Got the Blues... Berries, That Is!

What a great time we had at the April Fruit of the Month workshop! Phil put some blues CDs on the stereo and we got busy workin' and swayin' to the Blues-Berries! You can see each of the individual pieces in the photos at the bottom of this post. Photo (left to right) - Front row: Barb, Patty, Rhonda; Middle Row: Lindy (vase), Sherrie, Katie, Lisa, Stacy (vase); Back Row: Minerva, Konnie (vase), Sara, Chris (vase), Dorothy.

We had plenty of "blueberry" dots for everyone (though a little short on the light mauve that many sought out), and once again everyone came up with a totally unique design of their own. It never ceases to amaze me! We even had one piece that was identified as "Not a Blueberry"! (I'll let you guess which one it is!)

This bowl is one that I made for a sample - just a clear circle with blueberry dots on it. I did a contour fuse and slumped the bumpy side down in the mold.

The bottom side of the bowl shows the contours of the dots.

And, oh boy, did we enjoy desserts: a gorgeous blueberry cobbler provided by Chris, and a cheesecake with glazed blueberries on top that I'd made. Too bad I didn't think to take a photo of the desserts. Phil took all the leftovers to work with him the next day - nothing went to "waist" here! And, after all was said and done, Phil went around the studio and ate the "research" blueberries that were left on the small dishes on the tables.

Since everyone had sketched out their designs and picked out a mold for their project, I was able to map out where everything went in the kilns to keep it all sorted and identified. There were 3 or 4 pieces that were constructed entirely of dots - and yet each person had picked a different color background, so they were still identifiably different from one another. They came out beautifully, and I think everyone is thrilled with them!

Here are the photos of the "Before" and "After" blueberry dishes. Just click on the images to see them in a larger format. Enjoy! Try to not get blueberry juice on everything!

c@

APRIL CALENDAR & WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Here is the Martin's Glass House Calendar for April 2009! Just click on the image to make it larger and to print it out!

Remember - please call at least one day in advance to make reservations for any open studio times and workshops.

Please note: If you wish to make serving utensils at the April 25th workshop, you must order the utensil parts from me a WEEK prior to the workshop!

Looking forward to seeing you in the studio soon!

WORKSHOP AND CALENDAR EVENT DESCRIPTIONS

Saturday, April 4 – 9 AM to 3 PM
Xi Beta Spring Bazaar, Albany County Fairgrounds

Lots of ideas for gifts and entertaining! Shop for Easter, Mother’s Day, Graduation, Weddings… all coming up soon! Stop by to visit! Free pair of earrings to the first 20 paying customers!

FRUIT OF THE MONTH - BLUEBERRIES

Wednesday, April 8th – 6 to 9 PM

(Photo: Student grapefruit pieces from March workshop.)


Make a new fruit-shaped dish or plate each month—by the end of the year you will have a full set! Come to open studio and you can make as many as you would like. Make a set of twelve and receive a 20% discount on a larger serving bowl to complete your set!

Come test out your glass “gardening” skills— create a bountiful collection of glass fruit dishes more easily than you can by planting seeds! Think of the possibilities… strawberry, watermelon, orange, pineapple (guess where pineapple seeds are in the pineapple!), pumpkins… You will be limited only by your imagination!

FEE: $40 for first-time Fruit of the Month students; $30 for repeat students. Fee includes all instruction, materials, and kiln firing for one bowl. Additional bowls cost $10-$15 each, depending on the glass selected. Your small dish can become a spoon rest, saucer, plate, or bowl.



FUSING BASICS - BEGINNING LEVEL
Saturday, April 11th—1 to 4 PM

Don’t know anything about glass fusing, cutting glass? Or just want to see what it’s all about before you get too involved?


This is an introduction to glass fusing, offered on a monthly basis, designed to provide basic glass fusing processes and techniques.


This class is required before you may attend open studio times to create projects of your own selection.



You will learn about and gain experience in: Safety procedures; Types of glass used, and what happens to glass in the kiln; Fundamental glass cutting techniques and use of tools; The process of layering pieces of glass to achieve a finished project.

FEE: $45 for one 8” square project that can be used as a sun catcher, or formed into a bowl, plate or drape vase.



EARTH DAY SPECIAL
Wednesday, April 22nd – 6 to 9 PM

I am currently working on some projects using recycled glass to incorporate into a workshop. Watch your email for upcoming announcements with more details!



DICHROIC GLASS PENDANT PARTY
Saturday, April 25th – 1 to 4 PM

Great deal! Come learn to make dichroic glass cabochons that can be used on dozens of wonderful gifts and functional art pieces! But what are cabochons? Well, you might describe them as flat glass blobs with rounded edges that can be used for decoration or jewelry. But, when turned into wearable and functional art, you’ll be surprised how a blob can become so beautiful!

Below are examples of items you can make out of cabochons. You can learn to make any of these at this workshop!

· Pendants, Earrings
· Belt Buckles
· Bolo Ties
· Bookmarks
· Buttons
· Magnetic Clips
· Remembrance/Candy/Gift Tins
· Utensils: Cake/Bread Knife, Pie Server, Cheese Slicer, Condiment/Butter Spreader, Salad Serving Sets
· Wine Bottle Stoppers
· Zipper Pulls

FEE: $45 for the class includes all instruction, materials, and kiln firing for six cabochons that can be used for any of the above items. Or, you may choose to make two belt buckles, or two handles for serving utensil sets instead of the 6 cabochons. All metal findings and accessories require an extra fee. Orders for utensil parts must be placed one week prior to the workshop to be sure they are available for your use!

Sarah's Sushi Rolls!

As promised, here are photos of Sarah's sushi rolls! Now... just don't ask me to recall what exactly was in each one.

All I know is that they were good, especially since everyone seemed to inhale them!

If you would like more information on the sushi rolls, Sarah does take orders for them. You can contact her by email at BsKneesSushi@gmail.com .

I have almost a dozen photos so that you can see everything that was served.

If you would like to see any of the photos in a larger format, just click on the image to enlarge it.

Seeing everything displayed on the kitchen island was quite impressive - very artistic! Amazing, actually! Pretty... but, that didn't actually stop anyone from eating everything!

However, since I am not a big fan of "nori" (to me, sea weed is sea weed is sea weed and you can't pull anything over on me on that one), Sarah made a special sushi roll just for me wrapped in chard (which I shared with Phil - it was rather large). I know for a fact that IT was very good! :-)

Phil especially enjoyed the heat of the wasabi... served with fresh ginger.

Make anything hot enough for Phil and he's happy as a three-legged dog getting itches scratched that he can't reach! This is the wasabi with fresh ginger...

The fruit salad was quite yummy - the fresh plums were delicious!

And there were some little tofu and rice rolls that were somewhat sweet - very pleasant to the taste buds.

I contributed a few items to the mix: wasabi peas, wasabi almonds and some homemade almond cookies with pastel sprinkles on top (sorry - no photos of the cookies, and they're all gone now).

I think the other cookies - just plain old white chocolate chip cookies with some dark chocolate chips in them - also were well-received.

And we had a nice display of chopsticks going on, too...

We wish you could have been there, but maybe we'll see you next time!

If you have another idea for a workshop or party - especially now that we know FOOD is a HUGE draw for a crowd - just let me know so that we can get it planned.

Thanks to Deb for suggesting this workshop theme!

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

ALL THINGS SUSHI - RESULTS!

WOW!

That's about all I can say about how much fun we had at the sushi roll tasting and sushi platter making day last Saturday! Sarah Norek makes wonderful sushi rolls, which you can investigate further in the next blog.

Above, we all gathered around the dining room table and got to visit while enjoying the sushi rolls. Sarah (sushi chef) is standing in the center back of the photo.

It was a great time - and we'll do it again, especially for all of you who said you wished you could be here! For now, though, just enjoy the photos...

(Left) Deb contemplates her winged, fire-breathing dragon platter and sauce dishes. Don't tell everyone that Phil cut out the dragon on the ring saw for her, though! :-)

A little bit of mixing, matching and cutting out pieces with the mosaic wheel cutters, and soon the dragon had legs and feet!

A bit of stringers and noodles... and the border was applied!

Deb's finished project: 7"x10" platter; two 3"x3" dipping sauce plates.

Transparent light blue; green dragon with a red wing and red-yellow "flames" shooting from his nostrils! Red-yellow frit "scales" on his body. Borders on the 3" square plates tie in with the trim on the ends of the platter.

Sarah (left) and Mary diligently working on their projects.

Unfortunately, I remembered too late to get everyone's photos! Maybe they will come back again next time and I'll be sure to do that! There was one photo I couldn't use because Michelle told me if she looked silly, I didn't have permission. So, since she wasn't smiling...

Sarah's Set: Abstract design on turquoise with vitrigraph, dots and scrap glass. 7"x10" platter; two 3"x3" dipping sauce plates.

Probably won't be too long before these plates are filled with sushi rolls and wasabi! Remember to check out the next blog to see the photos of the sushi rolls!

Mary's Set: Cherry Blossoms, constructed on transparent cherry red with vitrigraph and custom-color frit (made at Martin's Glass House) flowers. Very clever use of the frit!

Results of Mary's project... 8"x8" platter; two 3"x3" dipping sauce plates. Curiously, the design in the dishes was also in the top that Mary wore that day!

The Megan and John Team (back right side of table in photo at the top) designed this abstract design set: two 6" square plates on transparent light blue with various dots, frit, vitrigraph and scrap glass, with accents in the 3"x3" square dipping sauce plates pickingup the colors in the serving plates.

FUN!

Jill's Set: 7"x10" platter and 3"x3" dipping sauce dishes, white with multi-color stringers and noodles.

In the top photo, Jill's face can't be seen. Clockwise, I think Deb (or Vicki?) was sitting next to John, then Jill was at the middle of the right side of the table between Deb (or Vicki?) and Michelle (in brown top, front right of photo).

Michelle loved everything in the studio, but fell head over heels in love with the blue in this glass, so she opted for the "swirl" design instead of making some other design. But - that's OK! It looks great!

Then she spent the rest of the afternoon sorting out the dots into separate jars by color! Boy... I am so tempted to put that photo of her here so you can see why she probably did that... but, I gave my word...

Patty's Set: 6"x6" and 3"x3" sushi and dipping sauce plates in transparent yellow with a celebration of assorted vitrigraph colors and dots.

Patty (in photo at the top, wearing a black top) is sitting at the left front side of the table next to Guyla (who is wearing the turquoise top).

Guyla's Set: 6"x6" sushi plate, black with Amazon green vitrigraph and dots in red and white; 3"x3" dipping sauce plate in Amazon green with black vitrigraph and dots in red and white. Fun!

By the way - I forgot to mention that I hope that I have everyone's plates photographed in their "upright" positions! Just goes to show you that they look good from any angle!

Vicki's Set: Paw prints everywhere, with inclusions of copper "leaves"! We ran out of light blue transparent dots, so Vicki used bits of stringer for the "toes" - but they came out looking like dots. Very cool!

All in all, I think the sushi rolls must have been pretty inspiring, judging from the creations these students made. We definitely need to do it again!

GRAPEFRUIT - MARCH FRUIT OF THE MONTH

Just a reminder - it is not too late to start taking part in the Fruit of the Month workshops!
So far, we've made Kiwi (January), Papaya (February), Grapefruit (March)... and coming up in April: BLUEBERRIES!

The dish samples (above, left) are Cat's. There is a 9" round bowl at the top right, and a 5" round bowl in the wrought iron standing spoon rest. These were all done on a clear base, using glass frit for the pulp/fruit, glass "dots" for seeds, and glass stringers for membranes that section the fruit. Does anyone know what the white part is called?

The four small 3" square dishes in front were samples made to see what color combinations of glass frit might work to make the dishes look like grapefruit. They are edged with glass noodles.

STUDENT ART PIECES!

Students used a combination of glass frit, stringers and glass chips cut with mosaic nippers to create their dishes.

Front Row: Laura (left), Sara (right)
Back Row: Dorothy (left), Patty (right)

We've all been having a great time - and learning to overcome the challenges that come with trying to make glass look like fruit!

We've also been sampling some interesting recipes that call for the fruits we've made in glass. Last month we all sampled Kiwi Papaya Salsa - YUMMY! This month we tried Grapefruit Apple Crisp ... Well, what can I say about it? Maybe not the best use for grapefruit, but it was certainly an "interesting" recipe that probably should only be tried for the fun of it.

I am definitely looking forward to Blueberries next month. I like them just plain, but if someone has a good - or interesting - recipe for using them, we'll give it a try! Just email your recipe to me at dts@martinsglasshouse.com. If we use your recipe, we'll give you some kind of prize - or at least recognition for your contribution!

Hoping to see you at the next Fruit of the Month workshop! Be thinking of a fruit that YOU would like to make, and bring your ideas!

c@

WE HAVE A WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS - to Makenzie Marshall who won the drawing from the Martin's Glass House booth at the Bridal Expo in Laramie on February 22!

Makenzie selected the black "Fireworks" set which included an 11" cheese ball/cracker platter and four 6" serving plates.

It was Makenzie's "lucky" day at the Bridal Expo - she also won the grand prize... a choice of one of two cruises for their honeymoon!

MARCH CALENDAR

Here is the latest version of the March 2009 calendar for Martin's Glass House!

Due to the number of closures this month, I have tried to incorporate more open studio times for you with both Easter and Mother's Day fast approaching.

Just click on the calendar to make it larger and to print it. Descriptions of all workshops are below.

Looking foward to seeing you soon! c@

MARTIN’S GLASS HOUSE – MARCH 2009 CALENDAR DESCRIPTIONS

Please phone or email AT LEAST ONE DAY IN ADVANCE to reserve a place for open studio time and workshops!

Phone: Cat Martin, Martin’s Glass House 307-399-6441
Email: dts@martinsglasshouse.com


HAVING A PARTY OR CELEBRATION? Bring your group to our studio – collaborate as a team, or each person can make a project of their own! A great idea to make a gift or gift set – from the whole group! Excellent idea for wedding gifts! Special pricing may be available for groups. Please call or email to make arrangements.

REMINDER: For your personal safety, please remember to wear long pants and hard-sole closed shoes to all open studio times and workshops.

OPEN STUDIO (Pre-requisite – Fusing Basics)
Please check calendar for dates and times.

Make a project of your choice. Come with your ideas and friends to enjoy a few hours of creating beautiful handmade fused glass items. FEE: $10 studio fee covers use of all tools, equipment and supplies; extra fee for all glass materials and accessories for projects, with cost determined by the size of your project and types of glass used.

FUSING BASICS
Saturday, March 7, 1-4 p.m.

Designed for those new to glass fusing, and required before you may participate in open studio sessions. Includes studio safety, types of glass used in fusing and their characteristics, and illustrations of results acquired by firing the glass at different temperatures. You will receive instruction on use of all glass cutting tools (including power tools!) and techniques for cutting strips, squares and circles. You will have time to create one 8”x8” square project that can be turned into your choice of final shape including a plate, bowl, vase or sun catcher. FEE: $45; includes all materials, supplies and kiln firing.

FRUIT OF THE MONTH – RUBY RED/PINK GRAPEFRUIT
Wednesday, March 11, 6-9 p.m.

No experience required. Anyone can take part in this workshop – you don’t need to have made previous fruit projects to be part of the “club.” All techniques needed for this project will be taught.

This month – the Ruby Red (or pink) grapefruit! The techniques you will learn in this class are applicable to many other designs besides fruit; but once you learn them, you can make virtually any fruit at any open studio time – either the 6” project size from the workshop, or even larger for a full-sized salad bowl. FEE: $40 for first time participants, $30 for repeat participants; $15 for each additional 6” piece. Fee for larger pieces based on size and type of glass used.

ALL THINGS SUSHI
Saturday, March 28, 1-4 p.m.

Sushi roll tasting AND make your own sushi set at one great workshop! A REAL DEAL! Come taste sushi rolls made by Sarah Norek, then each individual or couple will have the opportunity to create one of three package deals. This is a very drastically reduced fee based on the expected popularity and size of the group. You won’t want to pass up an opportunity like this!

PLEASE NOTE: A $25 DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED PER PERSON OR PER COUPLE

TO HOLD A SPACE IN THE WORKSHOP FOR YOU.

THE BALANCE OF $20 MAY BE PAID UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SUSHI TASTING.

DEPOSITS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

PICK ONE PACKAGE DEAL – to be made per individual, or couples may work on one set together:

PACKAGE A: Sushi tasting AND… two 3” dipping plates, plus two 6” sushi plates
PACKAGE B: Sushi tasting AND… two 3” dipping plates, plus one 8”x8” sushi platter
PACKAGE C: Sushi tasting AND… two 3” dipping plates, plus one 7”x10” platter