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

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.

Featured in a Treasury

I love Etsy's Treasury feature. I enjoy curating them and love to search through the collections others have put together. Fair warning: Treasuries can be very addictive!

Frums Glass Menagerie was featured in a pet themed treasury. Natalie of Shriever's Retreat included my cat necklace. Natalie titled the treasury Your Best Friend, with the subtitle, Show the world your love for your pet with these great gifts for you. I love how so many people can use the same theme and find a totally unique collection. I wish I needed a baby gift. I would buy the cute parakeet shoes. The hamsters created using peanuts as a mold are just too much. The artist also makes tiny pink babies. I might have to buy those little hamsters for my niece and nephews. Many thanks to Natalie. As I've said before, with all the tons of stuff flooding the internet, being featured is always an honor.

For those that do not know, treasuries are lists of 16 items each that Etsy members pick out. These lists last for three days each and may have a common theme, color, or may just be items the curator admires. The curator can change the items often in those 3 days or not. The front page of Etsy is picked from the various treasuries curated by the members.

Bobcat on Christmas Eve

Bobcat
Originally uploaded by Frums Glass Menagerie

It was on the far corner of the property, contrasting so nicely against the white snow, sniffing an evergreen tree. For an instant, the flicker of white under it's tail made me think I was seeing a deer. No, couldn't be. Wrong body shape and size. Was it a coyote? No. It was heavier than the coyotes I've seen recently, and again, the wrong body shape.
It was a large bobcat. It was out for a relaxing walk, smelling trees and bushes on the way, enjoying the sunset of Christmas Eve. It walked closer and closer, coming about 15 feet from the patio. I thought it would see our mad scramble for binoculars and cameras. If it did, it certainly wasn't fearful.

It was so cool to watch this big guy for a few minutes. We're all still talking about how huge it was compared to others we have seen through the years.

Take a Peek...

....inside my kiln. Here is the next step of my painting on this small batch of glass pendants. This photo was taken after the 2nd firing inside my kiln. I'm happy with how the french bulldog is coming along.

More Enamel Fun

More painting on glass with my new enamel paints. The second photo shows a batch of pendants that were painted and kiln annealed once. They will continue to receive multiple layers of paint and fire polishing.