Glass paperweights

Do you have any collections?

It started small, two paperweights in blue and red with gold and silver leaf surrounded by clear glass globes. I loved the way the centres were embedded and I’ve always thought they look like small planets.

The skill and attention of the glass blowers that made them sparked an interest that has stayed with me, so every so often I will treat myself to a new one.

They have to be sturdy because the windowledge they are on to catch the light is also my cats favourite sun trap, so they have been knocked off onto the floor a few times “thud”, but no breakages luckily.

Also luckily they have not acted as lenses and heated up or set fire to anything! Always check it’s safe to place them. I wouldn’t put them where they can act as magnifying glasses to focus bright sunlight. My window is shaded by trees.

I have other collections but this could get quite boring!

Glass paperweights

An alien ocean trapped in glass, blue light floods through. My glass paperweight collection sits out of the sun on a window ledge upstairs. As they are spherical thru could act as lenses and magnify the sun’s rays. So I’m careful, I don’t want a fire! I was trying to get a picture of a red glow, but the sunrise was unspectacular this morning. Still I think this turned out nicely.

Glass paperweights

I have these on a windowledge (not in the sun) upstairs. I started collecting paperweights about forty years ago when I was given the red one on the left of the photo as a Christmas present. I’ve bought one or more every couple of years as treats, not very frequently but regularly. These are some of them but I probably have four times this many (or more). I do like looking at them. They cheer me up!

Wizard glass

A wizard presides over some of my collection of glass paperweights. I made sure the sun doesn’t shine in too brightly on this particular windowsill. There are no curtains so the glass orbs cannot set fire to anything – they could act as magnifying lenses. I think the first ones I got were a present about thirty years ago, but I then started collecting them. They are colourful and tactile. Creativity comes in many guises.