Clayton Hill Studio

Posted on September 21, 2011 by claytonhill

Baby steps …

I’m slowly redesigning, reworking and correcting my studio mishaps. An idea that I thought was a slam-dunk (no design flaws) is proving to be a challenge … so I’m workin’ it! Plan B failed, I’m trying plan C now – and I have a back up plan in case that’s a bust too!

Of course, I can’t take all the credit for my change in outlook. A therapeutic shopping spree helped (me – not my bank account) … And – I am almost ready to spend yet more money, and take the plunge into the Cadillac of glass paints – but I have more research first …

In between ‘therapy’ … I took more photos and got some much needed computer work done (drafts and listings for the shops).

I even plan to get some mandatory computer (work) competencies done – once I open a bottle of wine.

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Posted on September 20, 2011 by claytonhill

And then there’s Monday … WWU

Gone is the contentment, bottled or otherwise … What a crummy weekend. Volume wasn’t out of control, no ‘major’ patients (i.e. really sick) … but YUCK! Drama, drama, drama … and a bit of it was mine. I was shorter-fused than I should be with … people (we’ll leave it at that). Then I got annoyed with myself for getting angry. I’ll spend the week working on my mental outlook …

Meanwhile – the studio is also adding to my frustration … Had some overcooking going on in the kiln. Pieces that I had looking great now need to be reworked. I’m struggling with myself, trying to get things finished and listed. Time to take a deep breath and remember this is a hobby! The good news/bad news is that I got out of providing an in-service to local law enforcement RE: the services available for rape victims in our county. Good news – because I don’t have to be up and smiling at 8am tomorrow, thus have more studio time. But bad news as any lost chance to educate SANE services is a bummer.

I’ll leave with a cute pic of our CJ … she was hanging out with DH, watching TV, just waiting to get her belly rubbed. Smile

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Posted on September 16, 2011 by claytonhill

It’s all coming together …

I love this frame of mind … I wish I could bottle it! Positive energy, lots of creativity and productivity … Life is good!

DH performed emergent, life-saving ‘surgery’ on Dear Old Grinder. She’s back! And with a new 1 inch coarse grit bit – we’re moving through glass like a hot knife through butter! It’s so much easier to use. I told DH I’m going to change out bits once a month! (For non-glass people – that would be like changing to a new tooth brush 3 times a day …)

Spent a couple of days designing new ornament and badge reel ideas … Now to get them going. And my platinum cabs came out well – especially for my first try. Here’s the snowflake experiment flop. Not sure what I’m going to do with the dumbbells (on the right), but the snowflake is almost cute …

The new studio is progressing. And – brat that I am, I’ll be getting a new deck on the back of the studio. 8’x24’ of coffee-sipping-while-enjoying-nature area … and additional storage/usable space! (While it’s true that I am a brat – the reason behind the deck is for ease/safety of moving and removing large items into the 2nd story with the forklift.) DH has purchased the lumber for the deck and that’s next on the to-do list.

And finally … I’ve accepted the position at the sister ER. While I still have moments of anxiety over this decision, I’m looking forward to what changes life will bring …

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Posted on September 14, 2011 by claytonhill

Arrrrgh … Houston!

We have (another) problem … While grinding away at my ornament pieces – my grinder died. Well – not died, exactly – but it’s terminally ill. Work slowed way down in the studio after that …

So, I did some painting. Had an experiment flop. Played with photo manipulation. Loaded the production kiln with the latest batch of badge reels for the fire polish/fuse-decals round. Painted platinum accents on some pieces (no photo). Loaded the coffin with the ornaments that I do have ready for assembly …

But – before I show off the photos … DH made an annoying point tonight. He asked why I was PAINTING images that I could easily (and quickly) print on the laser printer. Hmmm … as I didn’t really have a great answer for him – I gave him my stern ‘this is not up for debate’ look. But now he’s got me thinking … Since I can do this with photos (future badge reel for a friend), thus can easily enlarge to make ornaments, is it worth all the time of painting? Only time will tell, I guess. But, for now, I enjoy the painting, so …

Here are the other photos mentioned above …

Now, my fingers hurt from working with the sick grinder … Tomorrow, I’ll pick up a new grinder and start fresh!

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Posted on September 13, 2011 by claytonhill

WWU … gotta love those full moon weekends

While I was struggling with 20-somethings and difficult people this weekend … folks were tearing up the internet pages at Etsy … apparently Christmas shopping has begun! Which is very cool. I will try to focus on that – in the back of my mind, during future weekends … The benefit to having a computer-manned ‘store’ – it works even when you aren’t overseeing it.

But back to whining about the weekend. Did you know it was a full moon weekend?!? Oh yeah! Every time I attempted to forget – another behavioral medicine or bizarre-behavior’ed patient would hit the ER. From revisiting 1970 ‘recreational drugs’ to a 6’3” Andre-the-Giant with … issues … and so many other strange cases in between. I am so glad the weekend is over!

I was so traumatized over it all, that on Monday, armed with ‘liquid courage’ (and the aid of a sunny Michigan Fall day), I braved the 67 degree temperatures reported by our pool thermometer for another POOL DAY! I might have even gotten a little sun-burnt!

Studio News: Tried ‘glass lace’ for the first time … kinda neat – and it’s got little project ideas running through my head … coral bowls, smaller snowflakes, etc.

More painted ornaments – getting there … almost enough for the coffin to run. I hope to make some major progress this week. And a couple of new bowl blanks.

But now, it’s 4am … time to think about sleeping for a bit or staying up for the day ….

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Posted on September 8, 2011 by claytonhill

Dichro/Ornament Central

So … it’s been a good week! I’ve been a busy little elf … prepping and cooking glass. FINALLY finished up some dichro cabs … ready for badge reels and photography. I’m also playing with some permanent-fuse decals that I’ve had for a while now. I like ‘em. And, I have the next batch of cabs in the kiln as I type. Should be all stocked up for a while! But the ideas are still flowing, so …

And I’ve been grinding away at glass (yep, manicure is shot!). Making progress on my cut-fused Christmas ornaments. They’re still a ways off, but when I pull it together, it’ll be a whole coffin load.

I’ve also been painting. Here’s what you gotta know … I’m waiting (not so patiently) for liner brushes in the mail. In the meantime, I’ve taken a brush and whacked it all up – all Barbie-hair-cut-style that little girls do … and I’m fighting with this brush for fine line, detail work … But, I’m winning. I can’t wait ‘til those darn liner brushes get here – life will be super easy then!

Just came back from the township meeting. Have our 5 year approval to continue to run our commercial kennel. Sweet! (We get to keep our babies!) I’ve been so productive this week – it’s gotta be Miller time!

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Posted on September 5, 2011 by claytonhill

Happy Anniversary … again!

This week marks the one year ‘anniversary’ of my blog … Wow! What a difference a year can bring. Lots of changes, good times and bad, but overall … Life is Good! What will the next 365 days bring?

WWU (Weekend Wrap Up … Hmmm, sounds like a sporting event. I guess it kind of is … Smile ): Lots of feast and famine this weekend, busy/busy/busy then … nothing! As a holiday weekend, had our fair share of intoxicants – both with and without police escorts. I demoted myself a few weeks back – no more CAP program, no more charge. And this weekend, I embraced the ‘just good care’ attitude (for the most part) – so, overall it was a fairly stress free couple of shifts. I like it!!

Spent several hours this evening with grooming duties for the Yorks … poor Yoda Kei. As a complete BRAT(!), he will not let me brush him … so we had to cut and trim at mats and give him a short hair-do … He looks a tad bit scrawny and pathetic, but at least I can see his eyes and cute face again!

The Weekly Plan: Sending the kids back to school tomorrow … 5:30am sure is going to come early! But then I’ll have lots of studio time to wrap up the dichro cabs, do some more painting and finish up the bowls I’ve got going … My painted ornaments from last week: As I didn’t layer them, and I took them to a full fuse, they shrunk (silly me for not realizing before hand …). But – I still like them, and with this (shrinkage) reminder, I can work it in as a design element on future projects …

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Posted on September 3, 2011 by claytonhill

Beautiful Day …

What an awesome day Friday was! Perfect weather, sunshine and plenty of adult refreshments while floating in the pool … I could get used to those kinds of days … (Oh wait – that’s what we do every year in Jamaica!) Smile

And, the studio has been productive. I finally got around to painting (glass) on glass. Simple drawings, but still … I’m pretty pleased with myself. They’re in the kiln now, time to see what 1400+ degrees does to them – along with more dichro cabs. And (- I know, right?!) new bowls came out of the coffin … Will be firing her up again this weekend, I hope.

But now, as it’s the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning … time to go to sleep so I can be fresh and ‘nurse-y’ for work …

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Posted on August 31, 2011 by claytonhill

Ideas, hamsters and crack … Studio update

Getting closer to putting out some new bowls and badge reels … both kilns running as I type. Here’s the coffin loaded with a de-bubble run – future fall/Halloween bowls, a replacement ‘Caribbean’ and ‘Think Spring’ (vibrant, blooming-flower colors), and another large bowl (or maybe spoon rests …). And the production kiln – loaded with dichro cabs (and the new ornament experiment) …

I’m making slow (read: S-L-O-WWWW) progress on ornaments, basically because I’m bursting with ideas again. I’ve been a little bad (ok, a lot bad) this week and have been ordering from glass stores again … But, check this out. Back to my painting on glass goal – I received a book today … Aren’t these neat? The ideas and possibilities are bouncing around in my head like a hamster on crack … Now, if I can only tap into my drawing/painting skills …

Got to be extra-productive in the studio over the next two days, as it’s going to be 90 degrees and SUNNY all day Friday … POOL DAY!!!

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Posted on August 30, 2011 by claytonhill

‘Just’ Good Care … AKA weekend wrap up

Played in the sister ER again this weekend. Amazing to me the difference a few short miles can make … different patient attitudes, complaints – general auras …

Also got to do a little bit of what I do well … Had a severe respiratory distress patient who needed quick emergency care, and he got it. Our team successfully stopped him from ‘circling the drain’ (actively dying) and got him back on the road to oxygenating his tissues.

When I first started as an ER nurse, I was a trauma junkie … loved the adrenaline rush all the blood and guts could bring. As I got older, I realized I liked the medical emergencies that can be corrected in the ER best … to see the hard work, rapid response and your knowledge base/skill set ‘save’ someone.

But now … I think I’m ready to ratchet down again … I think it might be enough to focus on just being good at what I do. A sense of self-satisfaction, knowing that the patient/family got the care they needed … No drama, adrenaline or life-saving required … just good care.

Studio news: With the cool weather coming, I’m shifting gears to fall and Christmas (already?!?) projects. I don’t want to give summer up yet … But – the plus side means I can run the coffin this week without ‘cooking’ everyone out of the house … Here are some blanks/projects in the works: Future bowls and ornaments that I should wrap up this week; cabs for badge reels still in progress.