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Sandblast

Category: bethie's world | Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:42 pm

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Six months ago we were listening to a Ben Taylor cd. He's the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. His music is great and we had it up pretty loud when there was a loud crash. One of my sandblasted owl pictures had fallen off the wall. The picture is sandblasted on the glass so it was a total loss.
It's one of a set of nine we made at least 15 years ago. Suddenly we're looking at a big empty space and thinking "oh no, we've got to make that picture again". I knew I still had the pattern since I have every one I ever made but getting to it in my bulging craft room was another story. My husband had to see if the sandblast hoses had dry rotted with age and get all his stuff together too.

I had taken a picture of the broken one so I would know what was frosted on it. I finally got tired of looking at the empty space and we got started. First the glass is cut to size, then a sticky resist paper is put on the glass, then the pattern is put under the glass and everything you want frosted is cut out with a razor knife. I decided since we were going to all this trouble we should make a few candle things while we were at it. I wanted to come out with more than I had going in. I had a great rosebud pattern (not one of mine) that I just love. I also had a complicated sunflower pattern I wanted too. It took forever to get cut out. You have to cut the design for these four times so it will be on all sides. My husband came in and laughed and told me to go look in the mirror. Little bits of sticky paper were all in the front of my hair. I didn't know how they were getting there. Then I realized when I was taking a "little break" from the sunflower cutting I was leaning my head in my hand! I was more than ready to be done. My husband blasted the glass, then we cleaned them, foiled them, soldered them, cleaned them again, put black patina on the solder and cleaned them for the last time. Finally.
They turned out very well but I still blame Ben Taylor a little bit.


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Assassins

Category: bethie's world | Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:23 pm

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Well, it's finally butterfly time once again. There's nothing like these flying jewels. Our host plants are full of eggs. Every spring I root cuttings from pussy willows and contorted willows and grow them in a box on top of my storm house. This gives several of the butterfly species some nice young leaves to eat. In the fall I plant the trees or give them away. Everyone likes the contorted willows. It makes beautiful branches to put in a vase. Sunday we had our first large caterpillar, a viceroy. The butterflies look like small monarchs. We did what we like to call a "worm visit" and keep tabs on our caterpillars. He was fat and sassy and ready to spin a cocoon. I got up early the next day and went to see him. To my horror he was in the grips of an assassin bug.Well, it was too late for him and assassins have to eat too. In a little while he was sucked dry and dropped on the concrete where a bunch of little ants had him. The next time I came by there was no trace of him at all. I did see the assassin bug the next day still on the plant and evicted him with a blast from the hose.

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