A wonderful side trip during vacation

For a few hours one of my vacation days, we did something I've always wanted to do.  Blow glass.  I was thinking I wanted to make a large vase, but of course, we were only allowed to make a 5" ball (either to hang or with a base).  First we had the safety lecture.

 Careful not to get to near the ovens.  They are HOT.

 We had a choice of colors and they would put gold on your balls if you wanted it.  Kel didn't want gold on his balls.  I didn't either.

 For my ball I picked purple/green/blue.  I also picked the "hurricane" design.  My participation was somewhat limited.  The "expert" glass guy really did all the work, getting the glass and adding the color.

Making it round using wooden spoons.

 But I got to mix my colors up and make ridges on my ball.  What a thrill!

 Then, I got to blow it up.  Rather than blowing directly on the pole, I used a blowing tube.  

 Kel also made a ball.  His colors were white/aqua/purple and his design was a feather.  Since the feather is more precise, he only got to blow.  After the ball was blown up, the end was thinned so that it would break off.

 Then a new piece of glass from a smaller pole was added to the top.

 Once the little glob was added, the glass guy used his tool to make a loop for hanging.

 Once all was done, a quick photo (didn't get one of mine) and then the balls were placed in a cooling box that cooled them over a 4 day period.  The glass really needs to cool very slowly so that it doesn't crack.

Our little balls arrived yesterday.  They are so pretty. 

This little adventure was very special.  I really love the creative process and have wanted to try this out as long as I can remember.  I'm hoping I can find a class locally so I can make my own balls from start to finish.  So much fun...maybe not as much fun as agility, but still, expanding my mind to try new things always brings the unexpected.

Thank you Jewel Gardens for such a WONDERFUL experience.