Saturday 27 October 2012

What Makes Black Glass Black?

Well, I'm darned if I know! Is it the density of pigment? Is there any pigment in glass? Beats me!
But this is one of the wonders of the current world that absolutely drives me nuts. How can something be black, but all the while be blue? ... or green? ... or red?

A dear friend from England ~ home of the world's best glass! A fact accepted by all except a few lucky Californians!!! ~ sent me the most wonderful and generous gift of glass yesterday, and in this wonderful package were several pieces of the most fantastic black glass.

Gorgeous shapes, just in that one facet of their being. Shape!  But so much more is hidden away in these thick, frosty, black-as-pitch treasures!

With the help of the Sun, early this morning I set about cracking the mysteries that were hidden within!

Some were easier than others, and one is holding firm to its secrets even as I write.

Wanting to take some 'artistic' shots, I set up as the sun breached the eastern sky and let loose with the Nikon.


Here they are ~ What beauties! Black beauties from the stony shores of Seaham Beach!! Tossed and tumbled for decades, maybe even centuries, rounded and smoothed, caressed and pounded, by the cold, relentless waves of the North Sea.

And every one a perfect shape, no nicks or chips! He only picked the best to send me! What a kind person he is!

Now, to get inside one of these black treasures you have to be a bit of a contortionist! Aim and shoot, just doesn't work!

Aim, jiggle, focus, twist, side-step ... maybe ... because somewhere around that waiting glass will be "The Perfect Spot" where the light will flash through and all is revealed.

Some revealed themselves as SideLights! and that was what I called the photos when I posted them on Seaglasslovers.ning and SeaglassArtistsandCollectors.ning!


A dazzling flash of colour appears down one side ~ all you have to do is capture it!


Surprises in RED!


Yes, as incredible as it would seem, this glass without the aid of sunlight light, is black!    


And this is my Hold Out! I think it's green but it won't tell me!

What a generous gift this is! He tells me to use it, and make jewellery with it, but somehow I can't.

Not yet!

Maybe some day .......

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Spring in Australia

Well, it beats me how, for someone with so much to say, everywhere, continually, how I can forget to sign in to my own blog and write a new one! I totally forgot August.
And now here we are, Winter has faded, bar the strong August winds hanging around like an uninvited visitor.
Spring is here.
About a month ago I saw these swans on a farm dam not far from home. Next day, when I took my camera, they were gone. Weekend after, on another dam. A few days later ... gone. Oh well, it served me right for not gluing my camera to my hand!
 But earlier this week here they were again, back on the original dam, with some lovely little surprises.

Isn't this the most delightful little fluffy being?

Mum, dad and the kids were resting on the grass when I arrived, and despite being quite a distance away, they took themselves off to the farm dam.



The water seems dirty, but they were happy to swim, roll, ooze themselves in ecstasy across and through it.
They didn't seem too worried, but I didn't want to harrass them. Thank you Nikon, for my gorgeous 55mm - 300mm lens!

 

Four wonderful Spring babies and two loving parents! What a wonderful start to Spring.

Adding Photos ...

Can I?

Yes!!! I CAN!!
But things are different now, and the message that the image isn't able to download is obviously wrong. Maybe Picasa wasn't to blame at all. I'm so glad, as  loved the collage function.

Picasa Steals the Show!

Well ... what can I say? I thought Picasa would be wonderful, but all of a sudden I stopped being able to add photos to my blog, and couldn't edit my photos in My Pictures any more.
Talk about cheesed off!
Picasa took over everything excepting my Nikon programs, so yay Nikon, Way to go!
Now let's see if I can add photos here on my laptop, where Picasa never invaded.

Nope! No more photos! Well, maybe that's what you get when you dare to uninstall it.
I still can't edit in the My Pictures setting either, so just let me say, that downloading Picasa for me at least, was a VERY bad idea!