I’ve Lost My Marbles Part2
Posted on: May 24, 2014
The information about contemporary marbles just keeps getting larger and longer. I have spent more time studying the contemporary marbles because these were my Papaw Jim’s specialty. It is harder to find all the contemporary marbles because, being handmade, some have not been noticed yet in books or online. So I have resulted in visiting antique marble collectors Facebook pages and trying to talk to other marble makers asking for the most unique marble they have every made.
When I visited the library in town I found a book, Aggies, Immies, Shooters, and Swirls, that listed all kinds of marbles. The first few marbles listed are thanks to this book and its’ author, Marilyn Barrett.
End-of-Day Marbles: When a marble maker is finished for the day, he/she is left with extra glass. Instead of wasting it, the maker will combine the glass pieces to create an End-of-Day Marble.
Cloud Marbles: These are clear glass spheres with color suspended inside. Since the colors are suspended it gives the appearance of a hot air balloon. In fact, my Papaw Jim could create this marble.
This a Balloon Marble that my Papaw Jim Davis created.
Sulphide Marbles: These marbles have something that is suspended in the center. This can be an animal figure, human figure, a number, etc. Again my Papaw was able to learn how to create such a marble.
Papaw was able to create a large enough marble to fit two figures inside.
Stardust Marbles: Marble creator, Geoffrey Beetem, was one of the first people to create this marble. He imagined having stardust sprinkled through the inside and in fact that is how it turned out. 
Millefiori-Style Marble: This marble has a technique used to create it that was founded around 3500 years ago in Egypt called murrhine. Colored glass is collected to create a certain pattern. Ro Purser was one of the first people to create a marble such as this.
Beach Ball Marbles: These marbles are obviously made to look like beach balls. Rolf and Genie Wolf loved to visit the beach which result in Rolf creating a marble that would soon be called the Beach Ball Marble. 
Cameo-Style Marbles: Harry and Wendy Besett were one of the first people to create this marble. While living on an air force base, Harry loved to design stars, soldiers, and airplanes onto the glass. 
Stripers: Created by Anthony Parker while working at Fulton Parker Glass, these marbles have stripes of colors that swirled from top to bottom. Anthony signed every marble he made, just like my Papaw Jim did. 
Dichroic Sphere Marbles: Shantidevi was the founder of this type of marble. She stated that she wanted to create something that was a message about saving the earth. This marble is made from recycled waste and dichroic glass.
Angelfish Aquarium Marbles: Just like in the name these marbles look like they are aquariums for angelfish. David P. Salazar, founder of this design, would heat glass rods to give the inside the look it need. He then would use molten glass, to paint the angelfish to the inside for the final look.
Shark’s Eggs Marbles: The creator of these marbles is Jody Fine. he created marbles like this because he felt that marbles were symbols of youth, having fantasy and having power in one’s hand. 
Orbs: This marbles are just like their name, taking the appearance as orbs. The creator of this marble is known as Douglas Sweet. He used many glass rods per marble to give the inside a very colorful look. 
Silver Spiral Twist: Partners and Co-Creators of California Class Studio, Nina Paladino-Carson and Michael K. Hansen, created this marble. When Michael’s four year old daughter asked for a spiral marble, this is what made up for her.
Inhabited Planet Marbles: Created by Josh Simpson, he wanted to find a unique way to put all kinds of glass together.
Jetson and Reverse Twist Onionskin Marbles: The creator Mark Matthews loves to creator something different. He has over 300 colors of glass, having around 12 shades of yellow. I was unable to find a picture of his Reverse Twist Onionskin.
Jetson marbles, made to look like they were from the future.
Although I am only listing one or two marbles for each other these creators, does not mean that this is the only marble they have created. Each marble creator makes thousands of marbles that are unique to them. As I have researched, I have discovered that my Papaw has a few unique marbles to his family’s name.
For example, my Papaw Jim held a race for his six sons to see who could create a marble that he had not yet mastered. Mike Davis, the third son, was the winner creating the Peacock Design.
A Peacock marble created by my Papaw Jim.
Also my Papaw tried to get creative a write ‘Davis’ in a marble. By using carbon and manipulating the glass he was able to fit his last name into a marble.
Our ‘Davis’ marble
Although my Papaw Jim has passed, his legend remains. His six sons still to this day experiment, trying to think of ideas. Recently, the brothers have returned to the studio getting their thinking caps back on to create new marbles. I searched the store and found a few marbles that I felt were very unique.
One marble is called a Diamond Mine. This marble has bubbles in the center so it looks as tho someone has found diamonds in the middle. In the first picture it looks as though the marble is completely colored then filled with bubbles; however, this is not the case. In fact the color and bubbles stop at the center of the marble.
The bubbles at in the center were created by capturing air.
The side view. The small dots within the marble are defects, simply tiny bubbles throughout the glass.
Another marble I found was the Teardrop Marble. Like the Diamond Mine, it has air trapped within it. However, it only has on bubble that is in the shape of a teardrop. It also, only fills the marble half way.
A Teardrop Marble
Notice the teardrop shaped bubble in the center. Again, the small dots are simply tiny bubbles throughout the marble.
Steve Davis, my uncle, showed me a marble that he has been trying to perfect that I think is for sure one of a kind. He calls them Window Marbles. In the original picture they look like an average marble with a cool design. However, on side of the marble is flat like a window. The inside is hollow, so Steve can insert a new design, figures, etc.
This marble looks normal, however, this is the window to see the inside design.
Here is a picture showing that a piece is cut out to create the window.
Sometimes if you look really close you might see a figure on the inside.
Finally, I found a marble that Steve called Twisty Treats. Like the other marbles it only takes up a half to three-fourths of the marble. It gives the appearance as though the colors inside the marble are twisting together.
A Twisty Treat
There are thousands of handmade marbles. And as I learned you cannot find every single one. Handmade marbles are unique to their maker, never making one the same. My Papaw Davis, alike many other marble makers, created so many marbles that are so unique and different. It is amazing what a person can do with just a little piece of glass.
Keep Calm and Marble On,
Amanda
Davis Marbles 
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