Heart Press Help.

[lyzzydee]

At Flame Off I treated myself to a puffy heart press, I also bought a triple lentil press, now the lentil I can do, but the heart I can't. Lush has sent me her article on how to make her bigger hearts for which I am grateful, but can anyone give me any pointers as to how I can produce a heart bead.

The problem I am having is too much glass spreading around the top of the bead hole and then having trouble getting glass onto the 'shoulders' I just can't do it and its frustrating the life out of me!!!!

HELP!!!!! (pretty Please!)

[chipperpottery]

I just followed Julies instructions (lush) and it worked o'k.

[Redkite]

Ditto, but to get the shoulders I alternate between applying glass to the sides (like wings) and over the top from front to back (or vice versa). Try not to hold the top of the heart pointing towards the flame or the shoulders will come together. Let them droop a little if you have to, because when you put it in the press, you can wiggle them back into place fairly easily. Also, when you make your first cylinder, the bottom can come right down to the bottom of the press, but make the top shorter. I try to keep it just underneath the bit that puts the crease in - hope you know what I mean!!

[Lush!]

Beautifully put, Cath!

I'd only add that you need plenty of heat in your bead when you press to really get the best help from the press (if you see what I mean!).  Get the bead nice and hot, but not right through to the middle so it moves, and use the bottom of the press - then you can kinda move your mandrel around a bit to really get the glass in the right place.  You shouldn't need to use the top of the press till the end, if at all really.

[sarah t]

have you got julies tut ?...i make mine pretty much the same way as she does

i make a round bead then marver it flat round the pointy end and apply heat and twirl to make a  round cone ,add more glass in the middle  and then use the marver to flatten just two sides going up from the pointy end  and it should look like the beginning of a heart shape ...check in the bottom half of press how much more glass you need ...add it and press using both halves ...if you have gaps i add blobs and melt in especially round the sholders.....does that make sence

it is ppp as you will get the 'feel' of how much class you need

good luck

[lyzzydee]

Thank you for the advice, I suspected it was keep at it!!
I suppose the biggest problem is over doing the amount of glass at the dented bit, because that is not recoverable, so best to under rather than over do it. I will keep practicing, I hope I will get better!!!

[Alison G]

As a newbie I can tell you it is practice!

One thing that really struck me when I was lucky enough to have a lesson from Julie is how much better it is to slowly build up the glass like Cath said. I just use the bottom for most of the way, I put it down one way, turn it over and put it down again.

As Julie said it does need to be hot on the latest bit to flow into the indents properly. I found it's good to use gravity too. At first it was alien to hold a mandrel anything other than dead level, but gently allowing gravity to 'pull' up the lobes of the heart works well.

Then after a while, Sarah is right, you get to know your own presses and how much you need where.

Or decide to treat yourself to a day at Julie's, you'll be advising us then! 

[lyzzydee]

I plan this weekend to crack the heart bead, I am going to use some of my ugly (in my eyes) glass, I will make a heart!!!!!

PS Is there anything that Lush Julie can't do? I just love her style!

[Lush!]

Cook 

[Kaz]

 
She doesn't speak Dutch either!
Kazx

[lyzzydee]

Yes but if she tried she'd be able to and faster and better that me!!!!

[sarah t]

what you have girl is a case of lush envy ..we have all had it 

there are other simlar envy viruses ...you name i have had it 

[lyzzydee]

The real problem is she is nice as well, she is just like Mary Poppins 'Practically perfect!!!

[Lush!]

Yeah yeah, shurrup now ... I'm off to stuff that hatstand back in my bag ... 

[lyzzydee]

Yeah yeah, shurrup now ... I'm off to stuff that hatstand back in my bag ... 

LOL!!!!