Life On The Funny Farm!

We have a new addition to the Funny Farm! Four baby cows!

Add them to the 4 pigs, 2 goats, 3 roosters, 12 laying hens, 1 fat bunny ,Opal the cat, sesame & chicken the new barn kittens, and of course Tehya.

Tehya my Great Dane didnt know what to think of them :)

She was licking their faces and ears, she just wants to mother them.

They do look like they could be her pups...lol

I admit I stay out of the barn as much as possible, I have a weak stomach and the smell gags me...lol But, I went in this morning and helped feed the calves their milk, they still get buckets of milk twice a day along with their other feed. They are just sooo darn cute I couldnt resist!

My Dream Farmhouse...lol

Thought Id post some photos of what we have been working on for the last 6 months.. we are redoing and old farmhouse...ok, its not my dream farmhouse just yet but give us a few more weeks and its going to look awesome!!!

This is my new glass studio :) Im putting in the same red tile floor in here I have in my current studio because I love it so much ..and we have 2 boxes of it left...lol The walls will be some funky creative colors... prob a cool turquoise and brown, havent decided on those for sure yet but i get to have fun with color in here!!.

Check out the view from where my torch will be!! Straight out into the woods! You can see some of the bird feeders , even the one the stupid squirrels killed again last night on the ground...little furry rats!! I will definately have some sort of shade on this window... I work late at night most of the time and the thought of not being able to see out into the dark night creeps me out! ..lol ( bigfoot could be lurking out there attracted to my torch flame right.....LOLOL )

My ventilation hood will come down right over my work area..swweeet!

These are the dining room and living room in progress... Pizza Pie is the color for the dining room :) I love that name! and cocoa bean and some other trendy fufu brown color for the living room ..lol The rooms are much larger than these photos make them look.

Wade is a taxidermist so there will be deer mounts on the walls and a HUGE antler chandelier hanging over the dining room table . The wood floors are actually really nice under all the drywall dust...they will get sanded down and a new coat of stain. Carpet will go in the living room, that floor isnt near as nice..its kinda like wide barn boards.

This is going to be my kitchen... doesnt look like much right now but give my husband a few weeks... weve got everything to finish this room, just waiting for the drywall to be finished and the crows foot on the ceiling ..then i paint!! Perfect Strawberry is the color going in here...lol..sounds scary but its really a nice med dark red... there are so many antique white glazed cabinets goin in I thought a good accent color would be nice :) The ugly peach wall will be totally covered with cabinets and back splash. Floor will be a really nice tile.

I will be sure to post the FINISHED product pics when were done...
I love it but NEVER want to go thru all this work again...im too old for this crap..lol

What do you think.....

I have been working on some new designs.... and of course im second guessing myself as usual.

These are finished items, which is rare for me, and I am NEVER satisfied with the finished product.... I need some input from you jewelry designers and buyers..

These have pin backs, the kind you tack onto your top or jacket...the rose below dangles, keep in mind this is a prototype...lol dont be too harsh..lol but give me your thoughts. Do you think people would wear these? Would you? Any Ideas for materials to string below the focal rose? I was thinking of something for my Mom who doesnt wear long earrings or bracelets ( unless their diamonds...lol )

Do I keep going with this or scrap it.....

Creative Chaos...lol

Think I need to clean up my torch area?...lol

I have been in a creative mode the last few days and this is what happens.. total destruction !This is just a small area of the mess ..lol I have been doing floral sculpted beads and that requires alot of color mixing & stringer pulling /aka/ making a mess. The results are much prettier...

My work....

My work.. I am a glass artist.

Thats what I say when people ask me what I do. When I say Im a Lampworker people look at me strange or assume I make lamps...lol Lampworking has been around for thousands of years... its the art of creating glass beads over a torch flame . Each bead is created one at a time. I have been making beads for many years and still loving every minute I get so spend in my studio.

I start with rods of glass, I have hundreds of colors and I also mix my own custom colors, mandrels dipped in a ceramic kiln wash and my torch flame. I melt the glass around the mandrels, shaping and layering colors as I go..then off to the kiln for a long soak to insure strength .

Here are a few examples of my work...

You can see more of my work at http://www.littlecrowglass.com/

You can purchase my work at http://littlecrowglass.artfire.com

Littlecrow Glass

Thursday March 4th , 2010

I am new to this blogging thing but I think I will have fun with it!

First I will start out with a little about myself. I have been happily married for almost 21 years to a wonderful man ( wow..i feel old now ) I have 5 children ages ranging from 8 up to 21 ( damn i really feel old now! LOL ) I am also a glass artist working from home in a beautiful studio my husband built for me. I LOVE MY LIFE!

We are in the process of remodeling an old farmhouse in Trufant Michigan. Its only 12 miles from our current home but it feels like a totally different planet over there. I love the country and Trufant is one of those everyone knows everyone friendly little towns. My husband and sons have gutted this house down to the studs, redoing plumbing, electrical , EVERYTHING! We are at the drywall stage right now and I am getting excited! It all looks so fresh and new ! The garage is like a warehouse filled with over 1000lbs of new kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures and lighting... ohhh gives me goosebumps...lol ! Wade put in a huge window in my new studio so while I work I have the prettiest view of the woods. I've had birdfeeders outside the window since fall so I will have company while i work :) Damn squirrels broke one of my feeders this week...lol..I know they have to eat too but stay away from my birdfeeders! The barn is HUGE but in need of alot of tlc...that will take a few years because the house comes first but we do have 3 little piggies which my boys have name Baccon , Sausage and Chorizzo..lol BOYS! I refuse to spend much time with the cute little porkers because I dont want to get attached, I know what is going to happen.....

I will post photos of the remodel progress this weekend..