Getting Bigger!

I love watching this eaglet grow! I hope you are enjoying these photos as much as I am! I look forward to getting updates on them. How awesome it must be to be able to watch this firsthand and take these amazing photographs! Thanks for sharing them! They are awesome!

Just look at those feathers emerging..... I wonder how much longer before its first flight.

This has become another one of my favorite photos!

Looks like it was bird for lunch today.....

I will continue to update you with the eagles progress!

Tomorrow is silver day in the studio... I have some new techniques I am excited about playing with. Some new tools are being made for me this week and am looking forward to working with them. Lots of experimenting going on in the next few weeks ... hopefully I will have some new and exciting photos to share with you soon!

Love These Guys!

Ava, Justin, Milo and Dawn are here for a few days! We have been having a blast with them. The kids are growing so fast... sure wish we lived closer so we could be more involved in their lives. Ava and I have known each other for 18 years and I consider her one of my best friends ever.

Ava fixed up Milo's mohawk for us today.... and let me tell you he was styling big time!

I love this photo of us but Whit and Dawn were missing...... that would of made it picture perfect! Dawn was busy eating and Whit took the photo!

Ava and I have so many great memories of our past adventures.... and we are looking forward to many more! I may possibly be going to New Zealand with them next year! What an awesome trip that would be.

Dawn says that the lamb is finger licking good!

The kids loving the massage chair!

Milo showing off his pile of bones!

Dawn reading a book on Ava's iphone during dinner! She is high tech!

I will miss them dearly when they leave.... this has been a wonderful visit.

Hands Across the Sand

Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and political affiliations concerned with the protection of coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife and fishing industry.

People all over the world gathered on beaches and held hands. Whit and I joined in at North Beach here in Port Townsend.

A Surprise!

My good friend emailed me today and said "do you know your bead is on the cover of next years Bead and Button class catalog?"




No I didn't! What a pleasant surprise!! Thanks Bead and Button, I am looking forward to another wonderful show next year!!

Exciting Day!

What an awesome day Whit and I had. We got up early, took the ferry to the other side, went to the Apple Store, both got new iphone 4's, I bought some new shoes and shopped a bit while Whit waited in the line for over 2 hours, had an awesome lunch at PF Chang's and then came home and our contractor had our new 10' sliding doors installed!

Towanda thinking if only this door was open a bit more I could get that duck that is out there!!

Also in the mail today I received a BIG package of FASTfire BRONZclay from Bill Struve (the inventor and manufacturer) to play with! What a great guy he is. Thanks Bill!

So Whit and I have been face timing each other like crazy since we have been back! Me in my studio while he is on the 3rd floor in his office. We haven't experienced any of the problems that some people have reported having with their new iphone 4's. Sure hope it stays that way because this new phone is awesome!

Incredible Eagle Photos!

I wanted to share with you these amazing photographs that my friends husband has taken. He has been photographing these eagles for months. I can't stop going back and looking at these amazing pictures.... just had to share!

This one is my favorite... I have never seen an eagle photographed like this before, I think it is amazing!

Coming in for landing...

Arriving with lunch!

Another food delivery...

I believe in this one they are getting ready to change spots of egg sitting...

"where's my food"

another landing..

waiting for food....

building the nest....

I love the gracefulness of the wings in this photo!

Hopefully I will get some more updates as the eaglet gets older and share them with you!

Thanks my friend for sharing your wonderful photos!

Happy Solstice!

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

People stretch their hands toward the sun during a summer solstice 2010 celebration at Stonehenge.

Spirit Hearts

We are starting a little remodel job on the house on Monday so I was cleaning out some cabinets that need to be taken off the wall and I came across one of my sketch books... I found this little drawing in one of them that I did several years ago. I call it spirit hearts. Finding this sketch book has got me wanting to dig out my paints and pens and start playing in my journal again!

Well I guess I better get back to cleaning and packing up the cabinets and see what other goodies I may come across!

Summertime!

Summer is here! I am still pretty tired from Bead and Button. It seems like I was going non-stop for 10 straight days... Totally worth every minute though!

Whit came home with a new hammock for me today.... this is where I plan on getting some much needed R & R!

I am looking forward to this summer. I have nothing planned that I "have" to do for a month and a half! Lots of time will be spent in my studio just exploring some new techniques and ideas in glass and silver. I am going to take some silversmithing classes this summer with some friends and will be learning some new techniques. I am really looking forward to extending my skills. I have some great ideas for some steam punk jewelry. Looks like I will have Whit and Jim Moore busy designing me some new tools! So many things I want to learn!

Later in the summer I will be going to Australia to teach. The classes are being held in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart. I feel so blessed that my art allows me to see so much of the world. I was in Australia in 1995 and am really looking forward to seeing some new places that I haven't been. I love meeting new people and making new friends all over the world.

Last time I was in Australia I went to Ayers rock (Uluru),

what an incredible place. I won't be going there this time around... but hopefully on another trip I will visit it again!

Lorikeet

I am hoping to see some of these and other amazing animals on this trip!

Well that's it for this update... I will keep you posted on things as they progress! Have a great weekend and Father's Day!

WOW! Great Show

Whit, Nicole and I arrived on Friday night and started bright and early to work on Saturday morning setting up the masters class classroom. Jerry, Frank, Kevin, Judy and Jane were also there working very hard.


Class started on Sunday. The students were just amazing. This is one of the best classes I have ever had. Nicole TA'ing was just great. The students made amazing beads and picked up making the silver caps very fast. Their beads were great and I saw many of them proudly wearing them at the show! This made me smile big time! The class ran for three days.

Nicole demoing how she gets amazing color out of Double Helix clio!

They worked me to the bone!

At the end of day three Bead and Button had a graduation party for all three of the masters classes. Certificates, ribbons and awards were handed out. Great food and plenty of drinks! A great time had by all! Here is a photo of the beautiful glass bowl awarded to me...


Wednesday morning Whit had to leave to take care of some things at home. I was able to sleep in and get some much needed rest. Later in he day Nicole and I set up for meet the teachers night. IT WAS AMAZING!! I sold 20 of my 30 new bracelets, Jim sold all of his new metal stamp tools and a great number of beads were sold as well.


Preview night of the show opened on Thursday evening and went till 10. This night went extremely good as well.


Friday the show opened at 10 with a bang. We had another good day. Right after the show I headed over to the flame on. This is where lamp workers made pieces that were to be auctioned off the next day for Breast Cancer Awareness. Leah Fairbanks and I did a collaboration heart, actually we made 2 of them. They sold at the auction for $375 and $225 , we were quite happy with that!



Onto Saturday. This day was quite slow for us. Not typical at all. So we thought for sure Sunday would really be slow..... WRONG..... we had some of our largest sales of the show on this day. So overall the show was a great success for us.... Nicole sold a great deal as well! We are all ready looking forward to next year! Well after a week or two of rest that is!

Another great thing about the show is seeing so many great friends and making many new ones. So many of them I only get to see twice a year... but we just seem to pick up right were we left off....

Myself and my dear friend Ilana

I call these three "the three lampateers"

Gail Crosman Moore.... what a wonderful person she is...

I always have a great time visiting with Jeff Barber!

Some of Jeff's great beads!

Wayne Robbins and Lori Greenberg being silly as usual!

Myself and Akihiro from Japan

Rashan offering us some cake!

Myself and Andrew Thorton

I enjoyed the little time that we had to visit! What a nice guy he is!