More Pictures

Here's some more pictures. The first photo is a red bud vase with green body wrap. It's beautiful! I haven't been able to get into photoshop and change the orientation of the photo yet (That's why it's sideways) I may do it or not. If you have a LCD flat screen monitor you can easily pick up the monitor and turn it counter clockwise and look at the vase correctly.

Picture #2 is a bowl with Opal Nile Green optic molded and a black lip wrap. I'm looking forward to exploiting this color combination. I think it will make some pretty light fixtures!

Picture #3 is awsome! It is a commission piece for Mike Stanley for his valentine. It is a fluted bowl with curry on the inside, black on the outside, and a curry body wrap! It's from the "Tiger Stripe" series. It rivals the black with cream body/lip wrap commission pieces for Lucia that were posted on this blog on Dec. 18th, 2005. I look forward to doing more with the Tiger Stripe Series!

Picture #4 is a valentines gift for my youngest daughter Krista. It matches the animal print theme in her room.

Picture #5 is a valentines gift for my oldest daughter Kim. She loves brown and pink. I think the color combo rocks!

Gonna be doing some more better stuff as time goes on. I've been blowing more light fixtures in for the restaurant. I have also been blowing matching bud vases and will be blowing matching oil lamps in time. Each booth will have a themed light fixture, vase, and oil lamp.

We're doubling the square footage of our restaurant and I am looking forward to more of a retail presence for the glass and doing more decorating and uping the atmosphere a notch or two.

Looking forward to Andy Boatman getting his new furnace this week. Micah and I will be making a trip to Blue Sage Studios to make sure he's on track! Ha! Ha! We will really be going to get him to help us stay on track.

I went to Bixby this last Friday and finally got me a piece of 304 stainless steel plate 1/2" thick that is 2' x 3' for my marving table. I will be upgrading my marver soon.

I have had 3 folks ask me about glass blowing lessons this week. Thanks for the interest! Possibly late spring or summer. We'll see.

Thanks for checking out my blog.
CM

Some Pictures

I figured out that I have to add pictures from another computer because I think something is wrong with my computer. Here are some photos - I will send more later.

Thanks
CM

Furnace Upgrade

Wow! I installed a new high pressure blower on my furnace and the glass is so hot that it's almost as thin a water. Big difference to what it used to be. The neat part about that is I can get thinner "gathers" and create more depth and I hope better effects. I was using the blower that came with my glory hole because it was more powerful than the other blower I had. Now I switched my glory blower back to the glory hole where it's supposed to be and its considerably hotter than before. It's almost like I have a new furnace and glory hole!

I took more pictures today. I am going to start trying to upload my pictures from a different computer and see it that works.

Andy suggested Picasa - but that's not set-up for mac use.

Looking forward to getting a mac G-5 one of these days.

Thanks to Mike Stanley, Lucia, Glenda, Rolene, and Lisa for the orders for commission pieces.

I have still been busy with the restaurant expansion and still finding time to work out and keep that weight that doesn't belong on me off.

Looking forward to seeing Andy and Brent @ Blue Sage Studios soon (I hope!)

See ya!
CM

Picture Upload still not working

Tried to upload pictures again a couple of different ways. Still not working.

Just a reminder... Glad to see Nathan still checks in on our progress.

Bye for now.
Chris

Expansion!

Hello everybody!

I've been really busy the last month. Our restaurant, Italian JIm's Pizzeria has been steadily increasing in business. (Up slightly over 30% in the last 3 months!) We have now acquired the space next door to us and doubled our square footage. Micah (my son) and I have been doing all the remodeling ourselves and still finding a little time to blow glass. Micah has become very adept as a glassblower's helper. He helps me with all my lip wraps and making transfers. I'm glad he's back home again.

Quite a bit of glass sold over Christmas and I've also had a number of commission pieces to make. Thanks to all who have ordered and bought. Things are going well and I am getting a pleasing amount of interest in the glass at Italian Jim's Pizzeria where I have some on display and for sale. I am blowing lampshades for the hanging light fixtures and will be decorating the new space at Italian Jim's with blown glass light and art.

I have a new green color that is metallic! It is awesome! The pictures of it do not do it justice. It's full glory is realized in the sunlight. I have a picture of it with a red lip wrap on this blog, I am putting other photos of some work that I have done.

Burning the candle on all three ends,
Chris McGahan

(I'VE TRIED OVER HALF A DOZEN TIMES TO UPLOAD THE NEW PHOTOS - IT WON'T FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON) I WILL TRY AGAIN LATER. I HAVE ALMOST A DOZEN PHOTOS TO POST. HOPE IT WORKS NEXT TIME.

THANKS
CM

Here's The Pictures

Here's the pictures of the new display case in Italian Jim's Pizzeria @ 342 S. Mustang Road (Just south of the intersection of Reno on Mustang Rd on the south side of I-40 @ Yukon). I have posted pictures of the "Flaming Kisses" Oil Lamps. I will be doing alot of these around Valentines Day. Notice the Geo-Syncronis air bubbles and the do-dad in the center that looks like a H____ Kiss.

See the blue bowls with the yellow lip wrap. Micah and I made those. Micah, Linda, and I made the beautiful classic black with cream wrap bowl and vase as commission pieces for Lucia. Lucia is cool. I will post some more later. Family is giving me the countdown to go eat.

Bye.
CM

I Finally Have A GBB (Glass Blowing Buddy)

Hello Everybody!

Micah my son is home from college as of Wed. this week. He is really great help! He has been helping me do lip wraps. Wednesday he got home and we worked for about 6 or so hours. Today we worked for about 3. My furnace and glory hole is outside and with the temp down to 25 degrees like is was tonight, it is hard to blow thin glass. The cold wind just sucks the heat out of the piece. We made two really good ones and lost the last 2 due to the cold. Live and learn. One day I'll have everything enclosed in a nice glass studio with a decent consistent temp.

The pieces are getting better. I have been selling a lot of glass at the pizza shop. I have sold about 10 or 12 pieces this week. Sure helps pay that gas bill. Thanks to all who buy.

I'm going to be giving demonstrations this Saturday for Micah's 20th birthday. Also busy blowing Christmas presents. I'll get some pictures posted one day soon I hope. I have started blowing some earth tones and marble like colors. Really Neat! There for a while I was liking (and still do) the bold bright contrasting colors. Last night and tonight I blew some art deco kind of colors. I really like them. They are classy and classic and timeless.

The restaurant (Italian Jim's Pizzeria)has been really busy. This week, M-F we have had 36 caterings. I haven't had a chance to work out in 2 weeks. Still doing my best to maintain that boyish figure. Had a great visit with my good friend Ross Hill today. He is opening a new branch for his bank (Bank 2) over by our property on Morgan Rd and SW 15th sometime in the first 2 or 3 months of next year. If you want to be treated like you are a important person and a valuable customer at a bank - Go to Bank 2. Ross, Ranell, Fran, Steve, Chanel, Mary, etc.. (I could go on and on) are truly awesome. Not getting paid for this just giving credit where credit is due. Ross thinks Italian Jim's has the best pizza! No brag . . . Just Fact!

Well, I got to go. My arm is tired from patting Ross and myself on the back so much.