Spot encasing-tell me more

[Redhotsal]

Well Pam - they look better to me but I'd still go a lot smaller - I'm guessing the bead size is around 15mm? It's aesthetically nicer (I read this in a book but I can't remember whose) to see at least one and a half flowers in one "glimpse" of the bead so you need to make those babies small - or go for a bigger bead!
If you can manage to make them smaller then you'll find it much easier to spot encase - it will be just one big dollop over the floral. The slightly flattened shape at the end of the petals is where the encasing ends. Mine are often "truncated" in this manner - but if you can get the whole trio of dots in a space about 3mm across then you can cover it in one dollop. If the petals are starting to float off you need to plunge the centre of the trio much more. Don't be tempted to heat up the whole bead and do this - you need to heat just the group of petals only and really dig in with the pick. I use a stainless steel pick rather than a stringer. The pick will also push the dots together and it will give the floral a 3D shape. If you push hard enough (without actually pushing the bead off the mandrel!) you will be able to push the group of dots together even more which will make spot encasing a doddle. Can't speak for the super duper encasing artists on this forum as I am a real numpty spot encaser but if you want to have layers of florals then spot encasing is the way to go. Remember, you only need to encase the coloured bits (i.e. the petals) so you can keep the overall amount of clear glass down to a manageable size. I can fit at least three layers into an 18mm bead by spot encasing but you must keep those blooms small.
Hope this makes sense!
Sal

[MyPrecious]

Great advice everyone!! I've never managed to spot encase, I prefer encasing the whole bead.
For example, if it's a floral I'm making, here's how I do it:

• Make a teeny tiny white base. When I say tiny, I mean make it a wide as you want the final bead but only about 1mm or 2 thin.
• Encase that very thinly (is that a word?) using the wrap around the bead method with any color you'd like.
• Put on your vines, melt, then your flowers & melt those too.
• Now the encasing part: I mostly use 2 different ways depending on my mood . But for both ways, you have to start by melting the clear glass while keeping the bead out of the flame (just flashing it in and out from time to time). You want to keep the bead cool so you don't smudge anything! Then the encasing part comes along.
  
  
  
  • The wrap method: Heat about 1cm of the clear glass to start with and wrap the glass around the bead still keeping it out of the flame but the rod stays in the flame. Like that the clear melts but the beads stays cool. You get a thin encasing with this method. 
  • The other way: Heat a big giant blob of clear, making it nice and soft. Then bring the bead under the flame and let the glass droop on it a little (a sec or two), Then push the clear really fast around the bead. If it doesn't cover the whole bead, add a bit more glass wherever it's missing. Encasing this way will give a more or less thick encasing but I've managed the make thin ones too like this. It all depends on how fluid the clear was to start with and how much you melted.
• After you put the clear on, melt it down. The trick is not to melt it too fast because if you did this, a couple of problems can appear:
  
  
  
  • The flowers can smudge.
  • The flowers can become transparent and not so solid anymore even if you used an opaque base for the petals.
  Just take your time melting it in, I usually take about 5-10 mins per floral bead (for the whole process, not just the encasing).

I hope I explained everything ok, I'm not usually very good at that!

[MyPrecious]

I forgot to say that after melting in the flowers, I poke each one in the middle so a bubble forms when encased. But I'm sure you all know that!

[Pam]

Thanks you so much Sally and Kathy, I've got a day off today so guess what I'll be up to?

[Pam]

These are the results of yesterday, sorry about the poor quality of the photos, thank you Mary, Lesley, Sally and Kathy

[Mary]

Lovely Pam! The third one especially.

[Redhotsal]

Great work Pam - I like them all - and you have quite a few blooms in there (I can easily see over one and a half so you have passed the "aesthetic test" - lol!  )
They look pretty damn good to me - question is - are you happier with them, and what do you think made the most difference?
Beautiful beads though
Sal

[Pam]

Yes definately happier with them, I like the 2 smaller ones size wise. It was smaller dots for the petals that made the difference for sure with the spot encasing. The only thing with that was where the flowers are close together its difficult to be sure the whole of the opaque glass is covered. The smallest bead was encased with a wrap method (4 flowers), The largest has just 5 flowers but I think its a bit on the big side.
Thanks for you advise, I now feel I can progress with these techniques and produce beads to be proud of.

[MyPrecious]

Pam, those are great!! 

[annasjewellerybox]

those are lovely Pam,

and this is a fab thread, the next time i have torch time i am going to practice on my florals!!

[*rowanberry*]

Those are lovely Pam! I couldnt do encased florals at all until I watched HP work and I got some tips :-) I only spot encase the flower, by doing a swoosh of very hot glass over a very cold bead only covering the flower. Works well for me!