After a little hiatus I am back with some new designs! I think most artists get a form of ‘writer’s block’ now and again, and I’m no different. Occasionally the ideas stop coming so the choice becomes whether to revisit previous designs or to just take a break and allow time for something new to take root.
For me, it was worth taking time off because a few new ideas came to mind which gives me a fresh perspective and a renewed motivation to get back to the torch.
This week’s beads include a couple of my new ideas…with more to come soon! 😀
Something I haven’t done in a long time is really let loose and follow my whim while making beads. In recent years I have strived for a lot of precision and intricate detail that requires careful, painstaking application – but I didn’t always make beads that way.
In the beginning, when I was simply exploring the possibilities of glass and experimenting with lots of different colors and techniques to find out what glass was capable of, I made a lot of beads like these.
It’s been refreshing to revisit these classic bead designs and colors. There is such freedom in allowing the glass to take you where it wants to go – instead of the other way around.
MAKING BEAUTIFUL MURRINI” Step-by-Step Tutorial
by Christina Catherine of CCGlassArt
Includes:
**Over 100 color photographs**
**More than 50 pages of instruction**
**Four murrini recipes including my super popular Starlight Murrini recipe**
**A Torch-Side Reference Guide**
…and SO much more!!
This tutorial is for every lampworker who has wanted to make murrini but didn’t because they were intimidated by the process, or perhaps has tried making murrini – spending many hours at the torch and using up lots of glass – only to be disappointed with the end result.
I was one of those lampworkers myself. I spent more hours and wasted more glass than I care to admit making hundreds of murrini canes with nothing worth using to show for it. Until, after much trial and error, I finally developed a fool-proof method and a series of reliable techniques, tips and tricks that helped me produce consistent results every time.
Once you learn to successfully make your own murrini cane the sky’s the limit! You can make custom designs anytime you want, in any colors you want. You can make murrini specifically for the style of beads you create.
You will be able to set your beads apart from the crowd making them more unique and individualized with murrini in color combinations and patterns you develop that are unavailable anywhere else.
You can even sell or share your extra murrini with other lampworkers (or fusers)!
Topics covered this tutorial include:
*Learn to create a 5 layer murrini design with up to 24 outer stripes (that will look like 48!)
*Choosing the best colors (I use COE 104 but you can easily adapt these tips and techniques to other COE glass)
*How to know which colors will work well together (and which colors to avoid)
*The entire process of making murrini cane from start to finish, step-by-step
*How to remove trapped air bubbles from encasing
*Getting multiple stringer lines spaced evenly and straight all the way around
*What to do when your stringer pops off unexpectedly
*Pulling the cane to a uniform diameter
*What to do with waste glass leftover from making murrini cane
*How best to apply murrini chips to your beads
…and tons more…
Making murrini can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. When broken down into easy-to-follow instructions, (with color photos guiding you every step of the way), you will have all the information you need – and the confidence – to successfully create beautiful, miniature designs in murrini that will take your beads to the next level.
This tutorial is written with the intermediate to advanced glass artist in mind who is well familiar with all aspects of lampworking including working with an open flame, melting glass rods, all safety precautions, etc.
However, if you consider yourself a beginner and are thinking about purchasing this tutorial but are unsure if you will benefit from it, please contact me. I may be able to help you decide if this tutorial is right for you at your current level of experience. 🙂
I have been having a lot of fun creating these medium sized (and more modestly priced) lampwork focals for sale on Etsy.
They are not quite as labor intensive as my larger sized focals that I list on eBay. So I am able to have time to experiment with different color combinations and glass interactions – as well as incorporate some of my favorite design elements from the past.
As a lampworker I have always preferred to create freeform designs with my beads, only dabbling a little bit in fine dot placement. But recently I find myself drawn to carefully applying tiny dots to my beads with as much precision as my hands will allow. I guess in some ways it’s a new challenge and a sort of discipline to attempt to do it with relative symmetry.
So lately I have been immersing myself in creating beads with lots and lots of tiny dots and have been loving every minute of it! Something I never thought I’d hear myself say! 😀
This week’s listings include all dotted bead designs in rustic, weathered colors of fumed dark ivory, butternut, dark colbalt and deep red to give these beads an Old-World look.
Barcelona accent beadBarcelona oval bead trioBarcelona round bead trio
CCGlassArt 