Fenton for Levay Whimseys

We ran across five pieces of Levay from 1980 while looking through storage. Four baskets, and one small vase. The cool thing about these is that they were all made from the same mold, but had different things done to them. I thought they were a nice example of handmade glass, and the unique finishing touches that can change the whole look of a piece. Really drives home that they are HAND MADE, individually, and not just churned out by a machine.
Mom says she had a whole box of these at one time, but these are all that are left. The vase is signed, “Levay 12/86 1980″. The baskets are not signed.
All of these pieces were made from the butterfly and berries tumbler mold, and vary in height and size, from about 4 inches to about 7 1/2 inches.
Notice the different crimps used to acheive different looks. Also check out the looped handles on the baskets. Neat!

For detailed individual photos, see my album on Facebook, here.

Three Dimensional Cameo Glass Elephants!

These just came in yesterday. They are not available for sale at this time, but I couldn’t resist sharing pictures with you! They are amazing!
These are 3-dimensional, 2 color elephant blanks that Kelsey has had stashed away from before Pilgrim closed. They are 6-7 inches tall, and 10-11 inches long, green over crystal, and sand carved by Kelsey Murphy. Each on is one of a kind, and they both have completely unique personalities. Just too cool!
“Going Bananas” has banana trees and herons carved all around it, while “Oasis Watch” has a jungle scene, including zebras, giraffes, a jungle cat, and herons flying over. Each one has a little mouse hidden on it, also.
For more pictures, see the albums on my Facebook page, here for “Going Bananas”, and here for “Oasis Watch”.
Have a great week!!

New Kelsey Murphy pieces!

We got a few one of a kind Kelsey Murphy pieces in over the weekend. Mostly sand carved Fenton animals, and one 5 color paperweight blown by Ron Hinkle. All beautiful!
I made a photo album of all the pieces over on our Facebook page. It is a public page, so you don’t need to be signed up on Facebook to see it.
If you ARE on Facebook, however, you can become a fan of the page and receive updates in your news feed. Also, you can find me at facebook.com/jesseandjenni, and add me as a friend. Just add a note to let me know where I “know” you from. (i.e. Fenton collector, glass lover, etc.)
Here are a few pictures of the new pieces to whet your appetite.
Have a great week!
Jenni

My First Piece of Cameo Glass

When I got married in 1996, Kelsey Murphy happened to be out visiting my Mom at the time, and was able to attend my wedding. She made this night light as a wedding gift for me. She carved wisteria, and a lovely poem on it. (Just click on the picture to enlarge it)
Not only is it a gorgeous piece, but will always have a very, very special place in my heart. Thank you, Kelsey!
Do you have any pieces that have special meaning to you? Feel free to share below!

“How can I tell if it’s Fenton?”

We hear this question in our store all the time. The answer is not so cut and dry, but let me give you a quick run down.
Fenton Art Glass has been around since 1905. Before the 1970’s, they didn’t mark their glass at all, so to identify it, you will have to buy or check out some books about Fenton glass. (I have links to a few at Amazon.com on the right hand side of this blog.) Read the books, familiarize yourself with the glass.
Now, from the 1970’s on, it gets a little easier. Between 1970 and 1975, Fenton started adding a logo to all of their glass molds. It was an oval with the word Fenton inside it. In the 1980’s, they kept this logo, but added a small number “8″. In the 90’s they added a “9″, and now, they are adding a “0″. This has the added bonus of helping to identify the decade the glass was made.
They have also used a few different logos to signify different things about the piece. For instance, a script “F” inside an oval means that it is a mold Fenton acquired from another glass company.
For a more complete list of logos Fenton has used, with easily recognizable pictures, click here.
It does happen that sometimes the logo gets sort of melted back into the glass while the piece is still hot, and can be very difficult to find, so it’s not a sure-fire way to tell. But most of the time, it works pretty well.
One final note: In 2008, Fenton opened up their International Division, and are now adding a small “USA” to their molds to show the piece was made in the United States.
Any further questions? Feel free to comment below, or email me at jesseandjenni@aol.com.

Example

Summer Is Here!

Summer has definitely arrived here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! It has been unusually warm for us Washingtonians. While the sun shining through the many windows in our shop makes a gorgeous sight, the old building we’re in has no air conditioning, and being on the 3rd floor surrounded by windows, it gets awfully hot in there. So I wanted to warn everyone that we’ve been having to close early when the sun’s out. And if you’re making a special trip, please call first to make sure someone will be there. Our number is 360-568-1339.
Have a fantastic weekend! Happy Summer!
Jenni

Now Find Us On Facebook!

Collectors’ Showcase now has a page on Facebook! Drop by and say hello!
I uploaded some pictures from the 2009 PNWFA convention, and also some pictures I took in our shop today to our new Facebook page. I think you can view them by clicking here, even if you don’t have a Facebook account. If you do have a Facebook account, don’t forget to “Become a Fan” of our page!

What Interests You?

Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous Independence Day!
We had our annual family reunion, and then finished off the John Adams mini-series we’ve been watching in honor of the occasion. What a beautiful day!
So my question for you today is this:
What kinds of things are interesting to you to read about? What would you like me to write about here? What would you guys like to see discussed?
Thanks for your input, and have a wonderful weekend!
P.S. Watch soon for the announcement of where you can go to take part in an online discussion about the magic of cameo glass with Kelsey Murphy and Robert Bomkamp!!

Very Special Vase

My Mom flew back to West Virginia after convention with Kelsey, and just returned yesterday. She brought me the most fabulous gift ever!
Kelsey let her pick out the design and help her make a very special vase for me! She picked irises, which are my all time favorite flower, and bumblebees. It is carved on a light blue iridescent vase, and stands about 10 inches tall. I am so thrilled to have it, it is just beautiful!! And most importantly, made in part by my beloved Mother. I will treasure it always!
Mom says after helping her mask a couple pieces while she was there, she has an entirely new understanding of the work that goes into each one of these hand-made masterpieces.
Thank you to everyone who was concerned, she did great on the trip, and is feeling much more like her old self at last!

PNWFA Convention Wrap Up

Well, we’re home from Oregon, and getting settled back in!
Thank you so much to all of those who have sent their prayers, best wishes, and loving thoughts to my Mom….She made it to convention, and left last night to go back to West Virginia with Kelsey for the week.
We had a wonderful time at convention! Friendly people, beautiful glass, delicious food, and enlightening seminars, what more could you ask for??
I have very exciting news, also! Kelsey and I were talking while we were there, and have decided to work together on a book about cameo glass. The most exciting part about this, is that she wants the book to read like a conversation, and wants all of you to be a part of it!! We are just planning it now, but I will be setting up a blog where Kelsey can share information with you, and you can ask her any questions you may have. This is an awesome opportunity for you to be able to directly get answers from this world famous cameo glass artist! We will also be asking any of you that would like to share pictures of your personal collections, to send in pieces to feature on the blog, and maybe even in the book!
We are thrilled with this idea, and think it is going to be a ton of fun for everyone.
So keep checking back for more information on this project. I will be starting a sign up list for people that want email updates about it.
Hope you’re all having a GREAT first week of summer!