Snow photos (is it ever going to end?)

More snow photos - just what you wanted to see, right! It snowed the other day and it was actually quite pretty outside. Luckily it all melted within about one day. There are still a few patches, but spring is definitely in the air!

I have updated my website some in preparation for going to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks. My husband will be my assistant if there are any orders while I am away. I have been trying to get things in order for him. Please be patient!

Packing is coming along slowly. Probably the day before I leave I will be rushing around. But I have everything laying out, including my passport. My neighbors have been helping me and I have lots of borrowed items - like the electrical converter, the suitcase and now a small wallet. My wallet is large and doesn't fit very well in my smaller travel purse. My computer will also be making the trip with so I can keep up my blog.

Ciao!

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Scootering on Beaver Island

This little red Schwinn Scooter is going to Beaver Island with me this summer. As I mentioned, gas on the island right now is $4.95 a gallon so this summer it will probably be more. This little darling gets about 110 mpg--ha ha! I can make lots of trips to town. And a friend suggested that I get a little drop down box to show my beads and baubles to the people coming off the ferry. Beaver Island Jewelry On Wheels!!

And then we need a sidecar for the dog. But I don't think the dog will want anything to do with the scooter. Now all I need is a name for my new red scooter -- any suggestions? Just drop a comment below.

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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter rescues Beaver Island

Beaver Island is rationing gas as they are iced in. Gas is at $4.95 a gallon--and you think YOU had high gas prices! The above photo is of the Cutter Biscayne Bay but doesn't show the operation on Beaver Island. The other photo shows Lake Michigan with some ice and then a summer shot of Paradise Bay - it is very beautiful in the photo but during the winter it is ice.

Because of the ice cover over Lake Michigan and Paradise Bay, the island could not bring in more gas this winter thus the rationing. So, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay came to Paradise Bay to make way for the Beaver Island ferry, Emerald Isle and some gas for the islanders! This is all part of the fun of living on an island. At least the islanders had a fun day watching all this take place. They always enjoy watching a good show!

While we are on the topic of ice and snow: Ann Arbor has had the snowiest winter since 1880! So far this March (just March!) we've had 16.7 inches of snow and we still have some more days to go. The total amount of snow here in Ann Arbor, to date, is 85 inches and we still have April left. And we usually get snow in April. We knew we were sick of snowblowing and shoveling! Check out the Ann Arbor News article for more info.

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Murano Here I Come!

Murano Italy: The "heart" of glassmaking! Next week I leave home to go to Murano for a glass class with Lucio Bubacco. Lucio is well known for his glass figurines.

Murano is an island off of Venice. Historically, this is where glassmaking started its modern techniques. In 1450 A.D. Angelo Barovier discovered how to make a clear soda glass, Crystallo, on Murano. This glass was used for making glass containers for alchemists and eventually turned into the development of Morretti glass which continues today on the island of Murano. There is a good article on the "History of Art Glass Lampworking" by Robert A. Mickelsen if you want to know more.

I don't know if I will be able to upload photos to my blog that I take while in Italy--we'll have to see as I am not bringing my own computer. If so, I will post some photos as I go along.

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Flannel Easter

Get your flannels out - it is Easter in Ann Arbor and we had a snowstorm! You can compare the photo above to the one the other day; they are in the same spot but this one has noticeably more snow! Flannel shirts will be more comfortable than that new spring outfit. We should be about at the record setting stage for snowfall in Ann Arbor.

I gave my husband a chocolate bunny for Easter and today we ate his ears off (the bunny's, not my husbands!). Yum. Tomorrow the bunny will disappear some more.

Happy Easter!

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Hearts

Recently I took a class from Andrea Guarino -- a lampworker who makes wonderful beads. So now I have been trying off-mandrel hearts (see above). I love hearts so stay tuned for more hearts!! Check my web site for hearts to buy. The heart on the left comes with sterling wire and hanging from a silk riboon while the other bead is for you to do as you please. Keep in mind that these new hearts are substantial--they are about 2 inches long!

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Buttons & Snowmelt

I have been trying some buttons! The above photos show some of my two-hole buttons - but I sold them all this past weekend. So will make some more. It is fun. I will make some more to put on my web site soon! I think these will work well on handknit things, handmade outfits, felted purses, etc.





The other photo shows my yard with the snow finally starting to melt. Yeah! We can see some green! Hopefully no more snowstorms.



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Dexter Historical Society Craft Show

Today I sold jewelry and beads at the Dexter (MI) Historical Society Craft Show. It is a small craft fair but lots of interesting things going on. There was spinning wool, carving wood, tatting, fly fishing stuff. I showed folks how to do Kumihimo and felting.

Here's a photo of one of the bead necklaces that was for sale - nobody bought it so it is still for sale!

We listened to Prairie Home Companion tonight to hear Pinky Lee -- the singing group from Petoskey/Beaver Island. They didn't win the talent contest but they were one of the groups chosen from a 1000 contestents and they got national exposure so that is good! One of the songs they sang was Grandma's Table which is one of my favorites, written by Jenny Bousquet from Beaver Island.

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