Happy Hollidays!

Tis the season once again. I want to share the song I wrote when Brooke and Peyton were babies. Inspired after realizing that with new little ones Santa would be coming back to my house again. That was a few years ago and since then we have five grand children. They are shown in the picture below. And, Santa is still coming back to my house.

Bob, Peyton, Me, Brooke, Jack, Jake and Austin

Click here to play Santa's Coming Back To My House Tonight

This wall hanging is painted on canvas featuring two lovers under a dark winter's tree in the moonlight. The hanging is painted with acrylics and the finish is polycrylic for protection. The stars are tiny dabs of hot glue which seem to sparkle in the light. The canvas flaps are glued on the painting to allow hanging on the wooden rod. It is embellished with fringe.

Romantic Painted Wall Hanging

In Texas many people decorate with some of the Texas symbols such as the Texas Star, the Texas Flag and in this case the Texas Long Horn. I painted this and use it as part of my decor in my Great room. The background colors are greens, corals, browns, and cream pastels blended together creating a swaying motion. It is mounted on another dark brown painted canvas for framing. The Longhorn is made and sculpted of plaster.

Here are a few samples of some beading that I have added to my glass pendants. I usually either place the necklaces on leather or a chain but I felt I could enhance the pendants with glass beads. It puts a little pizazz in the design.

Necklace, fused glass red flower on white pendant with pearl beads

Red Flower on white ring

Fused glass flower pendant with glass beads

Fused glass ring, yellow on black

Necklace, fused glass heart pendant with beads

Necklace, fused glass, representing the TX flag (only round instead of rectangular)

Bracelet, fused glass with glass beads

Necklace, fused pink and black, with beaded glass beads

Ebony and Ivory Necklace

Fused glass pendant and beaded necklace.

This photo is of me with my brothers and sister singing and performing at Indian Beach many years ago. We loved music and loved performing. I keep a copy of the picture framed on my piano which reminds me of the wonderful experiences I shared with my siblings through music.

Pam, Me, Al, and Tim

The doll like face is fused glass using different shapes and colors to create features. The hair is yarn and the hat is felt. The lady even has a fused glass necklace. She is on a wooden plaque.

Glass Doll Like Face on Plaque

I have been making doll like glass people. Not knowing what to do with them I started mounting them to boards and canvas painting surrounding scenes. The glass guy below looks like an artist so I gave him an easel, some brushes and a scene to paint.

Glass Man Artist

One of the coolest things in the jewelry accessory world are the new chains and clasps. The chains come in various colors and sizes and the clasps are huge. They are so cute and for some very practical. Easy connections!

Chains and Clasps

When I look into this piece of fused glass I see a stream running through the woods next to a hillside. On the hillside is a dead tree half standing. What do you see?

Go Wild With Your Imagination

One of the most exciting things about working in fused glass is the element of surprise. I love to experiment with shapes and colors. When this piece first came from the kiln it reminded me of a bear's face. So I added some colorful pieces of glass to represent eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. After firing the second time I strung it on leather. A perfect necklace for a child.

Teddy Bear Necklace

This contemporary vase made with a melted wine bottle resulted in very calming colors. The wine bottle was melted once then I placed some already fused glass on it and melted it again. When the bottle is melted more than once it spreads out and takes a different shape of it's own. The vines are plaster and painted. The flowers are fused glass pieces mounted on canvas.

Wine Bottle Vase with Fused in Glass

The quirky TX. Star is painted with acrylics with the melted wine bottle in front of it. The grapes are glass. It is on particle board and with painted barb wire framing the painting.

TX. Star with Wine Bottle

Living in Texas I thought I should do a few pieces with a southern theme. In this mixed media painting I melted some beer bottles using the same method as I do with the wine signs. The bottle in the boot was melted then cut and remelted for smoother edges. The rope is yarn and the boot is textured using plaster. I extended the boot from the particle board into the framed painted canvas to achieve more dimension.

Boots and Beer

The Chef

The central part of this mixed media painting is on particle board and it is glued to canvas. The chef's hat, shirt, and arms are cut and fused glass from flat glass. The bottle on the table is a tiny melted olive oil bottle. The beard is yarn. The features on the face are tiny particles of glass fused in with the white flat glass. The painting is done in acrylics. Some of the items on the table are textured as well as the the bricks.

Some friends of mine drank the Kahlua that was in these bottles at Christmas. I thought they were such cute little bottles and they still are especially now that they are MELTED. I took a photo as I am giving the composition to my friends today for a gift. It was painted with acrylics and the drips are painted with glass paint. I mounted particle board on canvas to enhance the painting instead of framing it.

Kahlua!

The bottle was melted. It was clear so I painted underneath the glass to give it a red appearance to go along with the theme of the red wine. The grapes are red and gold glass. The bottle stopper is fused red glass as well as the the red glasses in the front. The glasses in the back are painted with fabric paint. The vines surrounding the painting are textured with paint.

Red Wine

The painting is done in acrylics with some fabric paint on the drawn wine glass. The cheese is plaster and paint. Since the cheese cutter is close to being in proportion to everything I added a real one. The wine bottle is melted glass while the grapes are glass also. I fused the bottle top with two different pieces of glass. The vines are a mixture of paint and plaster. I love how that every wine sign I do is similar but yet so different. They all take on different characteristics.

Cheers Again - Wine and Cheese

The pendant is made of fused black glass and the ring also fused black glass. The base of the ring is silver coated brass.

Modeled by my oldest daughter I have to say the display looks much better on a human than a manikin.

Glass Pendant and Ring

Won't Quit

Lyrics by Barbara Cheney
These are words to a song I wrote and hope that it will be an inspiration to all.

There's something inside that won't let me quit
Somewhere within the light is still lit
The beat of my heart echos desire
To reach the goals that I aspire

So don't tell me no 'cause I won't hear you
I won't give in 'til I do what I know I can do

A battling force, won't surrender
I'm still here a contender
Won't let myself down, I believe in me
With help from above, His way I will see

So don't tell me no 'cause I won't hear you
I won't give in 'til I do what I know I can do

Another Wine Sign

The bottle is a melted clear wine bottle with lavender painted underneath. Part of the vines are textured and painted with acrylics and fabric paint. The front wine glass is made with cut out flat glass, connected together and then fused. Behind that is a painted glass with a wine charm made of fused glass. The bottle stopper is also fused glass. The grapes are glass with some color behind them to create a more vivid color shining through the clearer glass. I started cutting glass shapes when I was unsuccessful melting real wine glasses to look the way I wanted them to.

This painting is a gift for my Grand-daughter. She turned 14 last week. She redecorated her room with two colors of pink and accessorized with zebra items. I designed a hooded jacket for the painting so it will complement her room.

Peyton

My New Necklace Model.

I bought this stand at a garage sale many years ago. Through the years it has been used for different things. Most recently it was by my dressing table area with necklaces draped over it. I decided to change it up a little and use it for my necklace model. I think this is going to work out well. Below is a photo of her fist modeling job. Perhaps I should give her a name. I'm open for suggestions.

Now I have to find something to use for a hand model to display my rings.

Fused Black Glass Necklace

I had a request for a plain black glass necklace. This necklace is fused black on black glass.

Black Glass Ring Mounted on Silver Plated Copper

Adjustable black glass ring mounted on silver plated copper which goes with the above necklace.

This is painted on a 10" by 14" canvas over a 16" by 20" canvas glued together. I used acrylic paints. The ice cream and cherry on top is plaster. The fudge frosting is a glass paint. The dishes are melted glass dishes. Black ribbon is glued around the sides of the canvas to cover the staples. I try to get the hidden stapled canvas whenever I get the chance. Sometimes the hidden stapled canvases in certain sizes are not available. The spoons are real coffee spoons. The cherries on the side of the bottom canvas are glass with elastomeric custom patch as the stems. A plastic bag is used to squeeze the patch in the stem form after I mixed some acrylic green paint with it.

Ice Cream Sunday

Rings that go with Pendants

One of the newer things I am doing with jewelry is to have rings to go with the pendants. Even though they are all one of a kind they still have some simularity. The rings are on silver plated brass and they are adjustable. They look very stylish on the fingers and they are so much fun.

The leopard is from a broken glass fused on a solid white glass with a COE of 96. The zebra is from a broken vase also fused on white with a COE of 96. The zebra also looks good fused with pink, cream or light browns and light blues.

I often buy scrap glass from glass blowers on line and sometimes I run into some amazing glass in other forms and break them. Not knowing the COE of the pieces I usually experiment with fusing to see how they will do. Sometimes it is only a matter of heat adjustment in the kiln.

Happy New Year! 2010

I am back in my studio working after a hiatus finishing some remodeling on our house and spending time with my family over the Christmas holidays. I have started some fantastic projects. I left my camera at my daughter's house. When I pick it up tomorrow I will take some photos. I am excited and look forward to 2010. There are many projects in the making and hope you will join me in my adventures.