I finally got a good look at the ornaments last night. It looks to me like they clay and the ball were painted with glossy spray paint to make the whole thing look like ceramic, then the lid & base were painted in contrasting colors. or maybe it just looks glossy from a spray sealer. So in that case you could use balls of any color. But I thought like you that spray paints or sealers did not work well with poly clay. The spout & handle would not have to match. It would look cute to cane them in a strip or check and then pick that up on the lid & base, ala Mary Englebreit. Or they could be stamped with a patterned stamp, then the same stamp could go on tissue which could be decoupaged onto the ball after baking. Karen

I use FolkArt Enamel paint for glass. You can purchase it at most craft stores and places like Walmart also. I bake mine as per the instructions on it but you can just let it cure dry also. I only bake the items that will be washed and used a lot.

We buy one (or more) Radko ornaments every year that has some meaning or is just beautiful to us. They range from $35 to $75. This year I hope to get the "Paddle On" ornament because it was the first year we took my son out in a canoe and because he loves scouting so much. We also have an adoption ornament from Radko for every year we've had my son. I buy the Radko because they are made by artists--not mass produced in China or Mexico. I feel they are worth their cost. I also have the hand made ones my son brings home from school and a tin foil star he made me for a tree topper. No matter the cost, they all have memories. The Radko ornaments are staying packed this year because of a new obnoxious dog, but once she grows up a little they will come back out. In all the years we have only lost one glass ornament to a lab tail. It never fell off the tree--he shattered it to pieces just wagging his tail and the hanger was still attached to the tree. I have no idea what the ornament was but we'll always have that memory of his waggly tail. If there was a more expensive ornament that I fell in love with, I'd have no problem spending more than I currently do. I've ordered plenty of vintage mercury ornaments off ebay over the years to use as filler towards the inside of the tree. Those are just as special to me.

I have lots of tall clear vessels, they are all filled with silver/gold/blue glass balls, silver bells, silver glitter stars, etc right now. You think if I just did one or 2 with pink and orange balls and maybe threw something else in there that was not at all Christmas (like what I have no clue) then it wouldn't look Christmasy? Then if I extended that into the kitchen which is open to the dining room could I do that without it looking Christmasy? At what point have I gone over the line and stepped into the 'oh you were just trying to use your Christmas balls at times other than Christmas' arena?;)