Clayton Hill Studio

Posted on June 11, 2015 by claytonhill

So, it must be that time of year …

That’s my excuse, anyway. I’m scouring, learning and obsessing over jewelry making again. (In the non-fused glass, non-chain-maille sort of way …) This means I have a new wholesale account with yet another company … (Um, no actual purchases yet, just a lot of dreaming. It’s good to be prepared!) Yep, I know. I need to pursue this new interest like I need another hobby …

In the meantime, I’m making jewelry. And – to be fair, I am contemplating how to incorporate my glass cabs in a few of them. I’m also making earrings, bracelets, metal pendants and necklaces … Oh my! (BTW – that first necklace is made with 8 strands of 11/0 beads, all braided together ALA kumihimo-style. I’m certain my eyesight will return at some point …)

My studio is a mess! I will clean it, one of these days! But, until then, I have a few glass projects brewing, and I need to catch up on some orders … So, I’m shifting gears. (Or, maybe I’ll go without a few hours sleep … yeah, that’ll work!)

Homestead update:

The next time the twins (MY BABIES!) return to school, it will be as Seniors! Good golly, someone is getting OLD!
The pups have opened their eyes and are starting to move about. Playtime is short lived – but super cute, and sleeping/eating still rule the day.
The pool is open, the garden planted, most of the flower beds are done. (See, I have been doing responsible grown-up stuff too!) I also read a few new books … umm, INSOMNIA!
Everyone is eating well, as Mom’s kitchen never closes.

I’ll leave with a quick pick of (some of) my girls … Mimi, Cally and Nora, who are collectively called ‘Ma Gerlz’ … Which can quickly become “MONGRELS” when they’re misbehaving!

It’s 2am, back to (studio) work!

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Posted on June 1, 2015 by claytonhill

Exhausted … But – you know, in a good way … (AKA WWU)

The way that a third-shift nurse, mom, MAGICIAN feels when she crosses that marathon work-tour finish line with all pieces successfully juggled/managed. Sure … at the final 20 minute push-point, it meant maintaining a 1:1 behavior-medicine watch, while acclimating a new team member, triage-assessing/documenting on our next cardiac patient AND greeting/briefing day shift staff … So, yeah – would you like fries with that???

Meanwhile, at the homestead: Isabella and pups are doing great (as are all four-legged family); Little Sis is getting over her bubonic plague [read: cruddy, germy bronchitis]; and we’re enduring Michigan’s ice-age summer … Was that a snowflake I just saw???

I also managed to do a bit more beading …

And, I MAY have made a few de-stressing internet purchases … Doh! More to come once I hibernate for a few days hours!

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Posted on May 29, 2015 by claytonhill

Relentless, tenacious perseverance pays off …

Sure it does … Or it makes me a Magatama-Master … Or, maybe just mulish and crazy! But – after reloading those darn 8 strings some 32 times … I win! Thank goodness for QUICK projects!!! [Snarl!]

So, those tiny little buggers have to be loaded onto the cord (read: string!) in a specific, single-file format … like, the same direction on ALL eight cords. Yep, for the spatially-geometrically-challenged ARTISTE, it might pose a problem. Not this girl. Not anymore.

Moving on … Next up … Rocket Science! … Or – maybe just a simple pair of earrings … (Not mine, but available on Amazon.com)

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Posted on May 26, 2015 by claytonhill

Busy, busy … Good!

Holiday weekends sure are busy! But overall good! I have highlights:

We have puppies! (Of course it meant a long sleepless period … but look at those faces!!!)

Momma Izz (Isabella) is doing great, eating and sleeping like a champ and her pups are growing before my eyes. (And, we will catch up on sleep later, I’m sure …)

I have just wrapped up my last package for shipping. Made the deadline for 14 orders, THANK YOU very much!! (Right now I’m only limping along new glass designs … but, we are moving forward!)

I got through a busy (ER nurse) tour. No one died. All got good care – as my snarl was saved for the [behind closed doors] medication room … In the midst of all the chaos, I learned something (table sugar to shrivel unwanted parts … who knew?!?) and [unrelated] laughed a bit, thanks to a great crew. Move over Ben&Jerry – Aunt Ginger’s adult ice-cream will be hitting local grocery markets soon, and I will never watch a scene from the movie ‘Dodge Ball’ without cringing!

DH is splitting his day-walker hours helping my uncle build/attach a 14 foot tall garage addition onto his single story home (impressive tie-ins!) and rebuilding a much loved Chevy truck (new motor, new paint with custom pin-striping and emblems) … So – he’s busy doing double over-time, too!

Oh, and I finally started in on Japanese beading bracelets (Kumihimo style) along with some other jewelry designs. (I do love wholesale shopping accounts – and mail orders … Doh!)

Is there junk to whine about? Sure … but life is too short! Next up on the ‘Add-to-Mid-Air-Juggling’ list: Vegetables, gardens and pool-openings, OH MY!

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Posted on May 14, 2015 by claytonhill

Funk, funk … Date Night!

A crummy weekend work-tour; a mandatory in-service that outlines dreaded documentation changes coming my way*. Add lots of angry kiln-Gods in the studio recently, and it sure would be easy to feel blue. Nope, I’ve got a date with my youngest daughter. Yep … A wild night out on the town – or, plans to take in a movie with Little Sis.

*Umm … thank you, JCAHO … ?!? I’m not sure why you hate through-put and customer service, but I’m certain dragging a computer around with me everywhere I go while scanning patients like they are PRODUCE(!) is the answer to good care …

Studio news – if at first you don’t succeed: My crackle powder designs are struggling. [I don’t want to talk about it – yet!] So, I moved ahead. Then, my ‘heart’ order had a bizarre reaction – silver/gray SPLOTCHES everywhere. WTH? OK, shake it off – so, I made more. And, my No Days Powder Wafer film arrived: After some trial and error, I figured out how to make it work with my ‘spensive vinyl plotter (CE5000). I will be busting out my Eclips, as I think it may work better. [Baby steps – tune in next week …]

In between funk and frustration, I played with my first Kumihimo. Hmm, I like it. Simple and mindless, while keeping hands busy during TV (or audio-book) time. Next up, more challenging designs – ‘cuz, I have books!

And, I finally fired a few of my less exciting pebble tiles – the ‘shanks’. I love these two! I’ll be playing with this technique again … along with pattern-bar/wet-saw ideas! [More to come, I’m certain!]

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Posted on May 7, 2015 by claytonhill

Three kilns running, ideas flowing …

Prep work done … AND surrounded by half of my ‘Dwarf Clan’ (the Yorkies … all seizure-free and healthy – Thank You Very Much!!!) … Here’s ‘Buubbby’ (Chauncey), with his much-loved/hoarded dental bone! Callie, Nora and ‘Meems’ (Mimi) are sleeping [with one eye open] on the studio couch, watching over me (and the bone) while I work …

The production kiln is loaded with ornaments. Meanwhile, powder-meets-fiber-paper trial 4 is looking good (and #5 is firing in the baby kiln). My powder wafers faired well …

And, I have bottles slumping in the coffin-kiln … with home-made devit spray – to see if it improves bottle-outcome.

All while I surf the net for jewelry/beading/chain-maille ideas … DH and I have started negotiations over opening the pool and tending the garden … Life is Good!

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Posted on May 6, 2015 by claytonhill

Rocky starts, baby steps and moving forward …

Finally figured out (after three tries!) why my ‘crackle with image’ pieces were not working … DOH! But, I think I have it now (kiln at 900 degrees – I just have to wait and see)!

So, while I wait, I’m working on custom hearts … lots of little bits!

WWU: It was a full moon this past weekend – which means way too many dysfunctional folks wandering about! … ‘Nuff said! I’m not talking about it any more!

DH is still down and out with his URI (… umm, his body is S.L.O.W.L.Y. destroying the DEATH STAR of cold viruses, according to him) … so I’m hiding in the studio as much as possible!

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Posted on April 30, 2015 by claytonhill

Dysfunctional is the New Norm …

I was going to try to leave it at that, but – a quick word of advice. Regardless of how much you’ve scoured WebMD for bizarre diagnoses, please do not come into the ER seriously expecting your triage nurse to confirm your ‘suspicions’ regarding your loved one within the first 5 seconds of your arrival. I don’t care how many times you repeat the ‘question’/statement or how loud you get. It’s annoying – just sayin’ … and I have things to do first, like, umm – ASSESSING the patient …

Moving on from all dysfunctional encounters … I’ve been losing myself in the studio this week: Here’s an experiment from weeks ago, ready for pendant making … It might just be my new favorite.

I’m also working on custom hearts and playing with more crackle (on both 3mm and 1mm fiber) pieces; And, my future-dichro (plotter) images are weeded and waiting …

More crackle … meets stencils: Hot air balloon (hello Melon Fest!) and preparing for Cinco De Mayo (both projects are back in the kiln as I type) …

A bumble bee sun catcher, trial one:

Oh, and I’m prepping wine bottles for eventual slumping. Look at what I stumbled on: It is called a LABELNATOR – and it’s kind of slick. Definitely made for little hands, but it makes removing those wine labels much easier. And, I purchased a bottle blaster/washer for removing stubborn left-over inside stuff. Little job-aids … gotta love ‘em!

Speaking of which – the much needed diamond saw blade is finally ordered and on it’s way (with wet saw waiting patiently for her arrival) … Thank you His Glassworks! Next up: Pattern Bars!!! I’d better get busy!

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Posted on April 25, 2015 by claytonhill

But HE Started It!

OH!!! It is SOO DH’s fault … He sent a de-funk Craig’s List item that promised a new storage rack/work station in my COE-90 designated work area. HE emailed the no-good listing to me. Now I WANT one! Shelves for my frits, upright storage for my glass, a place to tuck much-needed tools, AND a higher counter/table … YES, please!

Meanwhile, while NEGOTIATING, my plotter and I have been prepping all sorts of cool images. (Here’s one:) And, I’m taking advantage of running water, so I continue to ‘Spring-clean’ in the studio.

Oh, I also made these, which are amazing! Pineapple Upside Down Cake Jello Shots … while I don’t think they taste so much like the cake-namesake, they are YUMMY! So, my fridge is (currently) very well stocked …

And, I exposed the kids to brussel sprouts. I don’t love them, but … “a Mom has got to do what a Mom’s gotta do” – so I tucked them in with all the other veggies and “Lemon-pepper” Swai … the kids liked it – more than I did! So, you know … I WIN!!!

We also experienced our first seizure here … My 9 year old Yorkie, Chauncey decided to spice things up a bit this week. So ten-scary-minutes and 2 days later, I’ve added to my private-duty patient list. I’m happy to report all are doing well, and I’m back to sleeping with one eye open.

While keeping vigil, I managed to get a few photos taken/listings going:

So, I will get through my weekend ER-nursing tour, then dive into glass projects next week! (… while we juggle the needs of hormonal teenagers and our four-legged crew, running and feeding the homestead, and steady chipping away at my CARPENTER for the New Work Station!!!)

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Posted on April 21, 2015 by claytonhill

Crashed hard!

Now I know why I was feeling extra tired and cranky at work this weekend. I’m fighting off some crummy URI virus that my coworkers are spreading around like candy. So I power-slept yesterday for some 14+ hours. DH said he checked on me once to make sure I was still breathing … Awww, he loves me.

So today is a new day, and while I still have a ‘1-900’ sexy quality to my voice (ummm, NOT!) … I feel almost human. And I’m certain the weather will turn nice again … soon, right?!? But – I do love this photo DH took recently with his camera phone! Our skyline …

Not too much going on in the studio just yet … I made a new clock for my wall with a color-chart poster; continue experiments with plotter-cut adhesives, and ran a batch of hot glass cabs through the mini-kiln … Hmmm.