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Add Style To Your Home With - Swedish Crystal !
Midnightsun
Designs - Norrköping, Sweden
Swedish design has long been associated
with smooth, clean lines and elegant form. Usually, furniture is the first thing
that springs to mind. However, the American market has left a treasure trove of
Swedish design largely untapped and was mostly left to the financially affluent
- Swedish Crystal
There are only two names marketed heavily in America today, yet the Crystal
Kingdom area of Sweden has more than 16 glassworks and numerous small glass
studios. Thus, the selection in the U.S. remains small and many of the fantastic
forms created by Swedish artisans remain undiscovered. For the few who are lucky
enough to visit the Crystal Kingdom region, a whole new world full of color,
form and design.
For Kristina Gaidry, of Midnightsun Design, she remembers
when she first became fascinated with glassworks as a child, "I visited my
first Swedish glassworks with my uncle and watched the process from start to
finish. It was the most magical experience! I had a whole new appreciation for
the heavy crystal I brought home to my American relatives after each visit to
Sweden. "
Midnightsun Design is the product of two
people who fell in love with Swedish crystal. "When I couldn’t visit
Sweden, because of school and work obligations," says Kristina, "My
mother, who had moved back to her native homeland, would bring me a lovely piece
each time she visited."
Bjorn Ingbrandt partner at Midnightsun, became enraptured with Swedish crystal
in the very same way, yet as an adult. "We went to the very same
glassworks!" He saw with new eyes and interest the process of creating such
works of art.
With extensive visits to private studios they were
rewarded with visions of great beauty and the idea to create Midnightsun.
"We feel we owe it to the many talented artists in Sweden to introduce
their beautiful creations to the uninitiated."
Quality craftsmanship is hard to find in this automated
society. In Sweden, the tradition of glass-blowing lives on. Everything is hand blown
or mouth blown . Some are blown into molds to achieve their form; others are
blown entirely freehand, which is without a mold.
Glassblowing is a trade that takes many years to learn and
master. The truly skilled make it look quite easy, but it takes teamwork and
precision to produce a single piece.
After losing her bout with cancer, Kristina's mother will
no longer be bringing gifts of crystal to America. Whether or not she realized
it, she helped to spread the name of fine Swedish crystal. Those she touched are
confirmed Swedish crystal converts.
Like her mother, Kristina feels that too few people are exposed to the fluid
lines and elegant look of Swedish crystal. Midnightsun Designs presents the
opportunity to experience fine Swedish crystal without having stepped foot in
Sweden. Their goal is to share the love they have for fine hand blown Swedish
crystal through education and a vision, says Kristina,
"I think my mother would have approved!"
RDD Quality Merchant : Midnightsun Designs
is located in Sweden and currently ships directly to the United States and
Canada. Visit their online shopping site http://www.midnightsun-designs.com
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