Cool Stuff: Glassybabies

Aren't these glossy "Glassybabies" simply lovely?

Available in 53 almost edible hues, each Glassybaby is handblown using an intricate, three-layered process. The resulting vessel can be used as a cup, goblet, bud vase, or votive holder -- or simply displayed alone or in a group to add a bit of color and shine to a mantle, window ledge, or tabletop.

Each Glassybaby costs $40 (though there are progressive discounts if you buy 12 or more). You can also purchase seasonal bouquets consisting of four sets of three spring-, summer-, fall-, and winter-hued Glassybabies for $456, as well as "Glassybaby a Month" programs lasting 3, 6, and 12 months apiece ($120, $240, and $456 respectively) -- a great gift idea for someone really special.

What's more, Glassybaby (founded four years ago by lung cancer survivor Lee Rhodes) earmarks proceeds from the sale of several colors to benefit organizations contributing to cancer patient care and cancer research.

See the entire Glassybaby collection right here. (If you're in the Seattle area, be sure to visit the company's retail shop and glassblowing studio. And on Thursday, November 1, hundreds of Glassybabies will be on display and sale from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Presidio's Log Cabin, Building 1299, in San Francisco.)

(Via the San Francisco Chronicle.)