His skill of glass blowing is admired and ranked among the most beautiful in our nation. He has always been one of the few recognized true glass artists of our time. He still manages all this today and raised three children with his wife Roberta. He ended up in Cedarville IL and became a one man business, doing all his glass items, running his business and traveling worldwide. that had an abundance of natural gas to run his furnaces. He searched out the most central area of the U.S. He soon decided to venture out on his own. In 1973, he was employed by Fenton Art Glass Company to develop a contemporary glass product line.

During this time he was asked by the State of West Virginia to become their resident glassblower.

In a few short years he had developed his skill so well that in 1971 he left teaching and began traveling worldwide as an apprentice in several companies. On his return he set up a studio where he could teach glassblowing as a course on campus. He was still so intrigued with the art of glass making, that in 1968 he took his pottery students on a trip to a glassblowing studio in Rochester, MN. He later developed an interest in architectural history which introduced pottery into his life. When offered an engineering scholarship to the University of Illinois he decided instead to attend the University of Northern Iowa, where he devoted his studies to the arts. However there are still people who are trying to keep this artesian art alive.ĭaniel Edler, now in his 60’s, is one of these people. Many of our glass objects today are mass produced. However, as with many of our antiques and collectables the age of machinery has put a huge dent in the world of glass. Some of these include Teddy Bear of the Year Awards, Doll of the Year Awards, Golden Teddy Awards, and National Association of Limited Edition Dealers Achievement Awards.Is the art of glass making a dying business? For thousands of years master craftsmen have made beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of glass items, from decorated figurines to vases, plates and actual drinking vessels. On August 14, 2014, Enesco announced that 2014 was to be the final year of the Friends of Boyds collector's club, and that retailer orders for the 2015 membership kit had been canceled.īoyds products have won numerous awards in the toy and doll collectible circles. Benefits included exclusive members-only collectors items, an online newsletter and access to a members-only website. Newly designed kits were available annually.

The Boyds Bears official fan club was called the 'Loyal Order of Friends of Boyds!' It was founded in 1996. The bears were a popular collector's item in the 1990s, and remain so now that they are no longer being produced. Enesco acquired the company in 2008 and retired the line in 2014. The plush bears and hares were a success, and in 1993 Boyds introduced the first resin bears. They began making and selling stuffed bears, and the bears became known as 'Boyds Bears' after the town of Boyds, Maryland, where they lived and operated their business. The first bear was a 12 inch tall stuffed bear with moveable joints named for the couple's newborn son, Matthew. In 1984 they began sculpting with resin, at first making a line of miniature houses called 'The Gnomes Homes'. Some of their more profitable reproductions included duck decoys. They turned to making and selling antique reproductions. They were owners of an antique shop in Boyds, MD, which although profitable, found difficulty maintaining an inventory of well priced antiques. Boyds Bears was founded in 1984 by Gary and Tina Lowenthal.

Boyds bears hand blown glass