Yard Garden and Patio Show Coming SOON to Portland Oregon

 

Going to the Yard Garden and Patio Show in Portland Oregon?  February 17 through 19, 2012.  Here’s a discount coupon for you!!  Be sure to say hello so I can show you my new glass vases and garden ornaments.

 I’ll be in booth 1481 near the Hardy Plant Society area.

I’ll have wall pocket vases,

garden ornaments, fun bracelets, and more!

Portland, Oregon Convention Center  on MLK Blvd.  February 17 through 19, 2011.

Don’t forget, I’ll be in booth 1481 near the Hardy Plant Society area.

 See you there!!   

January Storm in the Columbia River Gorge

Icicles formed the first day of this January storm in the Columbia River Gorge and I realized I’d never tried to photograph one up close.

Looking through icicles hanging off our roof into the forest, I put on some rose colored glasses for my own amusement.

Then I got back to work, shoveling decks.  This side takes all my energy because snow falls here from the roof.

One side of our front deck before shoveling.  This is usually the last to get done because it’s a step down & if it doesn’t get shoveled, nothing is at risk.  My kilns are below the back deck, so I do that one first.

Heavy snowfall the first day, it was gray and dreary, but makes a pretty picture.

I needed a little color, so found my yellow glass garden fairy to photograph.  It was snowing hard, but you can still see her.

Day two of our January storm gave us 24″ of snow, overnight!  Treasure loved it!

Looking at the same half of my deck on day two, even my red glass ladybug is covered with snow.

My glass garden fairy is getting worried about the snow level rising!

Forging a path to the road where our cars are parked.  I throw snowballs, Treasure chases them.  All the way to the road.

From the front, my blue chairs are buried, but I can still see blue behind them.

Treasure chasing snowballs in the back yard.

Day two of the storm and I’m running out of shoveling steam.  Back to the rose colored glasses!

Everyone has a job to do during a snowstorm….well, except Critter.  ”You can’t make me” is her mantra.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your winter is warm and toasty!!

 

Stop American Censorship

Thousands of sites will be dark, including mine, on Jan 18 from 8am until 8pm, protesting SOPA & PIPA, two US bills racing through Congress that threaten prosperity, online security, and freedom of expression.  It only takes a moment to click the link and tell your lawmakers what you think.  I did, I hope you will too.  And if you’ll share this message with others, maybe congress will actually hear us for a change!

http://americancensorship.org/

A Working Girl’s Work

As an independant artist instead of taking advantage of Black Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ll be working.  Yes, working.  I love my job!  I’ll be in the studio stringing over 7 dozen bracelets on Friday, then selling them along with wall pocket vases, glass ladybugs, butterflies, garden art and more at the Soroptimist Shopping Extravaganza on Sunday in Hood River OR.

  After that I’ll be preparing ‘Small Works’ of glass art for Columbia Art Gallery‘s holiday show opening Dec 2 and running through the 29th.

You can find my holiday work already delivered at The Dalles Art Center and I’ll have a jewelry Trunk Show early in December at J D Smith Jewelers in The Dalles OR.  I’ll be posting the date at Steider Studios on Facebook & hope you can join us!

In the meantime, as a holiday ‘Thank You’ I’m offering complementary shipping for your on-line orders in the US -Steider Studios Shop on Zibbet!

What does this all have to do with gardening you ask?  Those bracelets I mentioned earlier were designed with you, my fellow gardeners in mind.  I signed up for the Portland Yard, Garden and Patio Show Feb. 17 – 19 2012, and have been designing specifically for gardeners just like you & me!  I think you’re going to LOVE my ladybug bracelets!

Thanking you with all my heart for continuing to follow my journey, I wish you love, light, and joy, along with family and friendship this week of giving Thanks.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Invitation to dine?

When I asked my husband to trim some limbs from our flowering almond trees along the driveway, I wasn’t thinking it would make a tasty treat for a herd of deer.  Yes, a herd!  It appears this simple act of pruning was indeed an invitation for a full day and night of feasting.  I would’ve been ok with it if they’d just stuck to the fallen branches, but they had to browse further into my shady perennial beds!

As I crept closer, the little one was the only deer to notice me.  The others continued gorging on the fallen limbs and beyond.  I couldn’t remember when I’d last sprayed Liquid Fence, but it must be time to spray again.  I know, if you live in a city it may seem cool to have a herd of deer at the end of your camera lens.  Yes, in a way it is …..

Until you realize they’ve eaten hundreds of dollars of plant material.  Even as the herd watched me approach they grabbed one last bite before skittering over to the neighbors and out of sight.  They didn’t go far because they were back every thirty minutes until the limbs were completely stripped of leaves.  I was glad to see them, but where’d I leave that sprayer filled with Liquid Fence?

I’ve tried many ‘deer repellents’ over the last 25 years of tending this garden and some have worked for a few days.  Liquid Fence is the only thing that has worked for 3 seasons now (as long as I remember to spray every 3 to 4 weeks).  I wonder what has worked for you?

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!!

Take a Hike

You wouldn’t know the path was there if you walked by too fast.  Or hadn’t lived here for awhile.

This shady little path meanders into the forest below my cabin.  I’ve hiked it for over 25 years and always find something new along the way out to the edge of my world.

The shady canopy opens to a field of sun at the lower edge of my property line.  Here, you’ll want to watch out for cobwebs, cow pies, and….

….bikers!  Yes, bikers.  During summer months the path is thick with bikers!  This part of the path belongs to my neighbors, the Kreps family who are wonderful about letting folks use it.

It’s a cow path in spring; I see hunters using it in the fall.  Me?  I traverse it year round.

Someone built this bridge a few years back making it easier to cross the spring creek, which is dry in summer.  We used to jump over it or walk across the rocks.

The path cuts right through a bramble patch.

The berries aren’t large, but provide food for bear and birds.  And sometimes me.

In about a half mile you’ll come to the edge of my world.  But keep going, there’s a better view around the next couple of bends.

Depending on the time of year we have excellent wildflower viewing opportunities.

One year I was surprised to find this bench put together exactly in the perfect viewing area.  It’s a big open hillside at the top of Burdoin Mountain.  I don’t know who built it, but I’m glad they did.  It’s a great resting spot and has an incredible vista.

From the bench you have an unobstructed view of Mt Hood…..

…and the Columbia River Gorge.  On a clearer day you can see forever, but today’s view was pretty nice.

Thanks for stopping by, I’m so happy to see you again!

Happy Mother’s Day

Mamma feeding Baby

Wishing you a happy Mother’s Day, whether you’re a Mom, Grandma, Auntie, Friend or Mentor. Thank you for your kind and loving heart.

And as always, thanks for stopping by, hope your day is wonderful!

I’ll Miss You, Granny

“Oh I have a curly-head”, she said in a voice full of laughter with a big grin on her face as she tousled my hair and helped me out of the car.  We were a little nervous about meeting our new step-dad’s family, but Granny put us at ease with her big hugs, smiles and Welch’s Grape Juice.  That was my first memory of her and I’ll keep it in my heart always.

It had been a long two day drive from Washington to California where our new home was going to be.  She offered us cool drinks as she led us into her duplex just over the hill from where Dad’s sister and the rest of the family had gone to see the Dodgers play.  Her home was fashionably red and black Chinese decor, very lush yet comfortable with big mirrors.  There was a tiny back yard where we’d play with our new cousins very shortly.  She said everyone would be home soon and offered us more grape juice.

Her name was Clara.  She wore very high heels and had shapely legs.  She taught me to knit.  She gave us giant chocolate bunnies for Easter.  She brought home real silver dollars and chocolate coins for us every time she went to Las Vegas and gave me a charm bracelet with all the famous hotels dangling from it.  She let us eat a whole box of Sees candies at Christmas and didn’t make us stop goofing off at the kid table in the kitchen during all the big family holiday meals where we were segregated from the adults.

Time slipped by.  We grew up and moved away.  We kept in touch long distance with cards for all the appropriate holidays.  I wish I had gotten to know her better.  As a woman, not just ‘Grandma’.  Goodbye Granny, I’ll miss you.

Hello Spring, I Love You

I’m breathing a sigh of relief after our cold, long and dreary Northwest winter.

Spring has finally arrived in my top of the world, higher elevation garden.

Work still has me scrambling, which is a good thing for an artist.  More people are realizing that owning original art is more fulfilling, fun and rewarding than having the same thing all your neighbors have that was purchased at a big box store.

If you’re in the Portland Oregon area, please come to the Glass Gallery at the Portland Convention Center April 29 – May 1st to see what I do!

Yesterday when the sun came out I was compelled to take a break….

….to make sure my garden was still growing.  And to see what the deer left me.

Yes, they’ve been grazing through my garden all winter and spring.

I haven’t had time to spray Liquid Fence, which has worked beautifully for me.

I’ll be showing glass garden art at the Master Gardener’s Plant Sale at the Extension Office in Hood River on May 7th in the morning.  Their sale closes at 1pm, so come early!

May 14 and 15 you can come tour my studio along with 40 other artists in the Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour.

June 3 – 26 you’ll find my work at Columbia Arts gallery show ‘Get Centered’.

As you can see, I will only have limited forays into my garden as time allows.

Hopefully I can work fast in the mornings, then spend a few hours in my garden.

I have so many plans for this year.  Plants that need to be moved, a terraced slope that needs to be redone.  Not to mention expansion.  I still have several areas that can be converted to garden space on my little two acres.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time…..

How You and I Can Help Relief Efforts for Japan

On March 12th a 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami hit Japan, wiping out many coastal towns.  I cannot fathom the heartache of those who lost entire families in this tragedy.  And I can’t stop thinking about it.

In the days that followed, I considered what I could do to help.  You can read my thoughts in this previous post.  As many of you know, I’m a glass artist by trade, so I decided to make some sushi sets to sell in my Artfire Shop.

I started by sketching some patterns and designs, then ran some quick small tests to see which I liked best.  After narrowing it to these three designs, I asked for help from my Facebook friends to decide which sets to make.  They had to be made in between previously committed projects and classes I was teaching.

The two selected designs were scaled up and made into 6″ sushi plates with matching sauce dishes.

When I posted results on my Facebook Page, my friend Katie offered sushi presses that Wayne (of Sticks & Stones) had made to go with my sets.  A perfect addition, I happily accepted.

The sets are $95 each and consist of two plates that are 6″, two cute little sauce dishes that are 3.5″ to 4″ and the beautiful 3 part Sushi Press.  A sweet set for two, I think it will be quite romantic using them!  Or for family fare you’ll need two sets.

Click here to purchase the set above (Whirl Design on Black)

If you’d rather have the Whirl Design on white, you can purchase it by clicking this link.

If you like the white background, you can purchase the Wave and Lotus Design with a click on this link.

And if you like the black background with the Wave and Lotus Design shown at the top of this post, you can click here to purchase it.

I’ve given my time and talent, along with Wayne and Katie Cordrey to produce these beautiful sets.  I hope you’ll consider purchasing one or two.  100% of your purchase price will go directly to relief efforts.

Did I tell you the carving on the sushi press is the Japanese character for ‘peace’?

Peace to you and yours.  xoxoxo