Image of the Week

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!)

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

OK, it’s fall. The leaves are just starting to turn here and I’m trying to see the bright side of the impending winter. At least I have the bright orange autumn colors with which to decorate!

I even had the happy occurrence of finding 2 boxes of orange and amber Viking glass dishes in my basement. (not happy that it was because of mandatory dishwasher repairs above) but it is a vibrant joy to have these colors in my dining room again.

Relish dish in Orange

Viking Glass in Orange

A few kaleidoscopes can be great additions to decorating too.
Cathedral Windows has a great terra cotta coloring to the exterior. This is part of the new Chrome series by the Colliers. The exterior is Paula Nadelstern quilt patterns printed onto fabric and then wrapped around the black chrome finish on the acrylic fittings.

Exterior of Cathedral Windows

This kaleidoscope offers a mirror system for any type of mood also. With 3 complete mirror systems, you can change interior images as fast as the season!

Another incredible piece to decorate for fall is Sunset by Judith Paul and Tom Durden.
This kaleidoscope brings the harvest sunset right into your living room on a cloudy day.

Sunset Kaleidoscope video from YouTube

sunset-exterior-by-judith-paul-and-tom-durden

Need something that doesn’t look like a kaleidoscope?

This whimsical sculptural kaleidoscope is an Acorn and Oak Leaf.

Coghill Acorn Kaleidoscope

This delightful Acorn is full of bright colors inside.

Definitely not a scope to squirrel away for too long. Like my Viking Glass. It needs light to be enjoyed.

Summertime may quiet and relaxing at times, but this August has been full of activity at Kaleidoscopes To You.

Each month we create a new section on our website that features new scopes or items that have arrived or been unearthed from a quiet corner here. This August, we have so much beautiful new items, it is hard to squeeze them into a short narrative here! Here’s a quick recap of 3 of the new pieces.

Most recent piece here is Cherry Blossom by Kittleson. We received #6 of the edition and it is absolutely extraordinary. The delicate sculpted Cherry Blossom inside. The fused and slumped Cherry Blossoms on the exterior barrel are so delicate and exquisite, I have writer’s block just trying to find words and adjectives to describe it. Thankfully, we have some YouTube video so you can watch and enjoy.

YouTube Video of Cherry Blossom Kaleidoscope by Kittlesons

Equally delicate and precise is the Bronze Hibiscus Kaleidoscope by Yasuko Nakazato. I hand picked a lovely kaleidoscope by Yasuko at the Brewster Kaleidoscope Convention and the image of it has been so popular, that we have reordered more than once this summer. Each kaleidoscope by Yasuko is just as spectacular as the one before it.

bronze-hibiscus-kaleidoscope-by-yasuko-nakazato

Wishes is a new kaleidoscope designed by Sue Rioux. Sue’s dichroic and fused glass creates all the components of a well engineered barrels. Then she adds the magic of dichroic glass into the mirror system. It’s as if you stuffed all of your Wishes inside this magical kaleidoscope.

Now, before you start thinking that all we do is play with kaleidoscopes, let me update you on our remodel! The warehouse is fabulous (especially with efficient insulation and central air conditioning!) and we are settling in and getting shelves organized and labeled. The old warehouse space is sealed, painted and getting scrubbed so the floor can be resealed. We are looking forward to having all of our workspaces within one collaboration space.

Karl and I are used to being at opposite ends of 2 joined buildings, so this could be interesting as I move about 20 feet away from his workspace.

Keep checking back to see the final offices as we have antique church stained glass windows that we are going to incorporate into this space.

And the summer temps have started to cool down and we are very dry here in North Iowa. School even started yesterday so autumn is right around the corner!

Here at Kaleidoscopes To You, we are constantly trying to find new scopes that are a great value for gift giving.

In working with N & J Enterprises, we are able to offer this delightful kaleidoscope as a $20 gift!

This great 6 inch pocket kaleidoscope is available in warm Padauk wood

Bead Chamber on the Padauk Pocket Kaleidoscope

as well as in warm, natural walnut.

Pocket Kaleidoscope in warm, Natural Walnut

Another section to keep an eye on is our What’s New section. We create one for each month and July 2011 has lots of new work by Judith Paul and Tom Durden, Durette Studios, Koji Yamami, Phil Coghill and Deborah and Kevin Healy.

Just returned from the ACRE show in Las Vegas!

It’s wonderful to spend time with other artists! It’s always great to spend time with our partners on the wholesale side; Jim and Nancy Koscheski. And it’s even better when our existing galleries love the new items!

Nancy, Jim, Karl and I design and create this elegant and affordable line of teleidoscopes and wooden
kaleidsocopes.

We introduced 4 new pieces at the ACRE show and fabulous response to them.
Watch for them soon at the above link. We are redesigning the 11 inch tube into a 9 inch tube. This will improve the optics and also bring the price down slightly. Definitely a Win-Win!

12 inch Wheel N&J Kaleidoscope in Padauk Marquetry

Watch for this pattern of Padauk with laminated Ebony, Teak and JalNeem wood to show up on our egg shaped kaleidoscope!

Example of Padauk with Laminated Woods

And watch for this pocket piece to show up as a kaleidoscope! We are now able to offer this very affordable scope as a kaleidoscope as well as a teleidoscope!

New Padauk Pocket Kaleidoscope

We intend to ignore the economic headlines and forge ahead. We are enthused and excited to be offering this line of kaleidoscopes! And we know that the future is bright AND colorful just like our kaleidoscopes!

Here at Kaleidoscopes To You, Karl and Jean are always looking to the future while building on our history. In fact, we are confident that we will be here for at least a couple of decades enjoying and selling kaleidoscopes.

We are making major building improvements and I’m looking forward to not having cold feet during the winter!

Whenever I am asked about Modern or Wood Kaleidoscopes, one my my favorite artists is Henry Bergeson.

Henry Bergeson

His attention to detail, the smooth and sleek designs and the exquisite interior images are all at the top of this category of scopes. The smooth finish is as sleek as glass. The maple and bubinga woods are rich and modern. His designs are elegant, simple and mechanically sublime. All these factors add up to the ultimate wood kaleidoscope.

The King’s Ransom is the ultimate interchangeable object cell kaleidoscope. This scope has been given to architects as a thank you with some of the actual building materials added into the cells. It has also been used for marriage proposals with the diamond engagement ring inside the cell (ring not included).

Bubinga Kings Ransom

If you are dreaming of a wood sculpture that happens to be a scope. WindDancer is for you. This gorgeous piece of art is inspired by a ship’s sail.

WindDancer by Henry Bergeson

This piece will stand very tall and sleek on your credenza for a striking statement to your office or den.