The Beauty of Hand Blown Glass

Telling the Difference Between Real Murano Glass and Cheap Fakes

2010-05-24T05:57:03-07:00

I was shopping at a flea market recently when I saw a table full of "Murano Glass" pendants. I looked at them and wondered if they were real, because the price was very cheap. I have done research on the glass in the past for my articles, and know that it is made in Italy and is very beautiful. These pieces did not look special at all. Here is how one can tell if it is real or imitation. One thing is that it is made in Italy, it's the first thing I look for, because all Murano glass is made in Italy. Another way to tell, is if there are more than one piece in the same style. All genuine items will be one of a kind if they are Murano glass, meaning there are never two pieces exactly the same. They are made by hand so it's impossible to get mass produced glass from there. Sellers online and in local places will try to market their items as being true Italian glass, but many of them are just fake glass that was mass produced in China and buyers need to be aware.

Falling in Love with Blown Glass

2010-05-21T06:23:34-07:00

The first time I saw blown glass, I fell in love with it. It is so gorgeous and amazing! There are so many things that are made with glass. There is home decor like vases, they are always a beautiful piece of home decor. Then there are sculptures and other art that are made by glass artists. There is jewelry made with glass like pendants and beaded bracelets or necklaces. Murano is a brand of glass that is well known for it's high quality glass jewelry. They have been making it for hundreds of years, and it is the most gorgeous glass. I love to browse the internet and just look at all of the amazing creations that glass artists have made. I have seen perfume bottles, platters, paperweights, candle holders, and bowls in blown glass. Once I watched a movie where they were showing how blown glass was made. It was so fascinating and ever since then I have enjoyed looking at and buying it. I would love to learn how to make it myself someday, as well.

My Love for Hand Blown Glass

2010-05-15T01:44:53-07:00

My husband is so thoughtful and sweet. He knows I have had a passion for hand blown glass pieces for years. My love of hand blown glass started when I went on a trip to Europe with my best friend right after high school graduation. I was introduced to hand blown glass by her and began to buy little pieces whenever I could afford them. When I met my husband in college we would often spend an afternoon window shopping and I would mention my love of blown glass. By the time we got married and our first anniversary rolled around I was both surprised and thrilled to see he had remembered my comments and presented me with a beautiful blown glass vase. Since that time he has made it a point to give me a piece of hand blown glass at least once a year. It doesn't not have to be a special occasion. He will just buy a piece if he sees one he thinks I would love to add to my collection because he knows it will bring a smile to my face. If that's not thoughtful and sweet, I don't know what is.

Hand blown glass for wedding gift

2010-05-15T01:41:19-07:00

I have this hand blown glass vase that I bought a long time ago. I have always been a fan of blown glass and its beauty. The vase I bought is tall with petal edges and with beautiful tinges of blues in it. I have it displayed in my family room on my side table. I have gotten so many compliments on that vase and it looks pretty standing alone on the table. Blown glass vases, bowls or whatever shape you see always adds a touch of elegance and whimsy to your space. I have a wedding to attend to next month and I was going to cruise online to see what decorative hand blown glass vase or bowl I could find for a wedding gift. I didn’t want to buy the couple the typical kitchen appliance or towels, but wanted something to showcase a space in their new apartment. Going online there is a lot to choose from and it is just a matter of me deciding what kind of blown glass item I should go for. To be honest, you can’t go wrong with any vase or bowl, they are all beautiful pieces to display.

My Cute New Blown Glass Elephant

2010-04-29T03:37:01-07:00

A couple of months ago my husband and I totally redecorated our living room. We bought lots of new furniture including a set of two matching bookcases. We adorned these bookcases with old books and ornaments. However I did not have a suitable ornament for the top shelf of one of the bookcases and I have spent the past few months looking online for something suitable.
I finally found the perfect blown glass ornament for our bookcase over the weekend. I found this blown glass ornament at a very interesting website called My Glass Beautiful which is located at the URL http://www.myglassbeautiful.com. The My Glass Beautiful website sells all kinds of blown glass novelty figurines, drink ware, plates, decanters, bowls and ashtrays and Murano glass jewelry. I decided to take a closer look at the products at the My Glass Beautiful website. This is how I found this wonderfully cute Clear Glass Elephant Paperweight with Controlled Bubbles:

Clear Glass Elephant Paperweight with Controlled Bubbles

I loved this blown glass elephant paperweight as soon as I saw it. However I imagined this blown glass elephant on my bookcase as opposed to my computer desk. I thought about how perfect this blown glass elephant paperweight would look if he stood on my bookcase ready to greet visitors to my home. I knew he would make an excellent conversation starter. I also noticed that this blown glass elephant paperweight was not at all expensive and that is why I decided to buy him.
I am no different to my friends and family in that the way my home looks is extremely important to me. I want my home to look and feel comfortable so that I feel happy in it. I also want my home to be a welcoming place for guests and visitors so that they will want to come back again. For me having an attractive and welcoming home is a matter of personal pride. That is why I am truly delighted that I bought the blown glass elephant paperweight for my bookcase at the My Glass Beautiful ecommerce store. Indeed I am so pleased with my purchase that I have saved the URL for the My Glass Beautiful ecommerce store to my browser favorites. I love buying ornaments and decorative pieces for my home. I also think decorating is an ongoing process that never really ends. Hence I am sure that I will return to the My Glass Beautiful ecommerce store if ever I am looking for blown glass for my home or as a gift for a friend or loved one.

Adding To My Murano Blown Glass Collection

2010-04-29T03:19:27-07:00

I have long been a collector of Murano blown glass. I think this type of blown glass is some of the most beautiful blown glass that exists in today's market. To date, I own approximately 35 pieces. Much of the hand blown glass pieces are displayed in a special case in my living room. However, I also added a smaller case in the back room to show off some Murano glass jewelry and some Majolica which is renaissance-inspired ceramics hand-crafted in Tuscany and Umbria.

Although this can be an expensive hobby, I found an outstanding ecommerce store called My Glass Beautful located at http://www.myglassbeautiful.com/. This site sells pre-owned Murano Blown Glass pieces at extremely reasonable prices. Through this internet store, I have been able to successfully add to my collection. In fact, my daughter bought me a hand blown glass vase for Mother's Day last year, and she is planning on getting me some Murano glass jewelry this year. I love the workmanship of all the hand blown glass items I have; but, I am especially fond of the Murano glass jewelry. The pieces are so beautiful, tiny and precise. I am amazed at how they are able to get the color combination that occurs in so many of the pieces.

My daughters are now interested in starting their own collections, and I am looking at severl pieces of Murano for them. When I find the Majolica, I must really watch my budget because that hobby can truly get out of hand quickly. However, finding an internet store that carries the pre-owned Murano blown glass pieces has been a blessing. I began purchasing them a piece each for Christmas, and I plan to continue these purchases for each special occasion in the future.

I have told my children that when I die, they can share half of my collection; but, the rest must go evenly between the grandchildren that are collectors. Since I have only one granddaughter, and she loves Murano glass jewelry, I have a strong feeling she will be the one who gets the other half. The boys are simply that...boys! Unless they are married and their wives are interested, I'm sure my little Kendra will get most of the hand blown items.

However, I am still quite a young grandmother, and I have years to get many more pieces of Murano and Majolica. If my taste changes, I will be surprised, and I plan on having a collection worth showing to everyome!!!

Beautiful Murano Glass to Adorn the Home

2010-04-29T02:27:47-07:00

I love the look of hand blown glass, and no one does it better than Murano. The Murano glass has been around for many years, being made on an island off the coast of Italy. This island has specialized in glass making for so long that they have it down to a beautiful science. I bought one piece of Murano glass and got hooked on it. It is beautiful and the right piece can be the centerpiece of a room. Shopping online helps me to find it, because local stores where I live don't have any. That's one thing I love about the internet, I can find anything, even rare items, online.

I was browsing the web recently when I came across a company called My Glass Beautiful. Their website, http://www.myglassbeautiful.com/, carries many beautiful pieces of Murano glass. They have vases, bowls, centerpieces, figural and novelty pieces. The prices are fantastic and they have preowned pieces as well as new. They carry other kinds of blown glass that are lovely as well. I was particularly taken with the Murano, though. There's just something about it that calls my name. I loved shopping on the website because it was so easy to navigate. There are categories and sub-categories that make browsing so easy. The search bar at the top is great for finding a specific item very quickly. Shopping online at websites such as this is a great way to not only save money, but save time as well. I can shop from my comfy sofa, sipping on some iced tea and it is very relaxing. My feet never hurt like when I shop all day in stores looking for some rare item like Murano glass.

I was looking through all of the categories and found a great vase that I want. It is a Multi-colored Fazoletto Vase. The colors are so rich and thick, it would be perfect in my dining room. Fazoletto vase of multi-colored ribbon-like swirls of blue, black, white, and cranberry with a soft matte irridized surface. This vase stands 5 3/4 inches and 5 3/4 inches in diameter at its widest point. My jaw dropped when I first saw this gorgeous Murano vase in the preowned section. It is just what I was looking for! My house will be even lovelier with the addition of this beautiful vase. I think I'll buy myself this lovely vase as a Mother's Day gift to myself.

Bringing Coastal Feel Home with Blown Glass

2010-04-29T02:00:21-07:00

My mom used to call me her little fish because I loved swimming so much. She put me in swimming lessons early on so there would be no chance I’d be scared of water down the road. We lived in a state near a vast array of lakes, rivers and bodies of water. Between rafting, cliff jumping, boating and taking a dip, water has always been a part of my life. Swimming is still a great hobby especially this time of year. I live in Southern California so the ocean isn’t too far away. It is a solid 30 minutes drive without traffic. I’m one of those people who will have water features trickling in the backyard down the road. I like to keep the feeling of water close by. My blue Betta fish in his blown glass bowl in my bedroom, at the moment is the closest thing I have to a water feature in our apartment.

Yesterday I was surfing the web and came to My Glass Beautiful at http://www.myglassbeautiful.com/. I’ve always loved hand blown glass but it seemed to be one of those home décor pieces outside of my price range. This retailer completely changed my mind about that. When I saw the Signed Cezars Series Vase Blue - Johansfors seen in the picture above the first thing that crossed my mind was the image of a glacial lake. I once went hiking in the Cascade Mountains in what turned to be an extremely tough trail. The end was worth the many miles of sweat up because of an ice blue glacier lake still fed by snowmelt in the summer. The color of this hand blown glass vase reminds me of that water. It is a truly spectacular piece of artwork.

This vase is exactly the kind of thing I would love to add to the apartment. Not even sure where I would put this blown glass vase but it would have to go near natural light, probably on a shelf or mantle near a window. The color is so beautiful. It reminds me of water. My favorite color is blue, go figure. This hue of blue is hard to stop looking at. I can see myself waking up every morning to the view of this vase with the early morning sun sparkling off the hand blown glass. With my birthday coming up, this vase seems like a great thing to ask for.

My Murano Vase

2010-04-26T21:31:20-07:00

I have a grand love of flowers and also blown glass, so my Murano hand blown glass vase is one of my most treasured belongings. I love to keep fresh flowers in my home and my gorgeous Murano hand blown glass vase is my favorite place to keep the most interesting flower arrangements. Whenever I have anyone over to my home for a visit, they always notice my flowers and the equally charming glass vase that they are kept it. I love when people notice my attention to detail.

I feel very lucky that I know about shopping for Murano glass at a great online superstore. I have found so many interesting and one of a kind items while shopping online and I have saved a great deal of money in the process. Had I not gone shopping for hand blown glass online, I do not believe that I would have been able to afford owning so many pieces. I love my glass pieces and I know that one day my daughter will treasure them as well.

The Most Sexy Hand Blown Glass Champagne Glass

2010-04-26T21:15:09-07:00

One of the most glamorous things in life is enjoying a glass of champagne. Even when there is nothing to celebrate but life, a toast is a wonderful way to commemorate a productive and lovely day, so when my husband gave me a hand blown glass champagne glass and a bottle of Moet, it made me feel so high class and sexy!

I had never expected to receive a champagne glass from my wonderful husband, let alone a hand blown glass piece. I never knew that he could be a sensitive a creative gift giver and I am so glad to have a better education of his intricasis. I feel like such a lucky girl to be married to such a romantic guy.

I can honestly say that this one was one of the best gifts I have ever received. I was so impressed with his creativity and I gave him a ton of brownie points. A hand blown glass champagne glass is an awesome gift and I have told all of my friends boyfriends and husbands about it.

My Blown Glass Ice Holder

2010-04-26T20:38:55-07:00

One of my most favorite things to do is to hostess parties for all of my family members and closest friends. I cook, bake and entertain to the best of abilities and I know that everyone who attends my get togethers are grateful for it. I have found so many beautiful and impressive blown glass pieces for my gatherings and they never go unnoticed. I find that attention to detail is the best accessory to a great party and I am meticulous when it comes to planning my events.

I have purchased all of my most impressive pieces from an online superstore that specializes in glass and I could not be more pleased with the items I have found there. I have accumulated the most intricate items and my most favorite is my blown glass ice holder. Everyone always notices this lovely item and love to use it. My blown glass ice holder is the perfect center piece for everything from the fourth of July to Christmas celebrations. I truly have an amazing collection of glass blown items and I hold them so very dear.

Murano Glass For The In laws

2010-04-26T20:25:06-07:00

My husband's parents have been planning a visit into town and although I do not smoke, they do. I have purchased a gorgeous Murano glass piece that is perfect as an ash tray so that they feel comfortable and welcomed in our home. I honestly do not mind smokers at all, so adding a beautifully hand crafted Murano glass piece to our back yard for them was no expense too great.

I can not wait for my other dad and mom to visit, and to show them how supportive I am of them and their choices. I really feel that I am doing something great for our relationship by reaching out to them in purchasing Murano glass. I know that my husband feels grateful for my understanding nature and I feel proud not to be discriminatory against others for their life choices.

I know that the trip is going to go great and when they come, my husband and I are going to announce our choice to try for a baby. I am so looking forward to continuing on in our loving relationship.

Hand Blown Glass For A Gorgeous Fruit Display

2010-04-26T19:57:19-07:00

When I learned that my health nut sister and brother in law were coming into town, I really wanted to present them with a luxurious and personalized stay at our home. I went online to buy a few hand blown glass displays for our home and what I came across was surprising and completely affordable. I had no idea that buying hand blown glass could be so inexpensive and the look of what I purchased was completely high end.

When my brother and sister in law came into town, I used the handblown glass center pieces to hold organic fruits for them. They were so impressed and very grateful at my attention to detail. The trip went wonderfully and I had a great time spending time with my husband's side of the family. I am very glad that I went out of my way to make their stay nice. We are much closer now than we were before their visit and I could not feel better about it. My new glass items always remind me of them now and I can not wait until they come to visit again.

Wife Adores Murano Glass Jewelry: Three Reasons She Shops Online For It!

2010-04-26T02:05:25-07:00

I beg to ask this ever so relevant question to the article that I am writing, right now as you are reading this: have you ever come across a local retail store that had Murano glass jewelry? And if you did, do you recall how costly the prices were for that Murano glass jewelry, and even though it is gorgeous, how can people afford this? My wife can. You know how? She shops online for the Murano glass jewelry that she wants. There are some reasons that she has shared with me over the years as to why she loves shopping for her favorite Murano glass jewelry online, things like saving money, being able to shop online from the comfort and the privacy of our own home, and the selection; just to name a few of the list-toppers. But if you really want to know why she truly adores shopping online for Murano glass jewelry, she told me the other day: there are just some pieces that she can’t find anywhere else, only on the World Wide Web!

Unique Blown Glass

2010-04-23T02:20:49-07:00

Blown glass makes a gorgeous gift.

My mother actually collects blown glass, so it's been an option I've been considering to get my mother for Mother's Day. Blown glass is an unusual gift that is an absolute pleasure to own. I think blown glass can be a popular gift for any mom, especially if she enjoys decorative items.

The other day, I was shopping online searching for a Mother's Day present. By serendipity, I stumbled upon a blown glass shop. I discovered a gorgeous blown glass rose. My mother doesn't own any blown glass roses, so I definitely am considering getting this for her on Mother's Day.

Mom actually adores roses. She has her own rose gardens in her backyard and front yard. Roses are her pride and joy. Somehow, she was able to grow these massive roses with huge petals. These roses come in various shades of pink. So, combine her love for blown glass and her hobby of growing roses and you know she'll absolutely love a blown glass rose.

I was thinking of getting her a blown glass rose and placing it into a blown glass vase. I thought this would be a cute little gift combination. I actually can't wait until Mother's Day. This will be a great opportunity to show my mother that I care.

Hand blown glass displays to sell home

2010-04-20T05:42:25-07:00

I have always been a fan of beautiful hand blown glass décor and have a few vases in my home. The blown glass bowls, vases and other décor make such an elegant statement and really do dress up any spot in the home. My friends are selling their big home and moving into a much smaller one. In order to sell, in this tough market, they are taking out all the extra furnishings and knick and knacks and just leaving the spaces with the bare minimums to show off the rooms and their size. What they will keep on the tables and shelves are their blown glass pieces. After going through the house with them, they have staged their home pretty well and leaving the simple but beautiful hand blown glass items in various places adds a touch of design and eye appeal. They have a gorgeous hand blown glass vase that has silk flowers in it that just captures your eye when you walk into their kitchen. All these little tricks will hopefully help in selling their very nice and comfortable home.

Prices for Hand Blown Glass Beads Much Better Online

2010-04-17T06:41:57-07:00

Hand Blown Glass

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been browsing the Internet for hand blown glass beads so that I can create a new spring line for my handmade jewelry. I’ve long been a fan of hand blown glass, before I ever discovered beads, but when I started creating jewelry about five years ago, I realized that the glass beads I’d been seeing were hand blown. I became an instant fan, because I knew that it would allow me to create beautiful pieces of jewelry that were unique to the person I created them for.

At first, I’d bought a few pieces in a local store that specializes in hand blown glass, but it didn’t take me long to realize that I can get the exact same thing for a fraction of the price online. Plus, not only were the prices better online, but the selection is much larger. I’ve been able to find hand blown glass beads in just about every shape, color and size I could ever want, where that wasn’t the case when I was buying locally. It also allows me to create something that’s truly unique to our area, which is so important to me.

A Hand Blown Glass Heart to Tell Mom I Love Her!

2010-04-14T22:32:17-07:00

There are so many crazy cool ideas that have been running through my noggin over what to get my darling mother for Mother’s Day this year—which is literally creeping up around the corner my friends in May of this year; only about three weeks from now. I happen to have already found a few things to get for her that I ordered online for some great bargains, but I want to really shower my mom with great gifts this year, and I happen to know that mother adores hand blown glass pieces. Now at first thought, one might not think that they would find a vast selection of hand blown glass pieces on the web, but after looking around today online for hand blown glass pieces, such is not the case my avid readers. Indeed, I was actually just meandering around online looking around here and there and clicking through to different websites that could have some potentially affordable gift add-ons that I could get for mom for Mother’s Day, when I came across this awesome online store that is loaded with decadent and gorgeous hand blown glass pieces called My Glass Beautiful—which you can easily find online by directing your web browser to this provided web address at: http://www.myglassbeautiful.com.

I must say that I was really impressed with the fine selection of hand blown glass pieces that this online store had to offer, and that being so, I was intrigued to click around and really check out their wares. Boy was I glad that I did, or I would have never found the hand blown glass piece that I did—which I am really considering getting for my mom because she loves hand blown glass pieces, and this would just be a great piece for her to add to her residence. Now that I have your curiosity perked, I am sure that you are pondering what hand blown glass piece I found that mom would cherish; I aim to please. The hand blown glass piece I am currently eyeing and drooling over is this stunning Tiffanys Cobalt Blue Heart. I have added a picture of this gorgeous piece to the upper left so that you can see for yourself how beautiful it is, and how amazing the workmanship on it is. The fact that it is shaped like a heart is just an added plus for me: a way to tell mother I really care on her special day!

Turning to Blown Glass for a Wedding Gift

2010-04-14T21:59:48-07:00

I’m 23 years old and have at the moment had no experience at all with weddings. Never been to one and have only had one friend who has tied the knot which I unfortunately missed the ceremony a couple of years back. That is why I was having so much trouble thinking of a wedding gift for a friend who invited me to his wedding next month. I won’t miss this one. They didn’t created a registry because the ceremony is going to be kept very small. Apparently, his fiancé’s parents live out of country so only they and her brother will be coming for her side. On his side will be his family and a handful of friends. They were dead set from the get go that they’d fork over all of the cost of the wedding. They didn’t want hand outs, which I admire.

This is another reason the guest list is very small. Anyway, I’ve been told the wedding gift has to be for both of them. I had no idea where to start until visiting My Glass Beautiful at http://www.myglassbeautiful.com/. Immediately after coming to the first page, I knew a set of hand blown glass champagne glasses would be a classy move. Hand blown glass is spectacular in its own right. Whether it is a decorative piece or in this case, an extremely well-priced Champagne Glass seen in the picture above, hand blown glass is fantastic.

The plan is to buy a few of the champagne glasses and then have the initials of the couple etched discretely around the rim. Maybe I won’t even have to do that after getting them but I won’t know until they are in hand. Didn’t even think of going the hand blown glass route when thinking up wedding gifts. If you can believe it, I had priced out a bread maker. Makes me laugh just thinking about it now. I don’t know if anyone really needs a bread maker when local bakeries sell a loaf for less then 5 bucks right out of the oven.

Now I’m worried about transporting the hand blown glass wedding gifts on the plane. I’m going to take extra care wrapping them up. If airport security makes me open the bag and unwrap them….Well I don’t even want to think about that. At the moment, I’m just pumped to have another chance to see what a wedding is all about. The bachelor party is going to be the high point.

Feeling Like Royalty With Her Murano Collection

2010-04-13T12:22:44-07:00

When I was small kid, my mother had a Murano collection in the living room that she loved more than anything. She loved her Murano collection so much that looking back at it, I might have had another brother by the name of Murano and not even know it until now. My mom would spend some time every day cleaning her Murano collection and while she was doing this, one could see in her face pure relaxation and happiness. Before attending to her Murano collection, she would turn the music on, pour herself a cup of wine and begin to pick each peace one at a time examining it deeply and then using soft strokes to clean it with the fluffiest cloth she had. When I was older, I asked my mom what she liked so much about the Murano collection and she said that looking at it makes her feel like royalty; like she had finally found her way home after being lost. And the amazing thing is that she says she feels like this every single time she cleans her Murano collection. Thinking back on her answer, makes me want to have something in my life that elicits the same emotions that the Murano collection does for her—it’s easy to see why she loves it so much.