Mosacian meeting

The last couple of days have been spent mostly around my kitchen table……

And the island….

The counters are filled with boxes of glass, and don’t dare walk on my kitchen floor barefoot. 

We are having a productive, engaging and fun time….

Here are a few progress photos:

Patrice’s mystery project is almost ready to grout…..

 

Kelly’s Canadian penny bowling ball is finished…..

Lisa’s triptych of flowers…..

Kelly’s mirror frame, another completed project for her! 

Jackie’s photo frame

And we’ve initiated another tribal member, my neighbor Gloria…

The official initiation rite of starting with a blank board and filing it with shards of glass can be somewhat intimidating, but Gloria is doing just fine….

Today everyone will finish and will be time to reclaim the kitchen space once again. 

What I really love  about “the breaking of the glass”  is the relaxed time together….time to just be with each other, the laughter, the conversations.  Time to appreciate our sameness, and our differences.  Its amazing what one can learn about another person, just by the way they go about their project.  And in turn, learn about oneself.    Just a couple more days before Lisa must return to Virginia, and we all return to our daily routines….I am so thankful we have this time together every so often. 

End of August

August has been the ultimate R & R month….a month that got me back on my feet, feeling more like myself….I can now say that I feel NORMAL….whatever that is!  First we went up north to the cottage, then up to Kat’s cottage, and now this last week has been party week! 

We celebrated Colton’s UNbirthday on Saturday.  His real birthday is in December, but his parents are starting the tradition of having a party in his honor during the summer…. 

This was his favorite birthday present:

We got to meet Abby…what a doll!  She’s JR and Jennie’s daughter (who are my kids’ longtime friends). 

   Really, could she be any cuter…..

I will update August with more party pics over the next few days…..

And today we had a get together to meet our little Emily’s (my niece), big Marine beau, Ryan….

 He has to be a great guy to be so comfortable with all of the Kolars so quickly…..

And all 5 Capri’s were together today…..Annie, who just happens to be Emily’s mom, was here for the day too. 

It was so GOOD to see Annie again…..  

So I hadn’t mentioned that Lisa is her for a visit?  Well, yes….until next weekend….we have many Capri things to do this week.  What a great way to finish up this month of rest and relaxation. 

Next month its back to reality…..I’m ready!

150-153, Fantasy Flowers

My favorite doodling subject is flowers….fantastic flowers with glowing colors and outrageous features…curling tendrils, oversized leaves,  and heavyweight flowers that could never be supported by their stems. 

These ideas lend themselves very well to the brilliant colors of glass…

And I find them irresistible to make, especially in this tiny format.  These are about 4 inches square. 

I use Milliefiori, as accents.  Milliefiori  means “thousand flowers” in Italian….…..flowers within my flowers. 

 

These (and others) are displayed and for sale at 212 Art Center in Saline during the month of September,

along with mosaics of my fellow Mosacians, Connie(aka, teacher)  and Kat and the Breaking Traditions Art Quilt  exhibit. 

Hope you can come and visit!

149, Mosaic

#149

Who’s Watching You?

Cute toddler pictures

…….here

#148 and The Flying Pickles

This weekend was the long awaited getaway to Kat’s cottage in upper Michigan. 

Kat has a series of most excellent posts chronicling our days and activities…do check it out.

I am very happy about finishing this:

   #148, a very cool quilt for a very cool  almost 2 year old boy, who will be entertained with his most favorite things…..cars, trucks, motorcycles, construction equipment, and tractors.    I told his mom that I wanted him to use this quilt right up…love it to death.  Then I will have an excuse to make him another with his next favorite obsession as a theme. 

So anyways….during the drive up north, we passed cucumber fields and a pickle factory.  Somehow, this got one of us thinking about a pickle plant explosion, and the sight of pickles shooting up into the air…..flying pickles, plummeting our car.   So for no other reason, we named our group of 5 the “Flying Pickles” for the weekend.    I think its perfect…random and a bit quirky.  Just like me. 

Meet The Flying Pickles……left to right…..me, Sandy, Kat, Kat’s handpainted totem pole, Karen and Babe: 

Here are  a few of my photos:

Clothesline filled with our painting and stamping experiments

Shoreline scenes….Lake Huron…..

 

Everyone made a doll this weekend, except me….I was fixed on finishing the quilt….but these dolls are the keepers of all the good memories of a fun creative “Flying Pickle” weekend. 

U.P. Mosaics

These stones framing the mirror are so appealing, might have to make my own…created by Laurie:

We all made some photo frames…these will find a home on my shelves filled with photos of a certain child I am fond of:

I challenged myself to make an owl….

Fantasy flowers……

Laurie’s lizard….for her most beautiful outhouse….

More sweet creations by Laurie, using Jeff’s sea glass, and crash glass……..

Mirrors……

 

Patt made good progress on the dreadlocks of her secret project…….

 

Of course, all have to be grouted yet…

Up norf’, continued….

Being up there was not all work, of course…..

The “kids” were there for an extended weekend, they bring such fun and energy.

And dogs…..

We had 8 of them at the cabin at one point.

They always seem to bring some fun toy too:

Just wish all the “youngsters” could have been there…..maybe next year, I hope!

After Steph and Derek, Erin and Charlie, and Ben and Joanie left….there was Patt and Jim, Laurie and Hank, and Jeff and I for the remainder of the week.  We spent our days together, working,  eating, taking walks, having long sits on the deck, playing my new favorite card game “The Perfect Hand”, and watching movies.  Laurie was also the berry picking pro, and superb maker of Blueberry Pie and Blackberry Cobbler.  Patt is much like her brother, she never stops….works works works and finally collapses at the end of the day.  I kind of took over the kitchen as far as meals went, but had plenty of willing hands to help.   

Left to right…me, Patt, and Laurie

Much of my spare time was spent in the Boathouse Studio, making mosaics.  We improved the looks of the place a little, with some handy props pulled out from storage:

Note the oars hanging on the ceiling rafters…someone (J….f) wanted to change the name of the Boathouse Studio, to the Oar House…..Well, anyways….the room really worked great, but I am sure there is more improvements in store  for it. 

Tomorrow….mosaics…..

Up norf’….where all the neat stuff is

That was a saying originally voiced by my nephew Ben….way back when he was just a little little  kid.  We all loved those words and agree with the sentiment, still. 

Here are a few up north scenes……

New sculpture at Bridge Park in St Ignace, honoring the workers who lost their lives building the Mackinaw Bridge.

We’ve witnessed many gorgeous sunrises

And shorelines…..

But of course, since we were at the cottage, there is always work to do….

This year’s big project was putting a window in the upstairs “overflow bunk house” above the garage. 

Jeff was the designer, and builder….

 

Patrice was the precariously balanced painter! 

And with the exception of Jeff’s lost battle with a bungee cord, they came out unscathed but tired…

And the window turned out beautiful!!!!!

We didn’t get a good photo of the view out the window, but after some judicious tree trimming we have a perfectly framed bird’s eye view of the lake.

And  looking in from the lake at the new window (on the right) isn’t so bad either. 

Back home

What a great week we had in da UP.  The weather was warm and sunny, the company was even better. 

Heading south across the Mighty Mac.  I have much to show you…tomorrow.