Brown and Blue Stained Glass Stepping Stone

Here's today's "Stained Glass Sunday" blog--it's a stepping stone I made in 1997 or 1998. It's the first time we tried to tint the cement. This is still in my parents front yard, having survived freezing Utah winters in the ground. To make these, glass is cut and ground before being affixed upside-down to contact paper, then laid in the bottom of a vaseline-coated form. Finally concrete is poured on it, and allowed to set, with chicken wire laid in the wet cement to strengthen it. Lastly the form and contact paper are removed and the finished object is sanded if needed. I have several different concrete forms, and have made a few projects, but this one has always been my favorite.

The pattern is from the book Tiffany Garden by Julie Bishop Day. It was given to me as a free sample though, so I don't mind sharing it here. Click on the image to make it bigger. Or email me if you'd like me to send you a PDF version.

Do you have any mosaic projects in your home or garden? Do you use the objects as stepping stones, tables, or other objects? Tell me about it in a blog comment.

Lizard

I have a new resident in my bedroom. I found him yesterday, in the corner of the room just inside the back door. He's got quite a lengthy tail. I was dog-sitting at the time, so in addition to my two I had my friend's Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, Bella. She's just a puppy, at under a year. She was playing with every toy in the house, all at once, so I can't imagine what she'd have done if she had discovered this intruder. I opted to shoo him out the door with a broom. Then I ran for my camera!

What would you have done with a lizard? Any suggestions of deterrents? Leave me a comment on my blog if you have any ideas for me.

Cutting Grass, Berry Trellis & Tomato Update

I know I just did a garden update a week or two ago, but June is definitely the height of my gardening season--or at least, the time when I finally get to enjoy the fruits of a whole year's labor. And after all the work that I put into my tiny guest house in 2008, including all the landscaping, I'm truly relishing the results.

Here's what I started with when I moved in in March of 2008:

I chose the type of grass I seeded based on the dogs' allergy test results. What I ended up with is a mostly Kentucky Ryegrass mix. This type is different than anything I grew up with in the Midwest. It tends to grow in tall tufts. I think it actually looks best at its tallest, which hides bare spots, but by last weekend my grass was getting so long that it was overtaking the dogs. Here's video of Claire trying to wade through it:

Since my lawn is the size of a postage stamp, it doesn't really make sense to own a full sized lawn mower. My grass-cutting tools consist of a weed-whacker and edge-trimmer. Since there are no collection bags, I have to rake up all the cuttings after I'm done and shovel them into the trash so that the clods of trimmings don't kill the grass.

This is what the fountain looked like after I was done cutting the grass.

And here's the nicely trimmed yard. I hadn't yet put the wrought iron loveseat back in its place when I took the picture. It was a nice work surface for my tools that day.

The berries are finally beginning to grow into the trellises I placed to mask the sheds at the far end of the yard. I planted both raspberries and blackberries, so they'll be a sweet treat. They fruit on second year cames, so I have to wait for next season to taste these.

I love the chocolate mint I planted in an oversize teacup. It really helps my chihuahua's bad breath. Seeing the dogs' tiny frames reach into the oversize cup makes me chuckle every time.

My artichoke plant is growing three baby heads right now! Can't wait to steam these with lemon-herb butter.

Last summer I had morning glories growing through and obfuscating the fence that separates the property from the neighboring apartment complex. This season they haven't taken well, but the heirloom tomatoes are taking over. In this shot you can also see the artichoke plant, and get a feel for the anchor plants in the bed, which are roses and daylilies.

The flowers in the side bed--yellow roses and scarlet daylilies.

Do you have any tips or tricks for maintaining or landscaping a small property? I welcome comments on the blog.

Pasadena Chalk Festival

2008 Best Use of Color
"Miss Sunshine"
Maryam & Morvarid Naghshineh
Photographed by Patricia Hurley

The 2009 Pasadena Chalk Festival is on this weekend, June 20th & 21st from 10A-7P. The world’s largest street painting event will draw nearly 600 artists from across Southern California, who will use 25,000 sticks of pastel chalk to create spectacular murals on pavement the size of two city blocks!

This successful event now in its 17th year attracts 100,000 visitors to Paseo Colorado each day during the exciting two-day festival. Amazing works of art from every style imaginable, classical to contemporary, whimsical and fantastic to socially relevant, will be created for onlookers over the course of the weekend.

This one-of-a-kind public art event is free-of-charge and is presented by Paseo Colorado and The Light Bringer Project, a Pasadena-based cultural arts organization that has served Los Angeles County since 1990.

PUBLIC INFORMATION
Please call 626.795.9100

Anyone else attended this event before? What did you see there, and what did you think of the event? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

The Bronson Caves/Bat Caves

Tomorrow I'm going to investigate a classic L.A. location that I've heard about for years, but have yet to see--the Bronson Caves, also known as the Bat Caves. This is a spot in Griffith Park that's been featured in countless movies and t.v. series.

From the website Seeing-Stars.com:

The Bronson caves are man-made, and were probably created back around 1900, when the area was a rock quarry. (Some say the caves themselves were created especially for the 1922 version of "Robin Hood" with Douglas Fairbanks.) But whatever their origin, they have since been used in countless movies and TV series. They were seen as the 'Bat Cave' in the classic "Batman" TV series, as well as in "Bonanza," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Fantasy Island," "Little House on the Prairie," "The Lone Ranger," "Gunsmoke" and the "Wild Wild West". Plus feature films such as 2002's "The Scorpion King," "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," "Lost Horizon" and the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

The link above details the experience, and offers a map to the parking area as well as a hand-drawn map of the trail to the caves.

Since I haven't been yet, I'm not quite sure what to expect. The group I'm going with labels this as an intermediate hike, and says it'll be about three hours long. I'll bring my camera, and try to post a comment update once I've tried this out.

I've actually been doing a lot of hiking lately. My friend has started a weekly Thursday night hike in another area of Griffith Park. We meet at the Carousel parking lot. Everybody brings wine, cheese, nuts or dried fruit to hike up to a spot we call the "enchanted forest." I've been told parts of the movie "E.T." were shot there. That's where we enjoy our picnic before hiking down. There are great city views at several points in the hike. We've seen coyotes and snakes, and a ton of wildflowers. All in all, this takes us about three hours.

Have any of you been to either of these areas? Tell me your favorite L.A. hikes in a comment below.

Burbank African Violet Society

My Grandma Walker always had an African Violet houseplant in her home. A couple years ago I caught a sale at the Arboretum specializing in this plant, with hundreds of different varieties. I of course came home with a handful, special pots to plant them in, and special soil mix just for this plant.

Surprisingly, I've been able to keep one of these alive, and it's the one I got at the 99 Cents Only Store. In the photograph at the top, it's the one in the purple glass vase. I think I planted it early in 2006. And though it's lived through two homes and several winters, it's only flowered for me once, when I first got it--until I moved to my current home. My living room now gets a ton of diffuse afternoon sunlight, and the plant soaks it up. It's beautiful, and it makes me think of my grandma with a smile every time it blossoms. Here's what it looks like now:

When I first got into Violets, I was looking online for information about their care, and came across info on the Burbank African Violet Society. Since they were just down the street from me, I decided to check it out. When I went, a gaggle of older ladies with grey hair welcomed me with cookies and juice. They had a table of plant samples and equipment spread out, which turned out to be a monthly silent raffle that supported the refreshments at their meetings. The program that night included their business meeting, and a presentation by one member about a particular species of violet grown in miniature in terrariums. The started out the evening by asking if any new members were present, and all eyes swung towards me--the only young person or unfamiliar face in the room. They made me stand up in front of the room and introduce myself, giving my reason for coming that night. I told them I'd come to learn how to trim my violet, so one member came up to the front of the room with her tiny trimming scissors, and gave a lesson on the spot to the whole group, using the 99¢ store plant I'd brought along! I felt like I'd been adopted by about fifteen more grandmothers. They each encouraged me individually to come back again. I now know where to take all my questions.

The moral of this story is never to be afraid to explore new activities or interests....you never know where they might take you, or what sort of interesting people you may meet!

Do you have a great story about meeting interesting strangers? Relate it to me in a comment on the blog!

Rose Stained Glass

I'm going to make Sunday "Stained Glass Sunday" on the blog until I have my portfolio published. This is one of the first pieces I made on my own, about 1997, without the security of taking a class. See how rough the corners are? My dad helped me hide all my mistakes by making a custom, double-sided oak frame. It wasn't a simple task given the uneven depth of my project. I love the colors involved and kept this for myself for quite a while. When my adopted grandparent, Yank Dangerfield, a friend from our church in Salt Lake City, was sick with cancer, I gave this piece to her and she hung it near her bed. After she died, I asked her son if I could have it back. It's been in my kitchen for the last three plus years, and every time I stand at my sink, I think of my friend Yank.

Here's the pattern I used, courtesy of Creative Glass Incorporated, Salt Lake City, UT. Click on the image above to enlarge it. The project measures 8 1/2 inches square. If you'd like me to email a PDF version of the pattern to you, just drop me a note via the contact information on the blog sidebar.

What's the best gift you've ever made for someone, and what was the occasion? Relate your story to me in a comment.

PVC Pipe Storage System

My glass shop is now outdoors, which provides some unique storage needs. I bought some came the other day, which come in eight foot lengths. The shed I use for my tools is not nearly that tall, so I needed a way to store the long lengths to keep it dry and clean. The solution I found was to get a piece of PVC pipe, two inch diameter, and a couple of end caps. Voila! A new storage system. I had the pipe cut to length at the hardware store, so it's just the right size. The tube tucks neatly into a corner, where I'm waiting for the squirrels to use it as a handy transportation route from my roof to the ground. It's out of the way though, and my came is clean and easily accessible.

PVC tubing would make a great storage container for posters or other artwork too. It'd fit neatly under a bed or tucked into a closet. Just be sure to roll your artwork the right direction, so it'll be easy to flatten if you ever decide to frame it.

Do you have any unique storage needs created by a hobby? Let me know your solutions in a comment.

4-H and Volunteerism

I grew up as a 4-Her. From age 8-18, I completed projects, showed in county and state fairs, won a ton of ribbons, and went to summer camp. Through 4-H I learned good citizenship, leadership, community service, and made a ton of friends. Today I called the county cooperative extension to find out how I can again get involved--as a volunteer. I can't wait to work with kids on fun projects again and recite the 4-H Pledge:

As a True 4-H Member, I pledge
My head to clear thinking
My heart to greater loyalty
My hands to larger service
My health to better living
For my club, my community, my country, and my world.

Here are some links if you're interested in finding out more.

Camp Seeley: Los Angeles & San Bernardino County 4-H Summer Camp website
Los Angeles County Cooperative Extension 4-H Community Clubs site
Univ. of CA 4-H Youth Development Program site

Where do you like to donate volunteer hours? Tell me about your experiences in a comment.

Pet Tag Photo Labels

To frame Chance's baby pics, I used the tag machine at petco for charms just like his dog tag, instead printing them up with his name, the date of the photo, and his age at the time. I unified all the images by framing them in plain cloth frames, then sewed a tag to each frame. It turned out to be a fun, inexpensive way to memorialize his babyhood.

How do you personalize your photos? If you've tried this idea, or something else creative, please leave me a comment!

June Garden Update: Canna Bed

I posted earlier about how to scarify canna seeds and get bulbs to grow from seed. I planted a whole bed full of only canna, in several varieties, and they're just beginning to flower this season, so here's a little update:

What's your favorite flower to grow in your garden, vs. favorite cut flower? Tell me about it in a comment on my blog.

LA Wine Fest

Last weekend I was privileged to attend the LA Wine Fest. I had a ball there! My favorite wine discovery turned out to be the Barefoot Moscato. It's so sweet, it's almost like a dessert wine. The Chocolate Traveler was there, along with coffee and wine vendors offering samples. There were two gourmet soda companies, and even a vinaigrette salad dressing. A single bread company offered at least ten different loaves to try. But the best was the importer of German Blue Cheese or Mushroom Brie wheels. Held at Raleigh Hollywood Studios, this is definitely an event to put on your calendar for next June.

Tickets for this event are pricey, but I've found a way to work this into my lifestyle--I got in for free as a volunteer. I gave four hours of my time to the event, and was given free entrance that allowed me to participate fully. This is an opportunity that wouldn't have occurred to me until a friend got me involved, so I wanted to point it out here. There's another food festival coming up in a couple weeks, and I'm going to see if they need any help too....

What are your favorite foodie events? Do you help out at any kind of event just so you can attend? Please tell me about your experiences in a comment.

Jessie & Cole on Disapproving Rabbits

My bunnies, Cole and Jessie, made the website Disapproving Rabbits.com. Cole passed away in April, so it's especially bittersweet to see her here. To see their posting, click on this link. DisapprovingRabbits is a hilarious site for buns! Thanks to Jessie's new mom Cathy for the submission.

Breath-Freshening Biscuits for Dogs

My dogs respond selectively to their names. If they were ever darting into a street, about to get hit by a car, all I have to do is yell "Cookie!" and they will stop dead in their tracks. This is how I get my boy to come out from hiding underneath my couch. Course, this trick won't work as well if I don't keep paying them off....

The following is my favorite homemade dog cookie recipe. Not only do the kids love it, but it really freshens their breath, too. I get a bunch of parsley or mint from my local farmers market, mince it up, and drag out my cute little bone-shaped cookie cutters.

The first time I made these, the dough didn't stick together and I was left with crumbs. Dogs still liked the crumbs, and it's never happened to me since. I think if the parsley or herbs are not ground finely enough, the dough will not bind.

Recipe attributed to Laura M. Nilsen, reprinted without permission from Veggie Life Magazine, with no date on my copy, but many years ago. The recipe notes "Mincing the parsley in a food processor makes for quick work. Three cups (1 medium bunch) of parsley results in 3/4 cup minced parsley. Your hands are the best tool for mixing the dough. Makes 1 1/2 dozen treats."

3/4 C. Minced Parsley Leaves and Tender Stems
1/4 C. Finely Grated Carrot
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3/4 C. Whole-Wheat Flour
1/2 C. Corn Flour or Finely Ground Cornmeal
1/2 Tsp. Baking Pwder
1/4 C. Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together parsley, carrot, and oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder Add parsley mixture and work into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water, and mix and knead with hands until dough comes together in a smooth ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a small (2 1/2 inch) bone-shaped cookie cutter, cut out biscuits, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and back 20 minutes for softer biscuits, or 30 minutes for hard.

Vegan; Per serving: 41 Cal., 1 g Prot., 1 g Fat (<1g sat fat), 7 g Carb., 14 mg Sod., 0 mg Chol., 1.3 g Fiber.

How do you bribe or spoil your pets? Leave me a comment if you have any stories to relate.

Ode to Jell-O

....Puddin', that is. I'm staying at home these days, no eating out for me.

But I don't want to feel deprived by that restriction in my budget, so I'm on the lookout for small treats. Remember that old seventies stand-by mom used to make? Green food, kids' favorite food group, as long as it contains no vegetable source. Today I made myself some Pistachio Pudding.

This to me is a rare treat, as I don't commonly keep milk in my home. You see, no matter how small the container I buy it in, milk seems to do nothing but spoil inside my refrigerator. But this week I bought some milk for a special recipe, so I also treated myself with a couple packages of pudding mix.

Okay, it wasn't even Jell-o, as I found a store brand that was cheaper. But it was pudding nonetheless. And right now it's sitting in my fridge. The time it takes me to write this post should be just long enough for it to set.

This brings me to the subject of food waste. There are lots of other things besides milk that I don't normally stock in my home. I tend to rely as much as possible on frozen fruits and veggies, because I know that my good intentions are bigger than my time schedule. This works great for any dish where the veggies would be cooked anyway.

I love bean sprouts on sandwiches when I'm eating out, but I don't keep them at home. Right now I have my bunny Jessie staying with me, and his new mom was kind enough to drop off a sack of lettuce, sprouts, and carrots along with him. But watching those veggies wither in my fridge has reminded me why I don't stock much fresh food--even when they're right in front of me, I tend to forget about them, leaving them in the fridge to spoil. So, when I return to my normal mode of grocery shopping on my next trip out, I won't feel so deprived by my own habits, but will instead think of all the rotting stuff I'm keeping out of the landfill or compost by being realistic.

Take a look at my friend Angela's blog, My Year Without Spending, for her Food Waste Fridays posts. She's inspirational.

What suggestions do you have for reducing food waste and controlling your food budget? Leave me a comment below.

Free Thursday Twilight Dance Series in Santa Monica

2009 is the Centennial Year of the Santa Monica Pier! The Pier will officially turn 100 years old on September 9.

The 25th Annual Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series begins on June 25 and runs through August 27, 2009. For ten Thursday evenings during the summer from 7-10pm, prepare to sing, dance, or just rock out to the best in Reggae, folk, rock and eclectic world music.

They're also having a contest to design the poster for this year's concert series. Submissions are now closed, but voting will be online. Check the website at twilightdance.org for more info.

Admission is free, and the atmosphere is a carnival party!

What free summer concert venues do you know about? Share your tips in a comment!

Golden Hour Glass History

Stained glass is my favorite hobby, my side business, and the most beautiful art form I know. In college I had pieces on consignment at local gift shops. When I moved to LA and into a tiny apartment, I didn't have a suitable place to practice my craft. So I walked away from actually making anything myself for many years, and turned to appreciation by buying pieces at flea markets, restoring if necessary, and often re-selling them.

Now I'm slowly bringing myself back to the craft of creation. This means buying new pattern books and playing with the patterns in my library for four hours this week, cleaning all my tools to set up my workspace again, visiting local supply shops to familiarize myself with available supplies and new tools and products. I have so many projects on my agenda!

Today I went to Lighthouse Stained Glass & Supply on Melrose, over near the Paramount lot. The owner was welcoming and helpful, and let me browse as long as I wanted.

Anyway, to tie into the blog, I've been meaning to start posting my projects, so I thought I'd begin with some personal history. This is the first project I ever made in stained glass, in a copper foil class at Creative Glass in Salt Lake City, Utah, I'm guessing spring 1994. I was a sophomore in college, and I'd found my folks' old stained glass tools in our basement. The piece is hanging in our kitchen window, so our patio set became the backdrop. I'm including a poorly framed photograph as well, since it shows the piece against a white background.

In the film world the golden hour or magic hour is the first and last hour of sunlight during the day when a specific photographic effect is achieved with the quality of the light during these hours. Typically, lighting will be softer, more diffuse, and warmer in hue, and shadows will be quite pronounced as a result of the sun being so close to the horizon. The sunlight is traveling obliquely through more of the atmosphere and striking objects at an angle, instead of straight down. The golden hour thus produces a mild version of alpenglow.

I am particularly drawn to warm, fallish tones that are enhanced by the golden hour. I draw my inspiration in stained glass from these colors, so I unified my love of film work with my stained glass pursuits through the business name I chose.

If you're looking for a class or supplies in the SLC area:
Creative Glass
2265 Highland Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
(801) 487-4088
Tell 'em I sent you!

What do you think of my business' name? Do you have a favorite tonal or color palette? Leave me a comment with your support!

Old Pasadena Restaurant Week

I just found out that this week is Old Pasadena Restaurant Week. Participating locations are offering three-course, prix-fixe meals for lunch and dinner ranging from $15-$35. Making the offer even sweeter is the fact that 10% of the proceeds will go to benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a non profit serving San Gabriel valley. Find a list of participating restaurants, their prices and menus here.

Do you know the dates of restaurant weeks in other areas? Do you enjoy multi-course, price fixed meals? Leave me a comment below.

Free Stuff Alert! Pet Waste Bags

This site will send you a free sample of their earth-friendly flushable pet waste bags. All you have to do is send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Pethabitats Inc. at 565 Striped Moss St., Roseville, CA 95678. I'd love to try them but my plumbing dates back to WWII, literally.

Do you know any eco-safe ways or products to care for pets? Leave me a comment if you have a suggestion.