Around the House

Part of gathering in at this time of year is nesting, at least for me. After a couple months of not being here as much as I'd like, now I'm cleaning and doing a little rearranging while I'm at it.

I've had the mirror in this photo since spring, but when we went to hang it we realized that it was so heavy we'd have to pick a sturdy wall for it. Now it's found a home in the log room behind my paperweight collection.

This is all Blenko glass, and they call the shaded gold to red color tangerine--most glass makers call it amberina.

The main change on the buffet was to lighten it up! I had all kinds of stuff on there, so believe it or not this is a lot less than what was there before. Still too much, so some of this will go to a booth in the future.

This project was something I've wanted to do for 40 years--ever since I've lived here. It was a small thing, one of those that just gets pushed back because it's not that important. But finally, Larry got a shelf put up along the windowsill so I could put some stained glass panels (and more Blenko) up there. It's gorgeous when the sun shines through.

This is a new shelf--someone on the Blenko Facebook page recommended these Ikea shelves as perfect for displaying Blenko and I think they're right. All except two pieces here are Blenko. Care to guess which ones?

In the log room again-- the table got a little facelift with a red cloth and again, less stuff on it. Several decanters are now for sale in my booths.

 The reds and golds seem to add a warm touch to the house. I changed the crystal vase that was on this table for a red Blenko decanter missing its stopper. And again, thinned out what was on the table. A few pieces of Hofbauer Byrdes sold on eBay. I hated to see them go, but I am glad those baskets are no longer making me worry about them getting broken.

It's a small dent in the work that needs to be done to get ready for decorating, but it feels good to at least make a start. Tomorrow, I'll be working on the Thanksgiving menu and putting up the deer meat Larry brought home today. Simple things. They are life's best, and most often overlooked, pleasures.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Two Mysteries Solved: Blenko and Sandwich

The hobby of glass identification can have some interesting twists and turns. The other day I mentioned the two kinds of glass I love and collect, Blenko and Early American Pattern Glass. Now I've run into yet another type of early, early American glass: Sandwich. Take this bottle:

 I found it at a thrift shop, for $1.00. I started to just put it back because it really didn't look like anything special, and it was rough inside the top rim.

But the pontil on the bottom intrigued me.

That rough circle on the bottom of glass means handblown, but the pattern and shape confused me. It was really dirty too. Well, I spent the dollar, and the bottle has been around here for a few months with me looking at it and trying to figure it out.

Finally I posted some photos to a Ball jar collectors group on Facebook; even though these weren't bottle people, there are some very knowledgeable people in the group and I hoped one of them could steer me in the right direction, to a bottle group, but first gave me some starting information to work with. Ah, the intricacies of Facebook! In the bottle group, I learned that what I have is an American Three-Mold Blown Decanter, most likely blown at Boston & Sandwich Glass around 1850. For more about this glass, the museum's website is a great resource. Apparently each mold used for glass production at the Sandwich factory had a number assigned, so now I am hunting for the number of the mold for me piece.

That roughness inside the rim? Sometimes a piece was damaged by its owner so the top was cut down and ground, as happened with my bottle. Pretty clever, I'm thinking. So, one mystery solved. A group member just happened to have a lot of stoppers for these old decanters so maybe I'll be able to show a photo of it all together soon.

Will I become a collector of this glass too? Probably not, but I have learned about something else to look for, and I do believe I might have a couple other pieces of Sandwich in my collection that I have not yet tried to identify. More fun ahead!

The second mystery involved this ash tray:

I thought when I bought it that it was Blenko glass, made in Milton, WV. I've visited their factory a couple times, and have built a pretty nice collection, mostly of pieces found while thrifting. But the Blenko Facebook group said no,this ashtray was not Blenko because they didn't make that coloration. Then yesterday a member found an ashtray very like mine...with the Blenko sticker still attached! It was identified as made from the glass used to make the rare "Rialto" items at Blenko. I was excited but kinda bummed because I had just recently sold the one I had on eBay for a fairly low price. I posted my photo again to the group, and once again...sigh...was told it was not Blenko because the shape is wrong. So I was no longer bummed, and I am still excited because I am hoping one day I'll come upon one of the real Blenko Rialto glass ashtrays. I probably won't buy it to keep, since I don't collect the ashtrays, but it would be fun to just see one in the wild, as we say when we find good glass in some out-of-the-way thrift shop.

The learning continues. The one basic truth I have discovered about glass collecting is that I will never learn all there is to know about the wide, deep and fascinating subject.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

New Glass, Old Glass: Two Nice Finds

I had a doctor appointment today, which pretty much took up my whole day. But there was time to go do a little thrifting afterwards, and I found two things I wanted to share.

First is this gorgeous Blenko pitcher. Those who have been readers for a while know my love of Blenko glass, which is made right here in West Virginia. Their clear colors and clean lines just really speak to me, and in front of a window? Heart-stopping. This pitcher was made around 1990 in the color Blenko calls Dusty Rose.

Each of their designs are given a number. This is 9027-S (for Short, I suppose, since the 9020-L is 4 inches taller). It's heavy, and at 8 1/2" a nice size.

The second piece is another love of mine, Early American Pattern Glass. It's completely at the other end of the spectrum: ornate and old, dating to 1870-1914. This particular piece is a compote in the Job's Tears pattern, made about 1880-1890 by Adams & Company.

It's heavy, the one thing it does have in common with Blenko glass. Most of what I have found in the old glass is in crystal; although there are some colors they are harder to find and generally more expensive. I seem to be getting quite a collection of compotes without really trying--I believe I have 15-20 of them now.
It's the same story as the Blenko; I started with one piece, learned about the glass and got hooked.

So even though going to the doc isn't fun, I did end up having a pretty good day anyway!

If you are interested in glass, there are quite a few groups on Facebook that are invaluable resources. The Blenko Collectors group has excellent files, friendly experts and even a few of the glass designers as members. The Early American Pattern Glass group is also welcoming and knowledgeable. The only caution to joining either is to be prepared to do your homework before asking for help! Read their pinned posts, look at the files and become familiar with the resources they offer before jumping in with a piece to identify. You'll save yourself some embarrassment and you'll save time for all the busy group members. I've certainly learned a lot by being a member of these groups, even if I am often just the fly on the wall, reading and learning from the excellent posts of other members.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Finds! The Recent Hauls

This past week I've had a little time to go out looking for new stock for the booths, and maybe a few things for me. Here's some of what I found:

Four vintage tablecloths that looked like they'd never been used of washed--but they had some stains. After much soaking and a good hot wash, I am happy to say they look much better than they did in this photo. The little hankie and the gold apron were in with them, in a huge cardboard bin of sheets, blankets and pillows.

I hoped this was Blenko, but it was not. Ah well. At 16 inches tall it's still a beauty, and I may just keep it anyway. I like the color!

Remember these chairs? We got them at an auction last year for $7.00. I couldn't stand to let the auctioneer say "no bid" so I bought them. They're Eastlake style parlor chairs with the little wheels on the front legs. But boy they looked bad.

So we took them to our friend who does upholstery, and look at them now! They'll be in our Ravenswood booth soon.

Anchor Hocking's Lido Milano pitcher--I remember buying one of them for my mother when I was about 12, for 79 cents.

Hofbauer German crystal basket--such a beauty!

Purinton slipware plates--I found a few bowls and cups too. Very unusual look to these, and they have a handmade feel. These are mid-century.

Three Blenko pieces! At last, some Blenko found in the wild (as collectors call it when they find something at a thrift or yard sale)! Blenko began assigning numbers to their pieces to indicate the year they were made and the order in which they were added to their designs--I think that's how it is. So the clear one is number 8514, made in 1985. The water bottle is number 384, but I do not think that number reflects the year the design was introduced. The small bottle is 6424--the color of the water bottle and the small bottle is not called amberina by Blenko, but tangerine.

This piece puzzled me at first. I immediately thought "epergne", but it didn't seem right. Made by Taylor, smith & Taylor, this is part of their LuRay Pastels series. It was so dirty I missed seeing that it had been chipped and repaired--I probably would have passed it up had I seen that. It's a fairly rare piece however, so I've listed it on eBay and we'll see how it goes.

Another Blenko--can you see my happy smile? This is #64D. The color I am not sure of--it may be wheat, or honey, or just amber. Blenko used all of those names to designate slight differences in shade. I am leaning towards wheat at this point.

Ah, Hazel Atlas! I do love their glassware! Hazel Atlas sold 10 of its 12 plants to Brockway Glass in 1964. This is their Capri Swirl pattern, in amber. I have a clear set that we use at home; this amber set is now on eBay.

Salem China's Flower Basket pattern has an interesting story attached to it. The pattern was designed by the German artist Wendelin Grossmann of Berlin, and was the inspiration for acclaimed quilter Grace McCance Snyder, who spent sixteen months piecing and assembling her Flower Basket Petit Point quilt. Entirely handmade, the quilt contains 85,789 pieces and 5,400 yards of thread to make 13 full blocks and 4 partial blocks to complete her quilt. The quilt was finished in 1943, and a photo of the quilt was sent to Salem China's President F.W. McKee, who was so impressed that he sent Mrs. Snyder a set of the china. Over the years McKee continued to sent place settings until Mrs. Snyder had 18 settings for her growing family. You can see her quilt on the website of the International Quilt Study and Museum and the Nebraska Historical Society's webpage, among others.

This is a child's set of bowl, plate and mug which I found in their original box. These came in various colors and were made by Tiara, but were sold by Home Interiors.

I have no idea who made this pretty pitcher, but probably Federal or Anchor Hocking. It's already on hold for a friend.

I thought surely this was a Paden City Glass bird, but nope! It's not even American! It's Murano glass, and was made in Italy. It's a striking piece, measuring 12" to the tip of its tail, and 16" long. Very heavy glass.

A pretty little Fenton cream and sugar set were also pretty dirty when found, but nice and clean now. These are from the mid 1950's.

I am not sure of the date on these two plates which were made of slag glass by Akro Agate. another WV company. These are small, and go with a child's tea set.

 And a whole lot more, still to sort and identify! The Southwestern looking round vase has already sold on eBay--it was a Vera Russell signed pottery piece. Not my style, but beautiful.

One special find here--a Russian Tula samovar. The bottom is metal and has an electric heating element inside. The top teapot is china. This thing is just gorgeous! It was a fantastic find, priced very low, and I am hoping to make a good profit on it when I sell it. Right now I am just enjoying looking at it.

More on the table top...

I am lovin' this lamp. It's a pale green color, probably flashed on color but so very pretty. I am tempted to keep this one--but where would I put it? always the $90 dollar question!

In the van, an oak dresser hides beneath a sheet, a primitive blue chair, and lots and lots of bee boxes, given to us by a friend who is no longer keeping bees.

And last, this old beat-up door, which will become a hall stand eventually.

The Week That Was

I looked at my calendar and heaved a sigh of relief. A week that was (almost) clear! I envisioned leisurely mornings, quiet afternoons of painting furniture, simple pleasures. I knew I had one storytelling performance this week, and there was the Veteran's Day parade, but that was it.

Hunh.

Funny that. Because this week has been just as busy as any other. Why did I think it would be different? I'm the same person as I've always been, and that person plans too much, piles on too much, and generally just wears herself out because she forgets that she needs to build in some down time.

We started out well enough. Our daughter-in-law and some grandchildren came over for a visit Monday morning. We had a great time with them, and when they left we started on a few things. Nothing major, we promised ourselves. But those few things kept us working til late evening. We started loading the van for restocking our Marietta booth, and I sorted and priced the things we'd got at the auctions over the weekend.

Tuesday we made applesauce, lots of it. There were apples still hanging in our trees, and we had some leftover applesauce in the cellar from the last apple butter-making, so we figured we'd cook down the rest of the apples and can the sauce in preparation for making another kettle of apple butter. The stuff never goes to waste--with sons, grandchildren and friends that love it, we usually need more than we make. Tuesday was also grocery shopping day, and I added in some shopping for Thanksgiving dinner to spread out the cost a bit. I also met up with a young lady and bought three nice Fiesta pitchers for our booth, and stopped in to Goodwill where I found a like-new pair of insulated coveralls for Larry. Score!

Wednesday was the Veterans' Day parade in our town, and this year Larry decided to participate. We were up and out the door early.

I met granddaughter Hannah for breakfast and then watched the parade with Hannah, Haley and one of their friends. Our town of Ripley does a bang-up job honoring our veterans, with a huge parade, free refreshments, a ceremony on the courthouse lawn, free movies and even an appearance by Eleanor Roosevelt. We left right after the parade, though, because we had a lot of work to do at our booth. We worked until the mall closed at 6:00pm and I think we left it in pretty good shape.

Thursday we were up and out early again to drive to the southern part of West Virginia for my storytelling performance at an elementary school. We got there in enough time to browse a local antique mall where I found a nice Blenko decanter (minus its stopper, but still a great deal).

After the storytelling we stopped at another mall that had awesome stuff and prices to match, but I did find one nice and possibly Blenko vase for a steal. By the time we got home we were both too tired to do much but watch a movie and rest.

Friday found me dragging around, trying to get something done and not being very successful. But I did get some work done on this cabinet. This is a gun-cabinet-turned-jelly cabinet. This is the first time I've used chicken wire in a door, and it was more work than you might think. Live and learn--and of course I had to pick a BIG door to learn on! The biggest thing to watch for is keeping the wire straight, otherwise it would look pretty crazy. I found some youtube tutorials, then just dove in.

I still have to put the bottom drawer back in--looking for some different handles for it.  This one was dark wood with rough oak unfinished shelves inside. I painted inside first with gray paint, then off white chalk paint, used a black chalk paint on the outside and distressed, then waxed with dark wax.

Today I will be working with my friend Jeff Seager on the Christmas carols program we offer each year. We research the carols to find out their history, and present those stories as part of our program. Lots of audience participation and singalong are included in this program which we both enjoy doing. Jeff's guitar and singing really add a lot to the presentation, and each year we seek out new songs so the program remains fresh.

What will Sunday bring? My plan is to restock our Ravenswood booth and take this cabinet over there, but we'll see what comes up.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Auction Time

It's been a long time since we attended an auction, but this weekend we decided it was time to get back into the bidding.

We started the weekend with a quick trip to a flea market that happens only once a month, one we've never managed to get to because it seems like every weekend that it's open, we've been busy. Only a few vendors were set up but I found some great deals on vintage glass.

Probably the most intriguing finds were these two paperweights. They are clearly tagged with old Blenko labels but I'd never seen any like them attributed to Blenko. I posted a photo of them to a Blenko group online, and those serious collectors had never seen any like them either--a nice score. I was also happy to find the MacBeth-Evans Monax cups and plates. And of course, I had to get the little coal carved owl.

Lots of great things for the booth, and a few to keep, like the old pitcher in front which will be added to my collection of Early American Pattern Glass pitchers.

The Friday night auction was at a place new to us, a nice drive out in the country. We took a route that took us across our county's only covered bridge, just because, you know, it's so cool to drive across it. When I was a substitute mail carrier, one of the routes I did included this road and I often stopped to eat my lunch beside the bridge, and walked across it, watching the water flow beneath and thinking about all the people, wagons, horses and so on that had been across those boards.

I saw a good reason to be at this auction on AuctionZip: amberina glass! Also known as tangerine if made by Blenko, this is probably my favorite color, and the online photos of items in the auction included some that just about stopped my heart. And I came home with most of it.

These, I think, are the most likely Blenko items with the exception of the. Don't you love the way this glass looks like fire in the light? I have identified two for sure as Blenko, but am still working on the others.

Both auctions yielded goodness:

A lovely old oak secretary that needs a little love to make it shine,

four split bottom chairs,

two old Eastlake style chairs that will be off to the upholsterers soon,

 A lovely little oak chest that needs only a couple knobs replaced,

an old treadle machine that will become a table, and the drawers sold separately,

a neat old vintage bike in almost pristine condition and a newer model box stove,

an oak Mission-style shelf that needs some cleaning to bring it back to life,

and all kinds of other amazing things. The tea cart in the photo below was a find from my trip to Buffalo, NY, and the coat tree and the tall lamp were purchases from a thrift shop but the rest was all from the auctions--

 like these McCoy planters, old crock, the cider jug and the chick feeder,

and these two awesome oak kitchen clocks complete with their keys and pendulums. There were also three Griswold skillets and lots of other assorted goodies--two Amish buggy lights, cast iron stirrups, etc.

Here's the base of the lamp. It's actually a jade green slag glass, darker than the photo appears. Larry put a new plug on it today and it works great.

Don't you love the stopper in this jug? These two crocks were also from one of the auctions.

It was fun to get back into bidding again. We got lots of nice things for our booths and even a few things to keep for our home, and we saw friends, met interesting people and had a great time.

Today I am back into the painting projects, and it feels good to be back to that work too. I'll post pics of the two pieces I'm working on now as soon as I get them done. Meantime, we're loading the van for some booth restocking later this week.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.