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Heart of Glass - Blenko Glass

Blenko Glass is a West Virginia treasure that spans generations. Nothing symbolizes the state of West Virginia better or more beautifully than Blenko Glass. We will discuss current and former craftsmen and designers and how important it is that Blenko and West Virginia glass be appreciated and valued by the younger generation.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Beyond Variations - Oval Gemstone Carafe


A brief history of The Variations designs
by Wayne Husted.

When Deb Novak and Richard Blenko were in San Francisco in 2002 for one of Blenko’s Public Television Promotions, Deb Novak advised me that if Blenko had a new design for Blenko’s iconic 384 Water Bottle it would be great for their TV promotions.

So I decided to create an up-dated version of the Iconic Blenko 384 Water Pitcher/Vase.

I named it “ PT Cruiser” because it was historically parallel to the Chrysler’s update of a 1936 car design.
For my newly modified version of the design from Osburn Modern Glass it is reborn as a Gemstone Carafe.

The Variations Group from which the new Oval Gemstone Carafe was developed totaled 12 designs, a design for each month of the year, for example: a Sun design for August, a Red and Green pitcher/vase for December, a Ruby heart for February and a rainbow shape for January.
After Dave Osburn left Blenko to open up his own studio glass shop up the road in Milton, I moved the molds from the Blenko factory to Osburn Modern Glass where some of the molds have been modified and the June bottle is now offered in four jewel like colors. Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / Amethyst and Crystal.
David and I will be adding more Gemstone pieces and jewel colors. I have several new designs in mind, and plan to sketch them and put them on my new FaceBook page so that collectors of American Art glass can cast their vote for the next Husted/Osburn creation in the Gemstone colors.
The Gemstone offering can be accessed at gemstonecarafes.com or by Googling waynehusted25@gmail.com
People who love and collect hand blown glass know that while imported glass is much cheaper because of low labor costs, very cheap imports offer the unique beauty and creativity of American Styled handblown glass.

You can read more about the Gemstone Carafe venture at the Gemstone website: gemstonecarafes.com.
Or requste their mailer at: Husted Designs, POBox 515, Mill Valley, CA 94941.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

BEST NEWS I HAVE HEARD IN A DECADE.
COUNT ME IN.
MOUNTAIN RITA

swarup said...

Can you provide more information on Variations? What is Variations how many items are in the colleciton and where do I find these?
Now questions about the new collection do I need the first variations prior to collecting these?
Sam

swarup said...

1982 Birthday Vase.
Can you ask the lady to contact me?
I am sending my info to your blenko address.
Thank you.
Sam

Anonymous said...

link for facebook?

Anonymous said...

awesome!

Anonymous said...

Is everybody leaving Blenko? Something wrong with this picture.

Anonymous said...

WOW!What a great idea!Wayne is always on the cutting edge of design!And Osburn"s talent to make just about anything you can think of is just awesome!Im glad that Wayne is doing design work again for handcrafted items.His designs are timeless!

Bill and Sandy

Anonymous said...

Hilary,
Looking back, my husband and I lived in Huntington during Husted tenture at Blenko Glass. During this time I neither collected nor bought Blenko. It was only 5 decades later after leaving Huntington that I discovered the beauty of West Virginia and Blenko.
Thank you Wayne Husted for giving me and other collectors an opportunity to purchase Husted orginals at reasonable cost.
Sarah Harper

Anonymous said...

The last talented person was Lemly he left 3 months ago, now perhaps the last one out with turn off the lights.
Ted E.

sweetdoc said...

hillary fyi
check with osburn glass about this, our group was to osburn and blenko last week, we saw no featured husted glass

Anonymous said...

the husted pieces are on the lighted table in the left corner of his shop on the wall

linda

Anonymous said...

They screwed up when they got rid of Lemley, his dept. has went to nothing lost many customers. We all miss him and wish he was still here.
Another good move Walter!

Anonymous said...

more husted
info
when
you
have
the
time
from Tara's Iphone