For $20, today's side deal gets you $40 worth of handcrafted glass floats from bellaballs. This Groupon is good for online purchases. Today's side deal does not apply toward shipping.
Originally used by Japanese fishermen to keep their nets from sinking, glass floats would frequently escape their netting and be found by treasure seekers on the beach. Two such treasure seekers were Bellaballs' co-founders, glass artist Diane Hansen and designer Lesli Jacobs-McHugh, who quickly became fascinated by the strikingly gorgeous glass orbs and began making their own as decorative items. Today, each bellaball is a hand-blown glass orb individually made by local artisans. Available in 77 rich colors, Classic bellas ($40) all come stamped with a fig leaf gilded in sterling silver. Signature bellas ($40), meanwhile, can be customized with nine stamp designs—including a baby pram, a lucky horseshoe, and a pineapple—to commemorate occasions such as a birth, a new job, or successfully swallowing an entire pineapple.
Each bella appears to be delicate, but is actually quite strong—a message Lesli and Diane consider a symbolic reminder of both the fortitude of the human spirit and the clumsiness of the human fingers. Practice juggling and woo the tight-panted goblin king of your dreams with a few beautiful balls from bellaballs.
This Groupon is available for online purchases beginning October 2.
Reviews
Tacoma Weekly, Showcase magazine, City Arts magazine, and others featured the co-owners of bellaballs:
- Diane and Lesli combined their passion for life, beauty, and art to create a new business where their mission truly is all about giving ‘beautiful.’ – Tammy Robacker, Showcase