Ten Tree Quotes:

1. I never saw a discontented tree ~ John Muir
2. I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.  ~Willa Cather, 1913
   
3. The groves were God’s first temples.  ~William Cullen Bryant
   
4. For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.  ~Martin Luther
5. There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.  ~Minnie Aumonier
6. The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.  ~ Thomas Hardy
8. A great thing about these trees is that they are excellent for cleaning, both groundwater, and of course, air. ~ Mike Lowry
9. I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.  ~Henry David Thoreau
10. He who plants a tree
    Plants a hope.
    ~Lucy Larcom,

Here is the latest in my painted glass pendant collection.  I think this one is my favorite, the sparkly blue glass remind me of water, the fish flowing through it.

I adore this quote by Ira Glass. I was reminded of it again when my creative friend Sharry aka Buttons, of the fabulous Buttonalia (seriously, people, buy her buttons if for nothing else than to have just a tiny piece of beauty in your life), posted some great business advice {here}.  Number 2 on her list after “your customer is everything”, was “[Offer] The best possible product you can offer.”  Well I was a little convicted.  I had to ask myself am I offering the best possible product I can offer.  Sadly my answer was no.  My products are good.  My products are quality.  But my products are not the best products that I can produce. I am at the “DO A LOT OF WORK” step of life, mentioned in the quote above.

To remedy this deficiency I am setting a challenge for myself. Working in collections, I am going to make 100 of every product that I sell.  This will do two things

1. Give more focus and organization to my work.

2. Give me more, better quality inventory to sell to my wonderful customers.

The first product on tap for this challenge is plant markers.  What product would you like to see next?  Leave a comment, let me know.

These little guys are some of my favorite things in my shop.  They are just a little something to brighten the day and put a smile on the face.

Lampwork glass formed in the flame of a torch, they are each complete individuals with a personality of their own.  I started making these last year after the Christmas season because I missed the snowmen, who also have unique personalities.

When you add them to your potted houseplants, they add a touch of whimsy to any room.

Now that it is springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere, they could be put in the garden to keep the plants company.

I just updated this candle holder listing in my Etsy Shop.

This is one of my favorite tea candle holders.  I just love how it melted giving it an organic yet modern feel.

I use the heat of the kiln to fuse together layers of glass that are cut and placed for an interesting design, then slump them into a mold to shape the piece. Every Intentional Glass piece is handmade by me, Holly, in my Michigan studio

The white dots against the swirling blue background on this fused glass soap dish reminds me of those little fluffy clouds high up in the sky. This would be the perfect detail for a blue bathroom, or kitchen.

This soap dish is 3 x 4inches (7.6 x 10cm), perfect for a bar of soap.  It would make a great wedding or housewarming gift.

I used the heat of the kiln to fuse together layers of glass. On top I placed nuggets of glass fused just enough to leave a bumpy texture to allow the soap to breathe. Each piece is properly annealed.

I love a blue bathroom, but what other colors would look great in a bathroom?

Here is another in the handpainted doodle fused glass pendant series I’m working on right now.  I love how this one came out.

What would you like to see on a pendant?

Starting a new series.  Hand painted fused glass pendants.

Inspired by ancient rock art and modern doodles.

Completely handmade by me, Holly, in my Michigan studio. I cut and fused the glass, then painted it with a special paint designed for glass, that is cured for permanence.

This pendant is red transparent glass over light purple opaque glass with white paint and a silver colored bail. It comes with an 18 inch silky nylon cord.

Each pendant is packaged in a brown jewelry box appropriate for gifting.

I am super excited about this brand new product available right now in the shop. 

The punt is that indentation in the bottom of a wine bottle.  Why is it there?  Well, no one can really say, but with the attached magnet it makes a fabulous pin catcher (or needle catcher, or paper clip catcher).

What is on Sale?

Christmas Ornaments

And Everything Else

Use the coupon code CIJ2011 at checkout to get 24% off everything in the Intentional Glass Etsy shop until July 24, 2011