3D flower tool - help

[Ilona]

I have bought these tools and think they are great for single flowers that I like to leave indented. What i am wanting to know is how do you do a double flower, and what size of tool is the best to use?  I bought all the sizes, and have been playing this afternoon, and I have tried the 7mm first then used the 5mm to finish before encasing. I would love to here what sizes you use.

[Trudi]

What tools are they please?

[Ilona]

They are the Japanese tools from Mango beads.

[Madam Steph]

I have all the sizes, Ilona, plus some more from a hobby shop and I'm afraid I have given up on all of then.
I found they pushed my petals apart too much. Of course it could be that I used too much clear after the 'push'.
Florals are definitely my weak point, so this past week I have been practicing boldly. I have a set of nice lentils in the kiln atm.
I have actually been poking with a pointed brass 'fiddlestick' that I bought from Sean.
I'm sure the flower tools are very good/useful in the right hands. I just need to be shown how to use them.

Linda x

[Jeanniegems]

I bought these tools too but haven't had time to use them yet. How DO you use them, haven't even taken them out of the bag yet. Can we see some piccies of what you did with yours please. Will be interesting to see what others do with these too

Jeannie x

[Ilona]

I have just seem that there is a dvd for £29.99 that will show how to use them, but at the moment I can't afford to buy it

From todays play I found that the larger ones pushed the petals too far apart. I used the 7 & 5 because I thought they were closer to the size of the flower. I will try again tomorrow and use the smallest size and see what happens.

[MangoBeads]

The Japanese traditionally use these tools for layering depth between the layers of petals in their flowers.
I would suggest starting with the smaller set and perhaps two layers as suggested of the 7mm and the 5mm pushers.

Place your petals, try first pulling the dots together by poking with a poking tool and then re melting the hole you have created, this will give a neater flower.

Take the bigger pusher and press gently into the heated area of petals.

Blob clear over ( not too much use a small marker to press the small amount over a wider area covering the petals)

Apply more petals and repeat this time not melting in your plunging hole before placing your final encasing layer over the top, this will leave you your bubble in the Center.

You will most likely want to encase the whole bead at this stage not just the petals, either blob encase or swipe encase in one.

As suggested practice with a few laters first as you get used to multiple layers.

I don't use them at all for flowers but for simply layering dots creating depth within the layers of simple dot beads.

We will be doing a little You Tube clip for these as they are the most popular little tool we sell. They do require a little no how and perhaps just experiment with using them in different ways .

Hope that helps you all and good luck playing have fun ..... It is my most used tool along with my poker

[Ilona]

Thanks Manda I have just printed your instructions out and will have another go later this morning.

[sarah t]

i also use the smallest one for eye sockets when doing faces.... they push out the 'nose ' and then a thin stringer dot in each socket sorted 

[MadelineBunyan]

yes, I was thinking one day as I was making something, what I could do with is some sort of roundy ended thing for doing this with...then I remembered I had seen them and promptly bought them! I love them but I don't use them for encased flowers at all, I just look at them as sculpty type tools
I use them on sculptural stuff, yes, eye sockets that sort of thing, and for dots

[Calico Cat]

They are good for fishy lips as well - place a large dot, push in the middle and "twiddle"  instant pout!

[Madam Steph]

Thanks Manda and everyone else

L x

[Lush!]

Perfect for owl eye sockets - then plop a murrini into the 'well', melt in a bit and encase.

[Calico Cat]

Perfect for owl eye sockets - then plop a murrini into the 'well', melt in a bit and encase.

Thanks for that thought - will have to try it tomorrow 

[jammie]

hmm flower tool and murrini ...got to try that