Studio Blow Up...

...Ugh! Why is it that as soon as you get everything organized the way you want it, BAM, a project takes hold and the studio goes cablooy (is that a word)??

This is what happens when you try to work out of two places at once - especially if they're in two different states! Fabrics and sewing machines in one, jewelry studio in the other, oh, and lampwork shop is here...but I can't use it because it's too cold!

Basically, these are just a couple pictures of things that I need to get moved up north and are in temporary position (my sewing machine - one of them - is actually sitting on the dining room table).

I can't wait to get in just one place - but it will have to wait until the end of summer. In the meantime, expect more whining...or is that wine - ing?

Attracted to the Flame - Part VII

OK, not the most glamorous shot for a blog - but hey - it's reality...

I know, I know, I'm late on getting this one posted after promising it a week ago. But as they say, better late than never. I don't know about you, but this winter has just sucked the very life out of me! I'm not very inspired at all. And the motivation level is very low. SUNSHINE - WHERE ART THOU??

OK, enough of my whining... I'd like to talk a little bit about my torch and the fuel for my lampwork setup. First, it's not a "torch" (although everyone refers to it as one); what I use is actually a "burner". I refer to it as a torch because that is the universal word for something that uses fuel that has a flame coming out of it. (If I said "burner", most people would think I was talking about a stove.) My burner is called a Minor Burner, and it uses a mixture of both oxygen and liquid propane ("LP").

When you first start out, most people use something called a Hot Head that uses something called "MAPP" gas, and there is just one tank and no mixing. It's absolutely great to start out on. But its limitations grow old on someone like me who just has to continue to spread her wings and fly...

To create more, add more fine detail, and keep your clear glass more clear (not sooty or cloudy), you need to use a hotter flame and a cleaner one. That usually requires adding oxygen. Using pressurized gases is hazardous, so my shop is in a separate building and not in my house. There's a line of oxygen and a line of LP that runs to the burner. I control the line pressure from the tanks with regulators (pictured). (I also control the amount of oxygen I want to mix in with my LP at the burner head in order to do different types of work.) Basically, from the tanks of oxygen and LP, I need a line pressure mix of roughly 5 to 1 oxygen to LP.

Once the two fuels do reach the head of the burner, I need to mix them by adjusting my fuel knobs to create three different types of flames (and a zillion variations of each of these from one type to the other): reducing, neutral, or oxidizing. The more oxygen you use, the closer to oxydizing you get - the more LP you use, the more reducing your flame becomes. Most work is done in a neutral flame. Confused yet?

I can make it simple...most work in neutral, clean and clear work in oxydizing, special effects in reducing. No, it's not that simple - but for the sake of your sanity, and my lack of writing skills, let's leave it at that.

Visit my Boutique Poladora, to see some of my work on my "burner"...

What a Life...

Do you think this dog is spoiled, or what? This is our mini-dox "Teddy".

Coming this week - continuation of my "Attracked to the Flame" series!

Also, I'll be forcing myself to work on "Verna" for my Internet Boutique Poladora!!

Stayed tuned - and of course, expect the unexpected!

Special Olympics - Here we come!

I posted earlier about a project I was working on for the Special Olympics - Wisconsin. (I volunteered to make three scarves for the participants and their coaches in WI in the colors and yarn of their choosing.)

Now finished and ready to ship, my shipping dept (the hubby), has taken them off to the Post Office.

Best of luck to all Special Olympic Olympians!

Things to Come...

I thought I'd share a few things I've been, or are going to be, working on this year...

I plan to continue my series on "Attracked to the Flame" for those of you who found that interesting. Next, I'll talk about my burner (otherwise thought of as a torch), and my fuel source.

In my stash of "working on" projects, I have some things like these...

And, in my bucket of things I'd like to do is play around a little bit with "steampunk" jewelry - and, a more refined and unique version of that with some real antique time piece parts. Afterall, I can't just do things that everyone else does. That's just the quirky me... stayed tuned and "expect the unexpected".

Have you visited my Internet Boutique "Poladora" lately?

New Beginnings...

...happen each and every new year. It's like when you went to grade school... every new year brought a new chance to do well. You got new shoes (if you were lucky), new crayons, pencils, notebooks...a few things compared to the kids of today. We didn't have backpacks, ipods, laptops, kindles, ds-whatever - we might have been lucky enough to get new clothes for the new year, but only if we out-grew or wore out our current clothes. Oh, and when we went to Junior High School, we got a new gymsuit. Remember those? Your Mom had to sew your last name across the back of it. Boy, did those things get smelly in your gym locker...but I digress as usual.

What I really wanted to talk about is how wonderful our holiday was. We have a place up north (which I've blogged about), and we spent New Year's Day celebrating our Christmas with most of our kids and half of our grandkids. Oh, and my one daughter's boyfriend. What a house-full! Twelve people all together. Families/couples got priority for our two guest rooms - the rest on a couch or on the floor! But no one complained...we were together.

Our son flew in from NY (lucky to get out of there with the weather), one couple came up from IL, and two families came over from different parts of WI - no one was local, but they came. Having my children and grandchildren around me for Christmas dinner, conversation, hot chocolate at night, egg casserole for breakfast, and hugs all around upon coming and going is the best Christmas I could ever have. I'm sure many of you parents and grandparents out there my age feel the same. Sure, the gifts are fun (especially when they're hand-made), but just having them all around and watching them open their presents is the best parts of Christmas.

And, with the New Year comes new beginnings...like the new shoes of childhood. You can decide how you want your new year to be. Despite all of the hardships around us with the economy, etc., I'm sure we can each find it in our own private little world to cherish the bright spots and throw away the garbage. Clean house on that brain and heart of yours and start anew. I know I will.

Happy New Year!

Winter Wonderland...

I woke up this morning with a splitting headache - not to mention that I didn't even fall asleep until 6:00 AM! Then, I looked out the window and much to my pleasure and surprise was a winter wonderland! Suddenly, I felt much better. In fact, I thought it was so pretty that I put my boots on and ran out and took these pictures - yes, in my bathrobe! I must have been quite a sight! But, that's the benefit of living out in the country - no neighbors!

It's amazing what you'll do for a picture...