Kaleidoscopes To You Blog

Value is a concept I’ve been thinking about recently. Value is not the price you pay but what greater benefits you receive for the product for which you parted with some of your treasure.
We are often asked what creates a great value in a kaleidoscope. Value comes from quality materials, good construction, an aesthetic quality that is personal as well as the rarity of the piece.
Some friends were Facebook chatting about a $50 butter dish from a high end kitchen retailer. For $50, you could select a Spirit Kaleidoscope by the Collier Studios. This scope creates great value by using ABS plastic for the housing and FeMo clay for the interior object cells. No skimping on the mirror system or optics however and you have a great scope with a 2 mirror system.
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Spirit Kaleidoscope by the Colliers

For $100 (or a bit more), you can get a decent pair of shoes. For that same price, you could select a fabulous stained glass kaleidoscope by a number of artists such as Kathleen Hunt, David Sugich or Joanne Jacobs.

For $200, you can have a great meal in a great restaurant with fabulous wine. Or you can have an extraordinary signed, unique piece of art by Judith Paul or kaleidoscope jewelry by the Healy’s.

Healy Sterling Silver Kaleidoscope Necklaces

So value is your own personal judgment as to what is precious to you. Here at Kaleidoscopes To You, we search out the best values in scopes so that you have the best balance of optics, art and price in your kaleidoscopic experience.

Springtime! It came early to us at Kaleidoscopes To You. March was the warmest on record here.

Tulips are blooming and the lilacs are budding a full month early. Azaleas here usually bloom on Mother’s Day. Azaleas were in full bloom on Palm Sunday this year!

The Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscopes are fabulous scope to celebrate the rebirth of spring.

Peggy and Steve Kittleson create an incredible kaleidoscope with Cherry Blossoms inside and out.

Cherry Blossom Glass Kaleidoscope by Kittlesons

Interior Sculpted Cherry Blossom interior image

Now as gorgeous as the Kittleson’s version of the Cherry Blossom is, it does not fit every shopping budget. We have another Cherry Blossom kaleidoscope that does fit any budget. Collier Studios has created a version of the Spirit Kaleidoscope that features the Cherry Blossom theme also.

Collier Cherry Blossom Exterior

Collier Cherry Blossom Interior Image

As winter fades away and spring takes hold, we are inspired to try new things. Being involved with art, color and movement, beautiful art mobiles are a new item we are beginning to feature. Joel Hotchkiss has incredbly well crafted and well balanced mobiles that dance ever so slightly with the air movement in your home or office.

Lumen in Green by Joel Hotchkiss

Lumen Kinetic Art by Joel Hotchkiss at Kaleidoscopes To You

Here at Kaleidoscopes To You, we’re always delighted to see the new and different pieces of art that come to us!

We develop a new section each month just to highlight what came in. This section will have a mix of inexpensive toys and very high end, one of a kind pieces that even blow us away!

Here’s a quick overview of the What’s new for March 2012

Since it’s March, one must have a Green Kaleidoscope for Saint Patrick’s Day! So here’s one of the best!

Green Cone Kaleidoscope by Charles Karadimos

Watch the video at this link above to see the Amazing and Intricate Green Kaleidoscopic images. This one is better than a pot of gold!

Then also new for March, we have a fabulous new etched aluminum kaleidoscope. This has a sleek modern feel that makes for a fabulous corporate gift! Engraving onto a coordinating rosewood base is a great option too!

Aluminum Etched Kaleidoscope on engraved base

Etched Aluminum Kaleidoscope with Velvet Pouch

I wore blue turtleneck, jeans and blue sweater today. And the 3 scopes I’m most enamored with today are all gorgeous and tranquil creations from blue artglass. The kaleidoscopes use traditional stained glass technique as well as modern magic. Blue stained glass kaleidoscopes are what I am enthralled with today.

The first scope that soothes this Monday is the Kittleson Midnight Blue Mystic Rapture. This elegant kaleidoscope has a serene deep blue and the full palate of shades of this dusky blue inside.

Midnight Blue Mystic Rapture Kaleidoscope

Interior Image from Midnight Blue Mystic Rapture Kaleidoscope

Another scope that showcases incredible blue glass is the Bella Sera crafted by Sue Rioux.
This is an hip and modern sculptural statement using traditional stained glass techniques.

Bella Sera by Sue Rioux

Bella Sera Eyepiece

Bella Sera Interior Image

And then there is this magical piece that incorporates blue glass, blue Japanese and English papers, blue paint and even a blue dragonfly. The Peek A Box by Marc Tickle

Peek A Box in Blue by Marc Tickle

Glass Dragonfly within the Peek A Box Kaleidoscope

Watch the YouTube video as it demonstrates the magic and colors better than words.
Peek A Box by Marc Tickle at Kaleidoscopes To You

Peek A Box Interior Image

Need a little color magic to cure your Friday the 13th blues this January?

Here’s a kaleidoscope that has just the right magic and math background to chase away all those troubles!

Peek a Box in Blue

The Peek a Box in Blue is handcrafted by Marc Tickle who is inspired by his love of magic and his amazement of mathematics principles.

This scope is actually hidden under an interior panel of mirror that has half of a lampworked, sculpted glass dragonfly mounted onto the mirror.

Peek A Box Dragonfly

This is a magical kaleidoscope hidden under a lovely optical sculpture. Marc has combined his lampworking, Japanese printed papers and his reverse painted glass to create every part of this exquisite kaleidoscope. If this is still sounding like magic in motion, watch our YouTube demonstration video.
Peek A Box Kaleidoscope on YouTube

Another great kaleidoscope to chase away the January blues is a Mystic Rapture in Cobalt Blue. This Cobalt Blue glass statement is a timeless kaleidoscope with incredible interior images.

Kittleson Mystic Rapture Kaleidoscope in Cobalt Blue

Kittleson Cobalt Mystic Rapture Interior Image

Another Interior Image from Kittleson Cobalt Mystic Rapture

Steve Kittleson slumps the exterior glass and then uses traditional stained glass technique to create the barrel that holds the fabulous 2 mirror system. Peggy Kittleson lampworks the glass to create the incredible object cell that creates the color inside this kaleidoscope. Enjoy and chase away those January blues!

In working in this wonderful world of kaleidoscopes, fabulous and inspiring people have entered our lives. Judith Paul and Tom Durden are 2 such people for Karl and I.

Judith and Tom were an unlikely love story to start but they have built an incredible life full of color and love. Judith’s background is in color. Color preservation to be exact. She is a highly respected restoration artist and has restored paintings in many exclusive and famous art collections. Tom brings engineering and precision to match Judith’s color palettes. This combination implodes within their fabulous kaleidoscopes.

Exterior of Monet's Japanese Bridge Kaleidoscope

Interior Image with Iris from Monet's Japanese Bridge Kaleidoscope

Monet’s Japanese Garden is an lovely example of how this works.
Delicate lavendars, blues and pinks bloom inside the object cell with a unique arc for a mirror system.

Youtube Video of Monet\'s Japanese Bridge by Judith Paul

Judith has so much inspiration, she has plenty to share! Christine Feehan has been the latest person to be inspired by Judith. The most recent book is Spirit Bound

The main character is Judith Henderson, a painter and kaleidoscope artist whose main love interest is Thomas Vincent…..

Judith’s life is filled with color and love. This book is inspired by this and we are honored that Judith includes is in a corner of her vibrant life!

So much has happened this week.

In preparing for Thanksgiving, there’s always the turkey and how many places to set at the table.
At work, we are always gearing up form Black Monday being etailers.

But this year, my family is grateful. We will all be together. After a “surprise” open heart surgery, my father will be coming home tomorrow.

Here we are all together in the shop in 2007.

Jean and her Family

This Thanksgiving will have special meaning of family

Grateful prayers go out to the incredible teams at Mayo Clinic and Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. Special shout outs to Drs. Evans and Park and Michelle Squared. (His double team of RN’s in ICU named Michelle and Michelle!)

Oh, we’re in the holiday spirit here at Kaleidoscopes To You!

We decorated with trees last week and strung some holiday lights! I even changed my Facebook Job title to Chief Holiday Elf! Planning a relaxing dinner with staff and their spouses this Saturday. We have had a unique year with the remodel and starting new work patterns and habits. This YouTube link
Warehouse Remodel on YouTube
shows the warehouse complete, but the offices hadn’t been finished out. Looking forward to a chance to relax and fellowship with everyone to celebrate the end of the remodel and the beginning of the BIG season!

This past weekend with orders was humming along and we have huge amounts of inventory arriving this week from N & J Enterprises, Collier Studios and hopefully Deborah and Kevin Healy, Joanne Jacobs and maybe even Corki Weeks.

Here’s a kaleidoscope we just received from Corki last week!
Corki Weeks Bead Parlor Kaleidoscope Video on YouTube

The scope shown below is the Cathedral Windows Trio scope by Collier - an incredible kaleidoscope value for gift giving this season! And a brand new design this year, so if you need a gift for a collector, you haven’t given this one yet!

Cathedral Windows Kaleidoscope by Collier

I just made a phone call to double check our box order is ready for pickup. We have kaleidoscopes waiting for the inner box so they can get labeled and go on the shelf and be ready for shipping out to customers and gift recipients

So if you need Hannukah or Christmas gifts, now is the time to browse and shop while the selection is phenomenal and the shipping is easy. So dial up some Bing Crosby on iTunes and get to it!

In early October, we had a wonderful afternoon on the Northeast Iowa Artists Tour. Our destination and purpose was the art glass and kaleidoscope studio of Peggy and Steve Kittleson.

We are always amazed by hot glass work. Peggy allowed us to take video which is hosted on YouTube.
Peggy Kittleson Lampworking Glass

On this gorgeous Saturday afternoon, we had the opportunity to learn the back story on Mystic Resolution and its full inspiration. Watch here.

This Mystic Resolution Parlor Kaleidoscope by Peggy and Steve Kittleson is a rare kaleidoscope limited to only 5 pieces. The one shown here is #4 in the series of 5.

We’ve all read the headlines. Markets are falling, then rising. Consumer confidence is down, consumer confidence is up!

It’s starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book.

In the meantime, here at Kaleidoscopes To You, we keep doing what most of the economy is doing. We’re showing up and working hard. We are stocking the shelves and preparing for the holiday sales season. We conservatively optimistic.

I’m starting to pick out Christmas carols. Thinking about where to put up a Christmas Tree in our new office space.

So here’s a few of my favorite picks for Christmas this season at Kaleidoscopes To You.

Trio series is back and even better by the Colliers! Trio Kaleidoscopes by the Colliers at Kaleidoscopes To You
This kaleidoscope is amazing on the exterior and the interior.

Trio in Cathedral Windows Pattern

Colliers offer an incredible value by incorporating 3 complete kaleidoscope into one tube with one object cell. This kaleidoscope also offers a rare circular or tubular mirror system which creates a vortex image.

Trio Circular Interior

For a holiday gift that makes them say “OMG how did they do that?!?!” , this is my favorite pick.
Dichro III by Charles Karadimos.

Dichro III by Karadimos

Dichro III Interior Image

This kaleidoscope has days of slumping, fusing and lampworking of glass to make it happen. Check out the YouTube video to get a sense of how incredible this scope is.
Dichro III by Karadimos on YouTube