Grass and Glass

58°f/14.4°C this morning, thin clouds, dry, dry, dry.

Although things appear to still be green in these photos, it is extremely dry still, and most people's lawns and gardens are brown.

I have to water these vintage almost every day. They are in wire-and -moss hanging ingredients planters on the porch.  Vintage is a hardy annual, but these planters dry out so fast.

The roses, however, seem happy and are blooming again, although I see they have blackspot again, so need fungicide.

The yellow climber is poking up through its new arbor.

Not much news to report.  We picked up Sarah and she has been busy at her cabin. I stocked our Ripley booth, and worked on ebay listings and packing sales while Larry continues his interminable work on mowers. Neither is running, and the weedeater quit too, so we bought a new one yesterday. Have I ever said how much I hate gas-powered tools? Nothing but aggravation. The tractor repair guy said that Larry had burned up the starter too when he burned up the wiring and alternator. So that has to be replaced before we get our tractor back. 

But in good news, I have had some stellar ebay sales, including this guy:

I bought this Blenko Glass Flatwoods Monster Decanter when they were offered for sale on October 2020. The company was struggling at that point, and only made 100 of these, between October 19 and November 1 of that year. Honestly I had no idea it was such a limited run, or if I knew I didn't remember. So I was astonished when I saw one sell for $750 a couple years ago. Then a Blenko craze took off and prices for this glass have skyrocketed. I listed my guy for $2500, and it sold in less than 2 days. While I enjoyed owning it, I am happy to see it off to a new home.

This weekend is granddaughter Haley's wedding, so I will have photos to share in my next post!

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

All Kinds of Fun. Not.

Along my son's road

This has been a weekend of catching up.

Mostly catching up cleaning, and sorting out stuff  I have piled in my workroom over the summer. And paperwork, getting all my receipts into the spreadsheet.

So it hasn't been much fun at all, but all these things need to be done some time or other. In the process I put out more autumn decor and even some Halloween, since they are all mixed together in the same totes. Some is in the pile for Goodwill,  as are quite a few glass creamers I picked up when I first got interested in Early American Pattern Glass. At first I thought I would focus on creamers and pitchers but with time my interest has shifted and now I only buy colored pieces, because I mainly use them for display and I can use the different colors for different seasons. That's not to say I am disposing of all my clear pieces, though! 

We cleaned windows too, another not-fun job that gets even less fun as we get older. They are all done, except for taking down the big picture window storm window and cleaning it and the outside of the picture window. That thing is heavy, so we will wait to get help with it. Of course in the process of doing the outside windows, Larry destroyed the bed of four o'clocks. I always know when I ask him to do any task he doesn't like, there will be a cost. I don't know if it's deliberate, or just a subconscious payback! For example, if I ask him to do anything in the garden, I know that some plants will be trampled or broken. He just doesn't see the importance of being careful with plants, I guess. And since I can't do everything myself, I just have to put up with his bull-in-a-china-shop ways.

This morning we are fixing the fridge, again. The evaporator fan in the freezer has died, again.  These little fans are cheaply made, and since Larry can't put an ice tray in the freezer without spilling water everywhere, ice builds up, blocks the vent, builds up behind the back wall of the freezer compartment,  and the fan burns up. This is the third time he has had to replace it, so perhaps he has learned a lesson?

Well, I didn't mean this to be a Larry-bashing post! He is good at many things, like making cider yesterday (which I processed and canned), taking care of our critters, lifting heavy stuff and lots of other things. I have to remind myself of that! Being with someone 24/7, as we are, makes all those irksome things just that much more noticeable while we take for granted the good things. 

My main job today is to pack ebay sales. I sold both of those expensive Blenko vases, 

which means I have some very careful packing to do. Then there are some delicate wineglasses, 

a tall glass chimney and burner for a peg oil lamp, 

two sets of 6 glasses, 

and two hard to find Gay Fad glasses, from the 50s.  

Lots of glass! It takes time to pack it right, and then I keep my fingers crossed that it all travels safely.

Well, back to mopping floors. Want to join me?

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

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.