Alicyn Drew Fused glass

This year I'm all about my little garden. This weekend is a big one. Last weekend Mark and I dug up all the grass in the front yard. It's bad for the environment and a pain to maintain. So it's gone. Now a pallette of river stones is sitting in our parking spot. Tomorrow morning a few burly male friends are coming over and we're building more little stone walls. Then adding in soil and mulch which will then be planted. I have some mums and echnicia ready to go. I'm moving a rosemary bush from the backyard into the front. Then I'm going to the garden center to buy a rose bush or two. Oh the joy of picking out a new rose bush. I saw a really pretty purple tiger floribunda that I'm hoping will still be there. Purple and white stripes, what's not to love!!?

Oh I have glass news too. I am getting away from glueing on bails and starting to work with pinch bails. You drill a hole in the glass and then the bail pinches on and grips into the hole. No glue, prettier and less chance of failure. Little hint about glass and glue, ARRRGH it's a real pain. If you get a group of glass fusers in a room and want to get em talking, ask them what they think about glue and stand back. They'll go for hours. Some have the perfect glue, some "claim" to have no problems with glue, others have given up on it. I'm in the camp that has pretty much given up. 

Anyway I'll be posting pics of both, the new garden and some of my new pendants

Posted by AlicynDrew at 06:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We had our first snow and the rose bush was caught by surprise still blooming. Icicles grew off of the bloom, it was so beautiful. It's all melted now but luckily I got pics before it did.

I love the garden, it is full of beautiful surprises

Posted by AlicynDrew at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I decided to visit my cousins in Holland for 5 days, it's a good time to go visit family as airfares are cheap now. If you want to site see it's probably a good time for that too as it's out of season so nothing is crowded. The weather is not great but luckily that's not what I came here for, it's raining and kind of dismal. We did have sun yesterday morning. Last night there was a major hail storm that woke me up, I sleep in the attic room and the winds and hail were loud, sure I was safe and protected in the house but it kind of felt like I was in the storm.

I always knew I had cousins here but since my parents divorced when I was a kid I never was able to get to know them. A few years ago I found out them with the help of a very kind Dutchman who was trying to fill out a geneology tree that contained my part of the family tree. Mark and I visited them a year and a half ago and I loved them. This time I came by myself and am really enjoying the visit. Yesterday they took me to a local nursery where I bought bulbs, they had some that I had not seen in the catalogs and the prices were really good. I spent 60 Euros on bulbs which is a frikken lot of bulbs!!!!! I plan to give some to friends and have one beautiful spring in the garden. If we ever sell this townhouse I'm digging these guys up.

Tomorrow I go to Antwerp Belgium to meet with another cousin, they're going to tour me around town. We're also going out for Moroccan food which is very exciting as I LOVE Moroccan food!!

The trip to Belgium will be about the most touristy thing I do on this trip. I came here to visit with my family and it's been great. We hang out and chat, they try to teach me Dutch and I do my best but I can't remember it, they make fun of me, I feel the love. Yesterday we went to visit Lieke my cousins grandaughter who's almost 2, her toys were helping me learn a little Dutch. I now know that the Dutch word for Squirrel is Acorn ( I know I spelled that wrong), also cats are called Poosh (hang out with a 2 yr old and you learn what the animals are called).

It's been a wonderful trip 

Posted by AlicynDrew at 05:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am still in a bit of shock about this but last week someone stole one of my pieces from the "All Things Magical Show". It was a little glass dagger that was an extra piece that I had made on request. It was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and was not in a case. Another artists piece was stolen also, hers was a little wooden mask that was very special to her. It was also small.

Lots of people try to tell me it's a compliment, it's not a compliment to like my work enough to take it without paying for it. I personally think that it was stolen simply because it was small enough and not difficult to get. I don't know why anyone would steal from a community art gallery, I don't understand it. It's just not nice.

Posted by AlicynDrew at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Save the date for the First weekend of Dec to come to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington in Arlington VA. I'll be posting more details as the date comes sooner

 I've started production mode, stay tuned for new designs coming this year. I have started a new pendant line that I'm calling Urban Graffiti. I'll be posting pics when some of them are done, they're in process now and looking really cool. Kind of edgy and artsy. I work hard to bring you pieces that are unique and a reflection of my inspirations. I recently visited Manhatten and came home and found myself creating these urban pieces that I just love and I hope you will too.

 I'm also doing a series of 3 mirrors with floral tiles. There will only be 3 available, each tile hand painted with a floral pattern with a mirror in a finished wood frame. They're nice and will be in limited supply.

I've also started another collection that I call "Those lips those eyes". I love the glamour of the 1940's movie stars, I'm creating simple line drawings with a 40's glamour appeal in my own funky style. Here's one piece that's in progress, I'm in the process of close cropping and framing her.

Stay tuned for more of my upcoming pieces 

Posted by AlicynDrew at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This post has nothing to do with glass. I love my car, she's a '99 toyota Celica Convertible and I named her Ms. Monroe (wanted to name her after someone with class that took her top off)

I had gone back and forth over if I should keep her or trade her in for a newer car as she has 115,000 miles. I finally decided that since my commute is short now and I don't put a lot of miles on her that I'm going to keep her and eventually will buy a cheaper commuter car. Well poor Ms. Monroe was looking ratty, some rust spots on the hood, keyed down one side (why do people do that) and she was 3 shades of red, parts were really dull too. So I talked to a guy that knew a guy and got the car painted.

I chose Red Fire Pearl, very close to the original color but in a pearl so she glitters now. It's the same color as an '05 Mustang, it's been my big excitement, she looks brand new.

here's some pics taken the day I brought her home from the shop

Posted by AlicynDrew at 08:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm excited I got all 3 pieces accepted into the show. My friend Deb submitted and was accepted also

http://dyzart.blogspot.com/

The opening is Oct 12 at the Del Ray Artisan's in Alexandria, VA

http://www.thedelrayartisans.org/

They're a wonderful organization with fun shows and events. I keep planing to get more involved but have just been too busy.  

Posted by AlicynDrew at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My friend Sarah has blog tagged me

www.blinkdcblog.blogspot.com

It means I have to tell 8 things about myself and then pass this on to some of my unsuspecting friends. I think I'm going to tag a few friends so Deb, Kim and Susie, watch out!!!

1. I have no favorite color, it's all about the mood I'm in, I do however have a favorite color combination which is orange, purple and Yellow, so pretty...

2. I'm half Spanish and half Dutch, my father imigrated to this country back in the 5o's, pretty much met my mother soon after getting off of the boat (Mom lived in Manhatten) and they were married that year. The story goes that Mom was sick with a sore throat so her aunt went out to get her ice cream, there she met this handsome Dutch man and brought him home to meet my Mom. Can you imagine doing that these days?  Soonn after they were married and had me 9 years into the marriage. I can not speak Dutch or Spanish even though both of my parents are fluent in their respective languages.

3. Glass is just a hobby and it gives me my sanity, in real life I'm a techy geek. I'm a Sr Principal Programming Analyst HA!! I don't even know any programming languages (just a little SQL) but I can write a mean report and I do know my product called Cognos very well.

4. In my past career I was a dog groomer, still love the little woofles and usually groom my little guy Boo. I'm too cheap to pay and most people never do him exactly the way I want him done.

5. Back in the 80's I wore spiked hair in a sort of mullet. I had a spandex unitard too and wore that out dancing with a double wrapped grommet belt and paint splashed wrap around glasses, I was hot!!  :-)

6. My first artistic love was photography, I still do love it, but in High School all I wanted to be was a photographer. Spent many hours in the dark room developing in black and white, it was great fun.

7. I work as a hotlihne volunteer for the Wildlife Rescue league, I do love helping animals. I truly believe that we owe something back to them for taking most of their habitat.  

8. My life started off kind of rough, and it's gotten better and better. With that I've learned that it's important to be responsible for your own happiness. Circumstance can make things better or worse, we need to make decisions to surround ourselves in the kind of life that we desire, but all important is to roll with what you get. You really never know where anything will take you.

Off to blog tag a few friends that I'm listing below

 Susie http://klineartstud io.com/blog/ 

Deb www.dyzart.blogspot .com

Kim http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/kimmartucci.aspx

Posted by AlicynDrew at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well I've been on the new job just over a week now. It's been great!!! Theyr'e not over working us and they're so appreciative of all we do. I did injure my co-worker Rachel. We were rearranging the office and I took off half her toenail while moving a desk. She still shares and office with me and is still my friend. I've felt awful about it. Today was her birthday and I made her a cake. I'm also in the middle of making her a cake platter. I'm really excited about the platter because it is a 12" and there are no bubble bumps in the glass. I finally have a good firing schedule to fire larger sheets of glass without getting bubble bumps. Now I love bubbles, but not in a plate where it's really just an ugly bump.

The platter is in the kiln now for the slumping. It's a black base, with a cream circle (1/4" border of black) then on the cream is a fun design in primary colors. I think she'll like it. 

Posted by AlicynDrew at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's a picture of me with The Boo, he's my scruffy little buddy. Looks just like Toto from the Wizard of Oz and he's insolent like him too.

 Don't let that cute innocent face fool you, he's trouble I tell ya!!

Ali

Posted by AlicynDrew at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)