Glass Ripe Blueberry, realistic and life-sized hand blown glass figurine, good enough to fool the eye. Each blueberry is sold individually - this listing is not for a set. If you order quantity of 1, then you will receive 1 (ONE) glass blueberry. Several blueberries have been shown in the photographs so you can see them from all angles. If you want to buy more than one berry, put the first one in your Shopping Cart. Then click into the Cart, where you can increase the quantity. Your fruit will be carefully packed with biodegradable plant fiber inside a 100% recycled paper gift box with a stretch bow.
My glass blueberry sculptures are so realistic you must keep them away from children. They are miniature heirloom-quality art works. A treasured collectible for any gourmet, gardener or blueberry lover.
Size Option:
You have a choice in sizes ranging from a wild Maine blueberry (about 3/8 inch wide) to the most enormous cultivated blueberries that are now available at the market - about 1 inch across. When you place your order you will be required to select the size and color of the blueberry you want. If you need several sizes, simply put one of each desired size+color into your Shopping Cart. If you want more than one blueberry of any particular size+color, you may increase the quantity of that combo once you're inside the Shopping Cart.
Color Option:
In real life blueberries are black underneath, with a coating of blue powder on the surface that's called "bloom". To match nature as closely as possible, I make my glass blueberries that same way - with a black base and layers of colors over the top. Because of the layering there's a fairly wide range of blue colors I can produce. This helps to mimic the differences between berries of different types or ripeness. The fifth picture shows all the colors for comparison. As you place each size of blueberry you want in your cart, you'll also be required to select its color.
* Light lavender blue represents a thick layer of bloom - it has a lavender tint and the color is almost solid on the top 2/3 of the blueberry. This kind of blueberry would taste very sweet - almost over-ripe.
* Normal blue has a speckled surface that's more blue than black. Perfectly ripe!.
* Black blue has a speckled surface that is more black than blue. This represents a blueberry that's just beginning to ripen and is very tart. It's also the color of most huckleberries.
Multiple Items:
If you order several items from my Shop, they will be packed inside the same gift box to avoid waste. If you are ordering gifts for multiple persons and you do need separate gift boxes, please let me know in the Notes section of your order in the Shopping Cart.
About Shipping:
I shipping most orders in 1-3 business days. Free shipping in the US is via USPS First Class Parcel Service (now called Ground Advantage) which takes 2-5 business days. If you need your package sooner, an upgrade to Priority Mail or Express Mail can be purchased during Checkout. If you need more certainty, Message me to discuss options for UPS 2-day and Next Day Air. A signature will be required for orders valued over $500. If it's inconvenient to sign for packages at your home address, during checkout you can provide the address of another place where someone will be available to sign - perhaps at your work or the home of a trusted friend.
The Nature of Mother Nature
Almost nothing in nature is completely round, smooth or even, so I avoid making my glass fruit and leaves too perfectly. I put on little splotches and speckles, make them a tidbit lopsided, and add other small imperfection so that each berry or leaf is unique. This makes them look much more real.
Process and Materials:
I make every single one of these glass blueberries individually. I use Italian glass rods and a couple of simple tools. All the rest is time, gravity, surface tension and experience. Each glass blueberry sculpture even has the little scar left on the bottom from where the stem attached. Because the color is applied by layering and melting in glass powders, there is no paint. The color will never fade or chip off. I have rounded the edges of the flower stars so they will not fracture when the berries are handled, and so you can't cut yourself on sharp edges.
Sustainability:
The packaging for your order has been reduced as much as possible while still preventing glass breakage. Everything that's left is made from recycled, sustainable or repurposed materials. Brown packing tape can be recycled right along with the cardboard boxes and paper inserts or filler. The organic Kapok fiber padding inside your gift box will biodegrade, but not fast enough for curbside composting. Please put that in your regular trash. Even the red stretch ribbon on your gift box (which also goes in regular trash) was bought at a second-hand shop and repurposed! :)
Photography:
The photos above are representative of the glass blueberry sculptures I make in this style. The sculpture you receive will be similar to, but not exactly the same as, the one shown above. There will be some minor variations in the shape, size and color patterns of each blueberry.
Matching Items:
My shop contains listings for other glass food sculptures including many varieties of berries. Start your collection with a few pieces and add more as you go. Here's a link to the Sculpture page of my Shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GlassBerries?section_id=15314189