Glass PhotoWeights for Quilling

I've long been an admirer of decorative glass paperweights and always wondered how on earth do such perfect swirls of color and intricate shapes wind up inside the molten orbs?! I live fairly close to Wheaton Arts in southern New Jersey, an area which has been a glassmaking hub since the late 1700s. A visit to the fascinating Museum of American Glass, glassblowing studio, and paperweight shop answered many of my questions. So sorry for the tease, but paperweight making isn't a process that can easily be described here; however, I do have a peace offering that I hope you'll like... read on!

I gave several of my relatives a PhotoWeight just like this one for Christmas a few years ago. During my counted cross stitch [addiction] phase, I was thrilled to discover the PhotoWeights company because their paperweight kits provided me the perfect way to combine my love of stitching and paperweights.

You see, each clear glass weight has a beveled area on the underside for displaying and preserving so many things. Photographs, mini-paintings, collections of tiny seashells, pressed flowers, origami butterflies... these are just a few ways to personalize a PhotoWeight, not to mention it's the perfect housing for quilling! Even my folded roses fit inside this domed PhotoWeight.

I love the way each paperweight comes packaged as a complete do-it-yourself kit that includes a pre-cut, self-adhesive mounting board, velvet bottom pad, and easy-to-follow instructions. There are so many nice shapes and sizes to choose from too - oval, rectangle, round, domed round, scalloped, heart, and octagonal. And since glass is quite heavy, one will truly hold down a stack of papers should a gust of wind blow across your desk.

For some reason I gave this little hummingbird a strange beak - pleading artistic license.

Susan Eastin, who founded PhotoWeights in 2001, has generously offered to send a PhotoWeights kit of choice to three commenters worldwide. Be sure to include your email address within your comment if you don't have a blog or website where your address is readily available. You may earn one extra entry by liking All Things Paper on Facebook. Tell me if you've done this within your comment or as a separate one.

Giveaway will close at the end of Tuesday, September 27th. The three winners will be announced on this post and on the All Things Paper Facebook page the next day. Good luck!

Please note: I have not received compensation in any form from PhotoWeights in exchange for doing this giveaway.

Congratulations to Traci, Suganthi, and Esther, whose numbers were selected by Random.org! Each winner will receive a PhotoWeights kit of her choice. Many thanks for all of the gracious comments, everyone. I've enjoyed keeping a running list, adding in the Facebook mentions as they rolled in. Even if you didn't win this time, take heart - there will be another giveaway coming up in the near future.