More Internet Resources

I found a few more and decided to add some I already mentioned - I'm going for that comprehensive list sooner or later...

Lark Craft and Jewelry Forums: http://www.larkcrafts.com/
Art Jewelry Forum: http://www.artjewelryforum.org/blog
Bead and Button Forums: http://cs.beadandbutton.com/bnbcs/forums/

Enjoy!

Internet Resource Heaven

Not much to post since I'm heading to the studio to get some torching done but I thought I'd list a few resources for everyone who'd rather just spend the day browsing and catching up on some inspiration. You just can never have to many resources for that!

Lampwork, Etc. Forum: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/
The Storque on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/storque/
Ganoskin: http://www.ganoksin.com/
The Bead Nerd: http://beadnerd.com/
Glassline Forums: http://www.glassline.net/forums/
The International Society of Glass Beadmakers: http://www.isgb.org/
Bead Style Magazine: http://www.beadstylemag.com/
Art Metal: http://www.artmetal.com/brambush/
Jewelry Artists Network: http://www.jewelryartistsnetwork.com/
Glass Art: http://www.glassart.org/
Metal Casting Zone: http://www.metalcastingzone.com/
Warm Glass: http://www.warmglass.com/
Art Jewelry Magazine: http://www.artjewelrymag.com/

This is by no means a comprehensive list (I think I've already mentioned one I don't have listed here) - I was working on that list; and this was the beginning, but for now I'll post it and I'll add to it later. Enjoy! And, if you have any others please add them to your comments and I'll add them to the list.

When is it going to be Friday?

I"ve been doing entirely to much swirling around and it's time for a rest. A nice long an peaceful sleep. Tomorrow some beads. If you're wondering what've been up to - well, I'm working on some classes to submit to Beadfest. We (Susan and I) have co-facilitated classes there before and we think it's time to usher in some tutorials and renew relationship with Kalmbach publishing.

Faces with Character

Old faces show lots of character - traces of life are written in the lines. If someone has smiled all their life you see the little twinkles and lines formed from the facial muscles. Part of my old job was reading the expressions and body language of the children we took care of. To me it's like a puzzle but more interesting. Maybe it's why I took so many semesters of life drawing so long ago. The human condition is fascinating.

Another of the things that fascinated me while I was working was the symbols (tattoos) that the kids bore. Symbols are incredible and we use them every day. Who doesn't understand the universal hand-shake, or a wave, how about the man/woman bathroom symbol? Think about it for a moment and you find you deal with them continually. You have to be able to read and understand the symbols to move about yoiur everyday life. The kids wore gang signs, name tags, histories, and such on their skin. It gave me many conversations as they explained the meanings and symbolism and it also took me to one of my favorite books, African Adorned as we delved into African ancestory and tattoos of a cultural nature.

Historical costuming is fun. Each country seems to have something that symbolizes their culture. Maybe it's why I enjoy the magazine Art Dolls, all the creativity and symbolism. From Art Dolls I happened upon the extraordinary doll maker, Christopher Malone. His dolls are so rich in symbolism you can't help but love them. And as one spark begets another I've interpreted one of Malone's doll faces into one of my own. I'm hoping to expand on the idea and create a felted hat and stand. It will never be a Malone - but the spark of the idea was inspired by him and my well loved book.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the page of my sketchbook and the bead head. When will this be finished? - who knows - it often takes me a while to gather the components. I never rush and could use a good boot in the fanny or a maybe a lion chasing me once in awhile.

Arabian Gazelle

 

True Wild Life | Arabian Gazelle | The Arabian gazelle, or mountain gazelle has a wide range throughout the Middle East, but is listed and protected in the Arabian Peninsula, Palestine, and Sinai. This species has a slender build with a proportionally long neck and long hind legs. It has a dark brown coat, white underparts and a black, short, and bushy tail. Both male and female gazelles have horns and their ears are relatively short. Adults weigh up to 51 lbs on average and females are smaller than males. Arabian gazelles are excellent runners and can reach speeds of 80 km per hour. They have excellent vision, hearing, and a good sense of smell to help detect predators and to find food.

The Arabian gazelle prefers mountainous and hilly habitat consisting of light forests, fields, or desert plateaus. Days are usually spent in the hills and at night or in the early morning they come down to forage. They prefer to eat grasses, herbs, and shrubs but can eat other varieties of food, depending on what is available in their habitat. Groups consist of three to eight gazelles, and males are territorial preferring one or more females in the group and their young. Mating occurs mainly in the early winter, but can take place year-round if food is not scarce. The female gives birth to only one calf after a gestation period of 180 days. Males may leave after about six months, but females may remain with their mother for life.

The main threats to the species is habitat loss. Also hunting and collecting, trade, alien invasive species, and hybridizers threaten the Arabian gazelle population. Strict laws are currently in place and have helped to prevent poaching of the species, but habitat loss and exploitation continue to be a threat.

New Road Trip

Now this has the makings of a great road trip this Saturday when the skys clear. The Chilhuly's are still at the Meijer Gardens and ArtPrize is all over Grand Rapids, Michigan

About ArtPrize®

Designed as a very different art competition, the goal is for the general public and artists to collide, exchange ideas and come away changed.

2010 in brief:

• Grand Rapids, MI USA
• September 22 - October 10
  $449,000 prize ($250,000 to 1st place)
• Top 10 entries receive a prize
• Artists can submit one entry
• Property in downtown Grand Rapids can be a venue
• Venues choose the artists they exhibit
• Anyone attending the event can vote
• Winner is determined by public vote
  

This is one of the works that is being shown and with prizes like this the sculptures are from all over the world. This work was created by Scott Gundersen, who is a Grand Rapid's native.

About the work
Title: Grace
Art form: 2-D
Medium: Recycled Wine Corks
Year created: 2010

Description of work: My work, a portrait, "Grace", measuring 66" by 96" is made from 9217 used wine corks.Grace Karekezi Mwemere, the subject of this piece is a friend from Rwanda. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide Grace was 16 years old. She was captured, separated from her family, tortured, beat and miraculously escaped death. Grace lost her smile and in the ensuing years she experienced anger, acceptance and ultimately forgiveness for her captors. Out of her horrific experience something beautiful happened as Grace came to fully embody her name, shared her story and regained her smile. Her story is a story of transformation. Out of chaos came order and then beauty. My work seeks to do the same. Transforming the ordinary into something more, uncovering the unexpected potential in unexpected things.

Learn more at:

http://www.facebook.com/scottgundersen.art

http://www.scottgundersen.tumblr.com/

See a time-lapse video of "Grace" being made at:

http://vimeo.com/14160479

Road Trip

It was storming here yesterday - it will be storming late tonight and for the next couple of days. Fall weather in the Great Lakes region is full of unpredictability. Today was great! A day sandwiched between thunderstorms that was bright and warm so we decided to skip the daily routine and take a road trip. You know, I think clearer in the car...and if someone knows why this works for me then feel free to chirp in.

The drive took me further North to some resort areas via two lane roads. It's just a little early here for a Fall color tour but the leaves are turning quickly so it won't be long. I stopped to take a few photos along the way and enjoyed some sights.

I love bottle trees and found a new one on our journey so I stopped and took the photo to share. It would have been a great day to be in plane because we ran across this field that was covered in grass graffiti. There were smiley faces, peace signs, USA, and others. To bad I was in a car and not a plane. One of the last stops was Charlevoix, Michigan. Oh my, they are so full of themselves! Man hole covers (especially the fancy ones you see in various cities - they had some really artistic ones in Minneapolis) are generally manufactured here in Michigan at the East Jordon Ironworks. East Jordon isn't far from Charlevoix and now they have this theme around town, "Charlevoix the beautiful." Yup, full of themselves and yes - it is a beautiful area. The harbor is full during the summer, newly renovated, and user friendly. It was nice to walk around the town.

Was I inspired? Absolutely. I had an art teacher once who used to tell us to breathe every experience in. He wanted us to fill our eyes - touch and smell things. I often thought he was instructing us on how to live life. When life is busy beyond reason (usually self -imposed) I often think it's time for a road trip with a vague destination. The city of Petosky was the original goal but on a road trip it doesn't matter if you "arrive" - it's what you experience along the way. Petosky and it's namesake "stones" will still be there next week.

See ya tomorrow!

Art Jewelry

I just thought I'd pop in today and leave the link to Art Jewelry blog. It's an interesting blog and if you like Ornament, Metalsmith, and magazines like that you'll love this blog.

Who Makes That Color Glass?

Help! - I can't keep up anymore. There are SO many colors of glass.

When I first started lampworking there were not as many glass options. Isn’t that true with just about everything? You had to cut strips off of glass sheets (Bullseye did not make rods then) or use Moretti. When I ordered Moretti it came to me in yard long pieces. What a shipping nightmare that must have been but it was easy storage on this end. Usually five or six of these rods made up a pound. I still have a few of these rods. Nah, I don’t hoard glass but the color palette exploded and they were probably replaced with other similar colors.

It also used to be easier to keep track of the colors – there simply weren’t as many. It wasn’t to awfully difficult to remember that the white was soupy and which colors reacted with others. It’s not that I’m lamenting “the good old days” but it can be hard to keep track of today’s glass companies and colors. And, that doesn’t even speak to the issues of compatibility (and ranges of compatibility within a single COE).

But, I figure it eventually comes down to something like what clothing you wear. Really, don’t we all have a tendency to pull the same couple items out of the closet to wear? Or, we grab pretty much our favorite frying pan to cook in? It’s like that with the colors too. I always gravitate back to the same ones and fight a constant battle to expand my horizons.

So, if you want to add a slightly redder orange to your preferred palette where do go to find that in the right color (and COE) now that there are so many companies? You can check the manufacturer’s sites – way to much work. One of the places you can get a good look at how the different colors look is on Miriam Steger’s Blog (when you click on her name you’re going to get the CIM chart/there are many others.) Yeah, I know most of the glass retailers have color charts but these are some of the nicest.

She's made lentils of each color and you can order posters if you’d rather have them for reference. They would actually make very good studio decoration. How nice to be able to compare the manufacturer's palettes before you place your order.

Traverse City

Shopping doesn't happen much around where I live. We are rural/ recreational. Shopping Malls are not a happening item and progressive health care doesn't necessarily happen close to home. It's beautiful here, peaceful, and IMHO isolated from hub bub. Ah, but what if you like hub bub, crowds, shopping, and all the acumen's you can get in an urban setting? You drive...a lot. It's okay. It's a trade off I made to have my children grow up in this environment. That wasn't necessarily better or worse - only different.

Yesterday we drove to Traverse City. It's where my dentist is located - an hour and a half away. I know, it's a constant whine for me on this topic. Yes, there are dentists around here. Don't forget, I said progressive health care - I like health practitioners who know what the newest "things" are. My dental hygienist is top notch and uses a laser to clean teeth. Gone is scraping and grinding. Okay, well, that is to much information on that topic. What we did have was great time while we were there getting the bi-annual cleaning.

Traverse City is an "arty" and progressive community. Lots of things to see and do. Mario Batali keeps a summer home there on Grand Traverse Bay. Michael Moore is a frequent guest and started the Traverse City Film Festival. The downtown is vibrant and interesting. It's safe, trendy, and walkable. There is an opera house downtown - you'd never know it was there by the look of the buildings but inside it's fabulous and has been restored.

We did the "medical thing" and then took a homemade lunch to a park by Logan's Landing. It's a wonderful park that has evolved over the years and there is path that runs in and around the water for the bikers and walkers. After the lunch it was into downtown (like a five minute drive around the corner). We puttered, window shopped, and I took a few photos. Buildings are always intriguing and I'd really like to go inside and investigate all of them - maybe a better job for me would have been a building inspector. Don't you just love the colors and the blocking on some of these?

Tomorrow it's back to the beads. Maybe with a new color blocking influence. Where did I put those enamels I just bought from Bronwen Heilman at the Gathering!

Art Blogs

I adore the Internet. Everything is so at your finger tips. What I’d really like to try; to see if I’d like them, is a computer drawing tablet. From what I can pick up, Wacom makes a pretty good one. Doodling is kind of second nature to me and I do it all the time – I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that before. And, the really weird part of that is that I have this surge of inspiration when I am in the car going somewhere (although that doesn’t have a whole lot to do with post). There must be some wild scientific reason for that but I’m pretty unsure of what that might be.

I go through rolling ball pens continually and have never met one I didn’t just love to pieces. The rolling balls help with arthritis issues. A pencil requires pressure to express yourself – not so with a roller ball or felt pen. Nice invention! So, while surfing art blogs on the Internet I found a list of the most visited “art” sites. Among that list was The Art Bead Scene, no surprise on that one. It’s always a favorite of mine.

As I scrolled down the list I also found this site on doodling. It’s called Doodler’s Anonymous, great site with lots of eye candy. They rock; actually, and I’ll be going back there often.

Another outstanding person with a drawing is Armin Mersmann. He teaches drawing at the Midland Center for the Arts here in Michigan. If you want a comprehensive studio class on drawing this is your guy. I’ve seen very few of his caliber. Go to his site and take a good look – what you’re seeing are drawings – not photographs. They remind of paintings by Chuck Close and are beyond realistic. I wish my drawing tablets looked like that.

I know where I get inspiration and have posted on the topic often. What I’m wondering is where do you get yours? What’s turning your crank lately? Where are you when inspiration strikes?

Darwin's Frog

True Wild Life | Darwin's Frog | Darwin's frog is named after Charles Darwin who came across it on his famous "Voyage of the Beagle". Darwin's frog is a small species of frog, native to the forest streams of Chile and Argentina. Darwin's frogs can be found inhabiting beech-tree forests and fields, in the cooler regions of South America. Darwin's frogs can also be found living near and in slow streams and swamps throughout Chile and across the border into Argentina.

 

Darwin's frog has a very distinct appearance, having evolved to look a bit like a leaf. This means that when the Darwin's frog feels threatened by approaching predators, it simply remains very still on the forest floor looking like a dead-leaf until the danger has passed. Darwin's frog is a small, yet round species of frog that has a triangular shaped head and pointed snout. Despite having some webbing on their back feet, Darwin's frogs do not have webbed front feet as this helps them when moving around on the forest floor.

Like many other amphibian (and indeed frog) species, the Darwin's frog is a carnivorous animal that uses it's long, sticky tongue to catch it's prey. Darwin's frogs feed on a variety of small invertebrates including insects, worms, snails and spiders. Due to it's small size, and despite it's best attempts at blending in, the Darwin's frog has a number of predators in it's native habitat. Small mammals such as rodents, snakes and birds all commonly prey on the Darwin's frog.

The Darwin's frog is well known for the way in which it takes care of it's young. The female lays her eggs, which are then guarded by the male for about 2 weeks. Once hatched, the male Darwin's frog carries the developing tadpoles in a pouch in his throat until they are tiny froglets and are able to hop away. Today, the Darwin's frog is a species that is considered to be vulnerable from extinction mainly due to habitat loss in the Darwin's frog's native habitat, primarily caused by deforestation.

It's Monday

It's back to work day! ACK...maybe just ten more minutes...please!

Happy Birthday Christmas

Welcome to Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, Frankenmuth -Michigan (USA)

Wally Bronner decided he wanted to keep the Christ in the holiday and so that is how it is spelled everywhere in the store.

Interesting title for a post, huh? Today's my birthday - another year older. I've decided maybe those years better start rolling backwards. Why not? No good reason I can think of. Mallory gave me a call today to wish me a happy one and she reminded me to take a look at Facebook. I had left early this morning for Bronner's and rushed out the door. What a joy to return to all of the greetings. It made me blush like a school girl. You guys are great.



The trip for today was to one of my favorite places. I know I misquoted it's size to Mallory but I was close. Bronner's lies on 27 acres of land. It's CHRISTMAS wonderland, 361 days a year (Hey, not on the holiday!). And, the buildings occupy over 7 acres. Some of the trivia is interesting too. For example:



1. The electrical bill on average is $900.00 per day.

2. The parking lot will accommodate 1,250 cars and 50 buses.

3. There are 100,000 lights on the 1/2 mile Christmas Lane that are lit every evening.

4. Need a nativity scene? They have over 500 styles.

5. There are over 350 decorated Christmas trees.

6. Can't live without animation? There are over 700 animated figures available.

7. My suggestion - don't shop on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Over 50,000 people visit on that weekend alone.

8. Are you a Hummel or Precious Moments fanatic? Bronner's collections number over 1000 of each.



I could go on with this but I need to stop. It's very "Old Crow" of me but I love Christmas bling. Twinkle lights - all the color!

I know my photos are NOT going to do Bronner's any justice but I tried. If you want a personalized ornament for family or friends you can get one on just about any topic. They will customize it right there for you.

Are you into birds, fishing, snowflakes, snowmen, music, ad infinitum, they have at least fifty styles and probably fifty variations on the theme. Ornaments are categorized by type, color, country of origin, country of representation (for example, if you need something to represent that awe inspiring vacation in Australia - they have everything from Ayers Rock to a Kangaroo). An ornament might be as near as I will ever get. English, Scottish, Russian, Indian, African, and so on. They are all represented nicely in the "Ornaments of the World" section.



Need a baby tree or ornament for the grand babies? There is a wall of them. I think you can see them behind the the engagement tree photo (which is next to all of the "Our First Christmas" themed things. How do you like that Christmas brides' dress? Don't forget the fur babies either! They've ornaments of every breed and kind...and can personalize those too.

As you can see, I had quite the twinkly day. I saw trees in every color and bought some lights shaped like colorful spiders for my Nightmare Before Christmas tree. I think my eyes are about to pop out from all of the eye candy. It's time for hot tea and winding down. I sincerely doubt that's possible - I'm designing that silly tree in my head.

If you'd like to check out Bronner's yourself they are online and have catalogs. Oh cripes - more facts - they send out 3 million of them a year!

Emo's need Love Too!

I think I might have had another post title like that at one time or another. It might also be accompanied by the first Emo Girl I did a year or so ago. I find the gothic/emo make-up fascinating. This one is kind of like Abby (the scientist) on NCIS but not nearly as cute as she is....who could be! It's so much fun to sculpt faces. For the eyes I used some Thompson enamels sprinkled on with one of those great metal sifters (ala' JC Herrel - who I will say teaches a mean class on enamels!). I purchased them from Arrow Springs to replace the old plastic ones I kept on burning.

Then, I worked the face over where I put down the enamel. It was fun and then I added the heart. I think she needs be on a pendant with a bunch of hanging Emo goodies.

I have two more pumpkins for show and tell. I will list them on Etsy in a day or two when I add some beads - one is green. The poor guy didn't have time to ripen up in the Michigan weather! Or maybe he ate too many cherries...I've done that before and I took on that same green/ ashen look. But, they tasted so sweet. Which reminds me - next week we have an appointment in Traverse City - the Cherry Capital of the north. They've got the right weather for it and produce one heck of a lot of cherries. When we are up there (it's about a 2 hour drive) I will take some photos of the Cherry farms for you. It's proabably the wrong season for it - Spring is better when the blossoms are out but you'll get to see the land. Who knows what will spark a new idea - for me and you.

Have a great day tomorrow. Be nice to yourself.....artists need love too.

Long-Beaked Echidna

True Wild Life | Long Beaked Echidna | Endemic to New Guinea, long-beaked echidnas are widespread and found in both Papua New Guinea in the west and Papua on the Indonesian side. They are also known from the island of Salawati off New Guinea’s western tip, and may possibly occur on the islands of Supiori and Waigeo, although their presence here has yet to be confirmed.

Recently classified as three separate species, long-beaked echidnas belong to an ancient clade of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus of Australia. They are easily distinguished from short-beaked echidnas by their long snouts, which account for two-thirds of the length of the head. Despite laws designed to protect these species, they are in decline in areas accessible to humans. Echidnas have lost much of their forest habitat to logging, mining and farming, and are regarded as highly prized game animals by local people, who hunt them with specially trained dogs. One species, Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, is thought to have an extremely restricted range and may be at high risk of extinction.

Long-beaked echidnas are monotremes, a group that also includes the short-beaked echidna and duck-billed platypus. Fossil evidence indicates that this group of mammals has changed very little during the last 100 million years. However, the fossils do not provide any evidence of the origins of the group and their ancestral relationships, nor to how they relate to marsupials and placental mammals. Fossil monotremes from the Pleistocene Epoch (which began 1.8 million years ago) are very similar to the living species.

The most distinguishing feature of long-beaked echidnas is their long snouts, which curve downwards and account for two-thirds of the length of the head. They have no teeth; instead their tongues are covered in spikes (teeth-like projections), which are very effective in hooking prey and drawing it into the mouth. They have compact, muscular bodies, with strong limbs and claws for digging. Their back and sides are covered with spines, which vary in colour from white through to dark grey or black. The body is also covered in brownish-black hairs, which sometimes hide the spines. Males are larger than females and have spurs on the inside of the hind limbs, near the foot.

Little is known of the ecology of long-beaked echidnas. They are thought to be largely nocturnal, spending the day resting in shallow burrows or hollow logs, and foraging amongst the forest litter at night for food. The diet consists almost exclusively of earthworms, although individuals may occasionally eat termites, insect larvae and ants. Echidnas lead solitary lives, coming together only to breed. This is thought to be seasonal, with the female laying 4-6 eggs into her pouch each July. Hatching occurs ten days later, and the young echidnas remain in the pouch for a further 6-7 weeks, or until the spines develop. All echidnas have the ability to erect their spines when they feel threatened. If the ground is soft, the animal will burrow into it to protect its belly. On hard ground it will curl up into a spiky ball like a hedgehog.

Leafy Sea Dragon

True Wild Life | Leafy Sea Dragon | Sea Dragons are arguably the most spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish. Though close relatives of sea horses, sea dragons have larger bodies and leaf-like appendages which enable them to hide among floating seaweed or kelp beds. Sea dragons feed on larval fishes and amphipods, such as and small shrimp-like crustaceans called mysids ("sea lice"), sucking up their prey in their small mouths. Many of these amphipods feed on the red algae that thrives in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live.

As with their smaller common seahorse (and pipefish) cousins, the male sea dragon carries and incubates the eggs until they hatch. During mating the female deposits up to 250 eggs onto the "brood patch" on the underside of the male's tail. After about eight weeks, the brood hatches, but in nature only about 5 per cent of sea dragons survive to maturity (two years). A fully grown Leafy Sea Dragon grows to about 18 inches (45 cm).

Leafy Sea Dragons are very interesting to watch-- the leafy appendages are not used for movement. The body of a sea dragon scarcely appears to move at all. Steering and turning is through movement of tiny, translucent fins along the sides of the head (pectoral fins, visible above) and propulsion derives from the dorsal fins (along the spine). Their movement is as though an invisible hand were helping, causing them to glide and tumble in peculiar but graceful patterns in slow-motion. This movement appears to mimic the swaying movements of the seaweed and kelp. Only close observation reveals movement of an eye or tiny fins.

Most sources of information about sea dragons say they are found in the ocean waters of southern Western Australia, South Australia and further east along the coastline of Victoria province, Australia.  Sea dragons are protected under Australian law, and their export is strictly regulated. A 1996 assessment by the Australian government's Department of Environmental Heritage indicates "It [the Leafy Sea Dragon] is now completely protected in South Australia because demand for aquarium specimens threatened the species with extinction." Currently the specific law which protects them is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.  For a February 2002 updated overview of the leafy sea dragon, see this page from the Department of Environmental Heritage site.

Blanket Octopus

True Wild Life | Blanket Octopus | This is one weird open ocean octopus! It looks like the Batman symbol flying through the ocean. It's common name, Blanket octopus, comes from their large web which they use to glide through the ocean. Blanket octopuses are rarely observed, but when people see them they notice. One, complete with eggs, washed up in Bermuda while I was off island on vacation. It made the local news and was the talk of the island. Another was recently (Sept 2009) spotted in St. Thomas, USVI.

The blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is a rarely encountered pelagic species that spends its entire life cycle in the open ocean (Norman et al. 2002). Until the first observation of a living male off the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Norman et al. 2002), males were known only from dead individuals picked up in trawls and plankton nets. Like other pelagic octopus species, T. violaceus exhibits sexual size dimorphism. The degree of sexual size dimorphism in this species, however,  is extraordinary: Females may reach 2 m in length whereas the reproductively mature male collected by Norman et al. was just 2.4 cm long. Individual weights of males and females differ by a factor of at least 10,000 (Norman et al. 2002).

Tremoctopus violaceus lives in the open ocean often in deep water (120-750 m) in the Mediterranean and the North and South Atlantic Ocean. The offspring are likely planktonic given the small size of the eggs. These octopuses may reproduce more than once but no one really knows much about their life history.

Olm

True Wild Life | Olm | The olm (also known as the proteus or the cave salamander) is a blind amphibian exclusively found in the underwater caves of southern European lakes and rivers. The olm is also known as the human fish, which refers to the colour of it's skin. The olm is the only species in it's genus and is found inhabiting the waters that flow underground through an extensive limestone region including waters of the Isonzo river basin near Trieste in Italy, through to southern Slovenia, south-western Croatia, and Herzegovina. The olm is most well known for living it's entire life in the darkness of the underwater caves, which has led this species to adapt quite strangely to life without light. The most notable feature of the olm is the fact that it is blind as it's eyes are not properly developed and instead it must rely on incredible hearing and smell to understand it's surroundings.

In a similar way to the axolotl, the olm does not undergo the drastic transformation from young to adult in the same way that frogs and toads do. The olm is also entirely aquatic, hunting, mating, eating and sleeping in the darkness of the underwater caves. As with other amphibious animals, the olm is a carnivore meaning that it gets all the nutrition it needs from eating other animals. Small invertebrates are the main source of food for the olm including worms, aquatic insects, larvae and snails. Due to the fact that the olm lives out it's life in the safety of a dark, underwater cave, it has fewer predators than it would have living both in the water and on land. Fish and other amphibians are the primary predators of the olm along with the very occasional rodent or bird.

The olm does not reach sexual maturity until it is between 10 and 15 years old, and after mating, female olms lay from 5 to 30 eggs in between rocks in the water where she can protect them from hungry predators. Olm tadpoles are less than an inch long when they hatch and take on the appearance of the adult olm by the time they are a few months old.

Today, due to rising levels of water pollution, olm populations are declining meaning that the olm is now considered to be vulnerable to extinction in their native environment.

Pet Bloggin' - Nellie's my name and beauty's my game

This beautiful wise old face belongs to “Whoa Nellie Belle”. She’s the oldest of the household pets. She is also the prima Donna of the house, the cheerleader, non-swimmer, bull in a china shop, prissy, pretty girly girl. Now isn’t that a descriptive sentence. She’ll blow a fart like a guy and look at you like YOU did it and how dare you, hence her name. She has done that since the day we brought her home.

She is also allergic to flea saliva, cats, mold, dust, grass pollen, and especially to bees. We found that out when she was a year old. You see, she loves to stick her nose in flowers and sniff (girly girl). She has always done this and once ate her way through the petals of the flower chain (and my bouquet on a coffee table) by rose’s first, carnations next, and daisies last. But, that’s another story, back to the bees. When she was a year old she was out sniffing the flower bed and was stung square in the nose. The bed she has access to is about 10 feet from the back door. By the time she turned and ran to the door half her face looked like a bowling ball. It was awful. I stuffed a hand full of Benadryl down her and rushed her to the vet. She was, for a while, the only dog I knew who needed an Epipen and who had bottles of cortisone on hand.

We live up the hill from a lake. She is a retriever but doesn’t retrieve. As I said – she’s a cheerleader. Oh, she’ll fake you out alright – get a ball or a toy and she’ll jump around the deck and get all excited. Heck, she’ll even look like she’s going to make a mad dash for it. Ha, got ya! You throw the item and the other dog takes off and she sits down. Her job, as she knows it – is over. She didn’t make the pass as the quarterback and she is NOT the running back. She is the cheerleader and does not indulge otherwise.

And the lake – oh no, ladies don’t swim – they bathe. She does do a great impression of the Loch Ness monster though. She goes out to her knees and sometimes her belly. Then, she sits down or lies down. Ah hmmm, people, where are the bubbles and the soap? Isn’t this just a big bathtub and please do not get my make-up smeared.

Then there are her feet – ur, ah – paws. She has the usual number and if she were a model those babies would be a size 12. Could you imagine buying four Jimmy Choo's in a size 12? And then there is the issue of grace. There is none. If there were an obstacle, no matter how small, it is in her way – she find's it, trips on it, or steps on it. Sometimes she walks on my feet more than me.

If you aren't moving fast enough to please the Princess don't be surprised if you get bumped into. She follows you excitedly like a race car held in the caution flag waiting for the green. Stop abruptly and you will get a cold nose on the leg. Then there is the annoying habit she has if you are not moving with all due haste to meet her needs...she wil boot you, as if she can encourage you to move faster, with those giant paws right square in the back of the knee.

She has personality - I guess her "Pet Mom" does too.

There are new beads out of the kiln, and a few of them are quirky too. I'll get those bead shots up tomorrow.

7 Extinct Animals

True Wild Life | 7 Extinct Animals | From panthers and pandas to rhinos and tigers, dwindling animal numbers speak of the need to step up conservation efforts – if it’s not already too late. As a kind of wake-up call, we decided to take a look at seven extinct megafauna species captured on camera. With modern photography having only been invented in the 1820s, these snapshots are visible testament to just how recently the creatures shown were wiped out – and a jarring reminder of the precarious situation for many species still left on the planet.

1. The Tarpan

The last Tarpan died on a Ukrainian game preserve at Askania Nova in 1876. A prehistoric type of wild horse that once roamed from Southern France and Spain eastwards to central Russia, the Tarpan died out in the wild in the late 1800s. Reasons for its extinction include the destruction of its forest and steppe habitat to make room for people; hunting by farmers averse to their crops being eaten and mares stolen; and absorption into a growing domestic horse population. There have been various attempts to recreate the Tarpan through re-breeding, resulting in horses that do at least resemble their extinct forebears.

2. The Quagga

 

Another extinct equine beast – this time a subspecies of zebra – the last wild Quagga was probably shot in the late 1870s, while the last specimen in captivity died in 1883 at Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam. Once abundant in southern Africa, the Quagga fell victim to ruthless hunting for its meat and hide, and because it was seen by settlers as a competitor to livestock like sheep. It was the coat of the Quagga that distinguished it best, with only the front part of its body showing the zebra’s vivid striped markings. As with the Tarpan, projects to breed back the Quagga have produced favourable results, visually at least.

3. The Javan Tiger

 

The Javan Tiger was a subspecies of tiger found only on the Indonesian island of Java, until it died out as recently as the 1980s. In the early 19th century, the Javan Tiger was common all over the island, but rapid human population increase led to the destruction of its forest habitat. The Javan Tiger was also mercilessly hunted, so that by the 1950s it is thought fewer than 25 remained in the wild. Following in the tracks of the Bali Tiger, which was wiped out in the 1930s, the fate of the Javan Tiger speaks for the precarious position of the tiger species as a whole. Sightings of the subspecies persist but hopes for its survival are fading.

 4. The Caspian Tiger

Another tiger to vanish in the last century was the Caspian Tiger, the last confirmed reports of which date back to before the 1950s. Recent research suggests the Caspian Tiger was largely identical to the Siberian Tiger, but even if not a distinct subspecies, it yet had its own range and habitat. Found in the sparse forest and river basin corridors of Central and Western Asian, this big cat succumbed to intense hunting by the Russian army, who were told to exterminate it during a huge land reclamation programme in the early 1900s. Farmers followed, clearing forestland, and the loss of the Caspian Tiger's primary prey, the boar, spelled its demise.

5. The Syrian Wild Ass

The last member of this species died at Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna in 1928. Formerly occupying the mountains, deserts and steppes between Palestine and Iraq, the Syrian Wild Ass disappeared from the Syrian desert during the 18th century, not helped by war between Palestine and Syria. It was eradicated in Northern Arabia during the 19th century, and then became most seriously threatened with World War I, when its remaining habitat was overrun with fighting forces. The rest is history. This smallest of all recent members of the horse family stood just over 3 feet high at the shoulder and was generally light in colour.

6. The Bubal Hartebeest

 The Bubal Hartebeest was a species of antelope that became extinct in 1923, when a captive female died in Jardin des Plantes in Paris. It was once found over much of North Africa, at least as far east as Egypt, where it was a mythological and sacrificial beast. However, by the 1900s its range was limited to Algeria and the Moroccan High Atlas mountains. Hunting throughout the 19th century drastically reduced the Bubal Hartebeest’s numbers, sealing its fate. A fawn-coloured animal that stood almost 4 feet at the shoulder, the Bubal Hartebeest was characterised by lyre-shaped horns that almost touched at the base. A beautiful beast, sadly missed.

7. The Thylacine

It was 1936 when the last Thylacine took its final breath in Hobart Zoo, Tasmania. Or so we think. Extremely rare if not extinct on the Australian mainland by the time of European colonisation, the Thylacine survived on the island of Tasmania alongside close cousins like the Tasmanian Devil. There, this distinctive, large-jawed beast found itself with a price on its head, as settlers blamed it for attacks on their sheep. The Thylacine was hunted to extinction by bounty hunters and farmers, though other factors such as disease, the introduction of wild dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat may have also played a part in the tragedy.

Although commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf, the Thylacine was neither feline nor canine: while striped like a tiger and sharing various features with large dogs, this marsupial carnivore was wholly unrelated – and with the pouch to prove it. A favourite in cryptozoological circles, there have been numerous sightings of the Thylacine since 1936 – which continue to this day – though none have yet been confirmed. It will be a rare coup for Mother Nature if another Thylacine is ever discovered; otherwise its most vivid memory will sadly survive in little more than photographic form – another dead hero of the natural world.