Hurricane Sandy ~ A Cards of Hope Sale

Over on our ETSY shop I offer to draw a card of hope, include your message, and send it to your loved one for $21.00.  The cards are one of kind creations which take time to emerge.  I do not rush a card of hope.  

I am foreseeing some extra time in my studio as Hurricane Sandy approaches, and unlike Mosaic Woman, I am dependent upon electricity for my glass work (glass grinder and soldering iron).  But I could draw cards by candle light if need be.  

~ The Sale ~

one card of Hope for $15.00

two cards for $25.00

three cards for $30.00

Sales made at ETSY for cards during the next 48 hours... 

1:00 pm here in  SE PA on Tuesday...  

you be reimbursed to the amount listed above...

or use the contact me tab at the top to place an order

The sibling: Di's Red-Tailed Hawk

Di's Red-Tailed Hawk Mosaic
by
Wayne Stratz

When commissioned to create something new, I never make two of it at the same time... However, something happened when my friend Di commissioned a Red-Tailed Hawk.  Maybe it was the thought that I would very likely never make another one on my own volition?  But that has been true in many situations, so maybe it was that one day I could make Di smile.

You see I didn't tell Di what I was up to till after the fact, and then only spoke of it with a twinge of guilt.  But the hawks are not twins, for that would be impossible for me to do.  They are siblings of a new species, Di's Red-Tailed Hawk.  If I ever make a third or a fourth, they will have Di's name on it.  She inspired it.

Now why do I finally blog about the sibling, well it is being sent to a new owner this week thanks to our etsy shop.  I wonder if Di and the new owner would be great friends, but what I do know is that when Di reads this and leaves even the briefest of comments; I can guarantee that I will send her a message that will make her smile.

Drawing Cards again and again

warm collection of cards
by
Wayne Stratz

My Lenten practice of drawing cards has led to new directions besides my surprise gifts at work.  Mosaic Woman has printed out the names and addresses of the 144 people, who not only gave us their e-mails but also provided things like their house number and zip code.  And there I go counting by 21's again and sending out surprise gifts  from the local post office.  Want to be on the list... sign up here (form is on the right above the floating testimonials).

At a recent craft show a friend showed up and wondered why I had shown up with none of my cards for sale.  So moving in that direction I decided to place something on etsy.  Do you know someone who could use one of my cards of hope or joy or love or peace?

... check out my listing and I will draw one especially with them in mind and spirit.

The Man of Hope

I try to see myself as a man of hope, but somethings surely test your reserve.

Loving the word, I did a collaboration with Mosaic Woman in which I designed and cut out the letters and she made a mosaic. Now we also made ones that said JOY and sold a few, we made a few that said GARDEN and sold one.

The three HOPE's did nothing. So we donated one to a good cause and I kept tweeting about the others. Nothing.

In July I sat in the 95 degree heat all day inside our booth and as I looked at one of the HOPE panels, all I felt was despair. Seeing imperfections that obviously were causing them not to sell.

This past week Rosie Whimsy , who makes wonderful skirts and such by hand, was so inspired by our pink HOPE mosaic that she made an Etsy treasury called 'The Color of Hope" It did not sell.

Hope was also fading in general because over at Etsy, our shop slowed down after MW was laid off, But sometimes you need a Friday the 13th to pick things up. We have sold 7 items in 9 days. and yes... a HOPE sold today, as did a JOY, as well as two pendants to a good friend.

not much HOPE left... only the one at the top of the post

a mandala and a pendant go to Etsy .... Crafting On Thursdays

Mosaic Woman and I have decided to make a commitment to posting at Etsy. She is going to post at least twice a week, and I will complete a post at least once a week.

Yes, we would rather be playing with broken glass, than taking photos of finished projects and then taking the effort to go through the steps at Etsy. But we want folk to find new items when they take the time to check us out, so here we go.

Last week I posted my nuthatch and today I posted my latest Dr. Ed mandala...

which features my favorite color combo- green violet- which I fell in love with at quilt shows. See the whole mandala at the shop.

Mosaic Woman has decided to do a series of pendants based on the gems associated with months. Here is one for those wonderful folk like both of us, who were born in the hot and humid month of July...

Check out this ruby red pendant at the shop.

check out all our mandalas, mosaics and stained glass

check out all the wearable mosaics

New Heart for Valentine's 2009

My last four hearts were done on an old design, so it was time for something new...

to see all of our hearts stop by our ETSY shop. I have started cutting out pieces for a second one using this design. This time the perimeter glass will not be used at all in the center. Will be interesting to see how that affects the design.

Maybe time for one more design, I was working on one and it only came close to being "good enough." It will be more in the flame like design of my burning bushes mandalas... branching out from the bottom.

though I rarely think to ask... your input is most valuable and always appreciated.

peace

setting up a shop

All pieces are my original designs and can be shipped to you by priority mail with plenty of support and bubble wrap.

 

My stained glass and mosaic hearts come in a variety of sizes and colors. Purchase Here.

 

My sun catchers have been described as stars and flowers and I call them starflowers. They come with different number points and pieces and some have a hollow a center. My framed pieces are often the only places you see straight lines. Purchase them here.

Collaborations with my wife, mosaic artist Margaret Almon: I design and cut out the pieces for the letters. She takes it from there... You can buy them here.

My wife and I truly enjoy making mandalas as part of our spiritual practice. Check them out here.

mandalas with burning bush

For now, preparing for next Monday's adult group has been going to the first verses of Chapter 3 of Exodus. I have been doing this when I sit in the chair of contemplation to reflect upon my day. Now the last three nights has made me see the burning bush in both of my recent mandala designs (how to design a mandala: 1. draw a circle 2. pray 3. fill the circle in).


The first was clear from the beginning, glowing earth, flames arising. I saw the story in the design and chose glass as I saw fit...





I recently spoke about imaginative prayer, but I most often read the Bible looking for a verse, phrase or word that catches my eye. It draws me in. Then I sit and ponder why those words caught my eye. This time it is a most appropriate verse... Exodus 3:3 --- Moses said "I must go across and see this strange sight..." I try to think what sights have drawn me to them. Am I being drawn by God when this happens. Two times in my life come to mind. I saw a woman walking in a library. That night after no conversation, only that sighting, I tell a friend that I saw a woman. I had never said such a thing in my life before. Now you all know her here as Mosaic Woman. I was so drawn that I overcame all the shyness and introverted nature I could to approach her. Was it holy ground I stepped upon to speak.

The second event happened a year earlier. I am walking on a snow covered path in the Pocono Mountains. I am stopped by an urge to be still and turn my head to the left. Often I will see a bird when I do this, but now a dead mouse rests in the branches of a sapling. I grow closer pondering how this came to be. Tears fill my eyes for the first time since who knows when.

The second mandala was drawn to improve upon the design of the first--- more branching and get rid of that mound of earth. I choose green for the branching. going with the complimentary color, red, for the background. Not seen as what it was at first, I now see it as a better representation of that event by the mountain of God. For in the Bible what caught Moses eye was the unburning (yes, I made up that word and I like it!) bush. Here the bush remains green in the midst of a fire storm of God's visiting spirit.




OK, now to get goofy. Before my theological insights, I was going to call this post a toilet with a view, for both of these are hanging in my bathroom window. Even took a lovely photo featuring the toilet and the two stained glass mandalas over the weekend. For now they will hang there unless someone discovers them at our ETSY SHOP. Then in November (unless sold) they will travel to a craft fair, which I will advertise in due time.

latest stained glass, ETSY, and Hearts

My break between the summer session and the up and coming school year has given me some studio time. Having finally finished the project which I avoided finishing, I went with quick and easy--- 17 pieces that fit into a 5x7 frame...






I took several photos but getting the violet was tough so I have no good photos of the entire piece to post on our ETSY site (nutmegdesigns). This photo failed to get the pale blue in the center.

I then decided to design a new mandala, which when finished was attacked by my own hand bearing an erasure to make the pieces in the design larger, but I did not like the final result and Mosaic Woman agreed and added, "I liked the smaller pieces," so I drew a new circle and went with small pieces...




I may finish this in the next day or two.

I did a search for stained glass at ETSY and 8723 items came up. If you don't keep paying to renew your items they fall down the list... right now I'm at 161 (8 pages in) but by the time you read this.... who knows. Until and maybe even after we have our own website we will stick with ETSY since many a business card has our site listed. [NB: Our website is http://nutmegdesignsart.com and my stained glass is now at Stratozpheres Etsy.

Since last December I have sold 6 of my stained glass while Margaret has sold 9 mosaics on ETSY, the last was by me about 10 days ago. Now 4 of the 6 items which I sold have been hearts. This is one of those strange things about how life turns out. I would never have predicted to be an artist who makes hearts. But I have enjoyed making them and here are links to two blog posts that featured hearts by Mosaic Woman and myself.

up close photos

whole heart photos

blessings of the day...

1. getting to spend a Wednesday with Mosaic Woman, who has them all off.. she was thrown for a loop thinking it was Saturday especially since we went to a library.
2. seeing cormorants at Peace Valley Park while we ate cookies from Tabora bakery
3. lunch at the Duck Deli on 202... me a chicken BBQ sandwich, Mosaic Woman a salad with smoked tuna
4. gumption to water the sad plants in the rain deprived garden
5. time in my studio listening to The Beatles... Abbey Road, the second side is just amazing
6. listening to jazz-- including local trumpet dude-- John Swanna
7. dinner which included green beans, garlic, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes, all of which I was blessed to have grown
8. and an oatmeal stout to savor while putting this post together.

life, other than craft show mania, returns

not just another wort-- sandwort
Originally uploaded by stratoz

After Har Zion, I returned to the things I normally do and it started with work on Tuesday. When I got home I ventured into my garden and blooms were every where. Five flowers including Arenaria montana, sandwort, had blossomed. One of those red wagon perennials I got last fall. The other wort in bloom didn't photograph as well.

I also got back to household tasks, though many more need to be done, but that it always the case. We also got back to updating our ETSY account which had been neglected as we focused on the show.

I got back to reflecting on the life of Jesus, more about that on my next post.

Last night I had time to watch hockey with friends, where at one point she was reading my blog while he questioned me about blogs in general. I found it a bit strange, but this will happen when you don't blog in secret.

Today I had time to make blueberry pancakes with dried lavender, spend time in the garden, take on the hedge that separates my yard from my neighbors (who later on was tending to her red wagon perennials), cut out the pieces of a stained glass which is based on a bird of paradise flower, visit the home of the red wagons, and I had time to listen to some live music... a full life in one Saturday.

The music we saw was Svitanya, which means "the light at sunrise"--- nine women with beautiful voices.  I wish I could have found them singing Shen Khar Venakhi, a Georgian hymn which praises Mary... a translation-- "You are a grapevine in blossom, a beautiful plant in Eden, a fragrant poplar in Paradise. You blessed by God, are a shining sun." It would have been perfect for my gardening workshop. Listen to other, but just as beautiful voices, sing it here.

a day full of blessings, and I didn't even greeting the day with mosaic woman, thai food for lunch, a bachelor's button bloom, listening to jazz while getting caught up with the budget (well semi-caught up), lentil soup for dinner, and the bandage that came in handy when I was cutting glass, and the crazed cats for stopping their angry chase, as they ran in my direction while I was on the ground gardening.

not so lifeless

etsy shop

well, I am done with hearts for now... makes me think of the the standard.."I'm Through With Love." When I was making the icy blue heart, I nearly swerved away and directly into this project. I see it is an icy blue heart being melted by love. Maybe we all have icy blue hearts that need love. maybe my heart was never icy blue. But it sure feels warmer and less lifeless when love is around.

Ash Wednesday was looking like a busy evening... YMCA, dinner, church, some time with mosaic woman, finish work for my college class, pray... The classroom phone rang and I said, "Sure, I have the time" & "No, I don't live over that way." I got off the phone and was glad for this chance. It has been nearly two months since I went to see my friend and colleague who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My offer at work to deliver food was accepted and as I drove over to his house I couldn't help from wondering if he would even be up for a visit. His daughter answered the door. She said she would let him know I was there. The man came out and we chatted for over an hour. He has not holed himself up from the world. He has invited us in and I have accepted. I hope I can face illness in the same manner. He asked me questions showing he had clearly listened to me the last time we chatted. Another ember enters my heart.

Jesus cleared the Temple. I didn't even catch the connection to the storm at work till I was in front of my spiritual director. I guess sometimes you have to leave the silence to see things. Is that hope building that I may work in a more positive atmosphere?

and now for some poetry from William Carlos Williams poem Spring and All, which hangs in my classroom.

" Lifeless in appearance, sluggish dazed spring approaches"


No No No... Look down. Spring is emerging and though it is sluggish it is filled with life.

hearts, up close and personal

Yes, getting close to one of our glass hearts can help one see things differently....

hearts from afar

Mosaic woman and I have been busy placing our designs inside of hearts. Nothing new about that for we have made Valentines for each other, but now we are using glass and making them available for others to give to their lovers. The one above was inspired by a song by John Hiatt, Icy Blue Heart. And that that takes me back 20 years to a small town in Massachusetts where a friend and I talked music, mostly folk and alt country at that time. I have moved away from many a good person over the years, I miss you Mr. K, where ever you may be. I hope good music continues to flow into your life.... click to see John Hiatt sing Icy Blue Heart. "Shall I turn what has been frozen for years into a river a tears." I know how that feels and I know the kind of love that says yes to that question.

baptism's power and humility

The spiritual exercises have gone another week of week 2. They are stirring my soul, so I guess I am getting my work out.

first I am in awe of the powerful nature of Jesus's baptism. Following him out of that scene over the last few weeks has shown me how it energized him into a life with a desire to do God's will. Made me think of being confirmed and how little that meant at the time. Being anointed on Christmas Day 10 years ago, a month after returning to church, comes to mind as a day of accepting the spirit, or at least becoming accepting of the spirit.

I have been selected as the person to gather photos to celebrate my parents, both of whom are turning 75 in 2008 and celebrating their 50th anniversary. A package came from California this week. Downloading the photos I see one I had never seen before.... my elder sister at her adult baptism which took place out west.

I sat with the three phases of humility this past week and it brings up my struggle with self-promotion. I feel awkward advertising my craft.

The other night I came across someone selling stained glass for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Is my goal to limit my work to 5% of the population, to have fame, to have great wealth? What is my desire? Is it to do what I have loved all my life, create designs? If my craft brings me fame and wealth, then I will have to accept or reject those things based on how it touches me.

What do I desire from my life? What great desires does God want to stir up in my soul? I have doodled all my life.

Last night we went to Philadelphia to see Maria Schneider's Jazz orchestra. I closed my eyes and was taken away into the music's beauty and complexity. She has made a life from her passion. How many women who desire to compose and direct big bands end up 20 years winning a Grammy award? Did she do this for the fame or did the fame come because of a combination of talent and passion?

at the concert we ended up sharing a table with a jazz promoter. He was quite excited about one singer (a future post) and gave me her card. I gave him mine (first time I did such a thing) and told him what we make and told him we would save him a seat if he ever came back to the art museum.

with all this mind.... here is my latest piece...mostly made from scraps remaining after making the piece which I dropped...

ETSY SHOP

How to respond????

When Jesus turns around and says, "What do you want?" How do you respond?

Those words from Jesus stayed with me this past week and Wednesday night I when I reflected on this week of the exercises.

I desire to keep following Jesus.
I desire to find what desires God has for me.
I desire to live fully.
I desire to relate to others, intimately.
I desire a heart that does not harden as I age as a teacher.
I desire to be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love.
I desire to be aware of my physical, emotional, and spiritual self.
I desire to .... one day open up that Marula Jelly that Mosaic woman bought me for Christmas.

speaking of Mosaic woman. it is about time to show off some of her work....

click to go to ETSY

Mice might have stirred

It was the night before Christmas and I was with Jesus and the evil presence that tempted him in the desert.

My first thought was that it was the wrong place to be.... shouldn't I be in Bethlehem? But spending the night with Jesus was the place to be and no matter where the spiritual exercises landed me on 12/24/07 ... it was the place I was directed to be.


I remember Jesus being guided to the desert by the spirit the entered him at the Jordan, but I don't recall the spirit directing him so that he could face temptation. Have I been guided to those places I did not choose Jesus? Other stories in the Bible would have that evil spirit guiding us to those places.

Could this dream be about choosing Jesus, or about trying to do too many things, or about my fear of administrators...

My dream... I was teaching and I showed up for work. The students and staff were current but location may have been more like where I grew up and/or a place I taught in Illinois. Instead of going into the middle school to help run the science fair I went into the high school to participate in a three day spiritual retreat. I had best intentions of also being at the science fair, but...

I left the retreat and ran into students and staff who listed important people who searched for me all day. The pleasant feeling I had at being at the retreat faded and I walked in dread towards where I would tell my supervisor what happened....

woke before I got there kind of like waking before you hit the ground.

any dream interpreters out there?

any stained glass design interpreters out there.... here is my latest finished earlier today

stained glass and friends

The garden is sleeping away winter time and colleges are quiet also, so I have filled my life with friends and stained glass.

Last Saturday I posted my first suncatchers on mosaic woman's Etsy site and sold two of the four that day. Well, I am not ready to quit my day job for sales have slumped for me, but mosaic woman has sold a couple more. A crafty life is not just in our future it is here. I want to celebrate with her. Tonight I finished a project for a friend who wants to buy it for a mutual friend and I posted the last suncatcher I have to sell on Etsy. Monday I finished one for a dear friend whose name I joyfully pulled out of a hat for a gift exchange (pictured above).

This past weekend I found myself invited to four holiday events. One invitation came from a friend who is nearly completed with the spirituality program, which I am considering. Saying goodbye, wanting to know how the whole experience was for her, and expressing my doubts if I will commit myself to the process, I hear Mosaic woman say to me... "You really enjoyed those classes."

I also spent time with Jesus growing up in Nazareth. What struck me was the Bible's stress on how this time was spent gathering Wisdom and God's favor. Tonight Ignatius calls me to imagine the face of evil and how that entity spreads through society. Then I am imagining Jesus in the light. Emerging from the dark ravine where evil resided to a sunny field, I know the wisdom that Jesus sought. It is the wisdom we find in his call to his followers.... Resist evil, be grateful for what emerges in our life, and work for God's kingdom by seeking justice for all.

[edited July 9, 2015  I now have my own Etsy shop: Stratozpheres]