BLENKO GLASS RESTRUCTURE

Blenko Releases INFO
Blenko Glass in Milton has made organizational and management changes “in response to changing market conditions,” according to a press release issued Tuesday.
Richard Blenko, Gene Weekley and Brent Aikman are no longer with the company, according to the release.
During a stockholders meeting Monday, William H. Blenko Jr., Walter J. Blenko Jr. and Don B. Blenko Jr. were elected directors.
William Blenko was elected chairman, Walter Blenko was elected president, and Don Blenko was elected vice president.
“Blenko Glass Company will remain, as it always has, a family owned and run company continuing to make hand blown glass in West Virginia,” the release states.
Check back for more on this developing story.

Art - Truth - Beauty - Come In Many Forms

The mind that is not always caught up in details is your only treasure.Stop chasing details and become still to feel it.The mind that sees details clearly,but is not caught up by them is like a vast borderless mrror.— Ji Aoi Isshi NOTE: PHOTO OF BLENKO 5929L designed by Wayne Husted.

Photos from the collection of Damon Crain - professional photographer and Blenko Museum Co Founder

This LIMITED EDITION Vase is STILL AVAILABLE!

YOU are in LUCK - a small number of the Festival of GLASS vases remain. Its not too late. Phone BLENKO GLASS or order on line today. www.blenkoglass.com phone 304 743 9081. Photo is of Randy RIDER one of the very best glass craftsmen from BLENKO - he serves as Shop Foreman but hasn't given up his chair - the other photo is 'THE VASE' I wish a photo could capture the beauty of this item.hjh

Where To Buy Blenko?

If you live in German Village, Columbus, Ohio - then Helen Winnemore's is the place.
photo from reader.

Rainy Sunday Mornings . . .

Saturday Was all about FOOTBALL in Morgantown, - THE BLUE THE GOLD THE GREEN THE WHITE.....but after the game, we all went back to being West Virginians. My parents and I ate after the game at a small family owned ITALIAN Restaurant Puglioni's. The family at the next table had on green and white - I must admit they were the only Marshall Fans in the restaurant but everyone was very pleasant, and said " you guys plays with a lot of heart, and I'm certain you'll have a winning season." someone else mentioned a recovered 'fumble.' People in WV are most usually very NICE, don't ya think!
If you haven't been to Mountaineer Field its a place of beauty. My parents moved to Touchdown Terrace when it was completed - as my Mom has health & mobility problems, but I know my Dad longs for the day when I'll agree to accompany my Mom and he can return to his seats on the 35 yard in Section 127. TOUCHDOWN TERRACE has great amenities but you CAN"T SEE the game - its the End Zone!
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, in Morgantown, West Virginia, is the football stadium for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, NCAA, Bowl Sub-division football team.
The original Mountaineer Field was located on the school's downtown campus, but it could not be expanded or modernized due to the proximity of campus buildings and roads near the stadium. It seated 38,000 when it was last used in 1979. The new stadium was originally to be called Mountaineer Stadium, but the fans ignored this and called it New Mountaineer Field, with the "new" eventually falling into disuse. Mountaineer Field was constructed in 1980 on the former site of a golf course between the Law School and Medical School buildings. The stadium's original cost was $22 million. Upon completion it had a seating capacity of 50,000. The stadium has been expanded as follows: in 1985, 7,500 seats were added to the south end zone for $7.5 million, the next year 6,000 seats were added to the north end zone for $650,000, and in 2004 luxury suites were added for a cost of $21.1 million, the entire cost of the project paid for privately by a donation from local generic pharmaceutical magnate, Milan Puskar. The most recent expansion actually reduced the seating capacity by 3,500, so the current capacity is 60,000. In summer of 2007 approximately 500 seats were added in the corners of the north end zone and above the weight room in the south end zone. Although the University of South Florida plays at the larger Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the University of Pittsburgh plays at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mountaineer Field is still the largest on-campus facility in the Big East Conference. There are five banks of lights located on the perimeter of the stadium and one long bank along the top of the press box. The field surface was replaced in the summer of 2007, after the 5 year old playing surface was beginning to show signs of wear. The company that installed the 5 year old surface went out of business and was not available to maintain the worn surface. There are 12 luxury seats on the first level of the press box, 18 in the north end zone, and 648 club seats in the north end zone called "Touchdown Terrace".
Still having CAMERA PROBLEMS ! Your photos of BLENKO are most welcome!

Friends of Coal Bowl - And the winner is ...

Marshall and WVU Fans who include BLENKO GLASS LOGO http://www.blenkoglass.com/ in their tailgates. LOGO items currently available at the Visitors Center in Milton and our online shop. 304 743 9081.

Want something with YOUR TEAM LOGO and you DONT SEE IT! Phone 304 743 9081 and ask Rodney Wade if he can help? Changes are he'll wave a magic wand and have the item you want made with the TEAM LOGO! Try it - I can't guarantee success - but it doesn't hurt to ASK!

FRIENDS OF COAL BOWL - Blenko Connection

The Friends of Coal Bowl is an annual college football game played between the West Virginia University Mountaineers and the Marshall University Thundering Herd. The game is sponsored by the Friends of Coal, a coal industry trade group. Planned to be a seven year series, the Friends of Coal Bowl was organized by the West Virginia Coal Association at the urging of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
The first game of the series was played in Morgantown, West Virginia at Mountaineer Field on September 2, 2006 and was won by the Mountaineers 42-10. The location for the game will alternate every year between Morgantown and Huntington, West Virginia where Marshall plays at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The trophy awarded to the winning team is called the Governor's Cup. It will be presented by the West Virginia Governor and housed at the university which wins the annual matchup. Made completely in West Virginia, the trophy is made of a carbon base, a glass pedestal, and football-shaped piece of coal enclosed in glass. It was designed by Rick Mogielski. There is a BLENKO GLASS CONNECTION - FENTON GLASS worker Mr. Fetty who at one time worked at BLENKO GLASS came out of retirement to supervise the making of the glass football - (Mr. Fetty and Mr. Shorty Finley have maintained a life long friendship since their days at Blenko Glass). The GLASS WORKERS of WV - most especially the very talented ones all know one another, they admire each other and learn from one another. Mr. Fetty is known to be one of the very best. A former BLENKO GLASS man, now a retired FENTON GLASS man. Always a WEST VIRGINIA GLASS MAN. THOSE COAL PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO MAKE A TROPHY REALLY SPECIAL!!!
History
Despite both teams being from the state of West Virginia, hard feelings and politics kept the teams from playing for the most part. Teams from West Virginia University and Marshall University had only played 5 previous times before the beginning of this series in 2006.
The '97 match-up is often thought of as the start of "hard feelings" between the two schools. When Marshall moved to Division 1A in 1997 their first game was against WVU. WVU jumped out to a 28-3 lead in the first half. Marshall led that game 31-28 going to the fourth quarter with Randy Moss leading the show. However, two touchdowns in the final quarter gave WVU the victory. At that point, bad blood arose between the two administrations WVU claims Marshall backed out of 3 future games. Marshall claims they were never scheduled. The schools couldn't come to an agreement to play again. Former Marshall head coach Bob Pruett tried to get the WVU Administration to agree to a series, but WVU stood by their stance of wanting 3 out of 4 games to be played in Morgantown, while Marshall demanded 1 out of every 3 be played in Huntington. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin got the schools together and hashed out the current format which includes four games in Morgantown, two in Huntington, and the remaining game will be decided by who wins two out of the first three games. The fair settlement finally got the only two Division 1A schools in the state playing together.
West Virginia won the first match-up of the new series 42-10 in 2006, and the next one in Huntington 48-23 in 2007. WVU will host the game in 2008 then again in 2009 by virtue of winning two of the first three games in the series.
Thank you to WEBMASTER STEVE for the WIKI INFO:

Thanks to Paul J for photo of Friends of Coal Bowl Trophy

www.blenkoproject.org NEEDS YOUR HELP!

http://www.blenkoproject.org/ NEEDS YOU! In an ongoing effort to document WV Glass Workers and their history . Do you have old Blenko Post Cards? We want to borrow them to copy, for the blenkoproject website. We are particularly interested in the 3-4 with Harry Thompson (image above) we are featuring him (Harry) on the BLENKO PROJECT - but we have plans to add Jesse Carpenter and Jarfly Richmond and a couple others, so any old post cards or photos of WV Glass workers (please label the photos) that we might borrow to copy will be greatly appreciated. We will hande with care and return. Or a very clear digital image is always welcome email theblenkoproject@aol.com . Thank you. hjh Your thoughts, comments and suggestions are most welcome.

FTD or Tel - A - Florist That Use BLENKO GLASS?

The letter states: Hillary you say ask for your flowers to be put in a Blenko container - its cost a bit more, but the container last forever. My florist doesn't offer this. Can you list florist in the tri state area that do?
Answer: To be honest. I can't. I will write to BLENKO GLASS and ask if they have a list, I do KNOW that MILTON FLORAL does, and I'm almost certain my own FLORIST CHARLESTON CUT FLOWERS IN CHARLESTON WV has proudly offered BLENKO Glass Containers for over 50 years (they have a sign saying this). I will write more about this and do link for any florist that do offer BLENKO GLASS - IF your FLORIST offers BLENKO send me a note. If you are a FLORIST and you offer BLENKO GLASS send me a note. theblenkoproject@aol.com We all should support FLORIST that support West Virginia made GLASS. I won't have answer immediately so please be patient. hjh

Blenko Tumbler The Old and The New

Henry David Thoreau said " What old people say you cannot do, try and find you can. Old deeds for old people and new deeds for new.
" Doesn't apply to Glass does it?

Mary Helen, Thank you for your note,

Forgive me for not using your photo Blogger wouldn't accept it - the photo shown is very similar to your glass. Blenko did make this LONG ago and is currently making it - The older one is most often etched BLENKO on the bottom and I think if you have them side by side one can tell the difference. Take the old and new and see if you can. My parents have both, old and new and we can always tell the difference. The new is very nice - - - but there is a difference. BLENKO GLASS isn't trying to 'fool' you they have the date stamped on the newer ones. Blenko Glass makes every effort to mark any recycled item so that collectors know when an item was made. Many collectors (like me) are grateful when Blenko re makes an item - otherwise we might never own the item. I'm still looking for those water bottles with handles! Thus far - I have not been able to talk Rodney Wade in to having Blenko re-make Water bottles with handles! Perhaps we can do a letter writing campaign? To answer your question Mary Helen, your older tumbler will retain value. The new tumbler also have value, and both will continue to grow in value. This 448 tumbler has been around for a long time, a classic design. hjh Readers - Your thoughts about this? You all have many more years of experience than I. HELP!

WH ' BILL' BLENKO' Drive

I've written about the propsal to name the street in front of BLENKO GLASS BILL BLENKO DRIVE. Well the WV Legislature voted on this (and we blogged about it) the Blenko Collectors took the PHOTO - next time you drive down to Milton be certain to notice the sign. It pays honor to a most deserving family The BLENKO's of Milton, W.Va. BCS PHOTO hjh

Home Town Pride - A Touch of Glass - Hurricane, W.Va.

Photo: A Vintage Blenko Challic engraved by Touch of Glass

Heart of Glass is all about home town, home state, PRIDE. . . and A TOUCH OF GLASS in Hurricane West Virginia is a compliment to most any piece of glass or ceramic.

Martha and Donna are the key players in this operation - they work in a mature landscaped lot complete with water fall, koi pond with hand blown object of art in the center, the entire yard is post card picture perfect. I'd visit often - if only to view the landscape in different seasons.

Donna and Martha repair stain glass windows, they do work for high end NYC folk, as well as for 'drop ins' like me, when I ask them to describe their business Donna said:

"A Touch of Glass, specialists in glass art, uses hand engraving, wheel engraving, sand etching, and screen printing to create products that fill the need for "something special."
Olden crafts, practiced skillfully with patience and pride...producing treasures for today and heirlooms for tomorrow.

Note: When you buy that special piece of BLENKO for the birthday, wedding gift, or wedding party gift, take it to A TOUCH OF GLASS have everything personalized.

A Touch of Glass
101 Winners Circle Hurricane, WV 25526(304) 562-5435(800) 296-5435(304) 562-7179 (fax)info@westvirginiaglass.com

OWL

The Owl Of Ignorance Lay The Egg Of Pride - Proverb

Your Letter:

Hillary I bought the Owls at Blenko Glass last week for $22 each as you said OWLS were highly collectible. Blenko had a lot of them. What makes Owls highly Collectible? Patty Baisden

Patty, I'm not sure when you heard me speak about the BLENKO OWLS but I do like them, and they are sought after, and expensive. I don't have one in my small collection. I should apologize for confusing you. Blenko makes a number of OWLS - the one you bought is a book end,think. I was speaking of the58390 Husted Owl. While I don't own one - I'm borrowing a photo from the Blenko Museum Website for you. Vintage Glass House currently has one in stock for sale the description and price follows: Owl vase designed by Wayne Husted in 1958, made for 1 year only, Signed, #5830S in Mulberry, 6.5in.H x 4.75in.D, $445. Also you can find several other photos of the OWL on various Blenko inspired website in other colors. Happy Hunting.

Osburn Modern Glass

Mountain Rita wrote to ask where the Clown she saw when touring my parents glass garden came from - was it Blenko -

The Answer is - Not exactly....

Its OSBURN MODERN GLASS

Milton, W.Va.

Dave Osburn worked at Blenko for more than 30 years before opening his open shop in what use to be Gibson Glass.
Check out his website, his glass is sold on line, and also at Tamarack, and by Larry's Serenity Glass in Dallas, and Dixie's of Texas and D&K on Ebay. Dave Osburn has quickly become a very well known independent glass artist producing a small line of unique, glass objects of art.

The CLOWN that Mountain Rita saw was on the patio for the tour only - he lives in Morgantown with Ms B and I. The Clown was a gift from Dave Osburn when he first designed the Limited Edition CLOWN. Dave knows of my love of RUBY Glass and thus he made a 'special' clown with Ruby for Ms B and I. When you are going to BLENKO GLASS http://www.blenkoglass.com/ or after stop by OSBURN MODERN GLASS its just up the road on the right. Beautiful colors, style, and terrific prices! If you don't see what you want - ASK! I've known Dave to alter designs to please customers. Its a small shop and he delights in pleasing the customer.

West Virginia Businesses. Its all about the CUSTOMER! BUY MADE IN WEST VIRGINIA! BUY MADE IN THE USA ALWAYS.

NERB -

Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners
'''Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners''' (NERB) is one of four examination agencies for [[dentist]]s in the [[United Stat ... * http://www.nerb.org/

Today I'll spend 8 hours taking the NERB (its a 3 part exam - this is the manikin exam).

The exam consist of performing Root canals and Crown preps.

Your positive thoughts, Vibes, Prayers, etc are most welcome.

Serenity 'Glass with Class'

All collectors are looking for that special shop or shopkeeper - Avid Blenko COllECTOR and Vice President of the Blenko Collectors Society - Larry Bartholf is 'That Shopkeeper' for many Blenko Collectors - Larry was kind enough to provide us with info and photos of the Glass Shop he owns in Texas.

Note: He does phone and email orders.

Serenity ‘Glass with Class’ the Crown Jewel of Historic Downtown Carrollton TXAnd home to “Wags von Floppy Puppy” and "Spats Houdini Damnit"Larry Bartholf didn’t grow up aspiring to be dealer in American elegant handmade glassware – things just sort of worked out that way.“We were sorting through some things left behind by my mother-in-law after she passed away, and found some antiques, including glassware.” “She had a wonderful collection that we decided we would try to grow.”Unfortunately some of our early experiences were not favorable, as Carol and I encountered some less-than-scrupulous dealers who preyed on our lack of knowledge about glassware.“We didn’t know what we were doing”. “But we kept going and eventually grew from a few pieces in a shared storefront to now having many thousands of dollars in glass inventory spanning more than one hundred years of production, by many different companies, several no longer in business.Serenity ‘Glass with Class’ carries several exclusive brands including Blenko Art Glass, Fenton Art Glass, Franz Collection fine Porcelain at their location at 1013 S. Broadway in Historic Downtown Carrollton TX.Serenity ‘Glass with Class’ also has a wide array of vintage Handcrafted American glassware by Fostoria, Tiffin, Cambridge, and other historic American glass companies.“We’ve established relationships with some of the best Glass artists and dealers from around the country.” “As a result we have a wide variety of merchandise from crystal nail files to fine porcelain tea sets from studio art glass pieces to dramatic accent pieces for the most formal table settings. All of this along side elegant handmade glassware from the 1880’s to present. Much of this inventory is handcrafted in America, with many items coming from companies that no longer exist.“That’s because glassmaking is a dying art.” “For numerous reasons- one is its very labor intensive. It is hot, dirty, hard labor. Your working in front of a furnace that’s got two thousand + degree molten glass in it which you are moving from place to place with metal pipes.” “Couple this with the rising cost of natural gas and raw materials makes for a very costly operation.”“The finished product can be exquisite, however, and all the more valuable for those who appreciate quality workmanship.” “It’s art.” Very much so, in the sense that when you look at the glassware that’s available today on the open market, from China or Europe, it is probably a product that ‘s never been touched by human from the time the raw materials are received at the factory until the final inspection.”Work done exclusively by machines takes away from the products crafted feel, there is no comparison in the overall quality.Prices range from less than $5 for glass “Faith Stones” to upwards of $500 for some of the stores more dramatic collectible handcrafted vases. Larry invites everyone to stop by, pet “Wags” and "Spats" learn about American handcrafted glassware, and enjoy the vibrant colors and exquisite art forms during normal business hours or to call 214-724-5081. We will research and identify your vintage American handcrafted glassware free of charge, just bring in a piece and we will do the rest.Happy Glass hunting and collecting to all!!!!!Serenity 'Glass with Class'1013 S BroadwayCarrollton TX 75006Website:

http://serenityantiques.com/Blog: americanglass.blogspot.comEmail: larry@serenityantiques.com

Phone: (214) 724 5081

#1 Blenko Chalice 22" X12" - 2007
#2 Fostoria Tobacco Jar and Ewer - 1890's
#3 Hawkes Cheese Server - 1880's
#4 Blenko 'Wild Rose" - 1944
#5 Osburn 'Black Cat' - 2008
#7 Fostoria American Hurricane with Chimney -1940's 1950's
#8 Fostoria American Bell candle (marked sample) - 1936 - 1958
Can you identify the photos?

Charisma

Charisma is more than just the last great Specialty Line Blenko made; it is an uncommonly beautiful and eloquent swan song for Blenko's historic period of 1947-74 courtesy of John Nickerson in his first full year as Blenko's design director. With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor and a knowing nod towards some of the absurd names given to Blenko designs, I will call this the Charisma "cover girl" decanter (I hope I don't regret that!). This particular design is, after all, the one chosen to represent the Charisma line by being pictured, hovering and alone in the spotlight, on the 1972 catalog cover. It was in fact the first and only time that Blenko ever featured a single decanter on the cover, and a more perfect candidate does not exist.

As discussed on the Blenko Museum's website, "A Specialty Line is a themed group of designs that are technically 'special' or different from Blenko's normal production, and consist of multiple shapes that are aesthetically related. [the] Specialty Lines were an important departure for Blenko and indicate an impulse to innovate and experiment in spite of the risks. The Specialty Lines are a testament to a company in its prime."

To borrow from my explanation of Charisma published in the 2007 issue of Miller's Guide, the Charisma line consist of 10 designs executed in crystal with an internal garland pattern Ruby colorway. The technique was an appropriate and historically relevant one as it was essentially a revival of a technique used in the mid-Atlantic region of America circa 1860-1880. Mid-Atlantic glass is recognized as an important milestone as it was the first large scale iteration of the American glass industry, established in 1739.

Charisma was a significant, if short-lived, move towards more technically demanding and elaborate work at Blenko. It represented their first instance of the use of an internal colorway as well as the revival of the concept of the Specialty Line which was formally established in 1960 by Wayne Husted (Rialto , Regal and Raindrop). This revival is surprising in that the 1960 experiment was a financial disaster for Blenko and can perhaps be interpreted as a last resort; Charisma was effectively a line in the sand against the encroaching competition of Studio Glass. Sadly this line was ultimately crossed against Blenko's favor.

Returning to this particular shape, it is based on a traditional form known as a "ship's decanter" because the broad bottom with low center of gravity ensures stability at sea. In effect we have a very historically aware design here - quoting both important technique and form - but reinterpreted in a very modern way, a very uniquely Blenko way. I would personally place this shape as among the most important designs of the line, not the least of which for its self-evident beauty. Charisma is easily one of Nickerson's most insightful and important innovations at Blenko, one that deserves its place in history.

*Article and photo by Damon Crane, taken with permission from Vintage Modern Glasshouse

Where To Buy Blenko?

The lovely Vintage Blenko and American Glass - where to buy? This is often the subject of your email to theblenkoproject@aol.com . While its a known fact, I'm a student without money, so I don't shop vintage. One of the places I can strongly recommend is a seller Dreama Wood from the Montgomery, West Virginia area. Dreama did a workshop for the BLENKO COLLECTORS SOCIETY on color identification of Blenko Glass - it was an extensive study leading to a page on the Blenko Collectors Four website. Dreama and her family like many others in the Blenko Collectors Society collect BLENKO and American Glass as a family hobby.
Check her out of EBAY - if you don't see the item you are looking for, ask her to help? If you find water bottles with handles...Call me!
D And K Collectibles
Maintained by: dandkcollectibles( 8605)
Specializing in New Blenko, Vintage Blenko, Gibson Glass, Hinkle Glass, Osburn Modern Glass, Glass Dimensions, and Other WV Glass

TEXAS

This summer I'm planning a road trip to TEXAS. The folks in TEXAS love BLENKO! Some of the nicest collections of Blenko are housed in lovely Texas homes.

Karin Alonzo (President of Blenko Collectors Society) and her husband Tim along with 14-20 other members of their local 'collectors club' come to Milton yearly for the BCS weekend.

Dedication - enthusiasm - charm- devotion to Made In USA, an interest in preserving the history of handcrafted glass - these are my kinda people!

Larry who has many times (and we hope he'll continue to do so) sent photos and announcements to the HEART OF GLASS blog is starting his own blog - he has provided a link to his SERENITY ANTIQUES shop. Visit his blog, and photos. The more info about BLENKO GLASS on the web, the greater chance we'll 'hook' newbies.

Thank you Larry!

Image of 30s plates sent by Margie - it looks as if it maybe a Damon Crain photo but not for certain. GREAT PHOTO.

Hillary; Rather than flooding You with photos I created a page on my website with some photos of Blenko glass in my current inventory 28 at this time. ( http://serenityantiques.com/blenko2008/blenko.htm )
( http://serenityantiques.com/)
I have also started a Blog on American Handmade Glassware New and Old.
http://americanglass.blogspot.com/
We will attempt to identify any pieces of glass that we receive CLEAR CLOSE UP photos of. Thank You for all of your hard work and the inspiration for me to start this blog. Iwill have a link to the Blenko project for sure.
Thanks. Larry from TEXAS

Blenko Cat Decanter

This amazing figural design is clearly one of designer Wayne Husted's most innovative moments. This rare cat shaped decanter with removable head stopper was part of a series of three iterations of the form, including a small decanter and vase form (pictured as a group below). Whereas the smaller version is called the "kitty" decanter in the original catalog, this dignified Siamese sentinel is the "cat" decanter, out of deference to its imposing scale.

This version of the three variations of the design is by far the rarest, having been made for only one year (compared to two for the others) and due to the fact that clearly fewer must have been made - no doubt the very high price in the original 1955 retail catalog explains this. It is also the most impressive.

Clearly the form is a decorative sculpture and not intended to be functional, as is often incorrectly assumed due to the handle-like tail. However the protruding tail that wraps gracefully around the side of the body from bottom to top either regularly suffered from annealing problems during fabrication (different types of glass cool at different speeds, thus resulting in stress between the two) or was just misused. Based on the regularity of occurrence I would assume the former. Regardless the reason, the result is the same; the majority of these cats have fractures within the top tail joint, as does this one.

Very rare Cat decanter designed by Wayne Husted in 1955 and made for 1 year only, #5510L in Charcoal, 16.75in.H x 5.5in.D

*Description and photo from Glasshouse Check out this webstore for the best quality and most unique selection of BLENKO and Vintage Glass.

Blenko Project Website, Blenko Future?& How Do I Find Great Vintage Glass?

The two most frequent questions I receive are : #1 ) "Why does it take you so long to get things on your website? http://www.blenkoproject.org/ and why don't you update it at least monthly."
The answer to this question is, I am a full time dental student, my webmaster is a professional and I'm his only freebie, he is kind enough to 'work' on the Blenko Project when he isn't traveling, dealing with his own family, or working on one of the many projects that bring $$$ to his family. If a budding web designer is reading this and has desire to asist. We WELCOME you. Otherwise until after summer of 09. This is the way it is.
Question 2) Is actually a two part question - a) " I heard Blenko is closing, are they? b) How do people find this beautiful vintage glass, where should I look?"
Answer is: a) I certainly hope BLENKO GLASS will be functioning for another 200 years, and IF you all buy BLENKO (new) and tell your friends what wonderful items they have - BLENKO will continue. Blenko like most all family owned business is feeling the crunch of gas prices and the slow economy....but this Family is strong willed and determined to keep the Factory open. b) WHERE TO FIND THE BEST BLENKO ? My answer is to buy new and 'age' it yourself. Next suggestion is the check out BLENKO MUSEUM website to see whats available and what you want to look for - so you KNOW when you see it that its BLENKO. If you have real money to spend, I'd phone Damon Crain and ask him to search.
Most everyone has "special places" where they find BLENKO. My own family collects together - we believe families that share hobbies will stay close. Collecting BLENKO is a wonderful way to teach your children about quality, and the need to buy locally, and buy Made In USA.
A recent note from a Texas family their glass was recently added to http://www.blenkoproject.org/ collection page wrote the following about 'finding' glass. NOTE: THE Specht Family LIKE MOST OF THE 2,000 people in Blenko Project survey first learned of BLENKO GLASS from PBS special. Many people believe the PBS Films are much needed form of marketing for WV GLASS.
Hillary,
Greetings from North Texas.
The Specht's have referred to the farm we live on as the old homeplace since 1918. I have included a picture of my family that you are free to use on the Blenko Project web page as well. From left to right sitting on the fireplace hearth is Kayla, Debbie, and Bruce with Katie sitting on the floor.I should add that this is in our new home that we are just completing construction. This has lots of areas to display what has turned out to be quite a large collection of Blenko. We got started, as most people who haven't had the pleasure of living in West Virginia, when we caught the broadcast of "Hearts of Glass " on PBS. For some reason it just "clicked" with me since I grew up in a large Methodist church that had incredible stained glass windows. Now I would like to be able to say that it was Blenko Glass in those windows, but I have no way to know. The colors reminded me so much of the panels that depicted the life of Christ and the clothing and other details that it touched me on a very emotional level. I had already assembled a large collection of Southern Highland Guild Pottery from the likes of W.J. Gordy and Charles Counts and this just connected with the whole handmade or handcrafted nature of items that my family identifies with. Debbie and I set out to research and try to start a collection. After reading Leslie PIna's book "Blenko: Cool Glass of the 50's and 60's" we set up an Ebay account and jumped into the fray. We learned real fast that Ebay is unlike any auction we had ever encountered. Lots of different strategies we had to learn before we ever won our first auction, but learn we did, so that now I can say Ebay has been great.
But that only accounts for a little over half of our collection. Since I was originally raised in Georgia and still have real estate interests, family and friends there, we have found ourselves making the thousand mile trek several times a year. So what better way to take a break from the road than to do a little antiquing. We have also made trips annually to South Dakota for my daughters competition in National Pedal Pulls and south Florida to visit other family. Of course we have made, at last count, three separate trips to Milton to watch the craftsmen at work in the Blenko factory which was an incredible experience for the girls to see. My youngest daughter, Kayla, has definitely got the Blenko "bug". She has studied all the Pina books as well as the Eason Eige reference book and is a real lifesaver when it comes time to searching the antique stores and estate sales we frequent. She has more than once popped up behind me with a great big grin and holding up a piece that the rest of us overlooked or stopped me with the dreaded words of "Dad, that's got a crack". Many of our best pieces in the 600+ piece collection are finds in small out of the way places we stopped at during our trips.
Two goals that I set for our collection was to complete a set of '36-37 "Cobweb" vases and a complete set of Gump's decanters. The first we met this spring (2008), and just in time for an exhibit of part of our collection at the Kemp Center for the Arts in Wichita Falls, Texas. Several of the pictures are related to that exhibit, or were made in preparation of a catalog of the pieces that were on loan. I am sure that with a little luck and time we will eventually be able to complete the Gump's collection as well.
Our collection spans almost every year of Blenko's production, and rightly so, since it all reflects the beauty and craftsmanship distinctly Blenko.
Bruce
Thank you to the Specht family for allowing us to share their photos http://www.blenkoproject.org/ . Happy Hunting! Share your photos and your stories of BLENKO and American Glass send to theblenkoproject@aol.com it doesn't have to be a massive collection, we all enjoy seeing photos of BLENKO. hjh

Is My Bowl Blenko Alpine? Is it Valuable?

According to the Blenko Collectors Four it is not. This item (see photo) is the only design made in Alpine.
The bowl in your photo is Viking Glass and not Blenko or Alpine. If it were Alpine and Blenko It would be valuable.

Blenko Alpine
Alpine was only made in 1993. This is the only design made in this color.
Photo and Info from Blenko Collectors.

Mold Question

Several emails asking same or similar questions.

Are the metal molds make in WV?

Does the designer create the mold?

What is the history of blenko molds? Can one purchase the no longer used molds?

I don't have the answers - did write to BLENKO GLASS - will post the response when it arrives.

T. Kosla from Chicago wrote to say BLENKO uses both wood and metal molds and the mold maker is a Blenko employee.

I have written to Blenko 9/2 /08 for answer and more info about the mold maker, when the response arrives I'll post.
If you are reading this and you have additonal information about mold making at Blenko or other WV Glass factories please comment or send email to theblenkoproject@aol.com . Thanks!

Note : Mold photo from Larry of Texas.

Blenko and DVM Chiropractic Medicine

Lucky is the FLUFF (dog or cat) who has a BLENKO GLASS food and water bowl. For a few extra dollars your pets name can be etched into the bowl. GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT for your pet, or a pet loving friend.

http://www.blenkoglass.com/, Ms. B (blenko) has used exclusively BLENKO for her meals since she came to live in Morgantown three years ago. It's heavy, not easily moved, easy to clean - I toss it in the dishwasher weekly.

At a recent BICHON CLUB http://www.bichonfrise.com/ Dr Livolsi a DVM who uses chirpratic methods on dogs and cats gave a lecture. http://www.dr.dinalivolsi.com/ .

She will be holding workshops this week at the Fox Run Equine Center off of Route 380 in Murrysville on Wednesday night and next Saturday morning on Canine Massage. YOU get to work with YOUR dog! It is a two hour workshop and she give individual attention. There is a minimum of 10 participants with a maximum of 12 per class. The cost is $50.00 for if preregistered. I am attaching the form here. For further info you can call her at 412-824-6276.

This is about 4 hour drive from Huntington / Charleston / and 45 minutes from Morgantown. Make a day trip, visit the Heinz Hall exhibits, do the Massage workshop, go over to see the BLENKO Glass at Carnegie Mellon, have lunch at Tamadori's and then return home.

Photographing Blenko - WVJanis

The following is from Blog Friend - West Virginia Janis

Please send your photos, your ideas, questions, your BLENKO comments to theblenkoproject@aol.com

Someone was asking me about photographing glass. As many of you can guess, I LOVE to photograph WV Glass. Photographing glass, after a hard day at work, is very relaxing. If you have a digital camera, try it!BEWARE!!!!! Glass is VERY hard to photograph. These three shots represent about an hour of work and are still far from perfect. You have to get the light right. The tall pieces are hard to make look pretty-- if you get the whole piece from top to bottom. I try to find glass pieces that look good together. Another suggestion is to find a piece of pottery or something solid that adds visual interest without competing. Glass allows the eye to see beyond the surface. Pottery and white blankets stop the eye.The photo of the three pieces spread out on a blanket is for archival purposes. What do you have? What does it look like from top to bottom? I only added the yellow pieces for visual interest. They are not BLENKO. It is my understanding that the blue/green decanter and the red vase are BLENKO. The photo of the red vase is the kind of photo I take to capture the details of a piece. Not the best depth of field but I like the angle and the deer spots peeking around the corner. The green/blue and red/yellow pieces together is my my favorite shot. The blue/green piece with yellow rings is a BLENKO piece. The red/yellow vase in Kanawha. I didn't used to like the piece with the yellow rings until I discovered how well it photographs with other glass around it. Don't be afraid to take close ups of your glass. Enjoy!

Corning Site of Glass Gathering

You collect and you love WV and American Glass - take the next step - become a member of the Museum of American Glass in Weston, and then plan to attend this glass history conference. hjh
Weston, WV – This year’s Glass Gathering, a regional glass history conference, will be held at Corning New York on October 24 and 25, 2008. It is the 17th annual conference sponsored by the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia. The conference location alternates between Weston, West Virginia, home of the museum, and places with interesting glass sites nearby. And surely there is no better place to study glass than the world famous Corning Museum of Glass. The CMOG website says it best. "The Corning Museum of Glass is where the world—from serious scholars to those simply interested in discovering—turns to learn more about the art, history, craft, or technology of this incredible material. Spend some time at our Museum, and we guarantee you'll learn to see glass in a whole new light."
In addition to touring the museum and its Rakow Library, the program includes a Steuben hot glass tour and presentations by noted glass experts. All glass lovers are welcome. The $89 registration fee includes two lunches, a dinner, snacks and beverages as well as two days admission to the Corning Museum of Glass. Registration postmarked after October 1 must include a late fee of $10.
Details regarding the Glass Gathering program, registration and lodging can be found at the website for the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia at http://wvmag.bglances.com or call 304-269-5006. For general information on the Corning Museum of Glass, their programs and mission see www.cmog.org.
The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia is open year round noon to 4:30pm daily except Wednesday, Sunday and major holidays. Admission is free. It is easily accessible off I-79 exit 99 onto US 33 West for two miles to Main Avenue. A left turn

Milton Flea Market Destroyed By Fire

Shorty Finley phoned me to say the Milton Flea Market is a complete 100% loss. Boyd Meadows who is Shorty's good friend and a friend to this Blog owned the Milton Flea Market.
Check out http://media.herald-dispatch for the complete story.
Today I'm in a mock NERB - mock national board- the 'real McCoy' is on Sept 20th. Its an eight hour exam.
hjh

James Woodson BLENKO EMPLOYEE Glass Art Jewelry Designer

Question is : "I saw the guy making jewelry at Festival Glass what was the equipment he was using, is it difficult to learn? Does he use Blenko in his designs? Where are his things sold."

I saw him also and his creations were spectacular! and the price was very affordable. We ordered two large beads in WVU colors. When they arrive I'll upload photos.

We don't have information about this employee - we'll try to get a bio and photos of him and info about his glass jewelry.

The answer about the equipment is: 'EXACT' TORCH - One of the familiar sights around a glassblowing studio is the handheld propane torch with the can sized burner end on a pipe from a handle with a valve that parks the flame to pilot size or lets it blaze out. In crude form it is a weed burner. The 'Exact' torch has a history (here) and is now made under a different name and in a different country. In any case, a card from A.R.T.CO. indicates that they now have them in stock again. ARTCO - Exact Torches for Glassblowing and Glass Casting. Burners range from 70k to 300k Btu and tubes from 4" to 20".

IF this is incorrect or you have additonal info please write theblenkoproject@aol.com

Glass Terminology -

Salton wrote to say he/she is confused by the Terminology use at Blenko "- whats the difference between lampwork and stain glass and torch or furnce? Its all greek"

To find a proper answer I emailed Mike Firth, Randy Rider, and Henry Halem.

The first response is whats printed here.
'TERMINOLOGY - I have noticed that there has been a shift in terminology of glass working in recent years. When I started being active, I recall 'stained glass' and 'glassblowing' being the terms with refinement to explain torch vs. furnace. 'Coldworking' was used for grinding away at furnace glass. 'Lampworking' crept back into the common vocabulary in the mid-90's and 'warm glass' leaped to attention about the time of the Tucson GAS Conference. In the last year or so, several of the schools have started using the term 'flat glass' along with lamp working and hot shop to designate stained glass, painting on glass, and abrasive blasting for architectural glass. Each set of terms has short changed some category, the latest combination leaving old traditional wheel and stone engraving kind of hanging out some place'. Hope this helps? If not give me a narrower question, please!
Note: Photo of BLENKO GLASS creations for special awards.
http://www.blenkoproject.org

/http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blenko/blog/

9/11

Today is the 7th anniversary of 9/11.
Wayne Husted 'just happened' if you believe in coincidences to be at BLENKO GLASS visiting.
He was so moved by the event he created a line to commemorate the event.
It was limited, and not much publicity was given to this simple red/ blue/ white design.
If you have these items please send photos to theblenkoproject@aol.com so we can share.
Should you have additional info about the grouping or this week at Blenko please comment.
hjh

Things To DO - Before End of September

My friend from the Blog - Salton send the following:

L'etc c"est fini,as the french say, so end summer on a high note. Make a REALLY BIG DEAL out of the last cookout of summer. Service your favorite summer recipes with a final flourish. BLENKO GLASS for tableware of course. Linger in the twilight, watch the sun go down, and bid summer a fond adieu.

Stock up on your own school supplies. They';re on sale this month. Get your own pads, notebooks scissors, tape and crayons. Send away( to Lillian Vernon or Miles Kimball) and get pencils imprinted with your name on them. OR BLENKO COLLECTOR and your name.

Make taffy apples. OR GO TO BLENKO GLASS AND buy APPLES for your teachers, your self and to put back for gifts. They're on SALE now.

Experiment with different types of Popcorn Serve in the Very Large BLENKO GLASS Bowls also on sale now.

Celebrate the autumn equinox with a festive dinner of home style cooking. Bring out the Candles, the good BLENKO for flowers, and fruits and other tableware - if you don't HAVE BLENKO go to http://www.blenkoglass.com/ or visit Milton, W.Va. factory.

Start to assemble your Halloween Treats for the Office - BLENKO GLASS has pumpkins in all colors and styles, if you SHOP NOW you'll get the best selections.

Start making your Christmas list this month so you won't be frantic in December. Go to http://www.blenkoglass.com/ with your list, go to http://www.blenkoproject.org/ for ideas of what to buy.

If you have CHILDREN this is the time to have them decide on their costumes. Then start shopping or go to the fabric store and start the construction. TAKE THE CHILDREN to Blenko for pumpkins, gourds and other Fall Treats. . .also to feed the ducks one last time before the pond starts to freeze over.

Take a walk under the huntress moon.

Look at Farmer's market for dried flowers to create your own bouquet. Creating your own bouquet on a September Sunday afternoon is a relaxing restoration that reminds you all winter long that beauty is simply abundant if you look for it. USE BLENKO GLASS vase to house your creation.

Don't wait for OPRAH to say BUY BLENKO! Be ahead of the curve.

Photos are from the BAYLISS Design Team 2008 line.

Your Photos!

Hi Hillary,

Just wanted to share a photo of a few water pitcher/ decanters that I've added to the collection over the past few months. I enjoyed the comments from your blog about the various water bottle collections that your readers have collected. I have however, always enjoyed the earlier versions below that Husted designed. From left to right #5612 in Lime, #5810 in Turquoise, and another simple design in Gold. Very functional and elegant with the additional impact only Blenko colors can bring to the set.

Enjoy,B.

Thank you B. and to everyone who shares photos - many readers are excited to view photos, they like me love viewing BLENKO. Please share your Blenko stories and photos. hjh I'm so jealous - these items are lovely, I seem to always be looking but never finding these beauties.

WANTED: Blenko Glass Catalogues

Reader writes, can you tell me where to purchase Blenko Cataloges?
I have the Pina books but want to buy all the cataloges so I can label my glass.
Thanks.
Readers if you have catalogues to sell, or you know where to purchase
please leave a comment or write theblenkoproject@aol.com hjh
Note its 7:51 Tuesday - Blogger time is off.

WVa Legislature Holds Interim Meetings in Clarksburg

My friend Emily and Idrove down to Clarksburg last evening for the 'Tase of Clarksburg' a part of the October Interim meetings. This was my first trip to downtown Clarksburg. The town is quaint, a combination of very new and old. I liked Clarksburg! All the foods were both beautiful to look at and delicious. We had a very pleasant evening, visiting with my Dad (who was working) and seeing and hearing our elected officials.

West Virginia is a small state, and our elected officials know most everyone in their communities. Its another way in which WV is unique and wonderful!

West Virginia Legislature
The official Web site of the West Virginia Legislature.
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/

The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the Legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution following the state's split from Virginia during the American Civil War in 1863. As with its neighbor and former constituent Virginia General Assembly, the legislature's lower house is also referred to as a "House of Delegates."
The Legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Charleston, W.Va.

Can You Identify These Vases?

These cobweb? Blenko Vases belong to a couple in Texas, they'd like to know more about then.

Can you identify? Or provide some additional information about these items?

Thanks!

Either comment here or send info to theblenkoproject@aol.com<>

Tammy Kosla of Chicago provides the following info:
The vase on the left is made using a 9810 the small is 8 1/2" and the Large is 11 1/4". Both vases are in Antique Green. The catalog does not show these vases with the other pieces that have the decoration. The vase is only shown without decoration in the catalog. Both of these may be Visitor Center items. link showing color and the year it was made http://www.blenkocollectors.com/colorpages/blenkocollcolorantiquegreen.htm

Blenko Glass - Milton, WV

Get yourself down to the BLENKO GLASS Visitors Center this week. Unadvertised special items are in the back of the door - on several clearance tables. The 'bargains' are everywhere. The Gift Shop is full of unique, fine quality items. Start NOW to shop for the Holidays!
BLENKO GLASS - no better gift for any occasion. Made in West Virginia, by West Virginians. A family owned business. hjh

Please send photos of your BLENKO Collections, stories of your BLENKO finds, and your trips to the Visitors Center. theblenkoproject@aol.com

BLENKO Stories - Charleston Gazette

http://wvgazette.com/
Glass adds year-round color to the garden

Glass adds year-round color to the garden

Blenko carries wide range of college-logo glass pieces
These are links to stories in today's Charleston Gazette-Mail about Blenko.
Please read and comment - lets encourage news media to write about BLENKO!

Karma 101

Last week 'Heart of Glass' somehow allowed a 'troll' to post. I didn't respond, because I didn't want to respond in anger. It was Gandhi who said about retaliation 'An Eye For An Eye Makes the Whole World Blind' this along with my belief that if I expend energy on a negative it will grow, kept me from responding.

Instead I found myself rereading Good Karma - J.D. Oliver, unless readers sent great photos, or write post this week we will be focusing on Karma.

West Virginia Janis was kind enough to immediately respond to my troller "I just learned you are a "troll," someone who goes around writing incendiary messages to try to get people to blow up with rage over nonsense. So far, no blow ups!!!! Happy trolling! Try another, less civil group of bloggers. " No one attacked our troll!

Rabbi Hillel (lst century BC) said " What is hateful to you do NOT do unto others. That is the entire Law. The rest is commentary."

This leads me to believe the problems of anger and mis behavior are very old. In Good Karma - JD Oliver suggest Intention is one of the most significant factors in determining _____ or not some contemplated action is likely to produce bad karma. 'IT PAYS TO THINK AHEAD'

Oliver continues with the thoughts that in a world that at times seems unjust or uncaring, every act of concern spreads hope and goodwill. When we do good works, we not only help others, we help ourselves. It was Lilly Tomlin's who said WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER ALONE"

Altruism is innate in humans and many animals. Even a small act of generosity gives us a sense of being useful. It used to be that extended familes and neighbors help one another as a matter of course. Now often we have to rely on the kindness of strangers. SOMETIMES IT'S OUR TURN TO BE THE STRANGERS THAT OTHERS RELY ON.' Most all the Blenko Collectors that I know could be considered altruistic,as a whole the group acts with integrity and empathy, is giving, has pure values and concern for the community and the world as a whole.

Sometime ago from observing Uncle Reemas I learned NOT to seek retribution for every hurt or slight, that revenge makes matters worse. It is my goal to look for appropriate ways to achieve justice, acknowledge my own role in conflicts and be forgiving.

J.D. Oliver states: ' Karma is an impartial justice keeper: it brings human folly into line without our intervention.'

It is my belief that West Virginia is a great state, and living here is a privilege. Doesn't mean I think everything is perfect, but that I choose to work within the system and to stay positive.

We can make West Virginia and the USA better by being positive and working together for change. BUY MADE IN West Virginia and MADE IN USA. hjh

Margie Hale sent this photo - from the Glass Garden Tour - part of Festival of Glass - PLAN TO ATTEND NEXT YEAR and Join the Blenko Collectors Society.

FOOTBALL Then Shopping for BLENKO!

West Virginia University and MARSHALL both have important games today! If you haven't purchased your BLENKO GLASS items with TEAM LOGOS do so this weekend. They'll last a life time. We have for years used the GOLD AND BLUE big bowls from BLENKO for chips n dip on game day (these are very inexpensive between 14-22 if purchased at the Visitors Center) they compliment the LOGO products.
When you buy BLENKO GLASS, you are buying MADE IN US, also you are being GREEN by avoiding the use of paper plates and plastic throw away. BLENKO GLASS on line or at the Milton Blenko Glass Visitors Center. www.blenkoglass.com. FIESTA another WV Company also has logo items. The outlet store is in Flatwoods on I-64. www.hlchina.com . HAPPY SHOPPING! Buy Made In West Virginia when ever possible!
Football Travels to Wisconsin Saturday
The Marshall University football team will make a rare trip into Big Ten country this Saturday when it travels to Madsion, Wisconsin to face the 11th-ranked University of Wisconsin Badgers. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon (ET) and the game will be t...
9/2/2008

Live Online Video Stream of Marshall-Illinois State to Be Available
Saturday's football season opener will be available as a special online video pay-per-view broadcast. Current annual subscribers to Herd All-Access can watch for FREE, while others can access the live video stream for a one-time payment of $14.95.

NOTE:

Week 2 College Football Betting Odds (copied from net)
Submitted by Dan Shapiro on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 23:40.
West Virginia had become the most bet on College Football team heading into Saturday morning. The matchup - West Virginia vs. East Carolina - featured a line of -7 ½ on the visiting Mountaineers.
This line briefly opened at West Virginia -9 but has mainly been hovering between -8 and -7 ½ as of late Friday night. Pinnacle Sports, which does not accept US customers, had taken this one all the way down to -7.
The idea that odds makers are encouraging action on the Mountaineers speaks volumes that they must believe East Carolina can cover or even win within the 7 point margin. Over 75 percent of betting action was coming in on West Virginia at press time. BetOnline.com, which offers either reduced juice or a 20 percent signup bonus, was offering this one at West Virginia -7 ½.
Nearly 80 percent of betting action was also on the East Carolina money line with a payout potential of $260 for every $100 bet if East Carolina were to win outright.

Worlds Strongest Man Competiton & New WVa Blogger

On the home front - WELCOME Julie - New WVa Blogger -
Click here: Lint Roller
Also see photos and info about THE WORLDS STRONGEST MAN Competition which is in Charleston this week and next. For this see my friend Chris' Blog
Click here: This is not my blog. (a brief part of the transcript)
Now, this man, who was actually Derek Poundstone, looked like The Hulk without the green. He was about my build but he had muscles bulging out and around him making him bigger than a doorway. I'd never seen anything like that and I realized that this must be one of the competitors for The World's Strongest Man Competition that will be starting in Charleston ... that's right ... it will be in Charleston, WV this weekend and will wrap up next weekend (and will then be on tv forever after that). So I asked the man if he was here for the competition and he said that he was. We chatted for a few minutes and I asked him how he thought he was going to do in the contest against Charleston, WV native Phil Pfister and he said that he thought he had a good shot at winning since he's coming in as the number 1 seed.

WVJanis' Photos from Weston (cont)

WVJanis was kind enough to send photos from her recent road trip to West Virginia.

SPAM got the photos - and just yesterday did I recover them.

IF you send photos or notes and I DON'T respond, write again - it means I probably didn't receive the photos or letters -and put BLENKO in the subject head - to avoid SPAM. I appreciate your comments, your photos, and its so helpful when you write about your GLASS experiences.

Not everyone is can get out to visit due to illness, time constraints, family responsibilities etc. You provide a service when you share your photos and experiences. hjh

Blenko Connections -

A reader sent this link and information, it was of interest to me in that SHORTY FINLEY and FRITZ DREISBACH ( BLENKO CONNECTION BOTH) are mentioned.
Shorty is a retired glass blower from Blenko, with no formal glass / art training. The designers (Fritz, Henry Halem, Joel Myers, Marvin Liposky) he worked with served as role models, recognizing his natural ability to manipulate glass.
Fritz Dreisbach is one of the dozen or so American Artist whose work I desperately want to own.
Click here: Fritz Dreisbach

VanderLaan & Bliss Gradalupe Glass Corporation Contemporary GlassPeter VanderLaan says, "I've been hopelessly addicted to glass for the last twenty-eight years. I have rolled up crushed car windshields and melted them, stripped putty and aluminum siding from salvage windows and melted them, screened arroyo sand and melted that, derived sophisticated formulae using food grade lime in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and melted that. I’ve thrown snowballs into my furnace for hours. I’ve done foundation research on batch formulae for independent studio use. I am as fascinated with the chemistry of glass color as I am with making beautiful things out of it."Peter attended Saint John's College, Santa Fe, NM. His professional experience has included working as teaching assistant to Dale Chihuly and Dan Daily, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, WA; teaching glass with Fritz Dreisbach, Shorty Finley and Mary Beth Bliss at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX, and co-founding Guadalupe Glass Corporation, an open-air demonstration glass works and showroom in Santa Fe, NM.

Click here: Panche Gallery Fine Art Glass Artist Biographies

www.blenkoproject.org
http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blenko/blog/

WVJanis' Photos of Museum of GLass

Hillary: Please feel free to upload all, some, or none of these photos of my visit to Weston, WV this weekend.The weather was fabulous in Weston, WV this past weekend (8/9/08) and the WV Museum of American Glass was memorable. Below, you will see 1) the parking lot of the bank (bank closed for day) where I parked while visiting the WV Museum of American Glass. The billowy clouds created an aura of happiness that filled the town this past weekend. People were out participating in a swap meet that spread from Buchannon to Weston. Bargains were everywhere.Inside the museum, the woman working took her time with everyone, answering our questions and wrapping our vintage glass purchases-- from the small shop within the museum. Here you also see photos of one of the grand display cases (mostly Kanawha Glass); the Blenko Man, made from 18 glass objects from the collection of Rock Wilson and turned into a work of art by John Zidek. Finally, the window disks, made by Blenko in the early 70's, hang proudly by the entrance door. At an antique mall in WV this weekend, I purchased one of these BLENKO zodiac rondels like you see in the window-- the only one they had and it was actually MY SIGN!!!!!!!!!Hope you enjoy these photos. Hope you don't delay on adding small town WV to your vacation list-- Milton for BLENKO and Weston for the WV Museum of American Glass. Allow several hours for each!West Virginia Janis

Images You Will Want To Keep.

A short note to remind you Tom Hindman is the photographer responsible for the 15x20 photograph over my fireplace (Blenko Glass, of course). On his webpage you'll find many photos of glass. The new photos 'A Lover's Eve' are not of Blenko, but are so beautiful I wanted you to see them. hjh
Click here: the IMAGESMITH®: "A lover's eve 2"

Festival of Glass - More Photos.

Rick P. of Huntington an avid Blenko Collector
and photo of the Rialto Glass and Regal that he offered for sale.


Photo of Jessie Carpenter , this was my first time meeting Jessie Carpenter -I've wanted to add him to the http://www.blenkoproject.org/ page for a long time. He agreed and also agreed to put me in touch with his very successful Lawyer Son who resides in Columbus Ohio and has 100's of items made by Jessie while he was at BLENKO.
This photo is one of Blenko Glass horns, and an item that was I think 'end of day' if I'm wrong correct me please - mermaid. These items are for sale. The vintage Glass Sale brought out 9 vendors, all had very high quality vintage Blenko.




PHOTOS from a Milton friend - of EVERETTE ' Shorty ' Finley who lives in Milton, retired from Blenko and now his grandson or great grandson works at BLENKO GLASS. Blenko is a 'family owned' business and most everyone who works at Blenko has relatives who
are retired BLENKO GLASS employees. A family owned business supporting and supported by the people of Milton, WVa.








'Radio' Vincent_____ retired Blenko finisher with a paper weight he is making. Randy Rider and Les Womack two of Blenko's finest. NEXT YEAR or any time you get the change to watch BLENKO CRAFTSMEN work - immediately take the opportunity. Seeing glass being made the old fashion way is a combination of pleasure and excitement you won't forget.

Festival of Glass - John H. Blowing Glass. Shorty Finley (80+ retired Blenko glass blower returned again to Blenko for Collectors

group get together. Did I mention you should join this group?

Larry of Texas - Blew this beautiful tall red vase. The mold he used is pictured beside the vase.



Do you have PHOTOS of BLENKO GLASS, photos of the Glass Festival? Photos of your own collection of BLENKO?

Photos of West Virginia Glass - please share with the "Heart of Glass" Blog. Many readers have never seen Vintage Blenko - recently I discovered about 25% of our readers have never been to Milton -rough estimate based on letters and comments.

IF you haven't been to visit BLENKO GLASS in Milton, W.Va.

plan a road trip - include the Museum of American Glass in Weston, WV. Email me at theblenkoproject@aol.com and I'll send you a list of all the places to visit on your trip to WILD WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA.

Root Canals and BLENKO

Collecting BLENKO GLASS creates SMILES~ we smile when we find the glass, we smile when we 'show off' our collections, and we smile when someone ask our help with a new collection. . . A Smile Is a GOOD Thing!
OH! On this day - my mind is filled with thoughts of ROOT CANALS! Successfully completing Dental School requires you complete a certain number prior to graduation. Today morning - I'll be completing a root canal.
Following is more information that you might ever need - but one of my goals is providing Dental Education to my patient base - and to have patients who 'take care of their teeth and gums' and who are informed about treatment.
A root canal is the commonly used term for the main canals within the dentin of the tooth. These are part of the natural cavity within a tooth that consists of the dental pulp chamber, the main canals, and sometimes more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the root surface of the tooth. Root canals are filled with a highly vascularized, loose connective tissue, the dental pulp. This sometimes becomes infected and inflamed, generally due to caries or tooth fractures that allow microorganisms, mostly bacteria from the oral flora or their byproducts, access to the pulp chamber or the root canals; the infected tissue is removed by a surgical intervention known as endodontic therapy and commonly called a root canal.
HJH

Because you Ask

Because you asked - photo of tequila sunrise water vase.

Reader from Missouri says she has over 20 different colors of water vase - wants to know HOW MANY DIFFERENT Colors Blenko has made in the water vase.

Also she wants to see the tequila sunrise - as she knows she's missing this one.

She also wants to buy WV Birthday Pieces - early ones -

and any Water Vases she doesn't have.

Can you help?

write to theblenkoproject@aol.com and put Bridgett's Glass

in the RE:

Thanks. Bridgett I'll send an email to Rodney Wade and Christy one or both of them may have the answer about the number of colors.

Water bottles are a unique item at Blenko - great to collect - they aren't expensive - they look good on display - and you may not know this but sometimes they have ' handles,' and other alterations to the original shape.

OPRAH SAYS BUY BLENKO!

Well Not Exactly! This has been for me a long term goal - having OPRAH add BLENKO GLASS to her list of O' things.

In this edition of the O magazine there is a photo of Vintage Blenko and note about the factory being OPEN and in MILTON, and having unique and beautiful items.

Anyone have an "O" link? hjh

Note: Photo from Tim Alonzo

Readers Questions - Why Blenko?

Hilary why are you so obsessed with Blenko tableware? Ikea and Home Goods have same thing for less $$$.

Sol

I grew up in a family where we believed, Food is God -Serving food is a spiritual practice. Even today, I don't eat with people I don't care for. I try to serve the best possible food on beautiful BLENKO GLASS ( www.blenkoglass.com or www.blenkoproject.org ) for me there is nothing more special than eating with people I care about. It brings me great happiness. Serving on BLENKO makes every occasion a bit more special. I enjoy knowing my glass is handmade, and made by a local person. Not in a sweat shop by people being used or in pain.
For me and my family, and most of my friends. BUYING MADE IN THE USA is important. Buying handcrafted, long lasting items can assist with saving the planet, saving American jobs and perhaps your inner peace.
Now aren't you sorry you ask me? hjh

*photo courtesy of the Blenko Museum

Photos From You!

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO theblenkoproject@aol.com.
Rick P. (http://www.blenkoproject.org/ - See Collections of Glass - Rick has the AWESOME one from Huntington, WVa.
Radar (real name? HELP!) Retired Blenko Craftsmen who returned for the day - he made glass globe cane tops for himself and his minister!

The 'Antique Glass' guys & Hillary. Les Womack - Retired Supervisor, Manager, Glass Craftsman!

Hillary with her MARION BLENKO AWARD - The Homberg Girls with Jessie Carpenter (retired Blenko Glass Craftsman).

Christian - 1/2 of a BLENKO COUPLE from North Carolina with Randy Rider (making glass at Blenko) LARRY FROM TEXAS setting in the chair with that RUBY Glass!

YES! It does look like a FUN TIME. Everyone had a great time,

thanks to the planning and implementation by BLENKO COLLECTORS SOCIETY , Karin and Tim Alonzo, (their planning committee), Richard Blenko, Blenko Employees and family.

Join Blenko Collectors - and next year come have FUN! Be a part of this great organization.