i am
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PANTS at these
I shall add pics and you can hopefully tell me where i am going wrong.x
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o262/beads-on-toast/flowers.jpg)
Here are different beads i have made
the first ones are so faint and the white and the petals have gone transparent, then as it goes along it gets better as i increase the sze of the flowers but the encasing layer is making the beads HUGE
Can anyone suggest anything?
That's exactly what happens to mine... I wondered if it was because I'm using a HH. I get so frustrated I leave it for a couple of weeks and go back to it but with the same results... I'd be interested in any advice too
Me too - encasing and I don't get on! PPP I guess... :-\
you could try doing three petals, melting them down, then doing 3 petals over the top then plung the centre cos that way the flower would be in a smaller area, so the petals would be darker and the overal bead would be smaller.
they look good tho
I agree they look ok, much like mine but ooooo encasing will be the death of me, if you discover that secret you could make a million!!
They look ok to me! :) You should maybe try not to melt in the white dots so fast so you don't over heat them, melt them in slowly, because if you overheat white dots or stringer work, it goes transparent (sort of ;)).?
griet has had a peep and suggested using a really solid dark opque as your very first layer - and she agrees with kathy that th white might be going transparent with slightly too my heat...?...
i'm just the messenger on this as griet is a little tied up right now...
well, you know what i mean........
she is MAKING BEADS!!!!
;D 8)
I hear that opal yellow makes a nice base colour for the petals...
I never use white to back my flower petals, I always use a pale solid which compliments the transparent colour I am going to put on top.
For small beads you really do want to use really thin stringer to get small petals, or as suggested, make your flowers with only three of four petals, this will keep the size down.
Another hint I use (don't know where I heard this), is to put a small dot of either black or dark blue transparent where you want the center of my flower to be. Put the petal dots around this central dot. What happens is when you plunge the center of your flower it gives a darker shading so it looks much deeper. Really nice.
It looks like you are doing a good job of keeping the base bead cool when you encase so you don't smudge the flowers. I'm not sure how you are encasing, but the way I do it is I spot encase over the flowers only, this works great when you are make the beads on a transparent core as you have...Get a pea size blob of clear molten hot, push it right onto the flower and push the rod around until all of the flower colour is covered. Once all of the flowers are covered this way, put some dots of clear to fill in the big gaps in between the flowers and then just slowly melt it all smooth. You have to use slightly less encasing glass this way and reduce the chances of smudging.
I haven't made flower beads in ages. I should give it a go again.
Quote from: glassworks on January 24, 2007, 04:17:36 PM
griet has had a peep and suggested using a really solid dark opque as your very first layer - and she agrees with kathy that th white might be going transparent with slightly too my heat...?...
i'm just the messenger on this as griet is a little tied up right now...
well, you know what i mean........
she is MAKING BEADS!!!!
;D 8)
If you say so........tied up indeed!!
SO many smashing ideas!!!
I shall try again with different coloured petals and i shall post the outcomes.x
they look fab to me! You should see my first ever attempt - I posted it on the old forum and now when i look at it I CRINGE - what ever possesed me to put a pic of it on show and tell I'll never know - must have been a newbies enthusiasm!
I have got a bit better - but not much and for what its worth I practice with 3 petals and always on a dark transparent. They are still rubbish though lol!
x
I agree with Griet, try a thin opaque barrel as a base,coat this in either frit or stamen cane or both and encase with clear then small dots for petals and melt slowly.
I tend to use white dots and maybe a transparent colour over the top of each dot. Cover completely unless you want white edges to your petals and then dump case as Shannon says. Apparently if you have light flowers use a dark opaque base and for dark flowers try a light opaque base, this is supposed to look better and it does make sense as the flowers stand out more.
With flowers you just have to practice and practice and practice.
There is no easy way but you will get it in time, its very frustrating but you gradually get a feel for and sense the heat you need and they do improve.
Honest. ;D
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395647&page=3 Maureen Kennedy posted a great tutorial. She uses a dark transparent base, I do too. The petals spread better than opaque, and your encasing doesn't need to be so accurate because the transparent won't bleed like an opaque would.
I'm sooooo glad someone else asked this - they drive me insane too!! I thought that it's just me being new (Probably part if it too) I can never quiet get the spacing of the petals right - so I like the idea of the centre sport - I'll definately give that one a go!!!
Thanks for that!
Trudi
Doh - I had another go last night and they are still pants!! I really need to practise the size of the dots and the distance apart!!
Well i thought it would only be right to post my latest attempt following the tips and tricks
and here it is
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o262/beads-on-toast/fabfocal1.gif)
and its so dinky!!! i'm dead chuffed tho! hope its not a fluke, and i know its a crappy thing to say, but it was purely PPP as i ditched around 70 florals before this one worked!
It's beautiful Anna, I'm sure it's not a fluke, and excuse me whilst I mop up my drool.
;D
Ooo lovely floral :) I cant do em, they go all smeary on me :'(
I think I read somewhere that Lauscha is better in encased florals than other 104 brands, a little bit stiffer or something. Do you have any opinion of this? I am having only clear Lauscha at the moment, but waiting for an order with a few Lauscha colours. Just forgot to order white... have to make another order in a near future...
So you can guess: I have not had great success with encased florals either! And hoping (until I get that order) it is glass, not me...
Wow Anna.... How'd I miss that?! Stonkingly terrific ;D
Hmmmm.... that would make sense with lauscha... (wheels whirring.... :D)
Really lovely- the flowers look so real! I might have to give it another stab..
Hi! My 2 cents on 2 things -
First if when you melt down the base dots for flowers you can also get them hot and push them in flat a little so they do not get bigger and keep their opaqueness... if everything is too hot when you flatten that dot gets very big it is a PPP thing but I use it a lot for tiny tiny flowers... might be worth experiementing in for those who don't master the other way... that final result bead is very nice by the way toasty beads! LOL
and I love Lauscha for encasing it is my favourite only because it is so clear and so few naughty bubbles. I can melt a bigger blob to encase too with the larger diameter rods. I used vetrofond superclear for some months now to cut corners (price wise) and I don't like it so much... but it isn't because of the comparative stiffness or lack of it... because the glass is pretty smooshy when you encase anyway... Tho vetro tends to smoosh more when you first apply it, with Lauscha you seem to have more control with how much goes on in that first swipe... making for more even encasing. I hope that made sense to you !
WOW Anna,
I just stumbles across this subject and your progress is amazing, I am still very much at your 'before' stage! I am going to practice. Mine get too bloomin big as well so I will try with the 3 petals.
Thanks for all the advice and piccies!
A big thank you to Maureen Kennedy for her tutorial. I at last got a floral three petal without the petals being swooshed all over the place.
I"m really enjoying this thread. Florals are a weak spot for me. And you're doing so well.
Marcy
http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com
I have just read this while having a break from essay writing, I am so motivated to go make one I am going to extend my break.
Naughty but it is just too tempting. Who knows if it comes out ok I might even post a pic... my first ever!
xxx
p.s. What does PPP mean?
Practise, Practise, and Practise ;D ;D ;D
Arrrr. Ok.
I just made a floral bead, but only managed to get one flower on my HH got so cold toward the end it wasnt melting the glass. I had trouble getting the encasing to even melt! Garrrr.
Soooo frustrating!
Someone's going to be investing in bulk fuel very soon (go on, you know you want to, it's going to save a fortune in the long run).
I am planning to change as soon as I can, but I am still at uni so live off a measly student loan, which doesnt even cover my accomodation! So buying food and payng bills is hard enough at the mo.
I am going to have to wait until I have a job in the summer to go bulk, I just cant afford to shell out £100 in one go :( I have discovered playing with glass in not very student friendly!
I cant wait to get a job!!!
My flower bead has cooled. It is ok on one side of the flower. But the other side has gone smushy. Just made a nice spotty one though :)
Ahhhhhh florals, the bane of my existence. If I may offer a bit of advice here. I finally got my encasing down to a fine art in the past few weeks. I switched to dipping my mandrels in the middle. When I go to encase my floral, I start in the middle of the bead and work towards the right side. Then I flip the mandrel and start in the middle again and work again to the right side again. Then you are to push the clear glass that is overhanging on the shoulder of the bead as close as you can to the mandrel without actually touching it. This is a very important step so you can avoid the petals of your flowers from stretching to the holes when you go to melt down the encasing layer.
Then you melt your encasing down slowly........letting the flame kiss the bead...........so in essence you are holding your bead just below the flame as it kisses the top of the bead.
Also, if you are working on a hothead, I keep my rod of clear glass in the middle of the flame with your bead underneath as I lay down my encasing. You have got to have that sweet spot throughout the encasing step or you are going to end up with uneven encasing.
Clear as mud?
(http://i47.tinypic.com/f4h1f6.jpg)
Here is an example
Jaqueline, how do you physically dip your mandrels in the middle?
Steph x
Steph - that was my next question too ;D
That's a lovely mini tut Jacqueline - thank you :)
My mind is boggled more than it usually is - just how do you middle-dip mandrels? :D
It took a bit of fiddling and I asked around as well.
I have taken a plastic top ( I used the top of a pringle chips container) and heated a mandrel in my flame and used that to melt a slot in the top , but not all the way to the bottom. Then I placed a mandrel down in that slot and made a mark on the other side where I should melt it again. Then I pour my bead release in the top and all you do is lay your mandrel in this plastic top and swirl it around. Then I give it a few taps on the table on one end and that is it!
(http://i50.tinypic.com/2a4ntqg.jpg)
Clever! ;D
Very clever Jacqueline! ;D
Clever solution and lovely floral beads :)
Absolutely fab pictures, inspired as always! ;D Cross fingers my bulk will be set up next month and I can't wait to play with florals. Hurry up pay day!