Nov. 15, 2024 • Tinies and Featured Artists
Happy Friday! This week we have a real treat! I pulled Tinies, but also pulled larger versions of the same design to create more options with mix and match sizes. I get a lot of questions from new fusers (or new to murrini) on how to actually use a Tiny. Great question! Therefore, I put a call out to those who have created with my Tinies in the past to submit some photos to highlight their work, but also inspire and ignite the imagination of those new to these itty bitty beauties.
Housekeeping Notes:
This week’s murrini will go on sale tomorrow, Saturday Nov. 16, at NOON Central time and will be the last new murrini for 2024. I use COE 96 only and everything this week is created with Oceanside fusible glass.
My big annual Black Friday Scrap Sale will take place on Friday, Nov. 29 at 10am Central Time. Watch for the Scrap Sale Blog coming earlier that week (I’ll remind you on Facebook and via email if you are subscribed) where I’ll post all the details of the big sale, some ideas on how to use scrap, and more. More information on Black Friday coming soon!
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This week’s murrini:
Colorful Mix of Tinies
Tinies are just that…TINY! Perfect for micro-fusing, micro-mosaic art, filler in larger pieces and more! Even though they are tiny, they have still been annealed for those who will not be fusing with them. Tinies snip like a dream with wheeled nippers. If fusing with the tinies, I recommend snipping them on the thinner side (2mm). You can easily get twenty five 2mm chips from each cane (that is about 800 tiny 2mm chips from one package). If using in micro-mosaic jewelry, then the size of the snipped pieces will be determined by the depth of your bezel. Sold in 1oz. packages, which will be two canes of each of the 15 designs you see above, plus two tiny white Angel Wings (not pictured).
14 Piece Variety Mix (sizes may vary from package to package)
Fourteen of the designs from the Tinies Mix will be available in a *MOSTLY regular size mix! *Since I was pulling a variety of sizes this week, some of the 2” canes may taper from larger to smaller. Paired with a Tiny Mix, the variety of different sizes makes for a great way to add dimension, depth, and fun to your designs that require a mix of multi-sized murrini. I think this is my favorite grouping of colors this year and made for a beautiful topiary! The murrini canes with an outer design are best at a light tack fuse. The circular canes with an inner design fuse great in all temperatures. Packages will contain one of each of the 14 designs shown below in the large topiary, weighing in at a heavy 1.75oz.
Here is a quick sample I tack fused (top temp of 1310 with no hold) to show you the difference between the Tinies and regular size murrini. Thank you to Leslie McLane for her inspiration using my murrini to make topiaries. A simple yet elegant design.
I also created a necklace and earring set to show how to use these Tinies and regular size murrini together in a micro-mosaic piece. These are not fused. The earrings are made with Tinies only and the pendant is a mix of regular size murrini and Tinies. I was taught this technique by Jennifer Bevan. She may begin teaching online zoom classes again in 2025, but until then you can search YouTube for tutorials and different techniques on how to create pieces like these. I purchased these bezels through Jennifer. She is a jewel herself.
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PLEASE NOTE: Murrini from this week’s designs also will be sold in 1oz. packages as singles, however…packages will vary…some with odd sizes inside and a single cane may taper from larger to smaller. The murrini canes will be somewhere between regular size and Tinies, but I’ll note in each listing what the approximate size of the majority of the canes in each package will be.
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Gorgeous Green Leaves (sizes vary but are mostly medium and small)
The Gorgeous Green Leaves will be mostly medium size with an occasional large and small cane. No tinies will be in the singles packages. Leaves snip great with either wheeled nippers or the Chipper Nipper placed on the fattest part of the sides of the design. Never snip bottom to fragile tip.
NEW Curved Ombre Green Leaf (sizes vary medium to small)
This new ombre design goes from dark to light in a fun striped pattern. The packages will contain mostly medium to small sizes. Wheeled nippers work best on this design with the wheels further down on the leaf just above the widest part of the cane.
Oval Spider Mum (sizes will vary greatly, large to mostly small)
I created the Spider Mum oval this time, just for something a little different in our Tinies mix. They snip easily with wheeled nippers placed on the longer side of the oval. The mix will have a medium sized cane here and there, but will be mostly very small sizes in the package.
Multi-size Black and White Circles
I always love circles when I pull Tinies. They are a great design element even in floral patterns. These packages will have Black and Vanilla Cream circles from large to tiny and the center designs will be slightly different as well. Lisa did a great job getting a good variety of sizes and inner designs in each package. Sizes will range from large to tiny.
Multi-size Lilac Teardrops
This purple beauty is another great design as it can be used as a teardrop embellishment, a leaf, grouped together as a flower (either point in or point out) and with the inner changing design, there will be a mix of unique patterns as well. Most packages will be multi-size from large to tiny. Inner color is a mix of Lilac, transparent Grape and Vanilla Cream.
Multi-size Orange Teardrops
Ditto to the information above with the great versatility of this teardrop design. The bold colors of Orange, Marigold, Vanilla Cream and transparent Orange make a spectacular teardrop. Most packages will have a range from large to tiny.
Dreamsicle Blossoms with a Red Center (sizes vary mostly small to tiny)
The big pop of Red in the center of these Dreamsicle Blossoms make these cuties quite sassy! NOTE the packages may have one or two medium size canes, but the rest will be mostly small to tiny.
Peacock Blossoms (sizes vary mostly medium to small)
This beautiful Peacock Blossom is great tack fused to fully fused. The packages will have varying sizes but will be mostly medium to small canes. Wheeled nippers or the Chipper Nipper snip this circular shape well.
Vanilla Cream Blossoms (sizes vary medium to small)
The blossom isn’t a new design, but making them with Vanilla Cream and Black is new to me. I thought they’d be wonderful paired with the Black and White Circles for a pop of bold color in your creations. They have a very formal yet elegant feel. They are beautiful tack fused to fully fused. The sizes in each order will vary, but will be mostly on the medium to small side.
Sunflower Ripple Petals (Multi-size)
Ripple Petals are a must when pulling tinies. The precious outer ripples really make this murrini stand out beautifully. They are created to be fused in your LIGHTEST tack fuse schedule to retain the exterior design. Sizes of murrini canes will vary from large to tiny in each package so you could create a field of flowers showing depth by using the various sized flowers. Inner dots will vary in size as well. This is a fun design. They snip best with wheeled nippers!
Whimsical Blue Ripple Petals (Multi-size)
Aren’t these a hoot? I love the swirly Vanilla Cream Center enclosed in these Blue ripples. They look like they are dancing. Again, ripple petal canes are meant to be fused in your lightest tack fuse setting or are perfect in non-fused projects as well. One of my favs this week! They snip best with wheeled nippers!
Vanilla Cream and Red Dot Daisy (mostly medium to small sizes)
This beautifully bold Vanilla Cream Daisy has stolen my heart. They are perfect tack fused to fully fused and each package will have mostly medium to small sizes but an occasional larger size or tiny may be in the order. They snip great with either sharp wheeled nippers or the Chipper Nipper.
White Flat-End Daisy Petals (sizes vary medium to tiny)
I love Flat-end Petals. These make perfect little daisies of all shapes and sizes. You can make a full daisy with petals closely touching each other or spread the petals out a bit, use the flat side of the petal against the flat side of a half circle for a side view of a daisy, or use the petal as a leaf or bud! Snipping is easy with wheeled nippers placed directly in the center of the long side of the design.
I made a light tack fused sample to show the size difference between the medium sized murrini and the Tinies. 
This cutie is a sample pendant using Tiny Flat-End Petals. Note how the White Petals have a translucent look.
Out of curiosity, after putting the above pendant together, I snipped the Tinies the size I was going to use again and ran a light tack fuse on them and made this pendant again. 
This is a tedious job…snipping all these pieces down and sitting them upright in the kiln. However, fusing them this way slightly rounds each piece giving them a polished look which takes the Tinies to the next level if you are going to use them in a non-fused micro-mosaic piece. Also note (above on the right) I also ran a 2” cane to see if it held its shape, which it did. But I only took them to 1300 with NO hold. My lightest tack fuse top temp. 
LOOK at the difference between Oceanside White murrini cane when fused again. It goes from its original translucent-ish white (bottom Tiny cane) to a bolder opal white (top cane). 
After creating the pendant again, this time with the pre-fused White Flat-End Tinies, you can see the White took on a much bolder opaque appearance. I have found this to be the case with most of the murrini I create. The color pops just a bit more when fused again.
Yellow Flat-End Daisy Petals (Multi-size)
The Yellow Flat-End Daisy Petal packages will have a larger variety of sizes from large to tiny. Similar to the White Flat-End Petals, they are a wonderful murrini to have in your decorating tool box. 
A fun little design that could be used as a pendant, filler in a larger design, a refrigerator magnet, placed inside a heart mold, and so much more. 
Here’s a photo of the Tiny Angel Wings, lightly tack fused. This design will be in your Tinies mix this week.
Rainbow Leaves
I will have new colors of Puppies in January when my shop re-opens after Christmas Break! I made this for my cousin who just lost his elderly wiener dog, Bella. 💔
Here’s a photo of this week’s murrini fully fused. The blossoms and daisies are always gorgeous fully fused, but the murrini with outer designs will round out.
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SECONDS Dragonflies
Lisa packaged up some really lovely SECONDS from the Valentine Red Dragonfly from my last sale (seen on the right). However, when thinking of a red dragonfly, I first pulled a more Mostly Red version (shown on the left) that looked a bit speckled and undefined, so I decided to use it as a 2nd and move to the more opal Dragonfly. They are still beautiful, but a 2nd in my opinion just due to the fact they weren’t as crisp in the inner design as I would have liked. Both designs will be available in two sizes: 1oz+ SM/MED and 1.5oz+ LG sizes. The bodies will also have a bit of a unique wave to them and there will be two tail canes in each package.
SECONDS Rainbow Leaves
These leaves are just past the best part of the pull where the inner design begins to wiggle a bit more. I wanted to offer them as they are still very beautiful. They are in 1oz. packages.
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Now on to the best part of this week’s blog…the submitted work from our wonderful glass family! Some people submitted quite a few for me to select from. Thanks for that! Enjoy all the wonderful creativity using TINIES!
Jennifer Bevan
Jennifer taught me how to create micro-mosaics. She is an amazing artist and teacher.
Paulette Lizano
Part of her Louisiana Lagniappe Collection. I love this!
Cherie Enholm
From her Tiny House Collection. Tinies are used on the vines and mixed in throughout the piece.
Bev Blair
Bev had the great idea to layer her Tinies on top of larger flowers! I love it!
Rhonda Bruggeman
Rhonda’s little candle holder and precious ornament!
Lisa Hammond
Lisa’s perfect placement of Tinies on Mike LaChance’s bails and as little embellishments on the wings of this sweet bird made for some precious ornaments.
Maureen Smith
Little pots of TINIES. How can this not make you happy?
Gail Dement
Tinies dot the bellies of these festive little snowmen.
Debra Bliss
Debra also learned from Jennifer Bevan. A treat for the eyes as I find new surprises every time I look at them.
Mary Helen Mullins
Gorgeous sample of box lids. One full of murrini with Tinies sprinkled in and then one simple and elegant. Which to choose…I think I’d have to buy them both!
Natalie Gunderson
A spectacular example of using Tinies as filler in small openings!
Leslie McLane
One of Leslie’s perfect topiaries as an ornament.
Donna Merlino
Little precious night lights.
Lynn Alchin
Tinies are used as filler and lining the glasses of this fantastic sassy cat that I can’t take my eyes off of!
Barbara Kelberlau
Tiny accents in all the right places of this absolutely stunning piece.
Linda Douglas
Tinies are used in Linda’s Beach Babes as the flesh, green swimsuit, and around the yellow hat. How fun are these?
Linda Buck
Linda is a magician with scrap and Tinies in her nightlights. She used Tinies as an eye, the center of a flower and little embellishments in her flower gardens.
Melanie Staab
Melanie does gorgeous work and is probably one of my very first customers. There are some of my older murrini designs in here that give it away. 😉
Deborah Frock
Sweet Tinies embellish Deborah’s work with her creative tulip leaves, underwater treasures in her coral reef and tiny hearts look sweet on her birdhouse!
Jennifer Haley
This is a great example of how you don’t realize a murrini is a Tiny in a photograph until it is next to a regular size murrini (the fish). Beautiful, Jennifer!
Kathleen Bryan
Kathleen has been my "Tiny leaf gal" for a long time and loves to work small. Very fun!
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Thank you to everyone who submitted their beautiful work. I’m honored to be a part of it. I’m happy to continue adding future work using Tinies to this blog thread so we can refer back to it for continued inspiration! Just attach them in a note via my website’s chat button!
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Helpful Links:
Oceanside's recommended Firing Schedules.
If you are looking for COE 96 stringer or pre-fused dots, Joni pulls matching stringer for the items I have each week. Find her beautiful work at Aggie Glass Designs.
If you are looking for Mike LaChance’s fusible COE 96 handcrafted Bails, find his unique work at Mike’s Innovative Glass.
If you use COE 90, be sure to shop Lori’s beautiful murrini and mille options found at Wilderness Glass.
My favorite flattening technique is from a tutorial by Nancy Sala. It’s worth the $8 for the excellent tips she gives. Once purchased and she sees your order, she will email you the tutorial in a PDF.
For Tiny Candy Canes, Doggie Bones and other beautiful torch-made COE 96 glass components, check out the Lunger’s Eleven11Glass website.