Element 14 Art features the artistic designs and talent of Fred Vogt.  Based in The Woodlands, Texas, he creates unique handmade objects by lampworking or glassblowing.  

Lampworking utilizes a gas/oxygen torch to melt glass rods which are then wrapped around a stainless steel rod (mandrel) which is coated with bead release to form a glass bead. Adding colors, shaping, heating and cooling create the magic in each bead. Murano, Italy is renown for its superb glass working and most of the glass rods used for making my beads come from Murano.

Glass blowing utilizes a large furnace holding a crucible of molten glass, a blowpipe and a reheat furnace called a glory hole. You start by dipping the blowpipe into the crucible of molten glass, adding a puff of air to form a bubble and then by adding colors (frit), reheating, blowing more and shaping many different ways unique results can be achieved. Yes it's hot - about 2500 degrees for molten glass, but the end results are worth the effort. Glass blowing is done at Sand N Fire glass studio located in New Caney, Texas and 3rd Degree Glass in St. Louis, Missouri.

Clearly these are very simplistic explanations while in reality there are many more steps with many different techniques with substantial skill is required to get the desired results.  The end products are unique pieces of art that can be worn as jewelry or used in the home. No two pieces, like snowflakes, will ever be the same.