An Afternoon at
Frantz Art Glass
Mike Frantz & Keith Hobbs
Thursday, June 3, 2021
We will be touring – virtually of course – Frantz Art Glass. Many of us have probably ordered glass from there but may have never seen an actual glass warehouse. Now is our chance to see where the magic happens!
Join us, and meet Mike and staff for a behind the scenes look at the Frantz Art Glass & Supply facility.
After the Demo Update!
(If you missed it, remember that members can watch the recorded demo on the Facebook Members’ Page, check it out! And if you aren’t a member but would like to be, visit the Membership page)
Mike Frantz and his wife Pat were introduced to lampwork when Pat went to Pilchuck and discovered that you could use a torch and rods of glass to make beads. They now have a 4000 square foot building (plus containers) full of glass!
Mike Frantz gave us a tour of his warehouse and detailed the process of pulling and packaging orders.
We saw shelves full of colorful glass, huge bags of Frit, millefiori, and dichroic strips, tools, and supplies – everything a glass lover could ever want … except piles of EDP. Mike explained that arsenic used to make EDP is no longer permitted. He told us that the last of the available EDP is heading to his shop, and he had a few pounds on hand to show us too.
He shared the story behind the name Effetre, (pronounced with “tray” on the end) which means “Three Brothers”, his impressive collection of beads, marbles and sculptures he has gathered for 25 years, and a few stories from the past.
He also gave us a big tip if we ever plan a visit to his glass business. “Always bring chocolate … that’ll get you into the vault!”
Pat is retired now, and loves to garden, but Mike says he loves what he does, and has no retirement plans on his horizon! Thank you Mike for your generosity and for sharing your time and expertise with us!
Visit Frantz Art Glass to see the glassy goodies are available.
Dragon members have access to this recorded presentation, found on our Facebook Members Group.