Hot Blown Glass

As a kid who grew up watching endless programming from PBS, those programs helped to shape a great sense of curiosity in me. I especially loved seeing videos of how things were made or how they worked behind the scenes. I know I’m not the only one—I’ve had conversations with other people about the “how crayons are made” video in particular.

I now love tours (see my post from a few years ago about the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory in Boulder, CO) and taking classes to try my own hand at new projects.

Glass blowing is one of those arts that I’ve seen plenty of on TV but have never before had the opportunity to see it in person. When I learned that there’s a glass-blowing studio in Hendricks County, I put it on my radar. Finally, an opportunity to visit and profile it for the HCCVB blog came up.

Seeing some glass blowing done in person, then getting to see samples of finished pieces next door, really made me appreciate the practice and artistry that goes into this. If you have any desire to try it yourself, check out my post on the HCCVB blog for a list of several workshops coming up this fall. 

Second Saturdays: Hot Blown Glass

Just south of Cartersburg Road between Danville and Plainfield, Ind. in Hendricks County, marked with a simple white sign by the road, you can find one of the most unique, hands-on art studios in the state: Hot Blown Glass, Ltd.

As part of the Rural Routes to Main Street Second Saturdays schedule, Hot Blown Glass is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Lisa’s hot shop is one of very few of its kind in the state of Indiana, and after seeing glass-blowing many times on TV, I was excited to see this done in person.

It was just as fascinating as I’d hoped. Read more…

Photo opportunities in Hendricks County

If there's one thing I've done in the years since I started this blog, it's take thousands upon thousands of photos of Hendricks County (just look through the tags on the right, and you'll see many that pertain to "home" and "Indiana."). So when I pitched the idea for my most recent blog post to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, I knew I wanted to turn it into an ongoing, seasonal series.

So here's part one: the late-summer photo tour! Look out later this year for a fall tour, as well. You can also check out my earlier summer-themed posts here on this blog.

Bring your camera for a Hendricks County photo safari

Each season of the year offers its own range of interesting scenes and subjects to photograph. Whether you’re an aspiring shutterbug or professional photographer, be sure to bring your camera with you when you visit Hendricks County.

For great late-summer or early-fall photographs, make use of the nice weather and changing light and focus your efforts on outdoor scenes. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Read more...

201/365 DIY kitchen chairs - before and after

I've got a list of projects I want to get done before the holidays, and I was able to cross one off my list this past weekend: finished kitchen chairs!

I want my home to be a colorful, lively space, so I chose to make my kitchen chairs fit into that same theme. Instead of buying a set of four matching chairs, I have one hand-me-down chair (already painted white), and I bought two unfinished, unmatched chairs to supplement it as a start.

That meant more painting for me, and I've just about had my fill of painting.

I primed the chairs several weeks ago, but I finally got around to finishing them this weekend. Here's the first chair, before its final coat, and after a smooth coat of bright yellow spray paint:
Is that cheery or what?

And here's the second chair, which was decidedly more difficult and left my spray-can trigger finger and forearm sore for days afterward:
It was worth it! The two chairs add a nice, fun splash of color into the kitchen.

Next project? Finish painting the laundry room. Yes, more painting.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 100 to 250 in shade at about 4:00 p.m.

272/365 Seeing stars

I get an email newsletter that has loads of fun DIY photography projects, and one of them linked to another blog explaining how to make a bokeh. Last night, I finally got a chance to try it.

A bokeh (called by various other names depending on who you ask) is just a hood that fits over your lens, with a shaped cut-out in the center through which you make your photo.

I chose a star shape for my first bokeh. I used black construction paper and a star paper punch I've had since I was a kid (also handy for making confetti).

The bokeh fits over your lens, then every light point in your frame that is out of focus becomes shaped like the hole in the bokeh.

So this photo is simply out-of-focus lights on our Christmas tree. Cool!

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and handmade bokeh, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 1600.