, I got out the hollow mandrels I bought for a class that never came about and used them to blow shards from Dark Silver Plum.

This bead is the result of applying shards to a caramel apple bead and then reducing it to bring out the metallic sheen of the shards.

It's a start!

Then, I worked with some of the glass I bought last summer at Beadfest from Wale Apparatus. This vessel and bead are made with a combination of Desert Chameleon and Dark Topaz transparent. The Desert Chameleon has a bit of an almost opalescent gleam about it and the topaz, as always is just liquid amber... I'm very pleased with it. I finished another 4 of the beads, so there are now 5 of them which will make a great bracelet or an interesting necklace to wear with the vessel.

I made a couple other new vessels yesterday along with some other beads, but haven't had a chance to photograph them yet, but stay tuned, because I think they are a couple of the best vessels I have ever made!

Things are not always what they seem..

2008-03-25T08:48:00.004-04:00

This is an unusual year. Spring seems to be coming quickly although the temperatures don't necessarily reflect it.

The bulbs on the south side of the shop always bloom first, but they are about a full week or more ahead of normal. It's taking a lot longer for the rest of the bulbs and the tulips and daffodils in the driveway are being much more cautious!

This daffodil is blooming its little head off, but on Saturday we had a threat of snow. The predicted 1" turned out to be a .1" sprinkling of granular pellets, amounting to nothing much at all.The little bit of white globs on the right petal is what accumulated on the flower and obviously affected it's enthusiasm not at all!

Yesterday a couple came in to tag some trees to be dug and as we went out so I could give them some instructions, we looked up at my sister's house. On the roof was what appeared to be a Great Blue Heron. I ran in to grab my camera and tell Tina to come out and see. I took this picture, then tried to move a little closer for a better picture. As I prepared to take another shot, it appeared that the "bird" had flown away! Then we saw "it" again on the utility pole across the street from the house. It is apparently a piece of electrical equipment on top of one of the big cylindrical things on the pole!

The realization of the optical illusion gave way to lots of laughter and stopped us speculating on the "luck" of a heron on the roof - as opposed to a stork!

Insert Trite Saying...

2008-03-19T16:47:00.002-04:00

What is the saying? Oh, yeah - "It never rains, but it pours."

We've been slogging along through the winter, taking care of what we need to do, keeping up. We kept expecting things to break loose, but they seem to be starting up a little later than last year - at least in the soap business... But, we did make sure that the soap stock was in order...

So, the orders start coming in.... Tina's putting a new book together, which means I'm laying it out. Oh, and the magazine deadline was the 15th, so everything comes to a halt while that is put to bed.

Now, I'm spending most of my time on the computer while Tina is making sure the soap orders are getting out.... Talk about cross training!

Of course, I signed up for a swap which is a little something to work on in my spare time... and I'm downright neglecting the torch!

It's going to be a strange, early Easter this year. It seemed to have snuck up on us along with all the other holidays this week! We've decided there won't be ham for Easter this year - one non-pork eater and (at least)one low-sodium diet, so we think it might be Salmon. Well, at least it's pink - sorta like ham! Oh, and it's on sale.

We've been really lucky with our winter weather this year, but now it's been raining for two days and it's getting old. I know I shouldn't complain because there's so much more rain in other parts of the country, but I will anyway!

Well, this is probably one of the worst blog entries I've ever made. I just felt the need to blog and had, as you can see, very little to say!

Promise of Spring!

2008-03-05T19:31:00.002-05:00

It isn't much, but at this time of the year, it doesn't take much! It's been raining and ugly. This has been a somewhat mild winter for us. No snow, but cold, raw, rain and ice...
Today, the sun finally came out and I happened to look down as I walked out the door of the shop. There were these lovely daffodil leaves coming out of the ground. Bulbs are the promise of spring.

I had some errands to do around the area and noticed the lawns and fields just starting to "green up". I love all the seasons, but spring has to be the best.

Something new - needle felting

2008-02-22T21:37:00.007-05:00

I was reading a thread in an online forum about needle felting. It referred to a YouTube video which intrigued me. We passed a wool shop on Wednesday as we were making deliveries and stopped in to see if they had the materials we needed.

They did, and so... First, I made a big old flower. It would be a great accent on a cloche hat or on a coat. Then I found an old piece of felt and decided to try felting a design on it. It was pretty free form and I really have no idea what it could be used for. A couple of snaps and it could actually be a cuff bracelet.. can you do that in felt?
Then I decided to give a figural a try. That was really what I thought I wanted to do when I got the supplies. I tried a teddy bear. His arms are a little long and I couldn't get his face right. At various times, while I was making him he looked like a monkey, a cat, a mouse and finally, when I got his face right, a bear! He's a pocket bear - just the right size to pop in a pocket for a little girl to take along as a secret friend.
Obviously, I haven't done much else for the past two days except to play with this new medium! But, the final piece is a mermaid.

I don't think she is finished. This is the piece to which I will add pearls and beads and maybe a few small shells.

She is my opportunity to really pour on the embellishments.

Next, I think I'll try a relatively large head. I have some ideas of a base to build it on...

I've been hearing a lot about people to being anxious for spring to come, but the older I get, the more I believe in enjoying life as it comes. One of the things I like about this time of the year is the opportunity to just hunker down and try new things...

Experimenting with soap, glass and, now a new medium, for me, of needle felting.

Eclipse

2008-02-21T10:00:00.003-05:00

Watching the lunar eclipse last night, I was reminded of a once in a lifetime experience I shared 10 years ago with my husband and son. We were fortunate enough to be able to view a total solar eclipse.

Our son had shown an interest in astronomy and I happened to see that there was an "Eclipse Cruise" sponsored by a local museum. The actual eclipse fell one day after his birthday and it all just seemed like a perfect vacation/birthday present.

It was our first cruise and now that we have a few more under our belts, I can say that it was not at all typical. A majority of the people on that trip were there for the eclipse. For many of those people, this was not their first eclipse. It seems there is a segment of society who actually chases these things and will spend a lot of money, that they really can't afford, to travel to wherever there is an eclipse. I thought it was odd, but then, of course, I hadn't experienced one yet.

The trip itself was lovely and we were lucky enough to share our dinner table with the museum's planetarium director and his family. A couple of nights, we went up to the top deck with a telescope and he showed us the features of the night sky close to the equator. I was excited to see the Southern Cross.

On the day of the actual eclipse, we spent a short time in port (Antiqua) and then headed out to sea to jockey for a perfect cloudless viewing location. We were given special glasses and I guess just about everyone on the ship was on the upper decks. There was some amazing camera equipment set up at various places. The mood was very party-like as we all prepared for the event.

A solar eclipse is a much faster event than a lunar eclipse, so it only lasted for a short time. As it began, it was hard to see the actual changes. The easiest way to see what was happening was to somehow project the light of the sun on the deck. This was achieved by making holes in our fingers and letting the sun shine through it.

Excitement was building and we started realizing this was a really big event. The atmosphere changed. It became colder. As we approached totality, the temperature had probably dropped 20-30 degrees. We were in bathing suits and shorts and suddenly became chilled.

And then - it happened... The dragon swallowed the sun! It truly was a very exciting event. Just before the corona appeared, the "diamond ring" effect flashed.

And then, it was DARK. All the stars were visible and it was night - and there we were on a ship in the middle of the ocean. There had been a collective gasp as the sun disappeared and that huge ship was almost silent as we watched the unexpectedly moving event. We KNEW what was happening and the feeling was still very eery. I understand now why eclipses have always been such powerful events.

And then - just as suddenly as it disappeared, the shadow moved and the sun and the world started to return to normal.

My advise is that if you ever have the chance to experience a total solar eclipse - do it!

And now ... color!

2008-02-11T16:16:00.000-05:00

I was making a lot of organic beads. I love that style, but sometimes, I need to work with some bright colors.

First, I made something that I've been thinking sbout for some time - "Hey Taxi!" I've been wanting to combine these colors for some time, but I think the trip to the city last week put me over the top!

Mustardy yellow and black, with black and white accents.

Does it say taxi to you? Or does it say school bus?

I think all the funky shapes and motion makes it very city-like...

Then on to another city - Paris and a set I call "Ooh La La"!

Why is it that pink, black and white say Paris to me? I looked through images on the internet and never did figure it out.

I thought maybe it was Schiaparelli, but that was a hot pink. I did find some note cards and a picture with a pink dressed lady with a poodle. You would think it would be easy to figure it out, but I didn't.

I don't know why this one is called "Heavenly Chatter", either, but that was the name that came to me!

Okay, it was the blue, but the coral wasn't exactly relaxing and restful, so that made it chatter.

Finally, I think I went somewhere south of the border for this combo, although it isn't really sunny enough, it certainly is bold.

I think maybe "broken pottery" or even "rag rug", but it's strong with sharp lines and pattern... I don't know.

Any ideas?

I may actually be doing a show again, which is what got me working on new sets, but I have time to come up with a name.

Gone to the City!

2008-02-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

When we had our retail shop, a trip to NYC had become almost run of the mill. Since the shop was sold in 2000, I haven't been there, so visiting for the day was a real treat. I'm not sure exactly how it came about, but we decided to attend the International Gift Fair at Javitz and traveled by train with friends, Sarah and Kara of Radiance, an herb shop in Lancaster.

Since we will be doing a couple of herb faires and of course, our farmers' market, we thought maybe there might be something we needed - plus, we were just itching for the hustle and bustle of NYC and a chance to just break out of our day to day routine (idyllic though it may be)!

The weatherman was predicting a beautiful, sunny day for Monday - a repeat performance of a very gorgeous Sunday and we were looking forward to a lovely train ride and a sparkling view of the city.
It was not to be, but, even in the fog there is always something interesting going on. You can see the top of a skyscraper disappearing in the fog in the picture above... and if you look at the top of the building on the right, you'll see some workmen doing something to a round structure up there!

The Gift Fair is an enormous undertaking that runs for about a week. If you are seriously wanting to see the whole thing and do some major buying, you would want to spend the entire time there.

It is row upon row of opulent booths and tables full of everything you can imagine; Jewelry, clothing, household linens, toys, flowers, decorative items and on and on. Anything that could conceivably be considered a gift.... It is exhausting and even that huge hall full of people becomes stuffy and hot.
We stepped outside to cool off and get some fresh air and to sit down a couple of times during the day. One of those times, we were collapsed on a very cold cement bench facing the street and I looked up to see a parade of Amish headgear bobbing along above the wall toward the street. I would imagine this show is one of the more "worldly" events. Something about "storing up your treasures on earth"... But, now that many Amish run gift shops and bakeries catering to the "English" I guess they need to keep up with what's new.

Earlier, as we rounded a corner inside the show, I was shocked to see an Amishman followed by his daughter and even more surprised to realize that I knew him! It was Eli, one of our first soap customers. He's been selling our soap in his little countryside road stand for probably close to 15 years now. I called his name and he finally turned around to see us. I think we were all pretty amused to be running into each other there. We discussed how we had all gotten there and compared notes. He and his daughter had come up in a "taxi" which is basically a van and driver that hires out to groups of Amish for things like this or for getting to a work site. After we explained the train experience, he thought that might be a nice alternative to try.

Finally, a shot taken in front of the Javitz. This is where the shuttle buses line up to haul fair goers back and forth from hotels and transportation venues. They run every half hour all day long.

I actually really liked the composition of the picture. The geometric shapes and blocks of color reminded me a little of one of our local (historic) painters - Charles DeMuth. The man on the cell phone and the woman behind him, dressed in black are iconic NYC figures.

Finally, I wanted to mention the changes since I have been there last. The last time I was in The City was 1999 - obviously before 9/11. It is pretty evident the changes in security. We used to be able to just buy a round trip ticket on the train and choose any train that day to return home. Now, we must book a specific return - all using photo ID. That's a minor irritation. The physical barriers everywhere are a little jarring. The old taxi stand at Penn Station is no longer there... now it's outside on the street. There are huge barriers up outside the Javitz building where at one time buses and taxis moved freely. I really saw very little of the city and yet the changes are obvious.

Signs of the times....

A Free Preview - The Essential Herbal

2008-01-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

You know, I know I've mentioned the magazine, The Essential Herbal, that my sister publishes. I think I've mentioned that I do the layout every other month after she has pulled it all together.

But , If you are interested in having a look, we've never offered that opportunity, until now.

This issue (March-April 2007) has sold out and Tina has made it available for download. Click on the cover or here to download.

If you like it (and I'm sure you will because all we hear are raves after every issue) go here to subscribe. It's a fabulous magazine, filled with lots of great herb related info and it is well worth much more than the $20/year subscription price.

If you want still more information, check out the full site to see even more of what this magazine is all about at The Essential Herbal. Then Subscribe!