During a weekend stay-cation in the Valley of the Sun -- my husband and I stayed at one of the local resorts in Scottsdale, AZ.

As I was laying by the pool drinking my cool beverage -- I decided to take a little walk-about and see what I could find with my camera.

I stumbled upon this quiet little scene which was waiting for the bride, groom and guests.

It was the perfect time of year for a wedding in Scottsdale. The sun is shining and the thermometer isn't above the 70's.

During a visit to San Francisco, California I had the chance to take the ferry to Alcatraz Island.

The buildings are getting tired and the paint is falling off the walls. One can almost feel the souls of all the convicts who spent at least part of their lives on this cold, damp island.

Now the walkways are filled with tourists and the plants, shrubs and trees have taken back the land.

This photo was taken above a walkway while others strolled through the past.

The White Castle

During a family vacation to London in 2011 I had the opportunity to visit the Tower of London.

This photograph is the White Tower at the Tower of London, built by William the Conquerer following the Invasion in 1066.

My daughter, who will be earning her Master's in Library Science (MLS) this spring, acts as a personal tour guide whenever we travel. She's a wonderful person and a great person to take on vacation.

The Mill House - New York Botanical Gardens

While visiting New York City last Autumn I had the honor of going to the Botanical Gardens.

My daughter and I took the train to the Bronx and spent most of the day strolling through the red, gold, brown and red colors of the season.

This was the old Mill House located on the property. Many weddings and other social events happen here. After seeing the colors and experiencing the season I can understand why.

Traffic Jam

I've been admiring the Tilt Shift Photography for quite some time now and have recently been playing around with various pictures. The picture shown above was taken during a traffic jam and is a great picture to apply this technique.

What I love about this format is that it makes the photographs appear to me a miniature version of themselves. It has a model railroad effect about the picture.

This picture was not take by me. I chose it from the internet for its depth and amount of color and subject matter.

I will be snapping pictures in and around Scottsdale during the next few weeks and posting my own photographs using the Tilt Shift method.

Sapphire Blue Snowflakes

Shown above is a stained glass panel hand-crafted using an up-cycled glass coaster.

I was going through my kitchen gadgets and donating all the goodies that were no longer being used. When I came upon a stack of four glass coasters I simply couldn't put them into the box of donated goodies.

Although they've been sitting in my studio for more than a year - they've been on my mind. Now that winter is finally here I thought they'd be a good little project to work on while the thermometer dips down into the mid-60's.

Available here.

When Two Worlds Collide

This panel was inspired by the new love of two young people.

Using the color of turquoise from the December birthstone and the color of purple from the opal in the October birthstone - this piece shows what happens when the two worlds come together.

The color of love and passion is red which is the result their love.

This piece will soon be given to the lovely woman in this new relationship. I hope she enjoys viewing the piece as much as I've enjoyed creating it.

Four Butterflies

Although the calendar says it's Autumn - I'm still seeing pretty butterflies in the front garden which is filled with flowers.

This little sun catcher was inspired after picking flowers with my three-year-old granddaughter while she questioned me the entire time. "Where do butterflies sleep?" "How many babies do butterflies have?" "Do the mommy butterflies like girl babies or boy babies?"

Her questions seem to go on and on. But I love her curiosity.

Available for sale here.

Life is Shattered

This little piece of stained glass was inspired by a recent event in my life.

A friend of more than 30-years suddenly died leaving behind a young child and wife.

I was thinking of him and his family and thought of how her life will be changed forever. Her life is shattered.

A sheet of glass is like our own life. All it takes is one event for it to shatter or break apart. The pieces can be picked up and put back together. But somehow, it never will be the same. There will always be a scar. There will always be a small piece missing.

Available here.

Autumn Leaf Stained Glass

I realize that in Scottsdale, Arizona the temperatures often times will exceed 100* F far past the calendar date of Autumn. Today's expected temperature is 96*. We celebrate routinely when the weatherman predicts 'less than one hundred degree days ahead!'

I can only dream of changing leaves, cool/crisp air and picking apples off the tree and eating them. I did that once! Last Fall I visited my daughter in NYC. We rented a car, drove up Long Island and stopped at a few orchards and picked some fresh fruit followed by some amazing pizza at a local eatery.

This little stained glass leaf is my memory of last year. It was fun and the colors of Autumn are wonderful.

Available here.

Italian Countryside Stained Glass Panel

This stained glass panel was designed and made while I daydream of a vacation to Italy.

The three Cypress trees are standing tall against the backdrop of fluffy clouds and purple mountains.

As my 30th wedding anniversary approaches I have to decide if I'm going to travel abroad to see Italy or stay state-side and explore the city of Providence, RI.

Both places intrigue me and are on my list of places to see.

I-19 Barn

During the six years my daughter lived in Tucson we had the opportunity to drive down to the Mexico border a few times.

Although the border towns are a bit dirty the bakeries and small shop-lined streets are fun to walk through for a few hours.

On one of our many visits driving down Highway 19 I had seen an old adobe barn off the old highway. On my last visit I realized the barn was slowly leaning to one side. I guess one could call it 'The Leaning Barn of Highway 19.'

We stopped and snapped a few photos. The clouds were cooperating with me that day and gave a lovely backdrop for the old structure.

I played around with the image in my Photomatix program and gave it an almost comic book look.

The barn has fallen to the ground and cannot be fixed. Anything made from mud, straw and water probably has a shortened life-span during the Monsoon Season.

I hope you enjoy this barn.

Old, Red Firetruck

During a recent photography day-trip to Apache Junction, Arizona I ran across a very old Firetruck parked against the back wall near the train station.

Although my goal was to photograph the train I couldn't help but be intrigued with this old truck.

I wondered how fast it would have gone during its Glory Days. How many fires did it help to extinguish? How many men rode on the back? Was there really a Dalmatian sitting in the front seat?

I hope you enjoy viewing this old truck.

If only it could talk.

Bird Cage Butterfly

A pretty blue stained glass bird cage with a butterfly attached.

This little piece is sparkling as it hangs in the bright Arizona sunshine.

Pineapple Stained Glass

The pineapple has been a universal symbol of hospitality and welcome for many centuries throughout the world.

This pineapple stained glass panel was commissioned by an officer's wife. She and her family are based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky which is the home of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army.

An officer's family has a very high level of duty and responsibility to uphold as they set the example for enlisted personnel and their families.

The woman who requested this piece couldn't think of a nicer way to welcome others into her home than to have a pineapple displayed in her front room window.

The panel pictured above is nearly half-way completed and should be finished and on its way soon.

Pretty Kitty

For all the cat lovers out there - this is a photo of my calico kitty. Her name is Allie and she has a sister named Bernie.

She loves to sit near the studio door and watch the birds as they fly around the yard.

When she was younger - and a little slimmer - she would chase the birds in an attempt to catch them. Now that she's middle-aged. All she does is watch them.

She's still pretty though.

Pretty Red Cherries Stained Glass

As I was sitting down this afternoon remembering fond events from my childhood.

One summer long ago I spent my entire summer vacation in Washington State visiting my favorite Aunt. She and my uncle live on a cherry/apple/pear orchard in the western part of the state.

Running through the grass, stopping to pick fresh asparagus and watching the worms go in and out of the soft ground was what I enjoyed doing.

Cherry trees were plentiful and the cherries were bright red. Making this little sun catcher brought me back that simple time in my life.

This little piece is prettier in person when the sun catches the red and green of the glass.

Pretty Little Blue Spider

A pretty little blue spider -- stained glass suncatcher.

Available for sale here.

Spider Web Stained Glass Piece

Last weekend I was watching the movie Charlotte's Web by E.B. White with my 2 1/2 year-old granddaughter.

Watching the movie brought back fond memories of reading the book over and over in my youth. Somehow I always hoped that Charlotte could survive the ride home in the back of the old pick-up truck.

Anyway - after watching the movie I felt inspired to create this small panel in memory of Charlotte.

This piece is nearly half-way finished. All of the glass pieces are cut and half of them are ground using the diamond-bit glass grinder. I'll finish it this weekend and post pictures of the completed piece.

Following a telephone conversation with a woman from Ft. Campbell, KY - I was commissioned to create a stained glass panel using the design of the unit a colleague's husband is in.

The photos you see above are a partial showing of what will be the finished project.

In addition to the stained glass -- some enamel painting still needs to be done.

Making Waves Stained Glass Panel

Following a weekend trip to San Diego and Coronado Island I felt inspired to create a stained glass panel using the ocean and waves as the focus.

This panel represents the various colors of the ocean and the curves of the waves. A small nugget of purple glass represents the pretty Mother-of-Pearl shells found along the sandy beaches.

Additional photos of this piece can be viewed here.

Back to the Studio

Following a seven-month hiatus from making stained glass art - I'm back in the studio.

This piece was made using a focal point of Glassmasters brand kiln-fired glass.

I surrounded the glass piece using yellow and green shades. Framing the entire piece is zinc came.

In order to give the panel an antique appearance I used a dark patina finish on the solder seams and the frame.

Easter Cross

A gentleman phoned me this afternoon looking for the perfect gift for a friend of his. Apparently his friend has been attending classes in an attempt to covert to Catholicism.

Not only has he completed the requirements but his first Sunday Service in his new-found faith will be this Easter Sunday.

After chatting with this man I designed the two crosses shown above using some of his favorite colors. Each cross is eight inches tall by six inches wide and will have a pretty satin ribbon attached for hanging convenience.

Maple Leaves

A close friend of mine gave me a nice little book highlighting various shapes, colors and style of leaves found throughout the world.

As I was looking through the book recently -- I was inspired to make a few pieces of glass using the book as inspiration.

Available for sale here.

Ice

As I was looking though some of my favorite photographs -- I remembered taking this picture while driving though Utah on our way to Washington state.

It was about 7:00 a.m. and my family and I had just left for the morning driving in the motorhome at about 75 MPH.

As I was looking out the passenger side window I saw the sprinklers had just started spraying water and the ice on the wires were twinkling in the early morning sun.

I asked my husband to quickly pull over to the side of the road while I grabbed my camera.

Well -- trying to stop a 30-foot motorhome traveling at 75 MPH is not an easy task. Although he really didn't want to turn around for a silly photo -- he did.

This is the result of the early morning drive through Utah.

I really love the ice, the water and the frost on the ground.

California Poppies

Flowers are blooming and kitties are helping in the garden.

Allie, a.k.a. 'Garden Kitty' has been helping me work in the yard. Her favorite place to hide is under the leaves of the various flowers which are now in full-bloom.

Saturday Shopping on Etsy

OK -- It's Super Bowl Playoff time and I'm from the fine state of Arizona.

Since our team has made it to the big game I decided to offer up my Saturday Shopping on Etsy to the Arizona Cardinals.

I hope you enjoy my picks for the Cardinals. You won't find any football-related items here but you will find some very nice Cardinals items.

Feel free to click on any of the pictures above. That will take you to each artists' shop on etsy where you can shop around.

In the Style of FLW

During a recent gift exchange I made a stained glass panel for a fellow glass artist.

Using the style of Frank Lloyd Wright i crafted this panel so my friend would have a pretty panel that would remind her of Arizona and the pretty colors we have here.

A Rainbow Through the Branches

The rainfall in the Phoenix area is very slight compared to the northern part of the state.

However, when the rain does fall we are blessed with beautiful rainbows that follow.

This particular splash of color is shown as it was viewed through a Mesquite tree.

Little Helpers

I was in the middle of doing my housework when I realized I had some help sorting through the laundry.

A few days back my husband and I were adopted by a pretty, grey, tabby kitty. She seems to be less than one-year-old and loves to snuggle up behind your ear and neck. She purrs like a freight train and eats like a Great Dane.

Custom Butterfly

I was approached by a large, hairy, tough-looking man who was delivering automobile parts to my husbands auto repair shop.

He pulled me to the side and asked me quietly if I could make a stained glass butterfly using dark purple, light pink and green glass. His mother apparently loves butterflies and is now bed-ridden due to illness.

His desire is to give her this large butterfly in hopes of making her last days as pleasant as possible.

As he drove away in his large 4X4 truck with large, noisy side pipes and shiny chrome wheels I was reminded that all people have a soft spot for someone special in their lives.