Still life with Venetian Glass.

you know, when I got involved in video and film type stuff I was just a kid, now here all these years later, I can look back and say, not much really changes. sure, we use digital sensors instead of film emulsion on a cellulose backing to record the images, but pretty much the rest is the same. I have a saying “everyone has a video camera, but only a few make programing worth watching.” and the same is true in glass art, everyone has torches, but only a few can really work borosilicate glass, not to say people cant learn enough to be a hobbyist with it, its very possible, but only a very few take it to the step of making it their life work, and only when you make everything you do revolves around glass art do you really start seeing the bigger picture. its hard work, long hours, it can be barely profitable or highly profitable, and I find myself right in the middle of it all.

Glass has captured me, working it, thinking about it, blogging, and vlogging about it, and working it every time I get the chance. I have to wonder how many addicts this art form has claimed.-) The one regret I have in all of it is not having the time to produce even more videos, Blog entries and online galleries and photo albums. its frustrating to realize that I have so much further to go when it comes to discipline. its hard work trying to create online content, and this blog is no exception. I don’t consider myself a writer, which makes it even harder at times, I am still amazed when I log on to find out that people are reading the stuff I put on line, and even more amazing is the number of people that have been tuning into the live broadcasts from my little studio.-) I have not really advertised in any way that there is a window directly into what I am doing right on my website, and yet, I have viewers each and every time I live broadcast, its a little spooky that I may actually have a fan or two.-)

so I find myself wondering how I can best serve the online audience I do have, the simple answer is that I could provide more content on a more consistent basis. and that is really my real goal, more blog entries, more videos on youtube, more instructional dvds, (the first one is almost finished.-) and so I take this moment to say, I am sorry for the less than perfect record of online posts that I have been producing. I will make every effort to do more, and keep a stream of media flowing for those that are interested.-)

Thank you all for coming to see and vote on our wonderful challenge pieces! We had a great turn out with lots of votes for all the pretties, but only one could be the top choice. And the winner of the Lammas Challenge “Beauty and Strength” with 39% of the vote is:

Goddess Goblet by ladymudwerkes !

From LadyMudwerkes:

“This sculptural goblet stands 9″ tall and holds almost 16oz. is glazed a high fired bronze glaze.The face and hair with is adornments is a bust of this Goddess.

“My warrior princess who has been battling cancer for the last six months is my inspiration…she is a warrior that is glorious to watch.”

Click on the image of the Goblet to visit her site and see more of her amazing mudwerk!

Congratulations LadyMudwerk! And to all our talented Guild Members!

Kate & Jamie

Astraio, una scommessa ben riuscita! 

Astraio - Rocca di Montemassi

Di questo vino, il primo elemento che mi ha colpito è stato il nome, legato forse alla mitologia greca? Il secondo elemento è stato la silhouette di Montemassi presente sull’etichetta, che col pensiero mi ha portato nella splendida terra di Toscana, ricca di colori e sapori, al fascino dei borghi medievali, le sue colline, l’aria pura, la bontà e genuinità dei suoi prodotti.

Un po’ di storia su questo vino e sul tipo di vitigno utilizzato, il Viogner, ha confermato l’audacia e la volontà di creare qualcosa di nuovo e di particolare.

Definito il menù con cui degustare e riposta la bottiglia in frigorifero per raggiungere la temperatura indicata, il giorno dopo ci siamo ritrovati con un paio di amici per stappare e gustare.

Adoro saggiare l’aroma sprigionato dalla bottiglia appena stappata, adoro scoprire ciò che è impresso sul tappo di sughero, adoro il delizioso rumore del vino versato nei calici.

Premetto di non essere un esperto di vini, anzi, il mio viaggio nel mondo del vino è appena iniziato,  però alcune considerazioni su profumo, colore e sapore penso che tutti possano essere in grado di darle.

Sul colore, giallo paglierino, poiché i bianchi sono i miei preferiti, io sono di parte. Molto probabilmente il colore mi riporta a piacevoli ricordi dell’infanzia e alla materia prima quando in estate da bambino andavo a giocare nella campagna di mio zio, con quei piccoli grappoli di uva gialla appesi alle piante che m’incuriosivano notevolmente.

Dopo sei giri di calice ho chiuso gli occhi ed ho provato ad immergere il naso negli aromi sprigionati da quel nettare divino. Un aroma decisamente floreale con qualche nota che al momento non son riuscito a comprendere del tutto. 

E’ giunto così il momento di procedere alla degustazione. Ho chiuso nuovamente gli occhi e ho poggiato le labbra al calice per assaporarne un paio di gocce.

La prima sensazione assoluta è stata la visione di una roccia. Mi son ritrovato sdraiato in un prato nei pressi di una roccia calcarea, una brezza marina che accarezzava il mio volto, il sole al tramonto, odore di alberi da frutto in lontananza e solo il suono del vento nell’aria.

La classica sensazione che si ha dopo una giornata di caldo torrido, quando il sole ormai basso sull’orizzonte concede una tregua e permette agli altri elementi presenti di esprimersi.

E’ stata una scommessa anche per noi che abbiamo voluto abbinare quest’ottimo vino con un primo a base di pesce e un secondo a base di verdure.  

Un calice dopo l’altro il livello nella bottiglia scendeva sempre di più e la struttura e la fragranza era sempre più chiara.

Adesso, a distanza di un giorno, non so cosa darei per degustare nuovamente un calice di Astraio della Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi (ZoninVineyards).

Le foto dell’evento su:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/parik/sets/72157621865199858/

Ulteriori approfondimenti su:

http://www.wineislove.it/il-viogner-vitigno-delle-sorprese

Hey everybody: Twilight fans, Twilight haters, People who don’t know about Twilight, etc.

I guess this is a blog rant or whatever you want to call it, because well after months and months of indifference, I’ve finally decided to say something about Twilight fandom.

So here’s the deal, Robert Pattinson (oh yes, the great Robert Pattinson) probably hates his life right now.  I mean if it weren’t for his body guards and assisstants walking around with him on the streets, he’d pretty much just be getting: raped, dry humped, molested, kidnapped +whatever you could imagine by like dozens of girls at a time.  I mean just look at this:

He DOESN’T look like he’s having the best time.  If you see other videos like this, he’s not even talking to the girls, he’s looking away because if he gives eye-contact to even one girl out there, they’ll probably stalk him for the rest of their lives hoping for like a marriage proposal, and about 50 more will follow her hoping to get some eye-contact too!

And here’s something else I want to talk about: Why are girls getting so wet for Robert Pattinson?!

Well I have a theory, well it’s just the truth: It’s all because he was Edward F’in Cullen in Twilight, not because he’s a movie star.

You know why it’s not his being a movie star?  ‘Cause he was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film, and you didn’t see girls throwing their clothes off for him then.  Some people say it’s ’cause he was young or whatever in Harry Potter, but just go to Google or Ask or whatever, look up some pics of him during his Harry Potter time (2005) and then one from his Twilight time (2008).

If you’re too lazy, I’ve done it for you.

(2005)

(2008)

Not too much of a difference, wouldn’t you say?  He’s got more facial hair now, that’s about it.

If you’re a girl think about it: If Robert was never ever ever ever in Twilight and he walked by a group of girls on the street maybe one or two girls would think he was good-looking, then they wouldn’t give a crap.  Seriously, they wouldn’t be all on his… well you know what I’m getting at here.

There have been instances where people have found out where Pattinson was, waited forever, and saw Robert Pattinson for literally less than 10 seconds, and everyone who waited to see him probably fulfilled their lives that day. And I’m hating the whole image of how those people planned out that too, let me just show you what I mean:

Julie: Oh my God!!!! Rob (Motherf***ing) Pattinson is gonna be somewhere that we can see him for 5 seconds!!! We need to go.

Laura: (Oh, fasho) Oh my God!!!! let’s go there and shoot everyone that’s in our way so that we’ll be the only ones to see my future husband!

Julie: (Oh no you didn’t) Nuh-uh b**ch Rob is my man!

(Proceeds to beatdown Laura)

…And you know that scenario isn’t even that far-fetched for Pattinson fans, admit it you might be able to clearly imagine that.

People are mobbing this guy like he cured cancer, or he just made it rain on them ho’s by releasing hundred-dollar bills from a helicopter. It’s stuff like this in pop culture that just makes me want to kick babies or hurl Robert Pattinson or his fan-girls into the sun.

This was a rather suckish rant, I hope you don’t hate me : D
And I hope you stick around for when I can blog much better :  D

Coils can do a lot…

Miriam

www.potterybymiriam.etsy.com

I can be a bit of a spaz sometimes. Either that or glasses and plates sometimes randomly take on a life of their own and leap from my hands. Mind you, this all happens even before I have any cocktails. And apparently it runs in the family because my parents are even worse than I am. So acrylic dishware has become a staple in my house. However, I have yet to replace the wine glasses, which is strange because given their flimsy stem, you’d think I would have done those first.

But I’m on it now with these Govino wine glasses. They have a handy dent for grasping and they’re made of plastic so they’re unbreakable and reusable. Which makes them ideal for my spaztastic family!

Set of 4 available from Wally’s for only $10!

I came across this wedding by accident on wedding planner Fiona Leahy’s website.

Soon as I saw the first picture I loved the decadent feel of this wedding reception. The first thing that caught my eye were the grapes in the centrepieces. I love the idea of fruit and flower displays. As well as grapes, the displays were made of fronds of Amaranthus (also know as love lies bleeding – what a great name!) and 4,000 roses.

Turns out these were photos from Marilyn Manson and Dita von Teese’s wedding in 2005. Its great when you see wedding reception and can clearly see the couple’s personalities shining through, which it clearly does here.

Dita von Teese’s wedding dress was an amazing Vivienne Westwood dress in royal purple silk taffeta with tri-corn hat designed by Stephen Jones.

Beautiful wedding cake too.

And I would like to steal these goblets for my own wedding…

When I’ve been getting dressed to go to a wedding, I’ve often stressed over whether its OK to wear black or not so I love this quote from Dita von Teese:

“Everybody asks me, ‘Can I wear black? I said: ‘Of course you can wear black. Whose wedding do you think you’re going to?”

I tried my best to eat, but food was the farthest thing from my mind.

I’ve been busy making some wire-work and bead jewellery recently; shown here are the green & sliver bead set (necklace and bracelet) I’ve made for my Mum, a little heart and bead pendant, and a collar inspired by Native American jewellery which I made by pairing some wood-effect beads someone from my pottery class donated as she had no use for them, and some of my ‘harvest time’ crystal glazed beads. As promised, I’ve also got around to photographing my new smaller goblet design. This first one is glazed in transparent and albany stoneware. I love the albany glaze; it comes out almost irridescent, dark, dark shiny brown on its own, or a rich toffee colour over transparent, and I made use of both effects here.

Also new around here is a self-portrait of yours truly on the ‘About’ page, sporting my lovely ‘Emerald Clouds’ bead choker, which is probably my favorite of the jewellery pieces I’ve made so far.

So this is a promo we have kind of been working on for a while, at least a week or so, Thanks to Kevin England for taking on this video promotional project, it would have been a while for me to get it done without help.

Bobby Orr celebrating with The Stanley Cup. Looks delicious.

Here at [No Name Yet] Brewing, we like a good beer. In fact, we like lots of good beer. We hope that we don’t come off as beer snobs ever. If anything, we prefer the accepted vernacular “beer geeks”. We think everyone has the right to enjoy their beer how they see fit; there is no right or wrong way. Some other people might say you have to drink a beer out of the proper glass in order to enjoy it. Well, I think there are some exceptions. For instance, how about drinking delicious beer out of the greatest trophy in all of sports (IMHO), the Stanley Cup. Or maybe, in a time honored tradition of “shooting the boot”, a rugby boot is the only option. Sipped from a timeless treasure while celebrating a victory or chugged from a sweaty rugby boot, salty aftertaste and all, these drinkers are enjoying their beer, regardless of the lack of a “proper” drinking apparatus. If you have any creative examples of beer drinking methods let us know. We are kind of partial to “Gelande Quaffing,” but are open to most methods of consumption.

The snobs connoisseurs, however, certainly do know how to bring out the characteristics of a beer with the proper glass. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong in my analysis of the glasses below.

Nonic glass, note the bulge near the top

We start with one of today’s standards: The Pint Glass. Usually served as a 20-ounce glass (an imperial pint) in the UK and 16-ounces in the US, the pint is a versatile glass that is cheap, easy to make, and easy to store.  “Conical” pint glasses are just that, an inverted cone that tapers out at the top, and ”nonic” pint glasses (pictured) have a bulge near the top, some say for better grip and they won’t stick together when stacked.  In either form, just a few of the many beers that are commonly enjoyed out of these glasses include:

• English India Pale Ale (IPA)
• American Pale Ale (APA)
• Scottish Ale
• Irish combinations (Black & Tan, Half & Half, etc.)
• American Porter
• American Stout
• English Porter
• English Stout
• Barley wine

This one's just right

Another vessel one commonly thinks of is a mug or stein. Definitions vary as to what can be considered a stein, and what is simply a mug. They both have handles, are generally sturdy, and can withstand more abuse during celebration or anguish. They are easy to drink out of and some hold a larger volume of liquid. They can be made from numerous materials but the most common are glass and stainless steel, while pewter and ceramic were more often the material of choice in the past. In the late 1400’s large swarms of insects commonly attacked Northern Europe, prompting the Germans to cover their steins with a lid.  Many of the same beers that are commonly served in a pint glass are also served in mugs or steins.  Some additional beers include:

• Oatmeal Stout
• Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB)
• Milk/Sweet Stout
• Smoked Beer
• Vienna Lager
• English Strong Ale
• Doppelbock
• Euro Dark Lager
• Bock

Nice and refreshing on a spring day. Oh wait, it's snowing on April 1, 2009 in Colorado.

Pilsner glasses are a more delicate tapered glass with a short neck at the bottom, they are typically found in sizes slightly smaller than pint glasses. They are designed to enhance the colors of a Pilsner while retaining a head.  Pilsner glasses also show clarity and carbonation, and enhance volatiles. Obviously, pilsners are ideally suited to this class of glass, but many other lighter beers are commonly served in pilsner glasses for similar reasons.  Some include:

• American Malt Lager
• American Pale Lager
• German Pilsener
• Euro Pale Lager
• Japanese Rice Lager
• Munich Helles Lager
• American Adjunct Lager

Traditional tulip glass

A Tulip glass is designed to enhance the characteristics of beers with large foamy heads. The top is pinched in to retain the head longer and enhance volatiles and strong aromas that often accompany these types of beers. Scotch Ales are commonly served in a variation of the tulip glass that resembles a thistle, the national flower of Scotland. Beers served in tulip glasses include:

• American Double/Imperial IPA
• Belgian Dark Ale
• Belgian IPA
• Belgian Dark Strong Ale
• Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
• Quadrupel
• Farmhouse Ale

I just hope that is some 90 Minute IPA

Another round bottomed glass, the Snifter, is also commonly associated with brandy and cognac.  It’s wide bowl tapers to the mouth, locking in aromas of stronger ales, and providing a perfect venue for swirling to release additional aromas.  These glasses usually have a short neck and can vary in height and volume.  Stronger beers that are commonly served in a snifter include:

• IPA
• Belgian Strong Ale
• Barley wine (of several varieties)
• Flanders Red Ale
• Russian Imperial Stout
• American Double/Imperial IPA
• Wheat wine
• Scotch Ale
• Tripel

Traditional shape with a masterful pour, someone knew what they were doing

The Weizen/Wheat beer glass is self explanatory, but if you missed it, wheat style beers are served in them. Their thin walls and tall stature showcase the colors, clarity (or lack there of), and carbonation of wheat beers. It is also designed to retain the head and aromas of these beers. They are wide at the top and have a slimming hourglass figure with a sturdy base to offset the height.  Expert servers will take care and slowly pour the beer to produce a large head and release the aromas of the beer. Some more common wheat beers that are served in these glasses are:

• Dunkelweizen
• Hefeweizen
• Gose
• American Wheat Ale
• Weizenbock
• Kristalweizen

In contrast to the rather elongated and shapely weizen glasses, there is the elegant and often ornate Goblet (or Chalice).  Delicate and thin goblets are often adorned with a

Just a standard Chalice

gold or silver rim, while the heavier thick walled goblets often have a sculpture like stem.  Scoring the inside of the bowl of a goblet can create channels where streams of carbonation are release to keep a perfectly maintained head.  The wide mouth is perfect for taking robust sips that are a perfect balance between liquid and head.  Traditionally, some of the following beers are served in goblets:

• Belgian IPA
• Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Dubbel
• Tripel
• Quadrupel

3 feet of awesome

One of the most recognizable glasses for beer is the Yard, which conveniently measures roughly 3 feet.  Since its introduction, in 17th century England, it has been a favorite of those brave few with the will to challenge each other and the beer.  The goal is to take down the entire yard without a single pause or break for a breath.   A yard’s average of 60-ounces (US) can strain even the most seasoned imbiber.  There are a few tips out there to help take down this beast.  1) Pace yourself, there is no point in rushing, unless you are trying to break the world record of 5 seconds.  2) Slowly spin the glass as you drink to improve flow. 3) Watch out for the bulb, once air enters the bulb at the bottom of the glass a wave of beer heads towards the drinker, but don’t over correct, or the beer will stop flowing and you fail.  But, not addressing the bulb is equally as dangerous, leaving the drinker with a soaked shirt and a disappointed audience.  As the yard has gained popularity it is common to see many types of beers served in a yard or half yard (you can figure that one out on your own).  Traditionally English beers are served in yards, but Irish and Scottish beers are commonly served in yards here in the US.  Some include:

• English Ale
• English Dark Ale
• English Strong Ale
• English Porter
• English Stout
• Scottish Dark Ale
• Scotch Ale
• Irish Stout
• Irish Porter

We have saved the best for last, and that would be the rugged taster from the Great American Beer Festival.  The miniature Weizen glass, made out of Lexan is the perfect solution for sampling the 1800 beers from over 400 breweries during the annual celebration in Denver, CO.  With a 1-ounce sample it would be 150 12-ounce beers to try each one!  This little guy makes the perfect vessel for any beer, delivering everything your heart desires.  Put a reminder on your calendar today for September 24-26, 2009!

'nuf said

I was informed on Wednesday morning that we were supposed to have a finalized design for a goblet by Friday for a contest being run by a Scottish goldsmiths organization. 

There was no guidance on the direction of the design, so I decided to go the conceptual route since goblets are pretty useless these days anyways. How many people pull out a large silver goblet for, well, anything? “I think I’ll have this orange juice in my goblet.”

I designed it, made a 3D model in Rhino, and did a few renders in Flamingo in 24 hours. I believe that’s a personal best. Oh, it turns out that it wasn’t “strictly” mandatory. Now they tell me. Oh well, I got to play with Rhino.

The description from my presentation board:

“This goblet encourges the user to enjoy its contents in moderation. If it is filled past the guideline encirclingthe middle, the excess drips out small holes and pools on the table below the cup.

The line is also marks the level that allows red wine to breath properly by ensuring maximum contact with air.”

And no, I wasn’t selected. Everyone else did purely aesthetic designs. I made the wrong guess on that one.

Welcome to my new blog! I’m coming here from http://www.erinbeutel.blogspot.com.

This photo was an experiment in studio/product shots. I haven’t done much of that yet, but it is quite fun. I still have alot to learn but I’m enjoying the practice!

Quarto livro da série e sem dúvida um bom livro, Harry Potter e o Cálice de Fogo (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire no original) é neste quarto livro que você irá curtir novas magias, descobrir que Hogwarts não é a única escola de Magia e Bruxaria e que “Aquele Que Não Deve Ser Nomeado” retorna a vida, o Torneio Tribruxo trás a glória eterna ao vencedor e claro 1000 galeões de ouro, sem dúvida o livro mostra dragão, respirar em baixo d’água e um labirinto muito estranho, essas tarefas do torneio são realmente difíceis pra não dizer cruéis, elevando o nível do bruxo ao mais alto e utilizando suas maiores habilidades, enfim está ai o quarto livro da série. 

 CLIQUE AQUI para visualisar e/ou baixar o Harry Potter e o Cálice de Fogo para seu computador.

Als ich gerade beim Banner-Gestalten war, lief Harry Potter im Fernsehen, “Die Kammer des Schreckens”. Ich bin ein eingefleischter Harry Potter Fan, liebe die Atmosphäre in den Büchern und die vielen wundervollen Details in den Filmen, die Requisiten und die Sets.

Ich habe mich danach gleich noch einmal an den Computer gesetzt und eine Art Hogwarts/Zauberer-Banner erstellt.

Zum Glück fand sich eine wunderhübsche Eule in meiner Sammlung, vor ein paar Jahren im Greifvogelgehege in Bispingen in der Nordheide aufgenommen.

Der Besuch hat sich damals richtig gelohnt. Obwohl ich nicht so ein Vogel-Fan bin, war es sehr beeindruckend, die Tiere zum Greifen nahe und außerhalb des Käfigs zu erleben und z.T. sogar anfassen zu können. Ich kann das Gehege wirklich nur empfehlen!

Die Eule (nicht das Banner) ist ein frei verfügbares, kostenloses Stock-Foto von mir, zu finden bei DeviantArt.
Wenn Sie es benutzen, würde ich mich über einen Backlink freuen, damit auch andere meine Stock-Fotos finden können.

Das Banner ist in meinem Dawanda-Shop erhältlich.

If you always thought that Coca Cola is the only brand claiming Christmas, you’re wrong. The world famous beer Stella Artois was originally crafted for the holidays in 1926, at least 4 years before Coca Cola began to use the image of Santa Claus. Stella… Star… got it? Made by Lowe Roche and Psyop.

“In it, a Geppeto-esque craftsman builds an elaborate paper dove. When night falls, she flies off his desk and descends upon a sleepy paper town — all to park a snowflake (or is it a star?) at the base of a Stella Artois goblet, glowing like the Christ child.” (Adrants)