I HEART YOU

I'm getting all gusshy about Valentine's Day. Lame, I know. But yet, I'm a sucker for anyday that celebrates love and sweethearts. I've been lucky enough to have had 17 Valentine's Days with my guy and I'm so looking forward to at least 50 more:) Here are a few new Valentine's inspired pieces NEW in the shop today:

Beating the Blahs.

I love fall, I really do. It's my favourtie time of the year.

I love pulling out my wool sweaters, wearing socks for the first few days of Autumn chill, watching the leaves float by my studio window and feeling warm and cosy plugging away doing what i love.

But (there's always a but) when the thrill of the new season starts to wear off, I feel the need to combat the blahs. You know, the feeling you get when you realize that winter will soon settle in.

My work lately has been a reflection of these feelings. The result? Fun, colourful colours are making their way into my work. Even I can't feel blah when I shift through candy coloured hues to find the right shade of pink or chartruese to perk me up.Here's a peek at my new goodies:

Please come by and visit all the new candy coloured goodness at Penny Glass Girl as well :)

My First Blog Giveaway!

This is the first giveaway I have attempted on my blog - so bear with me.

I love this piece and it has become one of my most popular styles, both in my Etsy shop and in the retail locations that I supply. It is fun and funky and works perfect with summer lights and winter darks.

This giveaway is open to anyone and everyone, but please a few guidelines:

1) To enter, just leave a post in the comment section below with a way to get in touch with you (email, your blog info etc) and a comment on anything you found in my ETSY Shop.

2) Only one entry per person please.

3) One entry will be drawn on Satuday Feb. 21st.

PSST: Follow my blog (top left corner of the page) for notifications of upcoming giveaways.

Bubbles are Fun

I've been doing these small stained glass pieces on my etsy site, the series is entitled, "Bubbles".

It has been great to dabble in stained glass again after a break whileI have concentrated on fusing. I forgot how fun soldering is - an how hot, ouch!

It's fun to see the all the different ways I can design within the same confines. Each piece has been very different.

Looking for other e avenues....

I began looking to sell my goods in other places in the last few weeks...
I love etsy and the supportive community I found there, and now I need to expand. So far, my investigation has turned up DaWanda as a good place to sell across the pond, so off I go on another e adventure.

For someone so young (relatively speaking) I have somehow missed the tech gene. My husband (V.P. of a tech company) makes fun of my lack of skill and constant questions: What's a "thread" and how the heck am I supposed to keep it alive? (aren't I responsible for enough lives already?). What is the difference between a "hit" a "mark" or a....well I don't care just get me there!

I vow today, to brush up on my "e language" and not be left behind in the e merchant world. I go forth from here. Look for my new shop www.en.dawanda.com/shop/pennyglassgirl (coming soon, if I can figure this out in euros!).

Working Mom Gets Through IT!

Ok, I don't like to complain, but this week was a little challenging! Two sick kids (one with the chicken pox, one with the flu), but I managed to get through it and still get a little new work in! Yay, chaulk one up for working moms everywhere!

Although, sleep deprived, I managed to post some exciting new items on my etsy site. Including some new dichroic pendants (so deep and glittery!) and new fused glass items including bookmarks, wine stops and keychains.

Penny Glass Girl Finally Begins a Blog!

I have been making art my entire life, but fell in love with glass about six years ago. I began selling to friends and family, then friends of friends, then family of friends, then to retail, then online...before I knew it I had started to build a small but fullfilling business that I could work into my full-time parent schedule.

It all began when....
My husband dragged me to a stained glass class so that we could have an activity only adults could do after the birth of our first child. He quickly became the "teacher's pet" as his mechanical skill was far superior, but after many, many late nights I fell in love - with glass!

Light drives me....
I love the way light can pass through glass and totally transform it. My sons, although only seven and three, already marvel at my creations and beg me to put them up to a window to view them. I love that I have instilled this appreciation for glass, and all its reflective qualities, in them at such a young age.

I just had to start melting stuff...
About a year ago, I was no longer content to make cold glass and was inspired by a local lampwork class. After an attempt at making lampwork beads however, I realized that this was not for me. While at the studio, I inquired about glass fusing, and decided to dive right in. I bought a kiln, all the supplies and decided that I could teach myself. I was amazed when my first, second, then third attempts were successful - again I fell deeper in love. Like most relationships, all it takes is a little background research and many sleepless nights!

Glass has given me the ability to take all the colours and shapes floating around my head and translate them into art, while challenging my technical abilities. When I'm in my studio I get to use the Parts of myu brain that were dusty from parenting duties and give me more to pass on to my kids, a deep appreciation of an age old artform and their mother - the glass artist.

www.pennyglassgirl.etsy.com