Schott cryatal paper weight with PEOPLE murrini

Those one of a kind running man murrini, and people murrini made into a paper weight I am really happy with.

Encased, and imploded murrini.  I learned borosilicate implosion work in August 2006. I have been practicing ever since. In September 2006, I studied with Loren stump, learning how to use Schott crystal. (Schott crystal is the OPPOSITE of borosilicat. Borosilicate is a hard glass. Schott is a VERY soft glass. (like soft rock, and hard rock; same thing.) The technique of imploding can be accomplished a number of different ways. 

First off. What is “imploding”. You actually get the (in this case murrini) murrini, or dots, that you apply to the glass to look like they are sucked up through the center, and explode into the center of a ball of clear glass. Sometimes you can see the trails of the image (like here) called an “implosion.”   I am sure you have seen it before. You may not of known what it was.

(FYI-One of the most fascinating parts about the technique (to me) is that you can get the same results doing the exact opposite. Yes, my first instructor taught me a technique, and the 2nd instructor taught me the exact opposite technique, and I got the exact same results.  Interesting. And! both instructors did not think it could be done with super soft glass.)

So, I had to try imploding with the super soft glass.  Why? Because this (schott crystal super soft glass)  is believed to be the cleanest, clearest, (expensive), consistent batch, CLEAR glass in the world.  I also enjoy the colors I get in my murrini with the soft glass. (soft and hard glass are not compatible)

This is one of my new paper weights. (For sale at my etsy shop)

The schott crystal is the cleanest clear soft glass on the market. I have a very strong interest in clean clear encasement’s.  I really enjoy the schott. I see myself using a lot of it in the future.

Have a beautiful crystal clear day!

 “Sketch book study part 2 from 1994” blog will not be available for another week. (SORRY! I know I said this week…) You can go to my old blog at Myspace and see Sketch book study part 1 from 1994…Click!

peace!

32 call “murrini marble with a cute dimple” a favorite!

At my etsy shop….<<<<—–click there…

hope your day is as rewarding as mine! This marble took a LOT of practice. And to know that 32 people like to see it…; makes my day. I guess you could say that this self absorbed Artist type chick, is on a life long journey with art.

this is a stage of the progress that should be celebrated. (and it is on sale in the shop for a very reasonable price)

Custom one of a kind petal murrini imploded into peeled clear Vetrofond glass.

 

Interupt these messages for glass paper weight month, or marble month?

Okay, so glass paper weight month, really…it became marble month. I was flakey about cutting my CLEAR schott crystal, (That probably only took about, two minutes in the end.) I had one pound of Vetrofond 17 mill dia. and decided to use it up on murrini implosion marbles.

here is my first marble collage…(after 18 months of regular marble melting practice)

some close ups…

(this one is one of a secret series that is evolving…not really secret, just not shared yet, or until Now…TA DAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 “which way to go?” Is that a person, or a bug?              (Good question)

      

  

Most of these marbles are for sale (or sol)d at my Etsy shop. The prices are very reasonable.

This past week I got the CLEAR schott crystal cut, and the magnification, and clarity of this glass is un-BELIEVABLE! Looks alot like borosilicate magnification.  I’ll be sure to share that next month.

Leap day,PAPER weights with glass, Ebay is slow! MYSPACE COPY

Today is leap day. That means this day will not exist next year. So, I took the day off; kind of. I spent 3 hours on the torch, and I etched some beads. So, really, I took half the day off. In honor of the day that doesn’t really exist….right? Silly…And, since paper weight month is next month…GULP! Yup! I am naming the next month “Paper weight month”, because I have FINALLY purchased a stump sucker! Now! I can encase my murrini in big beautiful glass bubbles. (they look like bubbles; really they are BUBBLE FREE, the whole point of a stump sucker…you suck the air out.) And, that means I am am planning a stop to the furnace studio real soon! Can’t wait to get my hands on a big pot of molten glass.  Until then, I will be heating large (hockey puck size) blobs of glass in my flame, and encasing object with MY NEW STUMP SUCKER!!!!!  Yes, i will share pictures of progress. Knowing me, I will even show you my screw ups. So, that will be something to look forward to. I will even show you the paper weights I have been making without the stump sucker, so you can see what a BIG difference it makes. For today, I have 2 pictures to share. This first one;he loves me not (with a  rainbow petal murrini flower) This next one; some kind of Love Goddess. I was excited to have the heart look like it was floating above her hand, ever so gentle.     talk atcha later….  (BTW, I copied this to my myspace blog too, I just can not seam to let it go…)

Making murrini with Loren Stump…

My first face murrini….

My first head with my first face murrini….

My 2nd paper weight with help from Loren Stump. I had him make me a flower, I welded all the parts together…Voila! (of-course I chose Lillie’s-We have hundreds of Lillie’s we will be selling next year!!All started from seed!)

So- It is really a collaboration. He was kind enough to do the shaping! (that is reduced Kronos frit in the background, some parts actually stayed reduced. Some oxidised back to blue…)