Glassybaby: A Bright Light for Charity

I have known about the beautiful blown glass votives of Glassybaby since 2010, when the company was featured in Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Seattle felt otherworldly compared to suburban Michigan and I never dreamed that I would be able to visit Glassybaby and see the craft in action. I am driven by color and a company that sells a color-based product is not one that I could forget.

Glassybaby is a glass studio with an emphasis on giving - financially to charity as well as emotionally to the receiver, with named messages like "hope" "believe" "prosper." Each color votive is named and therefore the gift of a Glassybaby votive comes with a constant message. 

Some names are appropriate (a deep orange red called Seattle Sunset), some are inspiring (an opaque votive called Faith) and some are symbolic (a deep blue called Forever). When you give a Glassybaby, the name is certainly as important as the color.  It is a sentiment that you can light and remember. 

The Glassybaby website states that "10% from the sale of every glassybaby is donated to the glassybaby white light fund to help people, animals, and the planet heal." Bravo.

Here is a YouTube video of founder Lee Rhodes when she appeared on the Martha show.

I was so very happy to here that the Junior League of Seattle, a volunteer organization that I belong to, was partnering with Glassybaby for a shopping night at the Madrona location. We were invited to have a social experience with sweet treats and conversation, while we watched the professionals blow glassybaby votives.

As members shopped, they felt great knowing that 10% of that evenings sales would be donated back to the Junior League community programs. 

It was really interesting to see the molten glass transform before our eyes. 

The color of the glass changes as it cools. 

Every craftsman needs their tools. Adjacent to the kilns on the wall is this rack of tools. I bet the go-to tools for glass blowing haven't changed in hundreds of years. This display looks like it would be at home in a step-into-the-past frontier town, doesn't it?

It was a fun night and a great way to do a little Christmas shopping and give back to the community. My first Glassybaby is called a pretty blue called Aquamarine. I am waiting until we move into our new home to light it.