A Kid Free Night!

How often does that happen? Close to never. My brother-in-law was gracious enough to take both my kids and host a sleepover with his daughter (their cousin). We often have them all together for sleepovers and it is a blast! So, tonight is MY night. Mark is playing a show with the band and I actually get to see them for the first time in a long time! So, goodnight to you all! I hope your night is as fun as mine better be! I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow (no kids to wake me at 6am), but I do have to be up at a decent hour since I work at 10am. Here's to tonight!

Cheers!

Before I head out, though, I want to introduce my new pieces. I have been experimenting in the kiln. As I said in a previous blog, I am inspired by nature. I have beautiful plants all around my house and have been eyeing the ferns. So, I took some leaves off them to begin experimenting. I started with my simple white glass paint, applied it to the leaves, then sandwiched it between 2 layers of glass and let the kiln do its work. This is what came out and I couldn't be happier!

Needless to say, I will be playing with many more organic inclusions. Stay tuned to see what else comes out of my kiln! Feel free to offer any suggestions of organic things you think I should try!

Handmade Pay It Forward

So, I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I am really enjoying it. It all began with following some blogs of people I'm also following on Twitter. Thanks to Jess from Epheriell Designs, I am participating in this awesome Handmade Pay It Forward. Click here for her original blog on this. She chose me to receive something handmade by her. I am still waiting for my package (it takes a while to go from Australia to the US), but I want to get the ball rolling here!

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In order to participate in this, there are a few requirements:

1. I will choose an undisclosed number of people who comment on this post to send a gift to. This gift I have made with my own hands, and with love.

2. If you choose to comment, and you receive a gift from me, you commit yourself to Paying It Forward.

3. You must then make a post on your blog, making the same offer to your readers.

4. On your blog post, you must include this list of requirements (basically, all the text between the asterisks). You choose how many people you Pay It Forward to – though it would be nice if it was more than one. However, I realize that some of you make high-end or expensive wares, and I don’t want to exclude you from participating by setting a minimum number above one.

5. In each of your packages, as well as your gift, please include a minimum of 5 business cards (if you have them). Also include the business cards that you received in your gift – this allows every recipient to visit the people who’s generosity brought Handmade Pay It Forward to them.

6. Finally, in your PIF blog post, include the history of your gift – i.e. the name and blog of all the people before you in the journey.

Handmade Pay It Forward 2009 – Those that gave before me: Jess from EpheriellDesigns, Danielle from Beautiful Schlopp

7. Please only participate once. Obviously, if you haven’t received a gift within a few weeks of leaving a comment on a PIF post, you can probably assume you missed out that time, and try again if you see it elsewhere This keeps the PIF goodness spreading to new people! I think I will start a new one once a year… but we’ll see how this evolves!

Please use this button on your blog to share that you have participated!

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Well, there we have it! I don't have to many followers yet, so hopefully this will also get the word out about my blog here as well! Let the fun begin!

Outside Inspiration

Today I got outside with the kids in the morning and was able to pull weeds while they goofed around. Our landscaping desperately needed it. I haven't been weeding in weeks (I had dandelion plants 4 feet tall!). So far this summer, when it hasn't been raining, it's been sweltering hot and I haven't wanted the kids out for too long in that. Luckily today it was still decently warm, but a bit overcast. Perfect for playing outside.

Anyway, I've gotten sidetracked. So, I was outside pulling weeds this morning and I mowed the lawn once the kids went down for naps. All this time outside today got me looking around and finding inspiration. I've always loved the outdoors. Nothing it ever perfectly symmetrical- which I love. I find much inspiration outside. Not in literal interpretations of things, but in patterns, textures, colors, designs, shapes, etc. I got so many ideas today. I just wish I had time to try them all. Shoot. I wish I could even REMEMBER them all!

Where do you find your inspiration for your creations?

What is Beautiful Schlopp?

Beautiful Schlopp is anything I make out of glass. I feel that I create 'beautiful-yet-sloppy', intentionally messy glass art. It's meant to look a little 'off' or casual. Being the mother of 2 young children, I rarely have the occasion to wear fancy jewelry. So, I create things I can wear. Glass is durable, so the kids can't break it (usually *grin*). And my designs are great for every day wear. They can be dressed up for those rare nights out, but can easily be paired with jeans and a T-shirt (practically my uniform).

As for where the name Beautiful Schlopp came from... that has to do with my kids also. Mainly my first, my son, Liam. After having him, I changed all my online IDs (e-mail address, MySpace, etc.) to Mommy2Liam. Once I had my daughter, Lyla, I was no longer ONLY Mommy2Liam, so I decided to change all the IDs again. I didn't want to continue with the whole Mommy thing, so I started looking around and thinking of another title. The inspiration came from both my son and Dr. Seuss. Enter this book:

At the time, this was one of my son's FAVORITE books. I can't even remember what the record number of days in a row we read that. But right there on page 7 is where I took Beautiful Schlopp from.

"Schlopp. Schlopp. Beautiful Schlopp.
Beautiful Schlopp with a cherry on top."

And after reading those lines, my son would always mimic in a silly, purposefully high-pitched voice, "a cherry on top!"

And THAT is where I found Beautiful Schlopp. I actually had claimed it before I even started working with glass (we'll save that for another blog), but I have come to embrace it and feel that it represents me and what I create perfectly.