Murrini Practice and BOC

[Glowbead]

I had a lot of fun with this. Making beads for kids really helps with creative blocks.

[Glowbead]

A few more

[theglasszone]

Oh, the Suns are especially cool! ;)

[Eileen]

So bright & cheerful, and the murrini really ad to their appeal.

[RSimmons]

The sun beads are really cool. Be careful of how long the rays are, though, as the tips can get a little fragile and sometime the beads get knocked around a bit once they reach the kids.
Thanks much,
Robert

[Glowbead]

Thanks, everyone. I will keep the rays short, Robert. The beads are in the mail.

[marilyn h]

Wonderful!

[Eileen]

Oh wow, those are awesome!

[alienscience]

Those are very detailed.

I don't mean to go off topic, but does BOC accept marbles?

[Glowbead]

Marilyn and Eileen, thanks for the kind words. Alienscience, I don't know about marbles. Maybe Robert will weigh in.

[dla]

Your beads are fabulous Glowbead ! I'm just learning how to make butterflies myself and all are going to BOC.

[loribeads]

The beads and murrini are wonderful, Susan!

[RSimmons]

Those are very detailed.

I don't mean to go off topic, but does BOC accept marbles?

Sorry to be late coming back - family in town has kept me busy. We do accept marbles, thought they go for other purposes. As a rule marbles don't go out to the kids in the hospitals but they do find a place as 'Thank You' gifts for people who do special things in support of BoC and may find their way into fund raising events. They do a lot of good for BoC as a whole, so yes, we are very happy to see marbles come in the post.

Thanks much
Robert

[Glowbead]

The beads and murrini are wonderful, Susan!

Thanks, Lori. Actually, one of the murrini is yours--the one in the purple heart. I started doing murrini, because I was upset with messing up the ones I bought. Now I've had enough practice applying them, that I'm confident enough to buy them again!

[loribeads]

I'd say you're plenty good at making them AND applying them! Well done!!!

[PattyK]

Those are fantastic Susan!

[Glowbead]

Thanks, Patty.

Here are some I made yesterday. My first attempt at a snowman--some of the clear frit turn black? Today we had the first snow of the year, too.

[Hardalee]

some of the clear frit turn black?

I've learned the hard way many times that just before using a frit is another good time to pass the big magnet through it. This isn't aimed at any of the frit makers, just a general observation: frit is made by smashing glass with metal and inevitably some metal is smashed by the glass. One more pass with the magnet can't hurt and it sure can save an almost finished bead. For any large show piece fused glass I also run it through a water bath and fine screen. Heck, if I take all that trouble with the rest of my piece, what's a moment or two more with the frit?

Hardalee

[Glowbead]

Thanks Hardalee. I will do that. Now I remember using the magnet back when I briefly experimented with making my own frit. I've still got the magnet.

[rainygrrl]

Susan, those are awesome!
If I may ask, how do you get the 2 murrinis to look the same? I tried making some owls with murrini eyes and they never looked the same, because I'd apply one then the other. Maybe I was just too impatient with the heat?
TIA

[Glowbead]

Susan, those are awesome!
If I may ask, how do you get the 2 murrinis to look the same? I tried making some owls with murrini eyes and they never looked the same, because I'd apply one then the other. Maybe I was just too impatient with the heat?
TIA

Before I apply the murrini, I apply two small white dots where they're going to go. You don't have to melt them all the way in. This helps me with even placement, gives a good background for transparent murrini, and it's easier to judge when the glass is the right temp to plunge the murrini in. I apply the first one--heat tap, heat tap--until it is flat. Then I do the same with the second, working until it's the same size as the first. Then I apply the clear over top. I tap it down a bit to make sure it's covering the entire design, then I gently heat it so it's rounded again. Hope that helps?

[asimeral]

Terrific! :) LOVE the sun beads!

[ginger2]

Those beads are so cool! I think the children will love them! Thanks for doing that for BOC!
ginger

[rainygrrl]

Thanks Susan, I'll give that a try!
The white dot idea is really clever.