Perfect Cup

Stumptown coffee. Its been getting me thru this rainy cold spring here in Portland. Mostly I maintain life drinking simply tea. But lately I've been indulging in a lot of Stumpy. And oh its soooo good.
Yesterday I took the day off to drive out to the beach and go on a long (vertical) hike. The Oregon coast is so amazing!! Yes its grey and rainy, but regardless, we drank some Stumptown coffee and headed out to Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach. The hike to Indian Beach goes up a cliff in old ever-changing forests to an old camp site. There were enchanting wooden cabins and a picnic area about 1 1/4 mile hike in and then as you approach the cliff overlooking the ocean there were the old relics of gun bunkers from WWII. All overgrown with mud, trees and ferns - these concrete tunnels were very strange indeed! The whole hike was amazing (although did I mention it was vertical and we kept up a quick pace the whole time - so it was good exercise!) the trees and ferns are so huge. Look at this Sitka tree with the ferns growing up on the branches!

Setting Up for Shows

I went to Portland Store Fixtures last week before doing the OHSU Handmade NW show and picked up some new displays for my work. I wanted to get something that made my new necklaces really pop. The work that I have been colaborating with Judi to make is very bright and springy - so the black necklace displays were doing nothing for them. I found these pale leather/wood necks and matching earring displays. They are great, I got 10 earring displays and the two necks for $15!!! Portland Store Fixtures is having a big sale, that was really fun!
I even found the red letters that spell LEAH (check out the picture above)... and I am so proud of myself that I made the H out of a R and a D. :)
Danielle gave me her broken computer monitor for displaying my computer mobiles and I think I looked pretty darned good.

Portland Air Tram

I rode the Portland Air Tram today (I am down at OHSU doing a show with Handmade NW) and I got the best views of PDX!
I think the airtram looks like a pill - its so very retro and cool - I love it in every way. And the ride is sweet! It kinda sways around as you pass over the big support arms and the views are spectacular in every direction.

Hanmade NW May 1st and 2nd

I will be there - come check it out - open both Thursday and Friday from 10am-5pm - I'll be in the atrium at the base of the Tram. Heres a link for more info

Spring Sale!

A sale, yahhhhh, everyone loves a sale, some of the EGA (etsy glass artists) members are participating in a sale. Each store will be having their own sale, everything from 10% off - BOGO 1/2 Off. You can search for our stores through http://etsyglass.com, http://etsyglass.com/springsale/ or by putting EGA, or EGATEAM in the etsy search bar.

Occupational Wrist Problems Anyone?

I thrash my wrists on a regular basis, so many people do. Besides the physical work with my hands, the endless hours spent typing on my computer don't help (I am convinced its the little mousepad on my laptop that really does a number to my right hand).

As surgery and major medical expenses are not my "to-do" list - I am a regular user of Baoding balls to soothe, strengthen and help my wrists when then are in pain.

Otherwise known as Chinese Medicine balls - these metal spheres are a great source of relief. The two balls are rotated around in the hand. For a beginner, the balls touch at all times (one is male and one is female, they make lovely little chiming noises and the female's has a slightly more femine pitch) and as you get more comfortable with them, you rotate the balls in your hand without the two touching at all. Its very soothing. You can get a set on Amazon.com for $5. Now that is budget-conscious!

When my wrists ache, I sit around in the evening watching some movie or something and rotate the baoding balls in my hand, first clockwise for 10 revolutions and then counter-clockwise with 10 revolutions... then I do it again... then I switch hands. Last night my wrists hurt. After this therapy, this morning they feel great!

Making Frit from Scrap

A glass artist is never lacking in scrap bits of glass, and I always tell my students that they can turn their scrap into frit using a coffee grinder! Well, I figured I should try it out and see if it really works!!

Here are the necessary tools: coffee grinder (retired, never use for coffee again!), mask and eye protection

First cut up your scrap (rod or flat glass) into manageable size little chunks that will fit into the coffee grinder politely. Then put it in there, pulse away, and voila!


IMPORTANT: after you grind it up, wait before opening the grinder, and if possible hold the grinder under an exhaust fan when you open it up. There will be a good deal of powdered glass dust created and its important not to breath it in.