MEDIA RELEASES

ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING!  HOUR GLASS STUDIO ANNOUNCES NEW ELVIS 'CLASSIC SERIES' and 'COLLECTOR SERIES'!

August 2008 - New and available for immediate shipment, Hour Glass is pleased to announce the release of the new Elvis Presley 'Classic Series' stemware.  Four images of Elvis as he progressed through his career are portrayed on your choice of martini or wine glasses.  Pair one of these with a Marilyn Monroe 'Classic' for the ideal collector gift.  See our new site dedicated to Elvis, www.AllShookUpcom for more images and the shopping cart, available at the bottom of each page.  The new 'Collector Series', a limited edition entirely BC made glass will feature a special signed print and Certificate of Authenticity.  This collectible will be available by the end of September.  Please email us if you wish to be notified when it becomes available for sale.

HOUR GLASS STUDIO IS PLEASED TO PART OF THE 2008 LEO AWARDS!

April, 2008 - Established in 1998, the Leo Awards celebrate excellence in British Columbia film and television. The 10th Anniversary Leo Awards Celebration and Gala Awards Ceremonies take place May 23 and 24, 2008, at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver.  A pair of lovely etched wine glasses bearing the Leo Awards logo will be included in each presenter's gift bag.  This year's nominees are listed on www.leoawards.com.  Congratulations and best wishes to all the nominees!

MARILYN MONROE 'CLASSIC SERIES' GOES TO THE OSCARS!

February, 2008 - Hour Glass Studio in Langley was pleased to participate in the Everybody Wins at the Oscars^® Awards Gift Basket* with their feature line, Marilyn Monroe 'Classic Series' martini and wine glasses.   This gift bag went to the host and the non-winning nominees in the major categories of the Academy Awards ceremony late last month.  

These collectible glasses are exclusively available through the Hour Glass Studio website which was launched last year by Marj Paonessa.   She is the creator of the glass line and developed the studio as a hobby from her full time job as a coroner. She was extremely excited to be invited to participate in the gift bag promotion.   "I can't imagine a better venue in which to showcase Marilyn Monroe glasses than at the biggest Hollywood celebrity event of the year." A pair of the Classic Series martini or wine glasses was in each gift bag.

This year's nominees included George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett.   

October, 2007 - Hour Glass Studio showcased Marilyn Monroe 'Classic Series' stemware at the Andre Agassi 12th Annual Grand Slam for Children fundraiser in Las Vegas in October. A pair of 'Classic Series' martini or wine glasses were personally presented in the backstage gift lounge at the MGM Grand to all performers and presenters at this auspicious event, now the single biggest fundraising event in Las Vegas. See some photos taken backstage below.

Paris Hilton was in attendance

Click on Photos for Slideshow or to Enlarge

Seal	Emeril Lagasse

Tennis Great Jim Courier	NBC Age of Love's Mark Phillipoussis

Tia Carrera	Matchbox 20's Brian Yale

CSI Miami's Emily Procter	Dancing with the Stars

David Foster	Rob Thomas

Paris Hilton	The Glasses

Carlos Santana	George Wallace

                                                                      COMPANY BIO

Working with fused and etched glass started out as a hobby from Marj Paonessa's full time work as a coroner near Vancouver.  Within a short time, she created the Marilyn Monroe 'Classic Series' martini and wine glass line. Hour Glass Studio was built in Langley and this website soon followed.  

The response was almost immediate. The studio was contacted within a few weeks by Distinctive Assets in LA, the company that hosts many of the major event backstage lounge events and gift bag promotions. The Marilyn 'Classic Series' glasses were invited to be part of the 2007 'Everybody Wins at the Emmys" and 2008 "Everybody Wins at the Oscars" celebrity gift bags. Glasses were presented to the nominees in each of the major categories. Marj couldn't imagine a better place to showcase an icon such as Marilyn than at the two biggest Hollywood events of the year. 

In October of 2007, Hour Glass Studio was part of the backstage lounge at the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  This annual fundraising event is hosted by the tennis great and his wife, Stefi Graf, and featured a number of celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld, Tony Bennett, Carlos Santana and David Foster who donated their time and talent to raise over $9 million in one evening.  Each celebrity in attendance received a pair of the Marilyn Monroe 'Classic Series' glasses.  See the photo highlights from this wonderful evening above.

Earlier this year, Marj signed an agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises and has now added the Elvis Presley 'Classic Series' and 'Collector Series' to the line.  Four different Elvis' image are captured on glass - as he was starting out in the 50"s, in the movie era of the 60's, the famous televised '68 Comeback Special and the 70's where his live performances electrified audiences.  The 70's glass features a Swarovski crystal highlighting one of Elvis' trademark rings.

The first Elvis Presley 'Collector Series' hand blown wine glass, commissioned especially for this series, will be available for purchase on this site in late September.  This series will be a limited edition series commemorating the 40th anniversary of the televised '68 Comeback' special and will include a special signed print and Certificate of Authenticity.

Made under agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., these new lines are currently only available on line through the Hour Glass Studio Ltd website.   Retail outlets will be announced here on the site as they become available.

Elvis and Elvis Presley are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.©2008 Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

* This Gift Bag has no affiliation with the A.T.A.S. or the Emmy telecast.

** This Gift Bag has no affiliation with A.M.P.A.S. or any official Academy Awards Gift Bag or telecast.