Dog Eat Dog Kinda Day

It’s a good thing our Giant Schnauzer, Nimbus has a soft mouth more like a retriever than that of a K-9 Police Dog that Giant Schnauzers are usually known for. Because before I knew it Nimbus had half a Boston Terrier in his mouth! My felted Boston that is. Today was the Needle Felted Dog Class with artists K.C. Wilson and Elise Strauss. What fun! Growing up we had a Boston named "Bomo"

and I thought it would be funnier (easier!) to felt a little Boston rather than a large breed dog.

All materials were provided and proceeds were to benefit the Alyeska Canine Trainers with the class being held at their Anchorage facility. Elise had warned the class that pets really LOVE the wool used

in the needle-felting sculptures and she was right! As soon as I came home Nimbus followed me everywhere sticking his nose in my bag and couldn’t get enough of my little dog-in-process. When I went to finally let him have a smell and see what was in the bag, WAUMPHH!! In his mouth it went! I was able to slowly back the Boston out with no real damage. It was really pretty funny and such a surprise causing both Gus and I to laugh so hard that Nimbus retreated to his doggie bed to pout in shame. I posted about the felted goats I fell in love with last year and even have some beautiful wool that my friend Margie sent me. Now I have the needles and some felting basics to felt some critters. Not sure you’ll ever see my animals for sale because I think I’d have to charge thousands of dollars due to just how long my little dog (which isn’t even finished) is taking me. There are several exceptional Needle Felting Artists on ETSY

that Elise gave us info on including Kay’s K9s, Motley Mutton, Morning Glory Workshop and Gfelted Designs by Gerry (here is a link to her Blog). If you do get the felting bug, some of the best and innovative supplies are offered by Dream Felt right here in Alaska! Thanks again to K.C. and Elise who both were very patient and even provided band aids and wrap for poked fingers. Here are some additional links for supplies and instructions: New England Felting Supply, Kay Petal Felt Alive, Felting Forum and Brigette Krag Hansen -the woman who is know for starting it all.

Below are some of the samples Elise and K.C. had on display at class.

HO, HO, HO, It's Soooo Cold!

Our winter break started Friday and as much as I’d like to blow off the next couple of weeks and just ski, I’ve forced myself to stay somewhat focused and not neglect my customers. I photographed several pieces that are still available at Katie’s Gallery and have been answering e-mails and doing Facebook postings, helping customers with their artful shopping. This is not to say I’ve been all work and no play but the -5 degree temps have for sure kept Gus and I off the Mountain. And what do Gus and I do when it’s too cold to ski? Dress up the dogs of course! Since Daddy-O is firmly against any humiliation of our pets we had to do this while he was skiing yesterday. Armed with a handful of Yummy Chummie dog treats

(their favorite), Gus baited while I shot. The weird thing was Nimbus (our Giant Schnauzer on the left) didn’t even move or try and take off his antlers –it’s his first season with us and Tauzer knew better, she held out for more treats before she held still!

We went to the crazy, fun Alyeska Ski School (now called the Mountain Learning Center) employee party last night at the Silvertip Bar and Grill. There was a silly hat contest that Derek and Gus got a lot of votes for, but Derek's friend Steve won with his authentic trapper style hat. I think people have been thinking "warmth!"

Steve is on the right with Derek. Of course there was a runway style “hats-off” applause vote between the other guy wearing a furry hat but Steve won! The other guy’s hat was so funny because it was a one-piece knitted brown pullover hat complete with mustache and wrap around beard. What a great pattern!!

Yesterday Gus and I skipped skiing and went to the warm library for books and movies instead. On the way I couldn’t help but walk the path to Glacier Creek and take a few pictures of the incredible quiet scenery. The sun barely peaks over Max’s Mountain this time of year and casts a peachy alpine glow on the northern range. The cold temps gave the valley a surreal look in blues and frosty whites. There were all kinds of animal tracks in the snow leading to the water –which kind of spooked me. It was hard to capture the real colors with my little digital camera but I just had to share with you our little corner of the world!

I Wanna

Spoiler alert- I’m (not) complaining. Are any of you finding it hard to make the time to follow all the Blogs you normally do in the winter? How can it be JULY

ALREADY?! I miss my slower winter routine, I miss reading all of the Clay Blogs and even a couple of cranky-chicky-complainer Blogs I secretly follow. I want to make more time for clay, encaustics, lounging on the deck reading trashy chick-lit, hiking up Mt. Alyeska, fly fishing, or even going to a mid-day movie with Gus…waaah, waah, waa. There are so many fun things we’re packing into our summer days that it leaves little time for me to do my other routine fun stuff! We finally got the fabric screened and cut for the cool, new Raven Garden Flag project I’ve been

collaborating with Jana at The Quilted Raven! Wow, this has been more of a project than both of us anticipated. The goal is to have kits at her quilt shop and finished sets for sale at my Spenard Farmers Market booth. The very talented Judy Walyer sewed up a fantastic sample set for the quilt shop and now I need to design the full color insert for the retail kits. My summer schedule has left very little time for being at my computer and combine that with the fact that my graphic designer brain has been on hiatus, this project is what I needed for a good kick-start.

Nimbus has been adjusting beautifully to his new home and schedule –though it’s meant some MAJOR changes in our family routine. More exercise for Daddy-O and I, a new jog-bra for me(!) and keeping the Bunny in his cage more… Bunny

Foo-Foo used to free-range in the studio but for his sake, no more unlimited free-ranging. This is working out good for everyone including bunny. He has started to get a little kooky in his senior moments and has been doing weird things so a little more kennel time is good. Our crazy rabbit is over 11 years old, which is considered geriatric by bunny standards and he’s still going strong. Derek says it’s because of all the organic veggies I feed him… We’re just saying his new arrangement is like spending more time safely in “his retirement condo.” When we run Nimbus outside, Bunny Foo-Foo gets his inside exercise too, I’ve just had to make myself a little reminder that the rabbit bait is loose in the studio before Nimbus heads inside…

From Portland to Alaska With Love

Hard to believe there aren’t any sparks in my shop with 4^th of July here! I actually unplugged this week –well if you don’t count the electric griddle and Encaustic pan that Katie had set up for us to do some art making! Wow, what fun mixing it up a bit this week with creating. I’ve needed to get re-inspired to work on a couple of new sculptures and had to take a breather from my heavy production

schedule. I felt the burn-out flame wisps nipping at my butt… not good. So, when I went over to Katie’s for a little chick visit she was heavily into an Encaustic series for a Show she has opening tonight at her Studio for First Friday. I’d never done Encaustic’s before and after a quick primer I dove right in and made a couple of pieces. It’s much harder than it looks but I’ve always loved and admired the medium. For my birthday last year, Daddy-O bought me a large, Sheary Clough Suiter Encaustic work that the whole family loves. After painting with encaustics at Katie’s, I do look at Sheary’s work with additional appreciation now! Here is a link where Sheary gives a good demonstration of the medium and process.

OK, the BIG NEWS is on Wednesday I got to fly down to Portlan

d (and back that night) to pick up the newest member of our family! Meet “Nimbus” the 6 year old, male, Giant Schnauzer. For the last year or so we had been waiting on the placement list with Valley of the Sun Giant Schnauzer Rescue looking for another Giant -and a couple of weeks ago I got the call! “Nimbus” comes to us from a very loving couple in Oregon who faced with a serious illness, had to make the most difficult decision to re-home him. We are grateful to all of the loving and dedicated volunteers who make rescue, placement and adoption possible! “Nimbus” is adjusting better than we could have hoped for and seems to enjoy the “wilds” of Anchorage so far. At just over 100 pounds he makes our “Tauzer” seem even more petite but they are bonding and she has no problem showing him the great outdoors of Alaska. While the dogs and I continue to adjust, our Holiday plans include being at our booth at the Spenard Farmers Market tomorrow from 10-3, then Daddy-O and Gus are going to get some fishing in at a friends lodge. Have a safe and happy 4^th of July!

Moonlighting

The kiln is loaded and firing away. I have the first load of sgraffito trays firing on a ^04 Fast Bisque schedule which should put the firing complete this evening and be able to open the kiln late tomorrow…if I’m patient. Tauzer had to have ear surgery a couple weeks ago and on Friday finally had the ear apparatus successfully removed and her ear is thankfully all healed. What better way to celebrate than a groom and bath! Not according to her but according to us. Before I actually started grooming her myself I used to think that a dog grooming business might be kind of fun –ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I’d go broke –or I’d have to charge $300 a dog –ha! Giant Schnauzer’s don’t shed per say, so their hair grows continually and can get matted and dreadlock-like if not maintained and should be groomed every couple of months. She’s very patient with the grooming part but isn’t

too happy about the bath part so she got one of her favorite treats, Yummy Chummies to entice her into the tub. Good girl. Of course the real work wasn't the bathing or grooming, although it kills my back. The real work is taking the ShopVac to all the cut hair in the shop -it looked like I gave free haircuts to every kid in Anchorage with black hair! THEN, it's the major bleach down cleaning of the bathroom. I swear, I'm so germ phobic, I used more bleach than a community pool does at Spring Break!

Enjoying What the Bears and Birds Missed

Daddy-O and I started to winterize around the Girdwood house. Snow on the top of Max’s Mountain Saturday morning is one of our annual signs to shift our seasonal lifestyle. We drained and unhooked the garden hose, dried and stowed the mountain bikes, emptied the terracotta planters and put the picnic table under shelter so it doesn’t get plowed into matchsticks by the front end loader that manages our snow load in the parking area. We were also on squirrel patrol, since Kelly, one of our renters mentioned there is a squirrel now running back and forth in her bedroom ceiling (probably stashing pine cones for winter) which is between our upper unit and the ground level unit…not good.  Sealing off some probable entrance points in the old logs on the side of the house and knowing my husband as I do, the squirrel doesn’t stand a chance! Winterizing only lasted so long as the beauty of Fall overtook us. Before long we were all playing in our woods eating the sweetened blueberries that the Bears and Birds missed, explored the upended root den of a huge fallen Evergreen, found new growth Hemlocks and generally appreciating the vibrant colors of Fall. Tauzer Schnauzer chased critters, chewed sticks and was just glad to be a Girdwood Dog. We laughed at all the grass seed and Blueberry bush leaves that had stuck to her. We even thought she was cute all stinky and rain soaked, until I noticed that the brown thing on the top of her forehead wasn’t a leaf at all, it was a gross SLUG! 

Ahhhhh-laska! The Vernal Equinox

We may not have any crocus or daffodils popping up like at Mom & Dad's, but Spring in Alaska is still beautiful. The days are finally longer now. Last night walking Tauzer-Schnauzer the sun was shining and reflecting off Chester Creek, near our house. People were out, happy to be walking, skate-skiing and jogging on the Anchorage Coastal Trail. The daylight has brought a much needed attitude adjustment and people along the trail actually said hello to us! The high was still a brisk 29 degrees BUT, the sunrise was at 7:59 am and the Sunset was 8:15 pm, for total daylight hours of 12 hours, 16 minutes -yipee, we made it!!!

The glaze firing went well. A couple of

experiments worked and I was pleased with the matte glaze on two of the "Woobie Souls," pictured here. Though my glazing skills are still not that great, and in all hon

esty there may be a serious lack of "glaze desire" on my part. A gloss, dark blue (Speedball commercial glaze) doesn't look as good as the matte finishes. When I use the matte finishes, their velvety finish makes you 

want to hold and gently rub the bodies of the sculptures. Their softness lends the piece a quietness and overall subtlety that I wanted to convey.  The glossy, shiny glaze, in my opinion looks too reflective, slick and bright. I do like that Blue Speedball gloss glaze on some of the Sea Tiles. Everything was fast glaze fired at ^04. The real Blog news is that I finally got to try the ceramic laser decals today! I have a few test peices in the kiln RIGHT NOW -I'll post the process as soon as I can safely pop the lid on the kiln...

Cross Country Snow

It seemed this week that white was the color seen across the country. With power outages, closures and freezing temps, some artists in the South were not pleased. Rather than post more beautiful Northern winter images, here is one reminding me that green will soon be seen here in Alaska. And as requested, this is the famous Tauzer Schnauzer last summer covered in grass seed after a romp along Glacier Creek.

Yesterday I delivered some donation pieces around town

for various fundraising auctions. It was a pleasure to get out and see where other people work and was a good reminder of how hard it is for non-profits to sustain their efforts. One of my favorite stops was at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center. I donated a Raven Wall Sculpture for their upcoming "For The Birds" event on March 21. I met the coolest Black Crow (not to be confused with a Raven) who is an education bird for the Center. He was so beautiful, all black and shiny, his intelligence and incredible beauty inspired me to create a future piece of art of him! 

This may be a secret surprise for the upcoming fundraiser, but a handler at Bird TLC was teaching the Crow to take dollars and drop them into a container!! The Crow was getting so good at it he didn't want to stop -who wouldn't, the reward was fresh meal worms. The folks at Bird TLC are calling him their "Cash Crow!"