Encased florals

[noora]

I'm trying to make encased florals (you know - 3-5 dots, melt in, poke in the middle, encase) but they end up ugly - petals flowing into each other, or angular shaped, or ugly rims... I think my main problem is with the encasing/adding a blob of clear onto the flower part that I can't figure out.

Do you guys have any hints for me? Or links to good tutorials or videos?

I've tried following the instructions in Passing the Flame and I've tried looking for videos on youtube. I'm not sure about the method in Passing the Flame, since she just encases the entire bead after poking the flowers, so they don't spread like when you put a blob of clear on each flower. Or at least I didn't get them to spread when I tried it... The youtube videos vary so much in quality and to be honest many of the results in the videos were ugly as well... Searching for videos on youtube takes ages, since people insist on showing in detail how they make a base bead, add stringer scrollwork, stack several layers of dots etc before they get to the point (the poking and forward). Five videos later I'm none the wiser about what I'm doing wrong with the encasing :-/

[MyPrecious]

What I do after poking is let the bead get really cool while I'm melting the clear. When I encase, I start on the left and wrap the clear around the bead, overlapping each previous round slightly. During this time, the bead is still out of the flame and the clear rod is in the flame. I usually make my flowers really small before encasing because they look much bigger once encased.

I hope this helped!

[MadelineBunyan]

are you using this method?

cheats flower encasing (not encasing the whole bead) :

put dot of clear on top of each petal before you poke, then your one dot of clear to make the bubble in the centre won't make a line across the petal, so it only needs to be small.

its how I did these:



I like the edge the blue has where it come up above the clear, I think it wouldn't be so effective if I had encased the whole thing.
sorry, pic is not that good, was trying to show the czs!

[Kaz]

What I do after poking is let the bead get really cool while I'm melting the clear. When I encase, I start on the left and wrap the clear around the bead, overlapping each previous round slightly. During this time, the bead is still out of the flame and the clear rod is in the flame. I usually make my flowers really small before encasing because they look much bigger once encased.

I hope this helped!

I have been teaching myself to make these recently and follow exactly the method that Kathy describes. I also extend the encasing on the right hand side and melt it at an angle of about 30degrees to make sure that all the flowers are properly covered. I have been having mixed results but generally improving in terms of flower definition and shape.
Kazx

[awrylemming]

I bought this tutorial http://www.etsy.com/listing/18338858/making-encased-floral-beads-tutorial-by?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=flower+tutorial&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_ by Kandice Seeber.  It's a very thorough and easy to follow tut, helped me no end.

[Redhotsal]

but they end up ugly - petals flowing into each other, or angular shaped, or ugly rims...

Petals flowing into each other - the base bead (including the florals) sounds too hot. You are also melting the dots in too quickly - that's why the petals are flowing into each other. Melt everything in really slowly.

Angular shaped and ugly rims - the rims are ugly because you haven't caught the flower up completely under your encasing dot. You have to cover it to begin with - the encasing is not going to magically spread out over the flower. Try a bigger "blob" of clear. Also push down at 90 degrees and pull back in the same direction. That will minimise any smearing.

I'm trying to make encased florals (you know - 3-5 dots, melt in, poke in the middle, encase) but they end up ugly - petals flowing into each other, or angular shaped, or ugly rims... I think my main problem is with the encasing/adding a blob of clear onto the flower part that I can't figure out.

Do you guys have any hints for me? Or links to good tutorials or videos?

The youtube videos vary so much in quality and to be honest many of the results in the videos were ugly as well... Searching for videos on youtube takes ages, since people insist on showing in detail how they make a base bead, add stringer scrollwork, stack several layers of dots etc before they get to the point (the poking and forward). Five videos later I'm none the wiser about what I'm doing wrong with the encasing :-/

Well, as regards Youtube - I suppose we should be grateful that people have even bothered to take the time to show how to do things - there was no Youtube when I started making beads so I wouldn't be too down on the internet - there's a huge wealth of free stuff available to us. But it does take time to sort through the dross to find the diamonds.

You can always buy my DVDs (not very subtle promotion) http://www.lampworkbeads.co.uk/userimages/procart7.htm
(Number 3 is the one you want for encased florals  )
Or go to a local meet somewhere - you can learn a heck of a lot just by watching other people work.

[Kaz]

Don't just buy Number 3, buy them all - they are well worth it 
Kazx

[MyPrecious]

What I do after poking is let the bead get really cool while I'm melting the clear. When I encase, I start on the left and wrap the clear around the bead, overlapping each previous round slightly. During this time, the bead is still out of the flame and the clear rod is in the flame. I usually make my flowers really small before encasing because they look much bigger once encased.

I hope this helped!

I have been teaching myself to make these recently and follow exactly the method that Kathy describes. I also extend the encasing on the right hand side and melt it at an angle of about 30degrees to make sure that all the flowers are properly covered. I have been having mixed results but generally improving in terms of flower definition and shape.
Kazx

That's what I meant. I start on the left and wrap around the bead until everything is covered, from left to right.

[CindiDee]

Don't just buy Number 3, buy them all - they are well worth it 
Kazx

I second that - I have them all and I love them    Can't help you on the florals though as despite having the DVD's, I still haven't mastered them!!

[Margram]

Those are lovely, Madeline

[afina]

Ho Noora!
What torch are you on? I use bothe a Hellcat and a Hothead, and I find that my technique for encasing is different on both torches.
Verena

[Madam Steph]

Funny enough, I am having the same probs and posted such on a neighbouring forum.
I set to on Sunday to have a purge on the flowers.
I know that it's imperative to have some really small dots on the outset, and Im getting my stringer (thin ones that I have pulled) too hot, hence bad placement too.
I feel it's a question of practice in my case, so I forced myself to do the breaking eggs/omelette thing, but don't you just hate it when you know you are setting yourself up for some definite fuglies in the process of practising 
I have just #4 dvd to buy now from Sally, and soon as I can, I hope to book a one to one.
The dvd's  are the only tuition I have had thus far, and they are superb 

[noora]

Thank you for all the replies!

I think heat control might be my main problem, especially heating everything too fast or too much. I'm on a Minor and when I get a bit distracted by what I'm doing I often forget where I'm doing it and end up too hot. This morning's beads were a disaster after another (that was before I read all your replies), I'm getting so frustrated by the failing florals that nothing else works either 

Madeleine, I'll try that "cheat" next time

Sal, I didn't know you had DVDs for sale, so thank you for the tip! They're not even expensive, I'll probably get one of each the week after next (we won't be at home next week and I don't want "precious" items to sit in the mailbox for so long...).

There aren't any meetups in Sweden that I'm aware of and there won't be any classes until after summer. Perhaps I could convince one of the few "local" (only 2 hrs by train, that's local isn't it?) lampwork artists I know to give me a private demo during the summer, she makes such beautiful florals (http://www.artfire.com/users/BabsBeadsandDesign)

Apart from a two day class a couple of years ago, I've only had books and you guys to guide me. And the occasional youtube video - some of them are really great but you have to find. In fact I would probably most benefit from a class right now, having someone look over my shoulder and tell me what I'm doing wrong. Wrong season and wrong country for that, unfortunately

[afina]

Noora, I am sure with all the hints here, especially the one about keeping the bead cool before encasing, will help. If not, I found that sometimes if I didn't manage a technique it helped to set it aside for a few weeks and then come back to it.

[MadelineBunyan]

also theres a couple of freebie tutorials from Mary Lockwood's website http://www.marylockwood.com/index.html
go to tutorials and then free tutorials. there's one with creased petals and one on pansies.