STANWOOD — Get ready for the treasure hunt.
The seventh annual Great Northwest Glass Quest is Feb. 12 through 21 in the Stanwood area and on Camano Island.
It’s a fun family event, but it’s also a chance to see some great glass art.
This year, artist Mark Ellinger and his son Marcus have blown 310 stamped and certified glass quest balls (like the old Japanese fish-net floats) at their Lake Ketchum studio. They also made another 150 or so to be sold at local shops and used in community fundraisers.
This year’s hand-blown glass treasures are made with a variety of colors, Ellinger said.
One of his German suppliers of glass colors has gone out of business, so the floats made this year are among the last of those using Zimmerman color, he said.
“We never make two alike, but we made about 10 each with similar colors,” Ellinger said.
If you aren’t familiar, here’s how the Great Northwest Glass Quest works:
Pick up a guide book at local stores with Glass Quest signs in the windows or go online to www.thegreatnwglassquest.com to download a copy. It comes complete with maps (including to Ellinger’s studio), suggestions, tips and a coupon to buy a glass float in case you don’t find one.
Find a plastic clue ball. Most are hidden in plain sight or at least only partially visible or camouflaged. Look in shops in Stanwood and on Camano. You can also find balls in parks including Church Creek and Heritage in town; Kayak Point Regional County Park, Wenberg County Park and Lake Goodwin Park south of town; and Freedom Park, Four Springs Park, and Cama Beach and Camano Island state parks on the island. Not all the balls will be hidden the first day, so check again each day.
If you find a clue ball, congratulations! Now look inside the plastic ball for instructions on where to pick up your glass treasure.
OK, so you don’t find one. All participants can enter a drawing to win a 2016 Great Northwest Glass Quest ball by completing the entry forms at the back of the guide book. Have the host businesses stamp your entry forms while you are on the quest.
“And stop by our studio to see how we make the floats,” Ellinger said. “We’re open all 10 days.”
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