Glass Blowing

About a month ago, I bought groupons for all of us to attend a glassblowing class creating an ornament.  I thought it'd be the perfect way to start our family holiday.  We are staying home this year for Christms.  It is my first time in 45 years!  Believe it or not, I am at peace with it.  We are going to go to mass on Christmas Eve and enjoy a dinner out.  On Christmas Day, we are entertaining my in-laws.  It is going to be very simple.  We are all looking forward to the time with family.  We will make the trip to Cincinnati for New Year's.  Anyway...

We got a tutorial before being set to blow our own ornaments.  Can I just tell you?  It looks so much easier than it really is.  You start with a piece of Pyrex glass and the torch --

Peanut is a natural.  He is steady, focused and had a natural knack for the glassblowing.

 Pumpkin licked his lips the entire time.  It takes so much concentration.

 Peanut's first blow once the glass is all warmed up.

 Pumpkin's first blow.

 Peanut's finished product waiting to go in the vermiculite to cool down.

 Pumpkin had some mishaps requiring some rework.

 The Big Guy was all thumbs, but a great sport!

Oh!  My!

 The Big Guy blew so hard that his ornament popped.  He had to melt it back down.

 His ornament has some scars from the bubble bursting incident.  I happen to like it.

 The family that blew their 2012 glass ornaments  - -

They are proudly displayed on our tree.  It was much much harder than I thought it was going to be.  Peanut got the award for the most skilled.  The Big Guy colored his with black.  It looks very cool.  It was an interesting night.  Learned lots about glass and have a memory to cherish.