Today, in the third and final installment of the Our Week Out West series, I’m sharing a pretty unique “diy” that I got to take part in during our trip!

Let me start off by saying that my cousin is one of the coolest cousins ever. No, really. She is. Unless your cousin is also a glass and sculpture artist…

who owns a shop in the picturesque valley of Mt. Hood in Oregon.

Pretty cool, right??

In addition to seeing many spectacular sights and staying in a literary-themed hotel while on vacation, I also got to try my hand at glass blowing at my cousin’s glass shop, Glassometry Studios. Talk about an awesome diy!

My cousin Laurel has been an artist her whole life. I remember her drawing pictures for me as a kid. I remember being in awe of her talents at her senior portfolio exhibit. I remember when she first moved to the West Coast to pursue her dream. So when she was finally able to design and build her own shop a few years ago, I knew it would be an awesome testament to her talent, drive, and dedication.

Boy, was I ever right!

So, now that you know more about the artist, let’s get into the art, shall we?

Aside from the beautiful gallery that overlooks the hot shop, one of the coolest features that Laurel offers to Glassometry visitors is the opportunity to blow your own glass. You get to choose your piece from a menu that includes ornaments, small vases, beer steins, stemless wine glasses and more. And you get to participate in the process. We’re not just talking choose your color, sit back and watch the magic happen. We’re talking make the magic happen.

You get to help throughout the process, blowing and shaping your piece of glass!

Naturally, I had to try this. And naturally, I wanted something purple. And as luck would have it, one of the color options was a mixture of purples and yellows.

Once the colored glass pieces are “picked up” by a rod full of hot glass (Laurel, I apologize now for completely butchering the explanation of this process), it goes through a series of firing, rolling, and blowing.

The glass needs to stay hot at all times, not only so you can mold and shape it, but so it doesn’t shatter into a million pieces.

When the vase was looking like a vase, I got to use this sweet paddle thing to help shape and smooth the neck.

Quick shot of the cousins and their collaborative masterpiece:

Once finished, my vase went into a massive 900-degree (!!) kiln that slowly cools the glass so it doesn’t break or shatter.

The vase was ready a couple days later. So of course, I had to get a picture of us together, vase and all!

{my cousin, me, the hubs, & my aunt}

Here’s a closer shot of the finished vase:

How awesome is that?!?! This is probably the best memento I’ve ever brought home from a trip. I mean, how do you beat blowing your own glass, and in your own cousin’s shop, no less? Pretty dang sweet, I say.

The vase got to experience its first (and probably only) plane ride, and is now safely in my home. It’s currently sporting the gorgeous Fletcher and Fox arrows on our entry console, but I have a feeling it will move around quite a bit.

Oh, and if you’re interested in having a beautiful glass piece of your own but can’t make it to Oregon to blow it yourself, you can shop the Glassometry Etsy shop here!