What is particularly interesting is that I had no particular interest in visiting Wheaton Village (as it was then known), but my wife wanted to stop by, so we did -- but once I saw a few demos, you could not drag me away!

I was like a moth drawn to a flame, where the creativity was limited only by a person's imagination...

For me, this Make-Your-Own experience led to seven and a half years of glassblowing courses, and now, strictly as a hobby, this website, which has grown to become the largest glassblowing website in the world!

So, yes, a single hands-on experience like this might just change your life...

I had the opportunity to visit WheatonArts mid-March 2008 and the folks below were kind enough to allow me to photograph their introduction to glassblowing through WheatonArts Make Your Own program, which has since been expanded to not just paperweights but a slightly more intensive vessel (vase or plate) experience as well.

-- Tony Patti, gaffer@glassblower.info