Tutorial Challenge 3 May 07 - Organic Wave Bead

[Mary]

Well I rashly offered to write a tutorial, so here it is! I hope you all like organics!


You will need
Transparent blue or aqua
Dark ivory or ivory (both will work, it will just look a little different)
Intense black
Thick clear or transparent blue stringer (I use bought stringer)
Silver leaf or foil

Prepare a silvered ivory stringer. Warm the end of your dark ivory (or ivory) rod and wrap with a piece of silver leaf or foil. Rub the foil onto the glass so it sticks well, or it will just burn off when heated. Then melt the silver coated glass into a gather. Allow to cool a moment or two, and pull into fairly thin stringer, about 1-2mm. This will be very brittle.

   

Prepare an intense black stringer, using a pea sized gather to pull very fine stringer.

Now start to wind your bead. Using your ivory rod, wind a bead with a footprint half the size you wish your final bead to be.

Apply your silvered ivory stringer. It doesn't matter how neatly you do this, just random is good. Heat it well and watch it spread. You can change the pattern by gravity swirling, or pushing it around with a rake. Take your time and enjoy this bit!

Apply the intense black stringer. Don't put it straight into the flame or it will ball up, heat the bead and lay the stringer on the hot glass. Again, just random is good. Then heat very well and watch for the reaction, it will spread out and web. Cool! This takes longer than the silvered ivory, it's quicker if your stringer is very fine. Marver the bead back into a vague barrel shape, you'll do final shaping later.

      

Now build a second bead right beside the ivory one, using the transparent blue rod. Melt it down, heating the ivory at the same time, so the beads melt together. Shape the double bead into a barrel or tube shape.

 

Now we'll make the wave. Turn the torch down to a small flame, if your torch allows, and spot heat one area on the join between the two colours. Touch the heated spot with the transparent stringer so it sticks, just on the surface, don't plunge it in. Wait a moment till a skin forms on the glass, then twist firmly. Hold it for a second or two, then give the stringer a little wiggle to see if it is ready to snap off. Don't force it, if it's not ready just wait a few seconds, maybe blow on the join, and wiggle it again. It should snap off cleanly.

      

Work your way round the bead, adding as many waves as you like.

Heat the twisted areas smooth, and finish by giving the bead its final shape.

Now let's see your wave beads, or variation on the theme!

[Les]

Lovely beads Izzy and Tan...... what a great start to this month's tutorial.. here's one i made last night... not the way I envisaged it to begin with... but it's ok... shall make another later I think ??



Les xx

[Phoenix*]

I think this is such a great tutorial I just had to have a go! I learnt LOADS doing this as it was my first time pulling stringers, first time doing a double colour bead, first big cylinder bead, first time using foil..LOL and it did take me AGES to make it and it was a PIG to get off the mandrel!!

it is a bit wonky too but it's only my 3rd session at my torch so you have to make allowances for me 

[Les]

Lovely beads everyone !!!

I thought I'd try one with a little texture to it.... I used Violet Nights ASK for the sky .. or is it CIM ?? I get so confused.. LOL



Les xx

[Carol]

Well here's my effort - I've struggled with using the stringer to make the actual wave, I just can't seem to get it right somehow, so i went back to using my trusty bradawl which is why my wave is a peculiar shape! This is actually the 2nd one, the first one I had all ready to do the wavy bit, but started fiddling with the on/off knob on my Hothead & the bl**dy thing went off & I couldn't re-light it  . So I've got another wave bead - only with no waves!!

[Phoenix*]

I decided to have yet another go at this so I went for it in purple this time. The waves need some work but I think the shape of the bead is MUCH better this time! At least the hole runs evenly through it 



and I made some beads to match...

[Clare Scott]

Here`s my effort.... I used Light Ivory, Amber and Trans red (forgot the proper names! Oopsy! )
I loved making it so much, it inspired me to make the set below.... Thankyou Mary!

[Clare Scott]

Haha! My First One! Fun to make! Much pinker in real life...think I might be making lots and lots...!

[Shirley]

Here we go. Not a very good pic - light is going here