Glass Ornaments by 20 Glass Blowers for our 2oth!

We're having a series of events to celebrate Carolina Creations 20th Year in Downtown New Bern!

Our first is Ornaments, Ornaments, Ornaments! a show of handblown glass ornaments by 20 glass blowers. Some are old friends and some we've never represented before

The show opens during the November 13th, ArtWalk from 5-8 pm (we're ususally there until 9!).

Our artists include Rick and Val Beck, Scott Simmons, Dale Leman, Jason Probstein, Luke Adams, Virgil Jones, Scott Carlson, Dave Kendall, Christina Mayr, Jeffrey Ferrer, Ron Hinkle, Justin Burg, Stephen Kitras, John Bergesen, Lance Sanford, Loretta Eby, Paul Lockwood, Kevin Robert Gray and Thomas von Koch.

What a lineup!

These artists have a combined 200 years of glassblowing.

Many of our glass artists studied and or taught at our own Penland School of Crafts in Spruce Pine, NC, Pilchuck Glass School, Washington State, Appalachian Center for Crafts, TN, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, Corning Glass Museum, NY among other schools.

It's going to be quite a show so we hope you'll stop in.

A Dickens of a Christmas in Downtown New Bern 2009

For the second year in a row I've been chairman of the Downtown Christmas Committee.

We have a great committee and we've pretty much got everything ready to go.

We're going to have the storyboards in the window again and Carol and I have painted 10 new ones to add to the story "A Christmas Carol". Here is a sneak preview of a couple of them.

I love the guy drinking the port!

Some of the highlights of this years celebration.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

- Many shops will have open houses on the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving
- Trolley Tours BOTH Friday & Saturday nights
- Salvation Army musical entertainment Friday evening 6:30 pm on the corner of Middle and Pollock
- Santa house gets a new look & Santa will be in Bear Plaza every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- There will be "kissing stations" in 3 locations decked out with mistletoe.
- Mrs Santa Storytelling at the Arts Council every Saturday followed by a craft project.
- 3 Scavenger Hunts, you'll get a print of one of the Dickens Storyboards suitable for framing.
- Light poles wrapped with lights shining every evening.
- Coloring Contest sponsored by Branch's Furniture.
- Lots of shops open every Friday evening
- The Gifts of the Magi at New Bern Civic Theater.
- Special events Friday evenings at selected shops
- Parade, Flotilla, Symphony, Messiah, Holly & Ivy tour, Tryon Palace Candlelight Tour, Bed and Breakfasts Open House, and more.

For the details visit our Downtown New Bern Blog by clicking here.

Slow Blogging My Two Kittys

I've been slow in blogging the past 10 days.

We've been dealing with two sick kittys.

Lucy (white) is 17.

Pepper is 13.

Hopefully they'll be around a while yet but the prognosis doesn't look good.

They have been a constant source of amusement and company and we're really going to miss them when they're gone.

Ring Holders from Terry Weaver

This summer we met Terry Weaver. Among other great things he makes these beautiful ring holders.


These ring holders are designed as a simple conical shape with 2 lines of color twisted through the center of clear glass. Additional design is created from oxidation that is pulled off the punty. The size ranges from 31/4 to 41/4 high.

Here's a little bit about Terry

I was a licensed architect who started blowing glass in 1988. It began with a 3 day workshop with Jane Bruce and I was hooked. In the early years my furnace time was limited to workshops and studio rental time but the enjoyment and pleasure I got out of working with hot glass increased each year.

In 1998 it lead to the building of my own studio with the aid of one of the techs from “The Studio” in Corning.

From 1999 through 2006, the glass studio was a part time business (if you can call doing 9 to 12 3-day weekend shows a year part-time) that shared my life with architecture and construction. I would light the furnace once a month, let it warm up, blow glass for a short period, and then shut the furnace down.

During that time the complexity and quality of the work improved which was reflected by the increased attention and sales at shows. I believe this period where I slowly developed my own style and ideas with glass has been very important in establishing what my work is like today.

My architectural background has had a strong influence in the shapes, designs and colors that have evolved in my work. I want my glass to be looked at as functional art. I want people to be comfortable using my work and not just having it on display. With this in mind I intentionally make a number of smaller pieces.

I try to keep the shapes clean and simple. Some of the pieces need to be playful with the colors at times striking and at other times soft.

When you are working in the hot glass studio, you know right away that you have hit the shape just right and the personal reward for doing that is immediate.

This and a number of other factors helped move me to put aside the architectural license and allow the studio to become a full time glass blowing business.

Order online by following this link.

New Bern 300th Anniversary Souvenirs

We have some great souvenirs for our 300th anniversary! Magnets, pencils, mints in a commemorative box, coaster, lapel pin and more.

You can order them right off our website if you can't come in.

Many of these items are exclusive to Carolina Creations.

For more information or to order click here.

Great Bird Sculptures Boxes and Jewelry

We're thrilled to have received birds, boxes and new jewelry by Jim and Tori Mullen. We have represented Jim and Tori in New Bern off and on for about 8 years. Last year we ran into them at a show and saw their new birds, they're fabulous!!!

We had a few in June and they didn't last long.

Jim Mullan is a self-taught artist who grew up in Southern California with an enthusiasm for nature and history. As a teenager he became intrigued with old watches, vintage toys, and scientific instruments. In the process of taking things apart and putting them back together, he began pairing some of the old pieces with his favorite things found in nature, such as, bird, dragonfly and animal components to create one of a kind mixed media jewelry and assemblages. In 1980, Jim exhibited at his first art show in Florida and enjoyed it so much that he decided to set up shop in Pompano Beach. Shortly thereafter he began exhibiting full time in juried art shows across the country.

Tori’s passion for antiques and jewelry began as a child. Her inspiration was her father, a jeweler and antique watch collector. While working in his jewelry store in Port Charlotte, Florida, she became interested in the vintage stones and spare parts that her father used for repairing jewelry and watches. She set her sights on designing jewelry and started creating unique one of a kind earrings and bracelets. She met Jim in 1985 at a show and they soon discovered that they shared many of the same interests in old watches, jewelry and antiques.

The couple combined their individual talents and formed a partnership in work and in life. Their fascination of birds, nature, and antiques is still present today and their vast collection of vintage hardware, bird carvings and watches fill up their studio.

Can't get in? Click here to see some more of their pieces.

Welcome Hadley!

Just in! We have just received these great stick in the muds and pot pals.

A graduate from the Herron School of Art, Hadley currently works in ceramics, bringing sculpture to outdoor and garden settings.

We love her funky animals, they'll dress up your garden or flower pot with a bit of humor.

Best Place to Buy Art and Sculpture Best Gift and Speciaty Shop

Thank you to all that voted Carolina Creations the Best Place to Buy Art & Sculpture and Best Gift and Specialty Shop!

I was talking to Chris at Branch's on the sidewalk when Jaclyn from the Sun Journal walked up and said she'd been looking for both of us, and she handed us our awards. Branch's won best Furniture Store.

I'm sure that there were other Downtown winners as well.

This is many years in a row but we never take it for granted. Thank you!