William Berth

William Berth is a master glassblower who began formulating and making sheet glass and press ware at Chicago Art Glass & Jewels. As the company expanded and added a blow shop, William apprenticed under master glassblower John Curtis learning the fine art of glass blowing. In 1992 William Berth moved his talents along with John Curtis to Zephyr Glass & Manufacturing in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where they quickly became known for their fine hand blown wear prized for its iridized and luster finishes. It was here that they perfected a product line of iridized and luster beads. Each bead displayed is hot furnace lusterware art glass. They are hand shaped on a mandrel and tooled to different design patterns. Gold, blue, pewter, silver, and magenta, are among the color values used to develop the various lusterware finishes of the beads. The actual color of the bead is determined by the maker after subjecting the bead to metal salts. It is then flame treated which develops degrees of reflectivness giving the bead a more satin finish. Only the finest raw material on the planet, including Silver and Gold, is used when formulating the glass for the beads. This guarantees the superior quality needed to create the luster and iridized finishes for these works of wearable art. As William continues to carry on the tradition of making luster art glass beads, he says, “In making high quality heirloom pieces, it’s all about the glass.” This ensures every unique piece, is a prized heirloom that will last the test of time which makes it like you, one of a kind.
 

Dee Jansen

Dee grew up in the small town of Broad Brook, Connecticut where her creativity drew her to try a variety of crafts. In 1991, she moved to Huntsville, Alabama and she began designing jewelry in 1994. Dee met Arno Janssen a few years after moving to Alabama and Arno has been a source of encouragement to Dee as well as having become her support crew in her endeavors. In 2001, Dee began exploring the world of kiln formed glass in a desire to take her work to a new level. Now doing both functional glass pieces as well as jewelry, Dee is exploring a new level of art. The kiln formed glass pieces range from geometric pendant designs to multi-piece necklaces. Her first series is her soft, vibrant Inner Glow series that offers a fabulous matte finish inviting your touch as well as the vibrancy of glowing dichroic colors to delight the eye. Her next series is her Inner Path Pendants that are as unique as our own inner self. As you explore each pendant, follow the twists, turns, & colors to experience the depth & mystery of each individual pendant. Based on her Inner Path series, she has designed the Hidden Tressure Series. This innovative new design features a cubic zirconia fired along the pathway. Hidden Treasures are finished to perfection with a cap of fine silver and hand fabricated fine silver bail.