Clayton Hill Studio

Posted on January 15, 2011 by claytonhill

Procrastination … grown-up style

So … I’ve been dragging my feet. I hate it when I procrastinate, but … DARN. Sometimes being grown up and responsible just BITES.

Ooh – that’s funny. I’m not talking about anything serious, like the 86 yearly competency tests waiting for me at work, or ‘working’ the tax papers or even checking on the kids’ bedrooms/homework. I don’t want to take pictures (800 of them using the photo box and special lighting, just to get a few good ones) and sit at the computer forEVER uploading them to my online (HOBBY) shops. But it’s been looming over me for weeks. I HAVE TO.

Uh, maybe later …

I did take some quick pictures of my last coffin slump. Had some nice pieces come out and some that I will cut up and start over. Speaking of which – my Valentines blank looks like dukey. ‘Prostitute Love – on Crack’ … if I made it into a bowl, that would be the name (at least in my head). Anyway, I’m whining … here are the pictures:

Yoda Kei is opening his eyes. He can’t focus them yet, but I like to think that he can see me … a really beautiful (yeah, fuzzy) version of me anyway. I’ve taken a little slack for his name, but I think it’s cute – and it’s not like he’ll ever have to run for President or anything … Smile

John and I have been laughing all week, looking at Yoda Kei compared to his siblings. John’s convinced the other pups are half-Neo, they look SOO big. He’s taken to calling the girls “Amazonia” (yeah, they have to share that name), and their (slightly) smaller brother “Kong” … He tells them they’ll be ready for sled-training in no time! I’m glad their ears aren’t open yet … I’m sure they would need therapy. Winking smile

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Posted on January 12, 2011 by claytonhill

The Name Game …

I’ve taken this week to decide on names for 4 of our 7 Yorkie pups … the three that are still nameless are Nay’s giant babies (compared to Little Man), who are just starting to open their eyes, and are still Monet’s babies more than mine. So – let me introduce you to some of the crew:

Here is the ‘pup formerly known as Little Man’ … [drumroll please] … Yoda Kei. The force is strong with this lucky one, hmmmm?! The photo shows him chuggin’ down at one of his feedings. He still hasn’t opened his eyes, but it’s coming …

And Tunie’s pups … now 7 wks old, and starting to take over the house … well, the kitchen, den and back hall, anyway. Meet Griffin, Cooper, and Dahlia … “Wanna play?” Smile

I finally have my big coffin slump ready to go (the one from last week) … it’s good that I waited, as I probably would have tried to combine this stainless steel (drape) mold with the ceramic molds – and wouldn’t have been pleased with the outcome. I’m making another pendant light shade (with the steel mold), to hang over my glass cutting counter … when my electrician (yeah, that would be John) gets around to it …

And, I have a 5 gallon (30 bottle) batch of my favorite wine (Wildberry Shiraz) started. Won’t be long now …

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Posted on January 10, 2011 by claytonhill

The kinder, gentler weekend …

So amazing to think back on how very painful last weekend was (the PTSD-style flashback dreams still haunt me) and compare it to this one: The crazy, chaotic universe known as [our] ER still had it’s fair share of drama (darn 20-somethings, anyway), tragedy (patient/families learning in the ER about their new cancer diagnosis), frustration (oh – where to start THAT list?), etc. But, I feel so much better, less mentally beat-up this Monday compared to last. Why the change? … I’d like to think my ‘lil old yearly resolution played a part. All of my coworkers know about my annual New Year ‘commitment’ … most will joke and ask why I bother, but – they talk about it. We threw it around this weekend: As I approached the nurses station with steam coming from my ears and a snarl curling at my lip, a casual “here comes Kinder, Gentler Kris” would at least get me sarcastically grinning, as I scratched a spontaneous itch on my eyebrow with my middle finger, and loosen the tension. When our unit secretary was ‘ramping up’ – I threw it back at her … and although her immediate response was “That’s YOUR resolution, NOT mine!” – I think it helped. We may have lost the never-ending battle against the flu these past two days, but we won the weekend with our sanity intact! Smile

Meanwhile, Nay’s Little Man got through the weekend without me … being fed by John. He’s hanging in there (Little Man, I mean. Well, John is too, for that matter)! I think he’s gained weight. I could make myself crazy with daily weights for him, but I’m trying to keep the stress level low. He’s definitely gotten ‘chunkier’/thicker. John tells me that he woke up to feed him in the middle of the night because Little Man was whining so loud! There’s my fighter! Yorkie pups usually open their eyes around 2 1/2 – 3 wks old – so sometime this week … I can’t wait to see him, and for him to see us!

I have a long list of ‘should-do’ tasks: I should make my yearly doctor’s appointment, so that I can continue to ‘enjoy’ a reduced-deductible health plan; I should get a hair cut; I should start organizing a years worth of tax papers … etc. What I think I’ll do instead this week is tinker in the studio, start a new batch of wine, and play with the puppies! Plus, I hear Michigan’s fortune-tellers (I mean weathermen) are predicting lots of snow … a good week to hibernate, I think. Smile

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Posted on January 7, 2011 by claytonhill

The Little Yorkie That Could …

NayNay’s little man … John and I have spent the last 8 days round-the-clock supplementing one of Monet’s little boys … Soon after delivery, it became apparent that his nursing ‘staying power’ wasn’t much, and he was being knocked off nursing by his littermates. With Yorkies – they are SO small, that 99.9% of the time, supplementing doesn’t work, and they fade.

I think I’ve met Mr 0.1%! If he keeps on keepin’ on, I need to give him an awesome name. I’m trying to keep my hopes low, but this little guy is a fighter! He’s so tiny and pathetic, he’s absolutely adorable! And while I still try to give him nursing time with Nay, he’s gotten so used to being syringe fed, that he turns away from NayNay (and the waiting milk, cuz that’s too much work) and tries to climb into my hands … the little stinker! Since he’s made his way into my heart, and is taking up so much of my time, I wanted to share him …

Here is his day one photo, another one of him today, and one with his littermates – so you can see just how little he is.

And now that I have disturbed his slumber … it must be time to eat again! Smile Go Little Man, go!

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Posted on January 6, 2011 by claytonhill

Houston … we had a problem

So … throw the cumulated stress of holidays, work, another DARN SANE meeting (people STILL suck!!*), and spousal unit discord together … and you get an overweight, middle-aged, crusty ER nurse & mother that crashes … HARD! I just slept for the last 18 hours STRAIGHT … AMAZING! While I’m still overweight, middle-aged and probably crusty … I feel like a new person! And the spousal unit apologized – so all is good in [my] world … for now. Smile

I’ve had an amazingly non-productive week – at least in the studio. I do have a blank cookin’ in the production kiln, as I type. I also have some 2 dozen bottles de-labeled and sanitized, so I can do another bottle slump anytime. (I have an interesting idea I want to try, involving laser printers and slumped bottles … we’ll see.) But I’ve not gotten to my big blank coffin slump …

We did refinance our house this week … that was a painful process, but a good one. We are now locked into a 15 yr mortgage (half the length of our old one) that’s almost 2 percentage points cheaper, and doesn’t raise the monthly payment … so it had to be done. I also finished reading a 750+ page novel (the source of the marital discord, as I can get deeply absorbed in a good book) … so alive, refreshed and back from my 18 hour coma … I’m ready to get started.

Time to get busy …

*If you’re curious as to why I keep saying this – refer back to my DARN SANE rant in the 10-6-10 entry: ‘Sleep must be over-rated’

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Posted on January 3, 2011 by claytonhill

Watch out Walmart … here I come

Yet another brutal weekend in the ER. Seemed like everyone was trying to test my resolve to stick with my New Year Resolution … I didn’t fair well. From unbelievably immature kids (who are about to become parents in a few short months!!) to seizing, vomiting (read: aspirating) developmentally delayed adults, I seemed to move from one crisis to the next. And we had our fair share of ‘behavioral medicine’ patients to assist in welcoming in the new year (read: intoxicated, overdosed, withdrawing, demented with violent outbursts, personality disorder and/or drug seeking). I work with some great staff … and (like every other profession) I also work with some staff that think they’re great. Its painful when the ratio isn’t right. End the weekend with a useless conversation with my boss, designed to identify and fix an ongoing problem … and it makes for an exhausted me wondering if a career change as a WalMart greeter might be in order …

On a sad, but lighter note – I did get called every name under the sun by a closed-head injury patient who arrived just minutes before the ending of my ‘tour’ … some names that I hadn’t been called since my days at the inner city hospital. Sad – as it was his only verbal output – the repetitive string of obscenities he yelled to any verbal or physical stimulation. Mood-lightening – because you just can’t take yourself too seriously when someone is screaming “Fu#* you, you whore, bit*#, cu#@! I said fuc$ off!” in response to, “Steve, would you like a blanket?”

Time to shake the weekend off and enjoy the week! My youngest daughter gets her braces off tomorrow. I’m excited for her … We opted for the more expensive built-in retainer, so she can’t lose it (thus, we won’t have to beat her). Which just leaves our youngest son in braces. The poor guy loves popcorn – and he’s the only one who still can’t eat any.

Studio news: I’m not quite ready to switch gears and leave the holidays behind, so I’m still working on some ornaments – ideas/designs stage. I’ve been running blanks in the production kiln all week. Which means I’ll have a major slumping run – tomorrow, I hope. So, no finished projects to share, but here are some blanks.

Time for a glass of wine …

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Posted on December 29, 2010 by claytonhill

Happy Birthday Little Ones …

Monet (NayNay) had her babies this morning … such tiny little things, but with strong lungs! Smile We have 4 more ‘Doberman Mice’ in the house today, 2 boys and 2 girls. And, they’re all latching on and nursing well – a huge relief with Yorkie pups … Monet – a first time mom, is also doing great. What an awesome thing instincts are …

It’s amazing to me to see these little ones … and then our older group (Tunie’s babies). While they don’t even begin to compare to the rapid growth and development of Neo pups … they really have grown quite a bit in the last (almost) 5 wks.

We will have Yorkie pups running amuck and underfoot in no time at all! Smile

While NayNay was nesting, I ran my de-bubbling program. I’ll have more work to do on the large fall blank, as it didn’t flow evenly … but I should be able to fix this in the next de-bubble run. The rest of the blanks flowed nicely … I think the ‘Shades of Amber’ will be stunning once slumped.

I’m wondering if my scale is off … I’ve had several blanks come up short (not completely round). I seem to be struggling between too-short and too thick blanks more frequently … hmmmm???

While the kilns were cookin’, I’ve been working on a mirror project I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. I saw this mirror in an upscale artsy catalog years ago, realized what it was made of and nearly choked on the $200+ price tag. So – armed with pop cans and trauma shears, we’ve been hacking up little pieces of aluminum … I’ll post a photo once mine is complete.

Time to go feed puppies, Yorkies and kids …

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Posted on December 27, 2010 by claytonhill

“Wrapping” up Christmas – Moving on to the New Year

The rest of the mad dash to meet the Christmas deadline photos are below … As well as some pretty pics – fruits of all that labor. The kids sure are spoiled monster brats – but whatcha gonna do? I love them and want them happy …

I made candles … yummy winter scents that had the whole house smelling great. Family packages full of things we make – candles, bowls, ornaments and wine … pretty! Smile And my trashed studio … it’s all cleaned up and ready for my next round of projects now.

So – having officially survived Christmas weekend – both at home and work … It’s time to start moving towards the New Year … what that means for me as a mom, nurse and warm glass artist … I tell myself every year that I won’t be making any silly resolutions – but I always do. They usually come out sounding something like this – “I’m going to be a kinder, gentler me …” And so goes this year’s resolution: I will NOT get upset, pass judgment or take it personally when patients or visitors are dumb.

Case in point – Christmas evening, just after starting my shift, I had a mother hit the call light just to ask me (the idiot that responded) when she and her child (the patient) could leave, as they’d been there “for 3 hours, and it is Christmas day [snarl] …?” The new me will not immediately wonder who forced her, at gunpoint no doubt, to come to the ER in the first place?

As we’ve entered round 86 of the GI flu in my small community, the new me will not cringe when I see the 18th patient of the night with the chief complaint of “Vomiting x 2 (whole) hours” …

I will not spend anymore time on wasted visions of making a magic wand, complete with pixie dust to sprinkle over people who present to the ER refusing all diagnostic tests but demanding to feel better …

The new me will not ponder over family lineage, trying to determine just how inbred a person is …

You get the idea … now to see how long it lasts … Smile

Back in the studio … I’ve had a coffin slumping: Pretty bowls and spoon rests … I got a new mold for Christmas – and used that ugly ‘blue coal swirling blob’ blank to test it out. I like the shape of the bowl a lot, and this ugly bowl will be a great addition to my work bowls in the studio …; I’m working on my next round of blanks: I LOVE this one – fall colors (my colors). It is super thick, so that when I de-bubble, it will grow to (hopefully) a 14-15 inch blank (since I gave my last large bowl to my sister …); Two other blanks (Shades of Amber and a greener Amethyst & Peridot).

I will also be focusing on what new projects and techniques I want to try … quenching glass, pressing glass, boiled glass, powdered glass … I’ll probably take a class on PMC. Etching glass, painting with glass, enamel and glass … SOO many projects …

I’ll leave you with my Christmas photo … not so flattering, but it looks like I could be deep in thought over the New Year. Actually, it was more ‘shell-shock post Christmas morning’ meets ‘lack of sleep numbness’ … Thanks John! Smile

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Posted on December 21, 2010 by claytonhill

Merry Christmas!

I can say that – and mean it, now! I’ve about reached the bottom of my to-do list in preparation for Christmas … time to sit back and enjoy some Egg Nog (spiked, of course).

Grandpa will have no reason to yell at me this Christmas … here are his slippers: Done knitting – looking like they’re made for a giant at this point; Fresh from the washing machine, felted … still need a ‘haircut’; One done – one to go; Ready to dry – with 3 days to spare! Ha!! Smile

Got 99% of the gifts purchased – and wrapped! Just need to pick up some stocking stuffers – which is on the list for tomorrow. I’ll even have time to make some candles … Here’s my studio – turned into ‘wrapping central’, with a seasonal decoration – slumped bottle style:

I’ve been playing with some new color combinations in my production kiln … some good, some not so much … This first one must have reacted – it’s supposed to be transparent (with a small amount of opaque) blues, transparent amber and white … somewhere along the line it became a ‘blue coal’ swirling blob – all black/gray and blue – not so attractive; I’m liking the yellow/green blanks; And there’s my daughter’s ‘Eclipse’ – now ready for slumping.

And a shot of the babies … we tried ‘gruel’ for the first time today, as they’re almost 4 wks old. They weren’t too keen for it just yet – But Tunie loved it! The babies are starting to realize there’s a bigger world out there than just their puppy bed … starting to think about exploring. Smile

I’ll be working a bit over the holidays, but still plan on celebrating with family and friends. Which is my wish for you – that you can enjoy quality time with those you love! Merry Christmas!!

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Posted on December 15, 2010 by claytonhill

Back in business ….

Yayyyy! My relays came today … and my production kiln is up and runnin’!

Isn’t that a beautiful sight! Smile

These (x2) were the culprits … and there’s John with his fat hands replacing the relays in that tiny little crowded space – it was touch and go for a minute, but we did it! Smile

Meanwhile, I’ve committed to knitting my grandfather another pair of felted slippers … He likes them and he’s not real subtle about DEMANDING a new pair just about every time I see him. But, at 86, he’s earned the right to be … lovingly snarly.

Had another great compliment today … we’ve been going to the post office and UPS store daily – lots of shipping going on. The staff at the UPS store today surprised me when I stopped in … ‘Ohh – it’s you! We spent a long time looking on-line at your stuff yesterday … it’s beautiful … all of it … just amazing … I especially loved the Christmas Bowl!’ (She really kept going on like that …) Then she called her co-worker over and started all over again! Wow … I don’t know if John paid them to go on like this, but … it was nice! Smile

Took the boys Christmas (clothes) shopping today. Just can’t beat shopping with boys … we were done in less than an hour, blew a sizeable wad of money and off we went. No drama, no hesitancy or indecision … nice!

Had some romp time with Olivia, one of our Neo’s yesterday … she loves the snow! Gotta sniff at it and shove your face RIGHT in it! Then she wants hugs and kisses … silly girl!

Clayton Hill Studio

Site of my fused glass life

Procrastination … grown-up style

The Name Game …

The kinder, gentler weekend …

The Little Yorkie That Could …

Houston … we had a problem

Watch out Walmart … here I come

Happy Birthday Little Ones …

“Wrapping” up Christmas – Moving on to the New Year

Merry Christmas!

Back in business ….

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