glass and fimo - UPDATED

[Enchanted Cobwebs]

I'm trying to arrange some flower beads I made into a posy type thing to either incorporate into a necklace or make a brooch with. Its just simple disc beads frilled at the edges then I am adding a crystal as the centre of the flower with wire I'm weaving onto my cobweb as a filigree type base. It works but the fowers keep shifting.
Then I tried fimo and have used headpins to 'nail' my flowers down and think it might work with a lot more thought but...will my annealed beads cope with being bunged in the oven to 130deg Centigrade? should I ramp up or just go for it? Or if anyone has any better ideas on a product to use

[sparrow]

Can't say I've tried it - why not do a mock one and give it a go? I'd love to know what you find out

[awrylemming]

I've done it without much problem 

[spexy]

When I was a florist we used to use this stuff called dri-hard. It air-dries and isn't very expensive. Should be able to pick it up at most good florist that do silk or dried flower arrangements.

This is the only one I could find on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLOWERS-OASIS-BASE-FLORAL-CRAFT-DRI-HARD-FIXING-GARDEN-/120671360093?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item1c1892d45d but you wouldn't need that much.

[Enchanted Cobwebs]

Can't say I've tried it - why not do a mock one and give it a go? I'd love to know what you find out

I've done it without much problem 

will give it a go, wanted to use some silk too but may add it later

yes, I will try as there are some not so god ones I could sacrafice!

When I was a florist we used to use this stuff called dri-hard. It air-dries and isn't very expensive. Should be able to pick it up at most good florist that do silk or dried flower arrangements.

This is the only one I could find on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLOWERS-OASIS-BASE-FLORAL-CRAFT-DRI-HARD-FIXING-GARDEN-/120671360093?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item1c1892d45d but you wouldn't need that much.

Might have a shot at this if the trial run on fimo doesnt work


In any event I will post the outcome but may be a couple of weeks as back to work tomorrow (doom gloom etc!)
thanks everone
Hx

[Jolene]

It's been on my to do list to try something like this for ever so long but I'm still yet to try it, fingers crossed it works out for you.

[ejralph]

Providing your beads are annealed ok and no latent stress in them, they should survive Fimo baking temps fine (Fimo bakes at 110 degress now, by the way, so if the package says 130 degrees, that is some OLD fimo you got there!)

I would however be careful in how you heat the glass beads - it might be better to put the project into a cold oven and raise it to temp and then once the clay is baked, allow the whole thing to cool in the oven.

I've baked Fimo over glass items frequently and never had anything crack.

Emma

[ScarletLeonard]

Out of interest one day I did shove an annealed but half bead into a lump of fimo to see if it worked (yep randomly doing things for no real reason other than to see if it would.) this was before I started lampworking and I didn't know anything about ramping up and down shoved it in the preheated oven and pulled it out when it was done.

glass was fine shame the whole thing looks like poop.

[Enchanted Cobwebs]

Well, had a little play and tried out on one of my fibula pins that I wanted to add a few of my flowers to without winding the wire round and round. Result - glass was fine, copper that had been beautifully polished went orange, wasnt sure if I could then dunk fimo in oxisising solution in case it was porus and soaked up some toxic stuff. Then I gave it the pliers test, tugged on the wire stems and with not too much effort they came out so I decided it wasnt good enough.

Then...I discovered crystal clay, not sure if anyone has had a go at this stuff yet but its fab. Its a right mess to work with as you really do need to wear the gloves as it sticks to anything gets under nails etc but sets like concrete overnight and you can even flick on some mica to get a metallic finish. Palmer metals have it it, £12 for 50grams

I used it on these two
http://www.etsy.com/listing/92347516/lampwork-glass-flowers-and-copper-shawl
http://www.etsy.com/listing/92347735/sterling-silver-cobweb-with-black-and?ref=v1_other_1

[Jolene]

They look fab!

[GaysieMay]

They are totally yummy especially love the fibula. 

[Margram]

I love the fibula!! Clever technique

[Cecilia]

Beautiful  Very nice.

[silkworm]

Very unusual and very nice.