End of the year

So we are now officially in 2012, which I am not unhappy about. I have to say 2011 was a strange year. I think the worst was working through the death of my bull terrier, Tallulah.

This was Lou doing therapy at a local nursing home.

She died in Sept of 2010, but I don't think I really started processing it until 2011. Sometimes you find your heart in someone else, and this was the case with Lou. She was so full of P&V, so talented and driven and enthusiastic in everything she did, be it killing rats and opossums in the barn to competing in agility and flyball. We enjoyed each others company, and we both had problems sharing with others. Her favorite word was MINE! She ran the dog house with an iron fist, and as much as I fight against my predisposition to do the same I have the same tendancy...she was just more honest about it. I guess that is what I miss the most about her. Her complete honesty and unabashed ability to be herself, the good the bad and the ugly. She was not a nice dog, she was not a pretty dog, but she was one hell of a dog all the same.

Moo came to us in 2011, which I wrote about when I started this blog. He came to us as Sarge, which was not good for us;  we started out as Mortimer, which was shortened to Mo, which sounded too much like NO so it morphed to Moo.

This was the picture we got of him right before he came up from Kentucky. He is a failed foster...I honestly thought I was going to rehome him, until the home I found wasn't good enough. That was all it took, really. If the home I found hadn't had a baby and a toddler he would be living there today. He is just a joy to have, and while he will never be Lou he is in his own way just as upfront about himself. He IS a nice dog, and I think quite handsome in his wrinkly, wiggly way.

This year has been very good for my lampworking and felting, which is really why I am here in the first place. I showed with my friend Kathy at the Corning Glassfest, where I met Paul Stankard, Margeret Neher, Jim Byrnes, Joe Peters, Jessie Kohl, and some other fantastic glass artists. They all liked my work and encouraged me a great deal as well as inspired me to try new things. I also had the month long VESTA show at the Gmiener Cultural Center, which went very well and where I debuted my wall felts. Here are some of the pieces left over from the show. I am on the fence whether they are going to be sold or going straight into my jewelry box!

 This is my favorite! It is a three strand bracelet with hematite, silver and lampwork beads with a sterling silver clasp. Here are two close-ups:

 I adore this bead.

And this one. It is fine silver wrapped around an ivory bead and melted in a bit.

 This is a two strand with lampwork beads, metal accents and a sterling silver clasp.

I really like the metal beads here, with the lines on them.

 It is really hard to take a photo of your own wrist!     

This is another two strand bracelet of ivory with copper green, which ended up looking like torquoise.



These are raked dots, which I did not think until later that they look like hearts.

 This is a set of beads I made; I had no idea what to do with them, but I was following the glass. I was quite pleased with how they turned out with copper....

And brass....

This is a simple, focal bead bracelet with hematite and lampwork with a sterling silver clasp.

And this is the opposite, a silly thing I made with a vintage button and beads, some brass charms and lampwork beads. It is very girly.  

I have a box of earrings as well, but this is long enough as it is, so I think I will save those for next week.

 I seek to live this next year with purpose and imagination, and with any luck with less internet and more human contact. Spending time with my family, CMoG docent training, glass and dog classes, and maybe continuing education plus more visits to friends will hopefully make this possible. I hope you all have goals for the upcoming year, and I would love to hear about them and help you make them happen. For now just remember.....

 Cuddling with an old, skinny dog helps keep him warm. We should all be as good a friend as Moo.