Thank You!!!

 Santa and I are humbled by your appreciation of our work and your support when you purchase many of our creations! 

Thank you seems like so little to express how much we appreciate you as you continue to support our small businesses, (Cruisin' Creations and Santa Snacks LLC), during these times of record grocery bills and high gas prices.

Along with supporting our small business you are helping a local charity. Your purchases from Cruisin' Creations have allowed us to make a record donation to Operation Shoebox! Operation Shoebox is located in Belleview Florida. It is an organization that sends care packages to active military all over the world. 

As you can imagine the need is great for treats to send the troops as well as money for postage. Would you like to help Operation Shoebox? Visit their website - operationshoebox.com or mail donations to:

Operation Shoebox

8360 East Highway 25

Belleview, Florida 34420

Follow them on Facebook too at https://www.facebook.com/operationshoeboxusa

We are taking a little time off to recharge after a very busy 2022. We are also working on new ideas for 2023!

We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a very Blessed New Year!

Until Next Time...

Diane 

Just Like Coming Home...

Driving into the Adirondacks is like coming home after a long trip. The farther north we drive the more the stress melts away. There's something about the mountains, pine trees, lakes, and smell of campfires that makes us feel at home. While we didn't grow up in the Adirondacks we have spent enough time camping there to appreciate all that they have to offer.

Northville, NY is a quaint town nestled in the Adirondacks on Sacandaga Lake. It is the quintessential little town with a 5 & dine store, tavern, small inn, and homes. Very inviting. And Northville is where the Northville Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend takes place every July.

This year felt just like coming home. We have become acquainted with many of the other artists there, and were greeted as if we were old friends. The banter that went on with the artists we were near gave us a strong sense of belonging. And the shoppers in Northville did not disappoint.

We are so thankful for the sales, for the camaraderie, and for our surroundings. And we are so thankful for the blasts from the past - those people we've lost touch with who unexpectedly appear at the show to say, "Hi."

So, while thank you seems like so little for all that we received recently, we want to say THANK YOU! to all who stopped by to say, "Hi." as well as those who decided to spend their hard earned money on Santa's delicious gourmet seasoned pretzels as well as my pine needle baskets, keyrings, ornaments, and fused glass trinket dishes! 

We're looking forward to seeing you at many of our other shows this craft show season.

Our next stop? Speculator, NY on August 11. Visit us and approximately 100 other artists at Routes 8 & 30 in Speculator NY. Support the Hamilton County TWIGS who raise money to help first responders and fire personnel. 

What's New?

I've been working on many new basket designs as well as many of the fan favorites. Here are a few new ones that will be available for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. Remember...it's never too early to pick up holiday gifts!

See you in Speculator!

Until Next Time...

Diane

New Skills Continued

 Back in February I mentioned that I am learning a new craft - glass fusion. It has been the bane of my existence as well as a very enjoyable experience. The more pieces I make the more addicted I become! 

Two of the things I've had to adjust to the most are the lack of instant gratification (Once I finish a basket, it's finished. No waiting. That's not the case with glass fusion.) and relying on someone else to place and fire my designs. Yes, I can see my designs coming together as I glue pieces of glass onto a sheet of glass; however, it takes several firings to get that sheet of glass into the desired melted stage and shape. 

So, how does one make a dish or other item in glass fusion? I like to begin with a solid sheet of glass, generally clear, but other colors have also been used. I cut the pieces of the design I am making then place them on the sheet of glass. Once I'm happy with the design, I take a picture to see if there are any glaring mistakes and make any necessary adjustments. Once that is done the pieces are removed then glued in place using watered down glue. I've learned that it's important to make sure the glue is dry before putting the finished piece into the kiln. If it's not dry the pieces could shift. There goes your design!

The photos below show the beginning of the design, the pieces coming together and the finished product.

Once the design is securely glued it's time to decide how to fire it. There's tack, contour, full, and bubble. The higher the heat the more the glass will melt together. Naturally, it makes sense to start with the least amount of melting, tack, then go up if the design is not melted enough. The wave below was fired on contour. Much to my dismay it melted more than other contour pieces I had fired so I added more blue glass as well as white frit and tacked them to add more dimension. I debated on whether to slump it into a square dish, but decided against it. This wave was too big of a design for me to tackle as a beginner so it's not my best work, but it does look pretty above our kitchen cabinets. 

Other pieces have not been as involved. I tend to be a very symmetrical person. I guess that's why I liked geometry so much as a high school sophomore. Watching other club members turn out the most beautiful asymmetrical designs is challenging me to do the same. While I have not done any yet, I have purchased some gorgeous pieces of glass and am working on designing some pieces that are out of my comfort zone. Watch for more fused glass photos in the future! 

Below are a few more pieces I've made. They're in no particular order. 

Unfortunately, the clear plastic plate stands are not sturdy enough to hold these heavy plates so the black metal shows through the dragonfly design.

The round and square mosaic dishes will be available for sale at our craft shows this season. There are only a few; when they're gone, they're gone. 

So what do you think of my first fused glass creations?

Upcoming Events

We are a month away from the start of our craft show season! Join us at the Northville Rotary's Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend 2022, July 15 - 17 in Northville, NY. You can check out many of the artists and their wares on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/223659131530990

Until Next Time...

Diane

 

New Skills

 Every now and then something happens in life that takes us out of our comfort zone and down a new path. That happened recently when a friend asked me to sign her up for a glass fusion club in our community. I decided to sign myself up at the same time. 

One of the prerequisites of joining the club is to take a 3 hour introductory class. We took that class about a week ago. I was completely out of my element. Being a person who picks up most crafts quickly I found myself fumbling and wondering if this was a craft for me. I found the tools to be a bit tricky to operate at first and there's a whole new vocabulary to learn. The saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." came to mind several times during the class.

We made soap dishes and trinket dishes during the class. This is how mine turned out. I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks!

Since taking the class I have ordered a number of supplies and have found inspiration for several items I want to make. I'm really looking forward to that first meeting which will take place next week! 

Stay tuned for periodic updates!

New Inventory

Currently we are building new inventory for you to enjoy during our craft show season. We have many new charms for ornaments, new bases for keyrings, and always a new series of baskets for you to enjoy.

Below is a recent shipment of charms that arrived at our studio. Do you have a favorite or a suggestion for a themed ornament?

Upcoming Events

 We are in the process of setting up our 2022 craft show calendar. The most current shows will be listed at the top of our upcoming events list. 

You can always shop local and online at theschenectadytradingpost.com at 609 Union St, Schenectady, NY as well as cruisincreations.etsy.com

Until Next Time...

Diane