New Mature Glass Products for sale

Just freshly listed, brand new mature glass selection. For Adults only! A wide selection of handmade glass sex toys and exercisers from $16 to $42 plus shipping. All handmade and properly annealed for an extended lifetime of use. Click Here if you are an adult!

Glass Animals! (and fuming 101)

This is Caterpie. He is a Glass Caterpillar that I created at the Studio. He is made from borosilicate glass with an internal silver fume. Fuming is one of many ways to add color to glass. For this particular piece, I started with a tube of glass that I opened up into a funnel shape on one end. I prepare my fuming rod by melting some raw silver onto a "punty" which is a glass rod. You warm this all up to prevent cracking in your torch flame. You then sharpen your flame and direct it down the inside of the funnel and hold your fuming rod in the base of the flame. The silver is basically vaporized and carried in the flame to be deposited onto the glass. Makes a beautiful rainbow of colors depending on many factors. You can see Orange, blue, pink and green above. I then close up the funnel end and begin heating the tube section by section to make the body. You kind of gather the glass together as you heat to create the internal restrictions. Then you form the mouth and add the feet, eyes and other decoration with color rods. You can make all kinds of fun critters! I have also done an alligator, several fish and lizards so far. On a side note, wearing respitory protection while attempting this is recommended. Vaporized silver is not good to breath!

President Obama Restores Provision of the Endangered Species Act

via Obama HQ by Christopher Hass on 3/4/09

On Tuesday President Obama issued a presidential memorandum suspending changes that were made to the Endangered Species Act during the final days of the Bush Adminstration.

The Washington Post reported:

In December 2008, the Bush administration changed a longstanding practice under the Endangered Species Act by issuing rules that allowed agencies to move ahead with projects and programs without seeking an independent review by either the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Environmentalists and scientists said this shift could allow agencies to press ahead with plans that could hurt already-vulnerable species across the country.

...House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-W.V.), who had decried the Bush rule and had been trying to reverse it through the legislative process, hailed Obama's decision. "I wholeheartedly support the president's proposal to restore the protections for endangered species that the Bush administration spent so many years trying to undermine," Rahall said in an interview. "It is one more indication that the new administration truly represents change for the better and is committed to the protection of our natural resources and our environment.

Read the full text of the President's memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies . . .

Glass Pendants

I made my first batch of glass pendants this last weekend. I saved all of the interesting scrap glass and my work that went wrong for later use. Once I had a good little pile, I turned each one into a pendant and added a clasp. My favorites are the clear one with the bubbles and the insect cocoon looking one in orange.

Happiness is a Warm Gun

Is the motto under one of the torches at the Glass Blowing studio. I must agree. I submit this photo as evidence! Of course, what I do for my apprenticeship is actually called Lampworking. But who has heard of that? But it is very different from Glass Blowing. Instead of using a large vat of molten glass and a big steel tube, we use glass tubes, glass rods and a small flame. The torches are typically supplied with gas mixtures of Propane and Oxygen. Since the glass can emit eye-damaging light when you get it very hot, special safety glasses are worn. An even more effective second darker set of lenses is kept close by. Focus and patience are essential, while a grasp of "down to earth" physics or fluid dynamics is helpful. Glass is actually a liquid. If you visit a colonial era home here in America, ask for a closer look at the window panes. They are actually thicker at the base then the top. Like a very slim pyramid. When you heat up glass, it just flows quicker. Gravity and centrifugal force are used to control the molten glass. Manipulation of the glass and the addition of color come only and always from constant learning by doing. Stay tuned or sign up for my feed to learn more glassworking tips.

PETA ad banned from Superbowl...

So this ad supporting vegetarians was apparently banned from the Superbowl, good thing we can share it here!!!

The Vegetarians for Social Acceptance just reached 100 members!

The VSA has just reached 100 members! Thank you to everyone for showing your support! As an added surprise, the Vegetarian Times was the 100th to join! I especially enjoy the wonderful recipes they share with us.

Let's keep up the momentum! I invite you and your friends to join us and support vegetarians everywhere! You can also find more information on the VSA via this webpage.

The Vegetarians for Social Acceptance are a collection of people working towards a wider understanding and acceptance of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. All are welcome to join the VSA, you are not required to be a veggie to show your support!

The Goals of the VSA are:
1. Vegetarians should be accepted socially.
2. Disseminate education on vegetarian lifestyle choices.
3. Encourage vegetarian choices, labels or options on restaurant menus.

Any questions, comments, ideas or concerns? Email me at MindJunket@gmail.com