#ELEV8THEBEES

Where there are bees, there is food for humans

Pollinators are necessary for about 80% of all crops that are used directly for food worldwide. But the last decade has been hard on them, reducing their numbers year after year. Individually we can not do a lot, but as a group we can make a differnce, so become a bee hive pollinator and help Elev8 help the bees.

What Can You Do To Help?

#ELEV8THEBEES

Spread the word of our Auction/Giveaway

The main goal of our Elev8 the Bees campaign is to bring awareness to the community and help raise money to save the bees! For this campaign, our team of glass blowers over at the Elev8 Premier Studio created a colony of bee-autiful rigs, water pipes, sherlocks, pipes, and pendants! They collaborated with other artists as well to create over 50+ pieces for this cause! These pieces are for sale at either of our shops in Colorado Springs (Elev8 Glass Gallery or Elev8 Presents Hemp). A percentage of the profits from each piece will be donated to the Colorado Beekeepers Association. We will also be doing an Auction March 15th on the Elev8GlassGallery Instagram page for one of our finest bee rigs! 100% of the proceeds from this auction will be donated to the Colorado Beekeepers Association. Elev8 the Bees T-Shirts are available, 20% of the profits from each shirt sold will go the Colorado Beekeepers Association! They are a great way to show your support and help us spread the word! They are limited edition and each one features a glow in the dark logo. As we grow as a company we hope to help out other areas as we can! This campaign is just the start for the Elev8 crew, we fully intend on helping the world be a better place for you, me, and the bees! The biggest thing we can do for the bees is to plant more flowers and let them do their thing. Sadly, over the past 15 years, colonies of bees have been disappearing, and the reason remains unknown. Referred to as ‘colony collapse disorder’, billions of Honeybees across the world are leaving their hives, never to return. In some regions, up to 90% of bees have disappeared! Help us help them! #elev8thebeesSpread the word of our Auction/Giveaway

LEARN MORE BEE FACTS THAT MAY MAKE YOU SAY WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ELEV8 PREMIER GLASS STUDIO AND WHY THEY LOVE BEES!

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #1

Story

The idea of the #elev8thebees begins here with this bee rig. Jeff our shop manager loves to make bees and his bees are out of this world! Elev8 Premier likes to make pieces that are inspiring in design and bringing our artists together. This project is an amazing project that like a bee colony we need the help from all our blowers, what ever their skill set is. With that the plan for bee rig #1 was born and the #elev8thebees campaign was born this May 5, 2018. This rig features canary yellow with illuminati layered over it. We love the effect illuminati brings to the art. Ever so light it can be placed on top of colors and not really seen, that is until a UV light is put on it. A chunck of black glass was also made by Robert with jet black frit. These two colors are combined with clear to get the rig to come together. This rig also marks the first time Steve successfully put a dope perc inside a dab rig. The illuminati can also be seen in the bee perc as the wings are made of this neat glass and the yellow on the bee is also covered in illuminati. Our next shop hand Kevin is perfecting his implosion marbles here so the bees have something to get some pollen from. The exciting thing here is that our entire team can join in making each rig very unique going in their own direction, yet sticking to the theme.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #2

Story

Here lies bee rig #2. This was done by looking at the color wheel and noting that yellow and purple go together well, attracting two glowing bees that happened to get trapped inside the Elev8 Premier bee rig. Jeff crafted the bees and the per. Steve was able to make the yellow/Illuminati mix and build the rig. Once built the perc was put inside the minitube. Sandblasting is done on the yellow leaving behind untouched bees that really pop out when under UV light. This piece is amazing and very heavy.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #3

Story

This rig was inspired by the Denver Broncos go figure. This piece also features the color layered with Illuminati. This makes the orange just a little richer, but under UV light it takes it to a new level. This is the first #elev8thebees rig that Steve put together on his own. Learning from Jeff he attempted some orange bees on this honeycomb perc. The challenge here was that the perc was too big, much like that one guy's spoon was too big. Anyways that is how this new shape was born, actually really resembling a honeypot. The joint and the blue is also covered with Blue-V glass that glows blue lightly under the UV light. The picture was not able to capture this as shooting pictures in the dark with UV light is not easy.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #4

Story

This bee rig #4 is the first time Steve has done a cut and flip. What is a cut and flip, well its a big deal. Its when you draw on the glass on the outside. When you draw on the glass it is blown out so the glass is thinner and bigger what the final piece will be. This allows the glass lines to melt together and become a solid color. Once the glass has the image drawn, or painted with glass on the outside, it is shrunk back down so the glass gets the same wall thickness. When the artist draws on the glass it is making that part thicker than the rest, along with that the color has a much lower viscosity. Once the glass has been manipulated so that it has an even wall thickness it is opened up on one end. Then the back is heated and a pair of glass scissors is used to cut it open. Once cut the tube is literally flipped inside out, turning the outside drawing to be the inside. Once it is melted back into a tube more frit is lain in so that the clear becomes colored. Well this simple process can take 2-3 hours to complete the drawing and get it flipped inside out. Then the part is taken and built into the bee dab rig. When we use this method we do not put a big perc inside the mini tube as it would be hard to see it. The marbles were made by Kevin for this piece.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #5

Story

This #5 bee rig has a super great story! Well, glass requires a massive amount of skills and knowlege how to put it together. Even if you can attain that knowledge issues still happen. In the glass worlds its not always what you can make, but what you can save. So for this one, its a story and that is that.

So we are doing this #elev8thebees to bring some light to the crisis the bees are facing. Their colonies are falling and that can get a bee angry. Maybe not even anger the bee can control, like one of the bees inside this rig that got very angry. So the two bees were attracted to the honey perc inside the rig featuring dot stack with Illuminati and hellions. Only under UV light can you really appreciate the time that went into the dot stack perc. Well once the bees were inside the rig one of the bees was inflicted with anger. His wings began to flap out of control to the point that one of the wings flew off and hit the side of the rig. This caused the rig to get a crack in the clear part. Well. the bees did not care for this so they called on some of their mates to come help put the rig back together. When the bees outside arrived the went to work and fixed the crack with their nectar making solarium dots on the outside. If you look carefully you can see inside where a fallen wing sits on the bottom of the rig. The wing has been melted to the rig so it will no come out. All the black is also covered with Illuminati so that it glows as well.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #6

Story

Bee rig #6 came out very well. No need to sandblast anything , she is on fire! The bee's face, gloves and boots are all the same Roswell color with the rest of the yellow as canary. This was the first one that I put a little neatness in the eyeballs and antennas. I also decided I like removable down-stems much better than welding one in. They are easier to clean, put together and therefor with those two main points I feel all standard mini tubes will be made with a removable down-stem from here out. This is the first in my line that features a removable down-stem. Kevin was able to make the flowers while Rob helped out with the yellow section that glows under UV.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #7

Story

Big Rig #7 makes me happy! This is the first time that I tried to hide some drawings inside the wings and abdomen. I even gave the bee a "B" shirt to wear. The cut and flip is really making me feel great as the art comes out so well. To make one cut and flip section has put my time at about 3 hours. This is from starting it to having it ready to put in the tube as a section. This little bee got angry and started stinging one of there colony wreckers. Really happy with the shorter 14mm female joint to make it look extra clean. Also feature a removable downstem. Flower marbles from Kevin and the canary section with UV is by Mr. Robert!

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #8

Story

#8 is a pleasure to look at, featuring 4 bees on the bee hive perc. On top of that this is the first ever bee marble. Turned out so good it had to join this rig. Matt pulled the color for this on just beautifully while I twisted it all up. Bees are by Kevin, and must say that he is killing it! The bees keep getting better and better! Bee-leive it or not , who remembers that show?? Colors used here are canary, Roswell and steel wool.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #9

Story

#9 This dope bee rig features black and yellow with clear switchballs by Matt Z. This thing also featuring 2 bees inside and a few flower marbles on the outside by Kevin. This piece really came together well as the team keeps pushing the boundaries of their skills. The honey pot shape really says "I love me some honey". It was really neat to place the clear bees on this unit and have it sandblasted on the switchballs. This way we could in a since color the bees with black and yellow. The crew at Elev8 Premier is always trying to expand their abilities and have their art speak for them.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #10

Story

#10 Matt Z. really knocked this one out the part with the bubble trap technique fumed with silver and 24k gold. After he fumes he gives it a nice little touch with some illuminati to make it as cool as a bee. Steve K. did the final assembly to make this one of a kind Elev8 Premier bee rigs you'll find only by them. For this piece not needing any sandblasting it did give us a challenge as when it came out of the kiln for the second to last time, it was pure perfection, oh then there was a small bubble that caused an issue sending a crack across the bubble trap. Matt Z. coddled the piece in his arms for about 4 hours only telling it how pressure it was. After such long talks the bees got together and fixed the crack, making it so so beautiful.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #11

Story

#11 bee rig came out just fire, but not too hot to burn the bees inside. They do glow also as that has become the signature of the Elev8 Bee. Matt Z. killed the switch balls with his black and yellow color pull fully inspired by the bee campaign. The mouthpiece was going to be squared up, but when this shape came up, BAM that was the perfect mouthpiece shape for this particular rig. At this point we are not past 25% of the project! Crazy as when we talked about 40 it was like oh goodness we are not going to make it in time, but like the bees, the Elev8 Premier team keeps working no matter what.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #12

Story

#12 WOW! The Elev8 The Bees campaign pushed Matt Z. out his comfort zone with this flip disc he did! This is the first major image he has ever done and it came out great! Not only that but Matt takes the bubbler to some out of this world level with pure amazement of the shape of the piece! A solo piece by Matt, but a lot of inner workings from the rest of the Elev8 Premier crew like Robert to make working on a piece that much better.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #13

Story

#13 is pretty neat as it has a perc in it that was made for #14, but ended up being way too big, so it did not go into that rig, but pushed this one to be made. Its how teams work and rigs like to work in teams sometimes as well like bees :). The orange perc is layered with Illuminati to make it pop under UV light. The orange on the body is Northstars Solarium that will change color from yellow to this orange you see here. Under florescent lighting its this dope orange, in normal light its more yellow. Featuring some nice little bees on the outside trying to get inside to hang out with those UV reactive bees inside.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #14

Story

#14 is a colab with Rob, Kevin and Simply Jeff at Elev8 Premier and this one is called the "Birds and the Bees". Rob is a great first year pushing hard as FU*&. He nailed the orange and Illuminati color on the body. Kevin has just been nailing the bees, so much that at this time I have to say he makes a better be then me. HAHAHA its great seeing people grow! Then Jeff knocked these two implosion marbles out the park. The marbles were sitting there waiting to be placed on the perfect piece, the time was at that moment as the colors made the perfect contrast. They found a home! This was a super challenge and why it is so rewarding. Getting a bee perc inside was not easy, took 2 tries and this one took some manipulating as there is not a lot of room in there for the space the bee perc takes up. So neat though as it looks as though the bees are touching the outside of the clear glass. As this shape calls for the stem to be secured I had a piece of busted glass that was going to be made into a piece of shatter. When the second hole went in all of a sudden it looked like a bird, and with just a little sculpting, there was a bird face. Then you have to have an eye right! The recycle function really works great and delivers that vortex in the water that you want. It took 14 rigs to get to where we all felt comfortable enough to do the hourglass recycler you see here. There will be more coming!

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #15

Story

#15 is created my the one an only Matt Z. Glass. This little bee was created at the 2018 Champs art show. This is the only bee pipe that fully is a bee in this #elev8thebees art campaign. Fitting perfectly in your hand this little guy is the perfect size. It is also an incognito pipe in that the bowl is in the bottom of the pipe so sitting on your desk its just a dope bee.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #16

Story

#16 is another group effort by Jeff E. and Steve K at the Elev8 Premier studio. Jeff finely created the perk with jet black, Illuminati and helios. During construction one of the bees got knocked off the perc, this was caused by the bees being so angry at the people for using pesticides. We removed the little guy and had a proper burial. On the outside, there is a really neat honeycomb marble that is just beautiful. This thing stands about 11 inches tall. The outside is canary covered with Illuminati.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #17

Story

#17 This might be the coolest bee rig we have. Why do we say this? Well, it is kinda the first one that started this. It is not the first one, but it is what may have started the idea. This bottom part with the perc was made about 2 years ago. Jeff E. started it with big hopes and then even bigger dreams he did not share with us. Well after seeing the bees inside that is what sparked the idea of lets make bees like this. Jeff took the bees to a new level 2 years before and just held the idea. After we started the project Steve walked by and said what are you doing with this, its been here forever. Jeff said not sure, its a bit at a point I am not sure, well Steve said, I'll take it from here. WOW. It turned to be the loudest rig on the planet, least we think so. When you use it and inhale hard, it calls the bees. So we may never sell this one because it means so much, but we have to show it to you.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #18

Story

#18 is one of the dopest hammers and makes a nice piece to add to your collection of heady glass. All milis and colors were made in-house by Matt Z. Glass. Knocking the alien skin bubble trap our of the park with some amazing gold and silver fuming. Paired with some switch balls and twisted color in the bee theme, this pipe is FIRE. Just feels great in your hand as well.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #19

Story

#19 is such a dope 2 piece Sherlock made for this bee project. Matt Z. and Sean H. did an amazing job on this fine Elev8 Premier piece of art glass. Featuring two of Sean's amazing bee stack dot work as an attachment and a mouthpiece, it really sets this on fire! Matt Z. pulled the color on this and switched it up and did the final assembly. Colors used here are lava, canary, star white and steel wool. The first Sherlock of the project.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #20

Story

#20 is a Colorado bee themed Ferankshanaw by Steve K. at the Elev8 Premier studio. Matt Z. pulled the colored tubing while Steve did the wig wag work and assembly of the alien creature. Each wig wag section is sournded by some jade white as well as the arm and fingers. This white works like butter and has the smallest amount of air bubbles in the color, along with it just having this amazing translucent effect. Small bees are made by Robert S. and the glow under UV light.

#ELEV8THEBEES Rig #21

Story

#21 is a UV glowing Ferankshanaw created by Steve K. These are the biggest ears to date on one of these collector items. The hears are fumed with silver and gold, then Illuminati is lain inside to create a ribbon effect that just glows amazingly under the UV light. Solaria is used for the drips and inside body of the bees and shifts color under different light. The aliens head and arm are both coated with Illuminati frit allowing some amazing glowing action. A true collectors piece.