Ohio glass artist, Jim Maxwell, got the chance of a lifetime when First Lady Laura Bush commissioned him to create 625 ornaments to be given by the Bush's as holiday gifts this year. The ornaments, each about five inches in diameter, are hand-blown, hand-cut, and sandblasted crystal spheres featuring an engraved picture of The White House.

Each ornament was individually hand-blown from crystal glass at Maxwell's studio and gallery, Foster Glassworks, in Fostoria, Ohio. After it was annealed and cooled, the design was engraved using two processes: sand-carving to create the building outline, monogram and frosted-white look; and hand-engraving to complete the details of the White House design. Finally, each ornament was hand-signed and numbered by Maxwell. (Please visit www.fosterglass.com to see a photo of the White House ornament).