Happy New Year 2011

I hope it is happy and healthy.

Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis sing auld lang syne in Barga.



I also love this one...Dan Folgalberg's Same Auld Lang Syne

Lampworking 101

My husband bought me a beginners lampworking kit a while back. These beads are my very first attempt. My first and only attempt at lampworking.

I really enjoyed working with the flame. Watching the glass melt, continually rolling it onto the mandrel, adding decorative bits of glass, and millifori was totally cool. I'm definitely going to try working with it again, after the weather breaks and my garage "studio" is much warmer. Yet at this moment, I wonder if it is really the right medium for me. I found myself worrying about every movement, being afraid to burn myself or my house. Perhaps with practice the whole "dance with glass and flame" would become second nature and more enjoyable. We shall see.

While I already had a tremendous amount of respect for those that work glass with fire, having tried my hand at it, my admiration is even greater.

One place to admire the work of masters is the Museum of Natural History at Harvard University. My nephew is on their swim team, so in a couple weeks I plan to watch him compete. Then off to the museum to see the Glass Flower Collection exhibit. This will be my second visit to see these flowers.


The Blashka's of Dresden, Germany spent 50 years making life size glass replicas of about 846 plants. I was mesmerized by the lifelike detail of each piece and the sheer number of them. Bless my husband's heart. I know he walked around and saw a bunch of aged, fading glass flowers, in very old dusty display cases, yet he said he enjoyed the exhibit. Me, a gardener and someone who appreciates the work involved in making each piece, was blown away. I was totally eating it up. Can't wait to go back! Click here to visit the Musuem's website about the Glass Flowers Exhibit

Sighthound Holiday Wallhanging

I never found time to post my decorations before Christmas, so I'm sharing a few of my favorites on this Sighthound Sunday. The snow is falling and the strong winds are making blizzard conditions outside. It is the perfect day for snuggling inside with my husband, our sighthound pack, with many glowing christmas lights, enjoying a relaxing day.

This little wallhanging was purchased some years ago from the Biggy Iggy Auction. I believe, if my memory is correct, the artist who donated this work was named Margaret Allison. Her son designed the IG silhouette. I also purchased a spring wallhanging with the same IG, and 3D flowers. Both are a treasuried part of my sighthound collection.

For a little more than a year, I have been collecting old cylinder candles, sometimes called sugar candles. In the mid to late 70's, when I was in school, we sold these as fundraisers. Making my usually thrift/consignment shop rounds, I found 3 of these candles for under a dollar each. I came home, did a little online research and discovered what a great deal I had stumbled upon. I was surprised at the prices on Ebay, especially for the religious themed and pretty landscape designs. I never finished decorating the garland or the greyhound statues (another greyt bargain), but I still enjoyed the candles nestled between the dogs. I hope you do too. I hope they inspire you in some way.

Annual Holiday Card 2010

holiday card 2010
Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

Tony's Sweet Pea

Tony's Sweet Pea
Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

Just a quick post for this Sighthound Sunday:
The sighthound this week is a portrait by Tony, my 6 year old nephew, done on thanksgiving day. Sweet Pea was laying on her side in front of the fire. Tony made a noise which caused Pea to lift her head and look in his direction. They caught eyes for a moment. Tony quickly ran to his paper and pen to capture her portrait. Watching him get inspiration, then run to his paper was so much fun. He did this with the logo on his father's shirt, the mouse figurine on my side table, each of our dogs.

I hope he continues to draw.

Honeyville Farms - Cookin' Cousins: Give-Away!!!!!!

The Cookin' Cousins are giving away 3 combo packages of dried foods. They are great for soup making, baking, any cooking. We have been using Honeyville Farms' almond flour in our /Paleo Diet/low carbohydrate/ way of cooking. We enjoy it.

Honeyville Farms - Cookin' Cousins: Give-Away!!!!!!: "Hello ya'll!!!! Ready for a Give-Away?!? We are giving away 3 Combo Packs!!!! You have until Monday, December 20th at 8pm pacific time.&nbsp..."

Fun New HTML Code Tool for Etsy Treasury

My necklace was included in a treasury and thought I'd share. It is such a pretty collection, made by one of my PetsJubliee team members. It think it evokes a peaceful and serene feeling.
This is the first time I tried a new (new to me) tool for inserting treasuries into blogs and websites. Check it out here: Etsy Treasury HMTL Code Tool
This generator was made by Whale Shark Websites. I must thank PetsJubilee members for my new tool. The Etsy Wish tool by Whale Shark Websites looks like fun too.
Please scroll down to see treasury.

'Navy Nativity' by SassySashadoxie

Navy items for Christmas or just for anyone who loves navy blue. Merry Christmas from Sasha and me to all of you!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph... angelpupscreat... $12.00	Itty Bitty Stuffed Dog ... DogBarks $10.00	Blue, Yellow and Purple... lynliao3 $38.00
Cattails Polymer Clay P... ValeriesStuff $22.00	Christmas Ornament - Ch... LaughingFridge $12.00	Oblong Scarf Satin Silk... jingjingdesign $20.00
Embroidered Snowflake B... SeptemberHouse $65.00	Versitile Snoodle Hand ... anywear $15.00	Personalized Nativity C... TurnbowDesigns $40.00
Pair of 2 Lattice Work ... WillaSkyeHome $64.00	Sale. FREE CHAIN. Bhind... caughtredhande... $	SALE Payton (Single Str... WhatAGirlWants... $30.00
Nativity Scene Cake Pan... ConnieHilePain... $15.00	Running Dog Glass Neckl... FrumsGlassMena... $20.00	One Bar Moon of Pandora... layla $4.25

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Etsy Beagle Team Challenge

Here is my latest creation. It was made for the Etsy Beagles Team holiday challenge. The theme of the challenge was, Happy Howlidays.

I made similar necklaces for my sister (and myself) last year. It is whimsical and lots of fun to wear. I receive so many compliments on it. I've decided to make more that are decorated in a way that makes them appropriate to wear year round. Maybe a gardening snowlady? Perhaps a fishing snowman? A cat loving snowlady? A tropical Snowman with flamingos and palm trees? This could be lots of fun. Any ideas or requests?

I would like to invite you all to stop by the Etsy Beagles Team blog. You'll see each of the entries and a quick comment on which is your fave, gives you a chance to win a prize.

Visit the team blog at: http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2010/12/etsy-beagles-happy-howlidays-blog.html

Falconry - Rock in the Sea - Shocking Blue

Tricia, of the blog Carried Away, posted this YouTube link. The video from BBC is taken from a camera on the back of a bird trained in falconry. The bird soars above an ocean and cliff, then zooms through trees in a forest. The forest scene reminds Tricia, and I, of the scene in Return of the Jedi' as they fly through the giant trees on their land speeders. The music accompaning the video is Rock in the Sea by Shocking Blue, a Dutch band of the late 60's and ealy 70s. I love the music and video together.

I'm also reminded of the lady who would bring her birds to my grandparents farm. She would stop in the house, talk for a while, then take the birds out to the fields. I remember feeling so lucky to have been visiting my grandparents on the same day she was there. It was very exciting to watch the birds fly out and soar around. It was so amazing to watch them always return to a person. It still is!

I found this page about Saluki and falconry, titled Falconer's Dream. I like the photo of the dog and the bird. It briefly speaks of how highly regarded the Saluki was by the Abrabians. Throughout the middle ages, hounds and falconry was a sport of wealthy nobelman. Given my personal experience with my 4 tiny hounds, it is hard to believe they share genes with dogs that hunt. My lap dogs only lounge and wait for dinner to be served.

I am always searching for sighthound collectibles. I purchased a Delft tile at a rescue fundraiser some years ago. It shows a hunt scene with a man resting by a tree with his dogs...some of which look like sighthounds. In the background is another man with his birds. The following YouTube video gives the description and history of falconry. It gives insight to what my delft tile is actually depicting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufstmgDtNrM

Mosaic for Monday: Fence Climbing Dog

Mosaiced Dog
Originally uploaded by schexnayderfaith

Credit goes to Rebecca of ArtDogBlog for locating on Flickr and featuring this concrete mosaic sculpture on her blog. I enjoy reading her blog and admire her Art Paw pet portraits.

The sculptor has a batch of photos on Flickr of this amazing piece. Make sure you click on the photo to the right, then the photostream to see the various photos of this sculpture. It's face is wonderful.

It makes me smile, as it reminds me of Cinnamon. Cinnamon was a mixed breed dog of my childhood. He looked very much like a fawn great dane. His family was at witts end because he scaled the fence, climbing out of every boarding facility he stayed at. When they discovered my father's veterinary hospital, which had covered kennel runs, Cinnamon stayed put, and our two families became very close friends as a result.

If I were a wealthy person, I'd commission the artist to make a Cinnamon sculture, which I would give to our friends. I love to see my four dogs climbing our fence...only in similar concrete mosaic scultures. Thankfully they are not fence climbers.

Our Neighbor

It has been a very long time with no post. I have been so very busy this summer with the usually summer parties, birthday parties, with lots of garden and yard work. The recent heatwave has me watering overtime. I thought I would take a break from the outdoor work, to share with you all a photo of our neighbor...a beautiful, large black bear.

The photo was on the July 2010 cover of our little town newspaper. I did not recognize the street name of where it was taken, so I pulled out a map. It turns out the street next to us changes names as it makes a 90 degree turn. So a thin strip of trees separates our street from the street where this big guy was photographed. Lots of bear around here, so having this guy so close shouldn't really be a surprise.

I think it is so very cute. I would like to squeeze it's little cheeks. No worries! I am a bit smarter than that. The sensible thing is to stay far away and keep property free of yummy bear treats. Perhaps I'll pull out a paint brush to paint it.

Connecticut has lots of wooded areas, perfect for bears to be very happy. With an easy source of food, human garbage cans, bird seed in feeders, they are increasing in numbers. Very surprising to me, was yesterday's article in a local paper telling about a bear attack on a quarter horse. I had no idea they would attack something that large. The horse should be okay and the owner believes the horse was protecting it's corral, perhaps startling the bear who climbed into the fenced area. Read about the incident and the start of a bear hunting debate here: Are bears fair game? The Republican-American

Beading for Greyhounds

Grace, of Etsy's Gracebeading, has used a Frum's Glass greyhound cabochon to make a gorgeous donation to First State

Greyhound Rescue group. It is exquisite. What really shocked me, is how quickly she whipped it up. Seems like it was only mailed a few days ago. She may be making another for me, which I will donate to help the Italian Greyhounds.

I hope you'll find a moment to check out Grace's blog to see what a few beads, a focal piece, bits of microsuede, and lots of talent can make. Thank you Grace for generously helping the greyhounds, and other charities as well.

Painting on Silk

Painting on Silk
Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

Painting on silk can be so frustration. It was all flowing smoothly, then some black bled into the dog. Maybe I'm out of practice. Oh well. At least I know what caused it to happen.

In case you hadn't noticed, the subject matter is one of my favorites. I'll touch it up with some textile paint, and keep for myself. I might turn it into a pillow.

Sighthound Art of Etsy

Becky of The Beaded Eyed Monster was able to catch an Etsy treasury. She curated this greyt collection which includes two Frums Glass Menagerie pieces, plus the work of so many sighthound artists whom I admire and consider friends. Thanks Becky.

(click photo to enlarge)

Rejuvenated and Inspired

Lake side
Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

Finally back to this blog after such a long time away.
I found our vacation in Florida very relaxing and inspiring. I did not realize I needed a time away, but found it gave me a new view of my little piece of the world.

I've lots of plans for working with textiles again. I find myself tiring of working with glass. I need to expand my glass work or move on. I'll see which way it evolves.

Tagged. Twice.

Both Christie of The Blooming Wildflowers Project and Tricia of Carried Away have tagged me in a blog photo game.


The rules of the tag are this:
1. Go to your first photo file.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.
3. Post the photo and story behind it.
4. Tag 5 or more people.


Since I had two tags at the same time, I decided to post the 10th & 11th photos. Above is the 10th photo. It was taken about 3 years ago, maybe 4. It is a trailing african violet which I purchased from The Violet Barn, the first year they exhibited at the Hartford, Connecticut Spring Garden Expo. The variety is named Chantaspring. I really love trailers, especially the miniature varieties. Those who grow them for show, will prune and trim them, keeping all leaves at the same height, dense without showing any soil, and training them to grow in a circle. I let them ramble and trail any which way. If you want to learn more about them or just enjoy photos of amazingly grown trailers click this link.


















The 11th photo was taken at the same time. It is another more traditional african violet in full bloom.
















I'm adding this 3rd photo to show how my little trailer looks today. It just had a few blossoms, and is getting ready to bloom a bit more. It is always blooming. Check out the new crown that has begun growing left of the cat figurine.


I'm tagging:
Scrivener's Retreat
***Island Dream Life***
Howlin Hounds
Magenta Rivers
Dream Dog Paintings-On the Easel

The Pet Boutique blog featured this Frums Glass Menagerie necklace today. I love this blog. It is a super, one stop shopping, source for finding unique pet and animal themed items. Thanks Angela for featuring my necklace. An extra bonus is the exposure the Etsy Beagles team will get from the link in my necklace description.

The Etsy Beagles Team invites everyone to check out our Hearts and Hounds team challenge and blog giveaway:
http://etsybeagles.blogspot.com/2010/02/etsy-beagles-hearts-and-hounds-team.html

Ferret Lovers Jewelry

I've been inspired to create a few items that a ferret lover might like.

I found myself wondering how long ferrets have been pets in the United States. I did a little internet searching and discovered they were pretty rare in the U.S. until the '80s.

It was the mid to late eighties when I was visiting my parents, probably home from college, and I helped reunite a ferret to it's owner. I was in the garage with the door wide open, when in strolled a ferret. It was obviously someone's pet. It came up to me and had no fear. The closest neighbor was about 5 acres away and a busy 3 lane road bordered one side of the property. Long story short, the little guy belonged to a neighbor, who was very happy to have it's safe return.

An Italian Cat

What a life this kitty has. To think it may have 9 lives. I wonder if it would spend them all here in this corner of the world.


I recently finished this pendant and was happy with the way it came together. My glass fusing process is either well thought out or a mishmash of various glass pieces. I prefer not thinking about it, as it is fun to be surprised when opening the kiln. This combination of glass was thrown together without any thought. I did not like it much when it came out of the kiln. That dislike changed, once I fused on the gold cat.

It reminded me of my trip to visit my husband's family in Northern Italy. With a bit more thought, I realized it was the rich red color, the orange, the gold that reminded me of tile roofs, buildings, and the traditional venetian colors used in textiles, on walls, etc. The blues and grays are like the sky and stone. The photo above was taken in the city of Bassano del Grappa, in the veneto providence. We were on the street just east of the meandering river that runs through the city.

You can easily learn about the city's long history and beauty with just a few clicks, so I will not ramble on and on about that. You might want to click this link to see one photo taken from the landmark wooden bridge of the city. The cat in the photo above lives along that river.

I wonder if it appreciates how fortunate it is.

Welcoming the New Year...

Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

...with legumes?

My father, now 82, was raised in New York State, to parents of Dutch/German/Swedish descent. As a child, his Mom would wake he and his sister at the stroke of midnight, to usher in the New Year by eating lentil soup. Can you imagine? While I like most legumes, in moderation, I am grateful my parents did not perpetuate this tradition.

Discussing family traditions among online friends tweaked my interest. I spent some time looking up what is found on the New Year's Day table and the origins of these foods. To name a few; legumes resemble money or coins, thus eating them brings good luck and fortune. Likewise for greens. Pigs forage for their food by moving forward, so eating pork moves one forward in the New Year. Cows stand still and birds move backward and forward, so stay away from beef and poultry.

Breaking personal traditions, I made red lentil soup for New Year's Day. I saved a few lentils to photograph my first pendant of 2010. The white sighthound is taking time to smell a flower. I'm hoping everyone enjoys a healthy and happy new year.