Sledding

So I have this weird desire to go outside of my comfort zone and go sledding.  I just don't know any adults who might want to go with me, so maybe I'll see if my goddaughter and her little sister would want to go.  I love sledding-I haven't been in about three years though...I've just got to keep the courage up!

Stained Glass Part 3

Once you make a cut, you need to pull the glass away from the piece you want.  You do this using grozier pliers.  Sometimes you have to use two pairs of pliers if the glass is not willing to budge, and the 2nd set of pliers allows grip on a slippery surface.

Some cuts can be tricky depending on the type of glass you're working with or the kind of cut you're making.  Curves tend to be a bit more difficult, and sometimes no matter how careful you're being, the glass can snap (as seen in the last pic).

You keep cutting until all your pieces are cut out.

Some of My Wonderful Christmas Presents!

So Christmas...I did pretty good, and thought I'd share a few of the gifts I got....

1.  purple placemats to match my purple wall (from my mom)

2.  wall hanging that my uncle wendell brought back from bolivia

3.  body shop oil burner from the Barney's

4.  clock from Michelle and Alendro (one of my fav artists)

5.  wall hanging that my uncle wendell brought back from bolivia

6.  stamps from my nana

7.  my cookie sheet bought with money from wendell and nancy

Not bad eh??

Stained Glass Part 2

So by looking at the first photo, you can see each individual paper piece is cut out and then glued to the glass...then using your glass cutter, you cut each piece out so you can begin the detailed cutting!

Stained Glass Part 1

So people have been asking me to explain the steps in what it takes to make a stained glass piece, so to the best of my ability with a broken keyboard, I will try!

This particular piece was a commission requesting a rooster on a Harley.  It took me a while to come up with an idea, but when I did, I drew it on graph paper, and then blew it up to the size I wanted using the copier.  Notice that there is writing on each piece, that's the colors.

Christmas Day

So last night as we were eating supper and then later with the family, I noticed one thing among the whole festivities...something was lacking. There was no talk of the reason for Christmas or anything. I felt it was really sad. See, I consider myself a Traditionalist Christian, meaning that I believe in the traditional ways along with believing Christ as my savior. Some might find that very contradictory, but hey, that's me. The creator is the creator. The whole thing made me sad. Yes, we celebrated family, but there was no celebration beyond that. It's hard to even know how to incorporate some things in, as strange as that sounds. My family in many ways have grown so fragmented, and we have all gone down our different paths. So what do you do in this case?

What I Want For Christmas (and it's not a hippopotamus)

Many years ago, I went around singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth", which I didn't have...this year well, gee, i want something more...

So this is my ultimate wish list...prices varying!!

1. a new car, or at least newer then my car which is slowly breaking down as we speak
2. a trip to thailand, cuba, or europe...
3. a kitchen aid mixer
4. a stained glass saw
5. a bed for my spare bedroom
6. concert tickets to taylor swift
7. gift certificates
8. mocassins
9. a special beading loom
10. peace on earth, even if just for one night...Okay...that should be number 1....i'll give up everything else for peace on earth....

Merry Christmas

I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post before Christmas Day so I'll pass on my greetings now...I wish you all the happiest, safest Christmas!!!

Christmas Crafts in the Classroom...

Well, it might be nearly Christmas, but I have a few things to share with you...

The kids did their craft. They had two options, an easier one and a harder one. The sad thing was very few finished...it's hard to inspire kids when some don't see the value in art. Maybe because art is so important to me, but I just don't get it...

It's been quite the year when I look back...there's been so many blessings, change, and loss. I've really grown into the woman that I feel I've always meant to be. I'm more sure of myself and more sure of the path that I've been walking. I've learned to stand up for myself in the face of adversity and know that my convictions and beliefs are what keep me moving forward. The strength I have in knowing who I am carries me through the valleys.

I lost two people who were the closest to me...and while one I truly have mourned, the other I feel I am just beginning. Saying farewell to someone you love is never easy, especially when you are left wondering why? There are moments of emptiness and lonliness, but in the end, you just have to be sure of your own path and keep moving on. I may never understand, and that's okay, I just hope in time, it will get easier to be the one left behind.

I'm truly exhausted,and yet I still stand.

The last couple of months haven't been easy, heck, the last year hasn't been easy. I'm vulnerable and fragile right now and that's okay. It makes me real, humble, sincere, and appeciative. I have joy, faith and assurance of my path in this world and so for now I'll just keep picking myself up each time I fall or get knocked over.

I had the most wonderful weekend doing absolutely nothing...I haven't felt so relaxed in a long time. Was it exciting? Nope, but wow...best weekend ina long time. I was supposed to have gone to the movies with a friend, but it didn't happen. Got stood up, but that's okay.


I sure wish there was one more day...I want to relax some more!