When Lee Rhodes first laid her eyes on glassybaby in 1998, she was instantly smitten. A series of these dense, glass goblets was presented to her as a gift by a family member who created them in an introductory glassblowing class.
Rhodes loved the simplicity of their design and adorned them with tealights before scattering them throughout her home.
At the time, she was surviving her third battle with cancer and raising three young children. She recalls being struck by an intense sense of calm and healing evoked by the warm glow that glimmered from the votives.
"These are amazingly magical, little things," Rhodes said. "They are very soulful."
In 2001, Rhodes enrolled herself in glassblowing lessons and became busy making glassybaby for friends and family as gifts before selling them from her garage in Seattle, and last September, she turned her infatuation with these simple works of art into a full-time vocation.
She launched the Glassybaby shop, housed in the former Vitamilk dairy in Green Lake, as well as an on-line store, selling exclusively handmade glassybaby.
On-site glassblowing
A visit to the shop in Greenlake affords the opportunity to watch the making of glassybaby in an on-site glassblowing studio.
The creation process of each glassybaby takes about 18 minutes and involves four to five employees.
The process begins with sand heated to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and melted down to a liquid mass. Then, a small mound of clear, molten glass is blown to a bulb-like shape that is reheated before a molten piece of colored glass is dropped onto the bulb and then re-fired.
The colored bulb is then rolled in another layer of clear glass, shaped and fired again.
Rhodes supervises three full-time and 10 part-time employees to keep the process moving.
"Many of my employees are artists who study at Pratt [Fine Arts Center] or with Dale Chihuly," Rhodes said. "Working here gives them the opportunity to practice their craft."
Giving back
So far, glassybaby have become quite popular. Customers visit the shop from around the Northwest and around the country, having heard about glassybaby entirely by word-of-mouth from a variety of happy glassybaby owners, including a handful of high-profile customers, such as Starbucks Coffee CEO Orin Smith and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard.
In recognition of her success, Rhodes makes financial contributions to her favorite charities. Currently, 10 percent of the proceeds from True White (a creamy, pale-pink glassy-baby) are donated to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Glassybaby is available in more than 50 other opaque and translucent hues with names like Pine Needle, Hazelnut and Seattle Sunset. Each glassybaby is 3 3/4 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches in diameter and retails for $35.
The glassybaby shop is located in Green Lake at 435 N.E. 72nd St. Regular store hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays through Dec. 18. For more information, call 568-7368, or visit the website at www.glassybaby.com.
Off the Beaten Path runs the first week of every month, highlighting often-hidden businesses and other venues. To reach Colleen Kiser, e-mail needitor@ nwlink.com.
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