Star murrini

[SadiesJewels]

Does anyone care to share how they do those very crisp star murrini that I am desperate to do? If I can find a picture later to illustrate I will. Perhaps one of you has one?

I can get something using the optic mold but it's not quite what I'm looking for) ... perhaps it's user error?

Thank you!

[glassactcc]

Funny you should mention this Sadie. I was just thinking the same thing. The very tight and intricate star that almost looks like a spoke wheel with lots of spokes. Is that what you mean???

[SadiesJewels]

Yep that's the one Cynthia!

[cghipp]

I would use a mold that has lots of points, and just keep building up the "rays" as I add glass in the "valleys." (I'm mixing metaphors here, I think...)

[trickypixies_jewelry]

Sadie,

Corina Tettinger has a tutorial on mini murrini on her website that's pretty helpful. I've tried it myself and although mine have never come close to touching her flawless technique, it has helped me out quite a bit. With those you just need to practice on getting the right thickness for the stringer, otherwise you don't get the definition she does.

Here's the link. I hope it helps you.

How to Make 'Starburst' Murrini : http://www.corinabeads.com/pages/minimurrini.php

How to Apply 'Starburst' Murrini : http://www.corinabeads.com/pages/applyingmurrini.php

~Alyssa

[SadiesJewels]

Thanks there ... Corina's tutorials are great.

These murrini are more intense than that ... crisper and more "sun burst" like.

I'm thinking building up the rays on the mold formed base might work - I'll give it a go.

[cghipp]

One more thing - you can use some mini-mashers to keep those rays thin and straight while you're adding glass elsewhere. Just like when you're pulling a flat cane, it can be hard to keep the thin parts thin while you're keeping everything else hot. But of course, you won't be building the rays too high up before adding the filler glass.

I'd love to see what you come up with!

Courtney

[trickypixies_jewelry]

Hmmm...More intense, did you say? Gotta give that a try. Sorry I couldn't find what you were looking for, Sadie...now that's gonna bother me and I'm gonna want to keep looking! ;)
I'm hoping someone will post a genious tutorial to enlighten us....

~Alyssa

[lldesigns]

I'm thinking the 12 point or 16 point molds might work. To get the deeper 'spokes' maybe try a razor blade in the indents made by the mold.

http://www.glasscolor.com/products/default.aspx?cID=86&pID=1054

http://www.glasscolor.com/products/default.aspx?cID=86&pID=1055

[cghipp]

I just thought of something else - it may be that the commercial varieties are made with stacked and bound glass sheet, then fused, then heated in a furnace and pulled. It seems like that would be an easier way to do it - if you have access to the equipment, that is. And if you wanted a lifetime supply! I have always wanted to take a class on this, ever since I saw photos of it done. It would also be fun to try it on a micro scale, if you had any sheet glass.

[evolvingBeau]

I took a class with Gil Reynolds years ago and we made pattern bars using stacked bullseye sheet glass, tack fused in the kiln, then heated and pulled using a mini glory hole.. Great for checkerboards, striped designs etc. but it would be a bit more tricky to do stars persay..
Most of the perfect looking "radial" murrini and/or millifiore make use of optic molds. You can do imitate the optic molded murrini by hand shaping the core but it's difficult to produce a perfectly symmetrical and intricate star shape.
It all depends on what you're going for of course.
Sadie maybe you could draw a picture of what you mean?

[evolvingBeau]

Just to be clear, these are NOT what you're talking about right...they're pretty much made the same way that Corina's tutorial shows but if you start with a larger base you can fit more lines in.
http://www.evolvingcreations.com/images/boromurrinisphere.jpg

[cghipp]

I think what she's talking about has a little larger base, but still pretty small, and 16 or so "rays" that are thicker at the core and taper to the outside.

[SadiesJewels]

I'll go on an image hunt ... I think Trey Cornette does them (but he often removes his images).

[SadiesJewels]

Those are really nice too ... not quite what I was thinking but very nice!

[SadiesJewels]

Trey Cornette
108274

Well I have one of Trey's flowers ... Is this the same method as Beau's? Not sure why I think these are a different method - perhaps it's the initial shape of the murrini mold that counts. I have a more flower shaped one ...

[cghipp]

That's pretty! Not what I thought you were looking for.

I would make the petal murrini first, then cut that up and make the flower murrini with it around a tiny base.

[evolvingBeau]

It's much simpler than that, I think you ought to ask Trey..I don't want to give away his secret for him :wink:

[houptdavid]

For those of us that are still learning...

Soft glass
Making a Starburst Cane Murrine with Lauri Copeland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHB9ILH5zPc&feature=related
Murrini HowTo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq4YYTwMXik

Boro
Milon Townsend Making Complex Cane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYfPfw32QSY&feature=related

Hot glass
Making Glass Cane Lino Tagliapietra (pulls 40' cane)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hi9Mfe6Neo

[FlameFilly]

It looks to be the same technique. I made some similar awhile back. He's using colors that have a reaction to each other also...is he (Trey) not?

[cghipp]

Hey David - Thanks for the links! :lol: I didn't know these were "out there."

[houptdavid]

Hey David - Thanks for the links! :lol: I didn't know these were "out there."

Courtney, Just don't search lampwork beads :lol:

[evolvingBeau]

Thanks for posting those David.. Sorry if my comment came across the wrong way.
I'm not one to withold information, in some cases I just don't feel comfortable explaining how I think other peoples beads are made. I don't really know how others feel about it but I figure that I'm being respectful by leaving it up to him(Trey).
Am I overthinking this? I do tend to do that.

[cghipp]

Beau, I think you are overthinking, but I have been guilty of that recently as well! Your post didn't come off in a negative way. And as David knows, I am a master "post interpreter."

By the way Beau, I was checking out some of your beads on ebay yesterday, and that that one that's kind of a greyish teal is DROP DEAD gorgeous. Also, the one that I think you described as "herringbone." It has kind of a skeletal look to me. I love beads that make me think, "How the hell did they do that?" (As opposed to those that leave me wondering, "WHY the hell did they do that?")

[evolvingBeau]

LOL, so should I not worry and tell you all how I think Trey makes those? Would he mind?
Thanks for the compliments too geez, thanks for making a guy who thought he was being rude for one minute feel warm and welcome the next:love:

[cghipp]

I, too, would ask Trey first!

[Rachel]

I am not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for but I really started researching Japanese techniques when I wanted to learn more about making murrini. I bought two DVDs that are Japanese made and two books (one being by Jim Kervan) from www.artcoinc.com. There are many many tutorials and demonstrations in these books and DVDs on doing some pretty complex murrini. There are simple murrini too but I find the Japanese techniques to be extremely beautiful. I am still learning and I use a star mold when I want to make a star murrini and just do my very best to keep the edges crisp. It isn't easy to learn to make great murrini so I would say to practice a lot of course but you might want to check out some of the Japanese techniques as well. I had that "wow" feeling quite a bit while watching the DVDs.

[Rachel]

I would also add that I've had a class with Trey and at no point did he ever tell us not to tell anyone the stuff he was showing us. He told us in class to use our own imaginations etc. but he didn't directly tell us not to ever tell. I don't think he would mind at all. The murrini he showed us wasn't all that different from the tutorials in this thread IMO

[SadiesJewels]

Thanks for those links - I love love love the internet for information exchange! And I don't think you came across badly at all Beau. I thought is was very thoughtful of you - protective! Although I posted a pic of Trey's I don't see this as his personal "technique". I've seen beads by others with the same starburst (just can't remember who or find the pictures) ... plus, if he's taught it it's out there in the public domain imho.

I've seen the japanese videos (and have the books) ... and think it's on the right track, and something to do with the marvering/shaping and amount of glass between the spokes. I just need to take the time to play and experiment more.

Sadie

[Rachel]

With the latest Japanese DVD I got, there was a tutorial on making the lily murrini which I was very interested in. In the case, a drawing came with it. It shows that if you put more clear between the spokes, it will make the murrini of the flower part more pointed. Less clear between the spokes creates more of a rounded flower. Making murrini is certainly not easy (at least not for me). As for Trey, he is super nice so just send him a PM if someone wants to know or feels reluctant to reveal anything. I know from meeting him that he won't get upset at all for asking him a question. For the murrini I make that look a bit like a flower, I use a mold I got from weaverind on eBay and just put stripes on it and pull it out. To make it more pointed on the end, I keep adding glass after the initial lay down of the first stripes to the color in between the colors I am trying to make more pointed. For example if you were making a murrini of raku and black with raku being the base color and black stripes. I would put it in the mold and put down the black stripes. To make the raku portions more pointed, I would continue adding more black and keep melting it all in and this will force the edges of the raku part into more of a point. Like I said, I am no expert but this is the way I've started doing it after viewing numerous tutorials and videos.