Closed 5/20/09

C7 Light String…60s Vinyl Tree…Light Reflectors…Glass Pear Ornament

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.

Now listed in eBay Store

SOLD

Now listed in eBay Store
Now listed in eBay Store

Spun Cotton Ornaments

Spun cotton ornaments are made by taking thin cotton thread and winding it into a ball or other shape.  This blank or “watte” is then decorated with dye or paint, paper scraps, glitter or dresdens.  Originally spun cotton ornaments were made in Germany in varying shapes and forms.  Vegetables, fruits, icicles and doll ornaments are all fairly well documented.  These were hung on the tree.

Spun Cotton Head-Japanese Figurine

When Japan entered the spun cotton ornament market, they took a unique niche–the spun cotton head atop a chenille or cardboard figurine.  And a whole new art form was born.  Spun cotton heads were mounted on pine cone bodies, chenille bodies and cardboard bodies and decorated usually with painted on features and hair.  These ranged from simple to elaborate designs.  These were used mostly as party favors, table decorations or gift embellishments. They were less frequently used as ornaments.  You still find the spun cotton heads mounted on picks for crafters of the day to use in their creative efforts. 

Spun Cotton Head Angel Ornament

Reproductions of the spun cotton ornaments are available and crafters can acquire the basic spun cotton watte forms from d. blumchen

Closed 4/29/09

12 pc Plastic Nativity Set…Plaster Angel,France…Plaster Mary, Wiseman,Germany…Plaster Angel…Lighted Wood Creche

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.
Now listed on From Grandma’s Tree
 Now listed in eBay Store
 Now listed in eBay Store
 Now listed in  eBay Store
Now listed in eBay Store

Closed 4/22/09

30s Glass Horn Ornaments…Glitter Decorated Spun Cotton Head Lady…Felt Decorated Ladies Set-Spun Cotton Head

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.

Now listed in eBay Store

 Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

Closed 3/12/09

Germany Angel CakeTopper…Spun Cotton Head Gauze Angels…3 Lots of Spun Cotton Mushrooms/Germany

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.

Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

Closed 3/11/09

Gold Wood and Paper Maiche Ornaments…Bottlebrush Sprays…Plastic Angel Picks…Glass Ball Picks…Bell Picks

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.

Now listed ineBay Store

Now listed ineBay Store
Now listed ineBay Store
Now listed ineBay Store
Now listed ineBay Store

Package Decoration or Feather Tree?

feather tree ornaments

I think that calling something “feather tree” is often used by sellers either in ignorance or to indicate the size of an ornament. In the 20s and 30s, both Germany and Japan produced individual ornaments that were purchased one at a time by families to add to their collections. They also produced sets of ornaments specifically designed for the feather trees of the day. These were usually around 1-2” long ornaments. In today’s terms, they’d be called small or miniature. Of course, this size ornament is still produced today. The term feather tree is rightly applied to individual ornaments or the sets produced in that era.

There were many sets of miniature ornaments produced as decoration for packages both pre and post WWII. These most often were sets of tiny spheres. These are mistakenly identified as “feather tree”.

Shiny Brite Miniature Ornament Set

Closed 2/12/09

Old World Christmas Flask…Heart & Shell…2 Fruit Faces…2 Strawberries…Strawberry & Grape

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.
Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

SOLD-both apple & pear

Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

Closed 2/11/09

Shiny Brite Box Set…Occupied Japan Set of 4…4 Germany Indents…Sputnick Replacement Light Bulbs

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.
Now listed in eBay Store

Now listed in eBay Store

SOLD

SOLD

“Free Blown” vs “Mold Blown” Are They Really Hand Blown?

It may surprise you to learn that both of these terms are also properly called by the term “hand blown”.   Both of these are blown by the glassmaker one ornament at a time. 

A skillful glassblower is able to make a sphere and other shapes by turning the ornament as it is blown, pulling it into a shape, etc. This results in a free blown ornament. 

Free Blown Italian Glass Ornament

Each piece of this ornament is blown without a mold and then the pieces attached (annealed). The artist here works without a mold and uses their skill to blow each piece separately. While the glass is still hot, the glassmaker attaches or “anneals” them onto the base piece.

Skillful glassblowers also use molds to produce the finely and uniquely shaped ornaments that we love so much.  The mold is carved into two pieces with a space for the tube at one end. These are fastened together and the glassblower inserts the glass and his pipette.  The result is an ornament that conforms to the shape of the mold with a long “pike”, ready for finishing.

 
This photo shows the typical “line” which occurs on mold blown ornaments.  The mold is carved in two halves that are put together for the glassblower to insert his pipette.  This results in a slight “line” where the two mold halves come together.  On this photo it is a horizontal line that goes the length of the pinecone near the top of the photo.