Grateful

I sure am glad that October is over.

What a month, it started with a total computer meltdown, then a bad breaker in the main electric panel, which took out the VFD HVAC controller resulting in no HVAC, followed by a furnace crash, and if that was not enough then an annealing oven controller crash, which ultimately needed replacement, which also resulted in the loss of a full day’s work and then, two of our color manufacturer’s missed steps, resulting in an additional two days loss of finished pieces.

Add to all that, an out of town 50-year reunion celebration and my younger daughter getting married. All I can say is wow, and I thought Covid was bad. Thankfully all that stuff is now over and we can settle back down to making beautiful and inspiring art pieces for our patrons and club members. I am thankful to the universe for sending all the challenges and being able to meet them head on and survive. It all kind of reads like a bad B movie script, doesn’t it?

November Collector’s Club

Moving forward, I am really excited about the November Collector’s Club design, appropriately named “Grateful”. This color combination is one I have played with for many years.

You will enjoy the blues and teals and if you look closely, you will see the special sparkles that come from a sprinkle of titanium. This month’s issue will become one of your favorites, I promise.

To our longtime Collector’s Club members who may have reached the max, I would like to respectfully suggest that you consider giving some of your less than favorite pieces away as gifts for the holidays. That way you make some room for future pieces. Even slightly used handmade glasses sparkle and say something special to the person receiving the gift. My personal motto “keep the best, give away the rest”. Additionally, you help support our efforts by introducing new people to Stone and Glass and custom handmade drinking glasses.

What else is happening at Stone and Glass?

It’s all good. In addition to working just to keep up with the Collector’s Club, we were blessed to sell three of our largest pieces this month. The good news is that sales are good. There really isn’t any bad news because I truly love making the larger signature pieces. Because of the club and commission obligations I will not have a lot of time to devote to larger pieces until after the first of the year. That being said, I plan to have just a few available for the holidays. We will send notices as soon as they are available. We will sell them on a first come bases.

Collectable ornaments

We have two collectable ornaments this year, one in our November color series titled “Grateful” and  oranges, yes oranges.  Each of these delightful oranges is unique and one of kind, hand blown with a leaf attached that can act as a loop to hang the piece.  Oranges have a long history as cherished gifts, in some cultures it is thought to be the fruit of the Gods.  In my wife’s family they had a tradition of giving oranges at the Holidays, we are hearing that many of you had the same tradition.

New Works

Be watching for these new works. I have developed a very special spun-out wavy plate which I then coat in bright red titanium. I have made about six of these bowl/plates. Every single one sold in the gallery with in the week they were first displayed. They are made so you can hang them on your wall or take them down and use them on your holiday table. We will let you know as soon as the next batch become available.

Next up, and maybe not until the new year.  Look for my “Stone Stone’s” series. These are blown pieces in natural colors that can be stacked like a “Carin” trail marker. They are hollow and open on the bottom. They make the perfect place to save the memories of your own journey. There will be no two the same, kind of like the stone trail markers in real life. You can mix and match size, shape and design. I am very excited to make these pieces.

Lastly, I am planning on making some smaller wavy plates/bowls in the “rollup” style. These are pieces where I make a fused colored blank first. We then bring it to temp and roll it up on the end of a pipe and then blow it out. I have used this technique on and off for about 20 years now. These pieces will then be mounted on a freestanding steel frame so that they can be displayed on a side board or table in front of a window or light source. These pieces are a great way to bring color into any space.

That being said, if there is something special that you would like us to make for the holidays, please reach our quickly.

Thanks for reading and may you have a blessed holiday season.