Oh The Glass I Find In The Sand

I'm a 'collector'.
I collect water glass. Also sometimes known as Fairy's tears, Sea Glass, which is something a bit different, and Lake Glass.
 Mine is lake glass. From the shores of Lake Superior. Lake Superior, the shore. North or south, my all time favorite place on this earth. I feel peace. I feel contentment. I feel complete. I also feel the loss.
  Often I am asked, What is Sea Glass? (or water glass)  These questions started when I began making jewelry out of the glass. Lake Superior Water Glass. Two examples:

The above picture is Water Glass taped as you would with stained glass, then soldered, jump rings added and all the pieces attached. Very fun piece to wear. Just glass. The below picture is a larger piece of beach glass that washed up on the beach, right between my bare feet, cold in the icy waters even in July. I wire wrapped it and hung it from suede. It has a very special meaning to me. That's another story, but it's the one piece I wear consistently. It's my version of Split Rock Light House, and a heart.

The above piece was most likely a top to a perfume bottle or an apothecary bottle. It's in perfect shape. No cracks, no chips. My husband, who is at the lake far more often than I, found this piece. I use it to hold my rings. It's amazing to me that it is in such beautiful shape. This piece is the one piece that makes me wonder how long it was in the water, tumbling among the sand, water and rocks. I wonder if there is a history. I'll never know. It's that way with most pieces. Although, most pieces are actually 'trash' dumped into the ocean or lake, tumbled in the water and little by little it washes to the shores. 

A couple more pics of my finds: 

The top picture is the most uncommon of the glass I find in the more pastel colors. The middle, common glass found on Lake Superior. I'm guessing beer bottles for the most part, you find a lot of brown! Green is common, clear is common. Blue is a treasure and a frosty pink and light blue are my most treasured finds. 

The shapes of the frosty glass are all different, and many times bottle bottoms I have found, as well as the tops of bottles. the last photo above is some of the bottle tops I've collected. Two are obviously pop or beer bottles, while two are most likely old pieces. Again, I am thinking apothecary bottles of some type. 

  You can find some interesting facts about Sea Glass, or Water glass here: http://www.odysseyseaglass.com/what-is-sea-glass.html

I provide the link as it's interesting, and why rewrite what is already written right? 

There is more to the glass than meets the eye. I'm not sure when my passion for it started, or even how. I only know that every summer my collection grows, and grows, and grows. Many pieces are usable in jewelry, others in art pieces, some I just toss in vases. Some become sun catchers. 

It's a crazy thing, this collecting. As I walk along the beach, wind blowing my hair, staring down into the sand beneath my feet, I have time to just loose myself in my own thoughts. I'll carry a bag, or a pail, or sometimes just put my finds in my pockets. 

Staring down as one walks down a beach can be a bit dangerous, if not embarrassing.

Dare I tell? 

There was the time I didn't notice the VERY large log that had washed ashore, and simply, but clumsily,  fell over it, rolling into the icy waves and wet sand. Could I have possibly have done this when NO ONE was on the same beach? NO. There were a number of people there, and not one of them missed my 'hit the log, fly through the air and land face down in the water'. A man with a dog came to my 'rescue', though I would have been happier to just pull my completely clothed WET body out of the water and go on my way without notice. I would say, 'Total Dork Moment'. It didn't help when he asked (as a lot of people do) "What are you doing? What are you looking for?". He dog shook the water from a wave off himself and added to the sand stuck to my face. 

    I always know this is coming so I always have on ...that pendant in the picture with the heart.   

There are stories of humilation, but most often, it's just questions from people and their strange reactions to my strange obsession. Kids however, they ask, I tell them, they began to hunt. It's so cute to see. It's a little like passing the torch. I wonder frequently, 'Are they still collecting, hunting, combing the beaches?" I'll never know.

Yes, for the most part the glass is just garbage that has been changed by the rolling of the waves and sand. Much like a rock tumbler.  Just garbage. However, if you could see the map of all the shipwrecks over hundreds of years on Lake Superior, you would then be like me: wondering, did it come from a ship? What was it?  Was whatever this broke off from a special something to someone? It makes me wonder, especially when its a piece of old china, or so thick it had to be part of a window of some type. I'll never know. I'll never quit looking. I'm in love with the frosted glass that lies in the sand. Waiting.  

  And, when I talk to 'Her', and a blue piece, rarely found, washes up between my bare feet, I will know She is there, again. Watching me. Loving me. Holding my heart.

   'We must have been the wives of Light House keepers'.

                                          "Yes, I think you are right Mom, I think we could have been."  We both laugh a little. 

 I toss a ' not ready yet' piece of glass back into the water and we walk down the shore line together, arm in arm, sharing our love of 'The Lake'. 

We still take those walks, I believe..... See you soon Mom.

Leap of Faith

  As a community, FROG is an important 'word' in our little town. Many sad events. Many untimely and tragic deaths, many illness's and many recoveries as well. FROG is a special word in Cumberland Wisconsin. FROG: Forever Rely On God.  We do.
  This bracelet was important for me to make. I needed to get a 'grip' on the call I feel to make 'Inspirational jewelry'. I FEEL it in my stomach. I FEEL it in my head. I FEEL it in my hands. I FEEL it.
Now I can wear it.

Now I can wear it and I can share it. Many who read this may know why FROG has again come to the forefront of our minds and is deep within our hearts. We are a 'Team' and we'll  celebrate the day our friend is once again home. 

 That said, there is more. There is that 'comfort zone'. I have my comfort zone in my chosen 'art' or profession and it's norm is metal. Metal and 'earthy' colors. nothing bold, nothing bright. 

This is different. It's very colorful, very bold, very bright. 

 As you can see, I chose purple, green, and did add a 'nature' color of brown, but the colors are bright and they 'pop'. The beads are big, bold. Big.Bold.Beads. 

That too, was me stepping out of my comfort zone. I do lampwork, a little, I'm no pro at it. However, I do make beads. Glass beads. These are clay. I don't even LIKE clay. I actually dislike it. A LOT. Well, wait. I did. I had this clay in a zip lock bag. I bought it ...what...17 years ago? I bought if for my kids when they were little. They could create, I'd bake it....whalla ...(spell that ha?) they had something cool. Then I let them paint it. (yep, I let my kids paint when they could barely walk. Finger paints ON the high chair tray, crayons, paint...all things art (that were not small enough to swallow: boy child, ya.)  Okay, back to my  'leap'. 

So, I had  a 'vision' in my head of what I wanted to do. I gave it a go in metal, but it just wasn't 'effective'. (or very comfortable to be totally honest) It took something I didn't have. Patients. (I have like...0% patients, ask my kids) So I went to the zip lock bag I recently 'unearthed' during my 'studio move'.

 I stared at the big bag with the huge hard white lump of clay inside for several days. I do that a lot. I look at stuff and ....when I feel unsure, or fear (lampwork/ map gas, torch, exploding glass potentially)

I really feared that, and stared the torch down for weeks. It won most of the time. That's not important right now however. The bag of clay is. (to me, at least). 

 So, I stared at it. I took it out. It was hard. Crumply. Not what you want in clay. I new that and I new how to fix that. I put it back. The idea in my head made it's way to paper. 

I went back to the bag. (oh, by the way, we are like...on day 5. I finally broke a chunk off the massive lump. The white clay was cold in my hands. I kneaded it and I worked it and I made it pliable and 'workable'. I know enough about it to know what to do, I just don't, um, didn't like it enough to give it my time. But, this was 'the time'. This was 'the medium'. I have a huge collection of rubber stamps I use for stamping solder (you thought scrapbooking right? Nope. Did one. 6 pages into it I was still on day 1 of our  CA vacay. Not my thing)

Doesn't matter. I have the letter stamps. I molded the clay into shapes I wanted for beads, and rolled out the shape I wanted for the 'bar' part of the bracelet. The important part of the bracelet. FROG. I stamped the F. Then the R. Then the O. It was too high so I went back and started over again, beating the air bubbles out of the clay in frustration. I finally decided  I actually liked the letters NOT to line up. I was more 'fun'. This was meant to be a 'fun' piece, as well as a piece with a message, and a reminder. Forever. Rely. On. God.

I do. 

I baked my beads. I baked my 'bracelet bar'. They turned out ....ok. They were white. (Yes, there is colored clay, but that's not me, no. I HAVE to do it myself, the colors. Don't ask why. OCD? Possibly. JPW? absolutely! (Just plain weird) That one goes without saying.

I had baked white beads and a rectangular piece that said F.R.O.G.

I went to my inks. This is when I realized....there was some fun going on here. I was liking this a little. (Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell ANYONE...I actually was having a really fun time!!! SHhhhhh!) 

I chose my colors and I mixed my inks to get the colors I wanted. (this stuff dries fast so this is worksostinkingfastbefortheinkdriesyougottagetthesestupidbeadscolored fast.) I tend to go off on my own a bit and add something additional (and extremely TOP SECRET, Family recipe kinds thing) I always have to mess with stuff, can't even follow the directions on a cake mix without tossing something else in. Oh well, roll with me or get off my hill right? Yep. (talk big for such a little woman don't I?) funny how that works.

Okay, back to my Leap Of Faith!  I got everything how I wanted it and I continued for two days making beads and bracelet bars and more and more and other words and patterns and colors and it is just all over the kitchen and it's messy, which creationusuallyissoIdon'treallycare. Whoa. Breathe....just breathe.  I took a leap. A leap of faith. That leap was going to a medium I didn't like and really did have some questions about. That leap was making something, yes, I had planned out but it never really took THAT direction. It took a direction all it's own. Totally.  The leap of faith, no questions, no backing away. Move forward right? 

I am an artist of many mediums. You would be facing a challenge to find something I have not done, used, smeared around on canvas or wood or ....who knows right? ) Okay, leaping. I did. 

I took that stuff in my hands. It was cold and hard and crumbly. I warmed it and smoothed it and tenderly shaped it with my hands. I made what was in my head. What MY God put in  MY head. My Creator creates through me. People ask often 'where I got 'that'. GOD gave it to me, who else? It's his gift, it doesn't belong to me, it belongs to him, I am only it's caretaker while I'm here......ya.

 My faith, MY leap. MY hands. MY Heart. My Head. My SOUL. My God, OUR God.  It's all in the beads. The bracelet. Why did I think it would come together when I had ABSOLUTELY NO  REAL PLAN as to how the finished piece would look? I had faith. 

I was FROG'n. Leap FROG'N. Leap FROG'N IN FAITH.

Rain Dancing

  I was just reminded of something while commenting on something on FB. 'Plan your work, Work your plan'. Sounds easy.
  It's not, not for me. I can  plan till the cows come home, but working that plan....well  life get's in the way, idea's get in the way. Creating get's in the way of creating. It does. Sounds crazy but it really does.  
  'In the works' is my norm. 'Finished' is my goal, unmet all to often.
   So I plan my work. I need to 'drill this' 'bang on that', solder this, solder that, light up the torch, and make some more 'clay things'. Get that sticky varnish to dry (trying the screaming at it method at this point, so far, nothing else is working), I have to write a magazine piece, finish a tutorial, start another, build my new website, decide on a new name, order business cards, shop for 'this that and what ever else I might need someday'. The list it long. The unfinished products are too many to count.
  Pick 'em off one at a time. That sounds practical. Practically impossible in all reality. But it's something I just need to force myself to do.
 HAVE YOU MET ME? Forcing me to do anything is like going outside, dancing around like a naked nut case and  then watching the rain poor down on the dry earth. NOT LIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE, THAT RAIN DANCE!).
  I'll make my list, my plan. We'll see where it gets me. (I'm already changing the plan in my mind) See? REALLY? I'm in need of a brain overhaul. I'm in need of a person to clunk me over the head when it's time to get down to the business of business. I'd probably strike back. Not a job anyone is applying for, that 'Clunk over the head' job.
 
  Creating however, is in my blood, a part of who I am. It's in me and it wants to get out and express itself.  It's a gene, I know it's a gene, it is a gene and with it comes a companion gene, the gene of procrastination, of 'I'll get to that next' (next never happens). I see this gene in many many people that surround me via 'groups' on FB. I am unsure how some get by with 'getting it done' so easily. Staying 'on task'. Not MY fine point.
  Not sure I have a fine point. I am more like the big fat Sharpie marker. Just a big smudge, my idea's leak through onto other idea's like the Sharpie ink leaks through paper onto the counter top.
 Good reason not to make a list.
    Great, done with that really stupid and insane idea.
   I think I'll grab another cup of coffee and go sit in the sun and procrastinate a little longer. Maybe give that rain dance a try. WAIT...it will rain tomorrow....4th of July. Always does.
   Then, I need to get down to the business of writing about Jump. And my recent trip to the other side of Wisconsin.
    I have to figure out this curios thing 'jump' first. I don't know there is a reason for it. But ....it's a long story, for next time. AND there are pictures! ON a creative note, I also will be challenging others VERY soon. I have a few photo's. I hope you'll 'play'.
  Enjoy your day. Create, organize, plan, do what ever it is you do, and have fun doing it!
~L.
 
   

Still 'What If-ing and useless info.

'What If' remains totally on my mind...which has created the problem of 'too many things on my mind'. An explosion could happen at any given moment. Oh boy. Get out the sketch pad and 'lay it all down' for later right? Ya. That'll get done. 

  Had a great weekend on the other side of the state of Wisconsin. Grafton, Cedarburg, Port Washington, family. Fun. Great to see my brother and his family, and watch my sweet little niece take of to her room, emerging not long after with an amazing necklace. Pics coming!  Also visited their neighbors wine shop. They actually have their own vineyard. That also will be upcoming in a blog. Many great photos and maybe an inspirational challenge on they way so stay tuned. Monday mornings...well not so much morning any more, anyway, hard to get it all 'back in place' after leaving and starting a new week, bumping my Etsy site and going someplace new. This is a 'challenge' for me. But do stay with me here...promise it will get interesting at some point! (if you find it boring, well, consider that one good time to nap on your keyboard, hey!) Oh, and no, I don't proof read these, I BIC HOK TAM. What is that? Tell ya later. BUT if you can guess....go for it! 

'WHAT IF'

                                               What If? 

  What if? 

   That little two word 'phrase' runs through my head like a run away train. All the time, but most often it rears its had every time I make something. Be it a recipe, a floral arrangement, a painting, or jewelry. What if?

  What if I tried this? What IF stretches my creative energy, it calls me by name, it makes me expand and expirement...fail or not, I can never stop the 'What if?'. It's part of me. 

   What if I did THAT?

  What if what if what if. WHAT IF?????

  It almost haunts me. It's always there. It never leaves. "What If" has take up permanent residency in my brain. (stop laughing, I really do have a brain, yes functionality is somewhat questionable..but it's there. (I had an MRI....PROOF!) 

 I can't get things completed, a lot of the time, as 'What if' creeps in and I take a 90 degree turn...it's crazy. (I'd like to use THAT as a laundry excuse but, no, it doesn't apply there. Rats.  

  Okay, back to the point of the 'laying down of words'. What if. Lampwork: What if I did this? So I try it. The list is so long I'd bore anyone reading this to tears so I'll skip the list and get straight to the point..but what if I wrote about .....no no no. Stay on track, no train derailments here ...(my brain is LIKE a train ...as sometimes it totally de-rails and I lose my 'train of thought' instantly). Enough about trains, we'll talk about that later, after my trip, on a train. Alone. 

  So, I have this other 'thing' that goes along with 'what if'. It's called, 'LSNAOAP'. That is not real catchy is it? No. However it stand for 'Learn something new as often as possible'.  That's a little bit of a side tracking device in my brain. Another excuse for not completing half of what I start. (talking jewelry now btw). 

  So, I had a LSNAOAP moment and found something I wanted to learn. That something was etching on metal. I've actually been interested in this for a long time. My CF took over and I never tried it. (Chemical Fear) I used a wonderful tutorial by Harry Wood of Oscar Crow, he is in a few creative groups I'm in and he is also on Etsy, (check him out) It's a great tutorial, thanks Harry, btw.

 I was hesitant about the etching as I'm no chemist, and I have a little  'CH' or 'chemical fear' if it's anything stronger than dish soap.  I had to use an etching solution, which was recommended by Harry Wood, and is pretty safe stuff. I asked a lot of questions, got a lot of answers and then bought the stuff. It sat in my studio about a week. I looked at it, walked away, did that a few hundred times. THEN I took the plunge. 

 I etched.

  THEN IT HAPPENED: 'What if?'. Yep, it always does, why would this be any different right? Can't leave well enough alone, have to stretch it to it's boundaries, or at least find out what those boundaries are. Have to take it the length of the football field and then back again. My curiosity just gets the best of me and takes over. I wonder if there is a name for that?. I think it might be AYTTKYW? That would be 'Are You Trying To Kill Yourself Woman?'. The answer would be, possibly. Not sure. Brains are strange things. So back to the point. Etching and What If, if you don't really know what the point is here. 

 That would not be uncommon, I'm a little ' pointless' at times.

 OKAY then, etching. I did it. I did it on copper and a few other random objects due to the What if factor. HOWEVER....the biggest 'W. I?' really surprised me. I used a ton of random things while 'stretching' my limits, or 'finding my limits' (and I did find some limits btw) . Something on my work bench struck me..and the What If happened. So I tried it. Oh my gosh....I am so impressed with myself, or the creative person who invaded my body at that time, which ever. It doesn't happen real often (being impressed with myself, rare occasion, reason to throw a party, better yet, take a nap)  Not bragging, I'm sure many have done this, though I hadn't seen it. So.....drum roll please....(bare with me...I need some excitement in my life) 

  Okay, premature on the drum roll, but this is where I started. A plain 'stamping', brass, of a butterfly. 

 What if?  So I proceed to take out my permanent marker and somewhat mess up the butterfly. (photo below)  Or so I thought. It was a 'What If' moment indeed. Very novice at etching at this point.

  What IF I etched on the brass butterfly? Stretching the boundaries, not running to 'Google' to see if it would work (not that would be too easy wouldn't it? Never occurs to me)  So, her it it (well, this isn't the original, I didn't photograph that one, of course...) Here it is ready to be tossed in the etching solution. (again, the above photo)

 This is a 'comparison photo'. One etched (top on obviously) the original on the bottom. I like it. 

  It was very basically drawing on the brass with a permanent marker, as you saw in the photo. Very basic. The outcome was a bit surprising to me. I was somewhat stunned and I was really liking it! Made this baby just POP! There are a few 'oopsies' that can happen however. ( I learn by doing, always) Example:

  

 The arrow is pointing to a very thin spot. That should have been covered in tape. The etching fluid took a bite out of it, made it pretty thin. Live and Learn (LAL) comes with 'What If' very frequently. 

   End result:  Polished and shined, I really like this technique, and I encourage you too, to join the WI (not Wisconsin, though I live there, Club. 'WIC'. 'What If Club. lol. Lets experiment together. What IF you tried this on something 'random'? NO googling, no asking anyone any questions, that will NOT stretch your brain, get the juices flowing or help your creativeness grow. So go to the 'WI' confidently. It's the same direction as your dreams. "God confidently in the direction of your dreams'. (forgot who said that) When I remember I'll add his name. What if? What if YOU tried something new and rather random today? What If?????? OKAY, now, drum roll please...my finished What if I etched on this plain butterfly, finished piece.

and to all a creative day!

FROG. Linda

Of This That and The Other

   

  I used to be a writer. I was also a newspaper editor. Used to be. Key words. I thought I could easily blog and since I once had a column, I thought...'no problem'. Things to write about? That's easy, right?
Wrong.
I can't think of one thing to 'blog' about.
That's not true. I can think of many. However they are all very 'uninteresting' or ....worse yet, controversial in the world I hang out in. (the Jewelry world to be specific).
  You see, I could blog about people being 'INSPIRED' (in·spi·ra·tion

 [ ìnspə ráysh'n ]   

1. stimulation to do creative work: stimulation for the human mind to creative thought or to the making of art
2. somebody or something that inspires: somebody or something that inspires somebody to creative thought or to the making of art
3. creativeness: the quality of being stimulated to creative thought or activity, or the manifestation of this

  However if I wrote about that I think the angry me would come out and I would be typing away madly, literally. 

  Yes, I have been copied on numerous occasions, but just recently it went straight into the gut, and the heart.

  Someone I 'trusted' ('meet' people online and 'trust') Those two might not go hand in hand. That aside, someone I really did trust asked a lot of questions about something I designed. I write tutorials, so explaining was easy, and I did. It's not a tutorial and I had no plans for it to become one just yet.   

  Then it happened. (One thing you should know: I only posted a  photo of said object on my FB page, not a 'group' page) Alrighty then, back to 'it happened'. 

  She posted on a group we both belong to. She posted a photo of her 'version' of my design, which I might add, was identical to MY DESIGN. Credit to THE DESIGNER? No. 

 So that brings me to: Do I share? Do I trust?  Do I stay in these 'groups' and expose myself or do I hide in my own little corner in my own little chair? 

  It's six of one 1/2 dozen of the other.

  Wait. Did I hear you say that this is a form of 'flattery'? What planet did you come from? REALLY? It is a form a STEALING.  I'm about as flattered as I was the time the lady in the department store asked when I had the mastectomy. (I hadn't had one) WHOA. Slap slap I wanna slap slap slap.    I didn't. I said....'Yesterday". Ok...enough about the 'Ta Ta's'. (for now anyway)

  So suck it up and move forward right? Do what? I can't do anything. I could say something to her but I KNOW she would blatantly tell me I was wrong and that it was 'her idea'. (why do people do that when they know THEY are not right?).

  Being right is so important to so many people. That kind of cracks me up, just a little bit. No, not really. It cracks me up a LOT. 

 Why is being 'right' so important? No one has all the answers, but I sure know of plenty who think they do. I could so easily name each and every one of them. That would take the better part of my day, and in all honesty, I find it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I or anyone else 'call people out'. BUT WATCH OUT .............THE DAY WILL COME. (If you have screwed me over, hang on to your hat, just saying).  (just never know when I'm gonna blow right D.A.?) THAT is a story for another day. (IF those are your initials, no, it's not you. That one doesn't even know I have a blog.)

 Back to being right. THAT is so irritating. One person in particular. If I say it's blue she says it's green. If I say it's night she says it's day. She has to disagree with me 100% of the time and she IS always right. Not so much. Enough about all that, I'm gaggin' just a little bit. 

  Yes, there are copyright laws to protect 'yourself'. Try going to court on that one. You'll lose so much money it's insane. I know someone who did just that. Fought it to the bitter end. The end was thousands of dollars spend and then it finally got tossed out of court like a stinky forgeten 'I have no idea what this is' in the fridge.

The Beginning. (short version)

The beginning....the short version.  And old writer never dies...their pens just dry up. I think that happened to  me. However I found the ink well and here I am. What does a person like me blog about? Good question.
 Lets start with 'the person like me'. Well, there isn't a person like me....hopefully. That would be hard on them! It's the 'right brained' 'crazy art lady' 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of things I carry with me. But, that IS who I am. I am a mom. Kids are young adults. But I'm still a mom. I'm an artist, though I haven't picked up a brush in years...I still consider myself a 'painter'. (in my dreams) I am a jewelry maker, creator, writer of tutorials and magazine contributor. I am me. Me who likes to wear baggy pj pants and sweatshirts. Me who finds myself in the grocery store in those baggy pants and sweats, not intentionally. (Oh did I mention the slippers?) Ya, it's true.
  I'm just me. I work at home, creating, learning, writing, selling jewelry ...so I do get out to the post office now and again. (clothing checks are necessary now lol)
  Learning is the BIG problem. so much I want to keep adding to my 'collection' of skills. Master one, move on to something totally unrelated. It's the way I do this ...I guess the ADD thing could be going on, who knows. Who cares right? Focus sing is not my fine point. .
 So, the beginning. The beginning is so many things that there are far to many starting blocks to push off from. I do what I do and I am who I am.
 Just an ordinary person doing ordinary things and watching as others do extraordinary things.
  Jewelry to be made in the am. Soldering to be done, beads to create behind the flame and a new 'thing' I want to try. This ordinary lady is going to bed, and ....I've been ready (clothing ) all day!