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A Welcoming Sign

Many years ago I was crazy about this new craft I had discovered. Glass painting. I was obsessed with painted Christmas ornaments. It was a lot of fun, experimenting with different colors and textures. It must have been a hot new craft at the time because there aren’t as many kits to choose from now as back then. Fortunately, I had stocked up. Well, I guess really I bought more projects than I ended up completing. Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I had two of these lovely glass panels, purchased from Ben Franklin Crafts, long before they closed. I still have one I need to paint, but I managed to finish this welcome sign with its art nouveau ladies before the glass painting phase wore off. Then it sat in a closet for a decade, just waiting for the perfect spot. Notice, too, that it is hung so as to not block Oliver’s view. That’s important, you know. And no, I did not buy this house because my welcome sign would look good next to the door, it just worked out that way!It was difficult to photograph from outside and still catch the details, so here it is from the inside looking out. Just imagine the image flipped.

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Quilling

Of the many things I’ve inherited from my grandmother, I’ve always been rather fond of these little pieces. The quintessential 1970s owl.


And the three little panels of intricate flowers. Forgive me, they are a bit dusty, but I’m not sure how to dust them without damaging those delicate little curls of paper.

This type of craft is known as paper filigree, or quilling. A neat little hobby, if you’ve the patience.

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Major Biddle Revisited

Yesterday, Minzdesigns left a comment on this post:

We have the same two prints, one of Major Biddle and the other is not infact his
wife but swedish opera singer Jennie Lind.

The moment I read that name- Jennie Lind- I remember my grandmother telling me that. Thank you so much, Minzdesigns!

That just opens up another question: what the heck does Major Biddle have to do with Jennie Lind? They seem like an unlikely duo.

Were these two prints sold together as a pair? I think so because they are framed exactly alike, and two people have commented on the first post that they have the same set, and my mom tells me that the same prints are hanging on one of the walls in the Crane mansion on the soap Passions. (Now I know I’m in good company.)

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Major Biddle and his wife

Update: not Major Biddle and his wife Eliza.
Major Biddle and a seemingly unrelated Sweedish opera singer named Jennie Lind.

This is Major Biddle and his wife Eliza.

They came from my grandmother’s house. Just like about 80% of the things in my house. I don’t really know anything about them, except that they are just art prints, made to look like an oil painting with little swirls all over the surface. I wouldn’t even know who they were if it weren’t for the “Major Biddle” stamp on the back of his picture. There is nothing stamped on the back of her picture, but I found her name and the artist Thomas Sully after a bit of googling.

Anyone out there know more about the Major and his wife?