Candy Canes and Eye Candy Canes

By Kimberly Rogers of NuminosityBeads

Image taken from Logan's Candies website.

Have you ever heard the terms "millefiore" or "murrini"?

Murrini and millefiore are made from canes... glass canes made the same way that candy canes are made.

Layers of glass (or candy) pulled and or twisted when hot enough to stretch.

In the case of glass cane they are then sliced into usable chips to melt into a bead base for some stunning and very organic results.

All you have to do is google image "millefiore" which means "many flowers" to see an incredible array of fine glass work. Here is one example of hundreds.

from www.frantzartglass.com 

( my primary glass source for my lampworking supplies)

You can find several sources for beautiful murrini chips on Etsy if you are a lampworker.

Peony Petal Murrini by Beatlebaby

Li'l Pixie murrini by Beatlebaby

or these wonderful ethereal beauties using silvered glass ~

Sea Spider from CCG Glass Art

Aptly named for the holidays ~

Sugar Plum by CCG Glass Art

by Donna Millard of FyreBeadz

She also has an Etsy shop for her magnificent beads using her own murrini.

You see how I used some of Donna's murrini chips for these eye-popping headpins

Here's looking at you!

Murrini has been used in beads for 100's of years

used to great effect leaving them raised in this bead by SkyValleyBeads

A drop dead gorgeous example of magnification of murrini by 

CCGlassArt named "Beachcomber"

or melted in and swirled by JanZart

Lampworkers can make their own canes with their own choice of colors or buy the chips from other lampworkers.  It takes some concentration but the results are so rewarding.

So when you see murrini in beads now you know that the components that went into your bead were created during a whole separate step at the torch and adds great value to your art beads that puts them another notch above factory manufactured beads.