"Fruit Salad" Bead

[Cecilia]

Hi. I have had a request from a customer who would like a bead 1.5 - 2 inches, square, preferably flat and decorated with a pattern of medal ribbons. 8 ribbons to be precise.
I did suggest to her that it might be easier for a fuser to get the precise patterns, I am thinking tiny pieces of stringer to give the medal stripes.
I am quite happy if someone would like to take this over for me as I am not sure how I can do this.
I think it is a remembrance bead and it is important to her to get the pattern correct.
Any ideas.
Thanks. Cecilia X

[Cecilia]

Help. X

[Steampunkglass]

Only thing I can think of is making a custom murine for the ribbons, then popping those onto the bead. It means a lot of work to make a murine that looks like a ribbon, but you'd have more control over the shape and colours, then once it's done you'll be able to make the bead fairly easily. Other way might be to look at decals, or paint them on? 

[Cecilia]

Hmmn tricky one. Thanks. X

[marklaird]

Hi Cecilia,

I think I made something like this on a fusing course back in Jan. I've uploaded a photo to flickr.

https://flic.kr/p/ocjHz6    (for some reason I can't access the BBcode to link directly) but is this the sort of thing that you are after?

Mark

[Fiona]

Do you have a picture of the pattern you need to produce?  That might make it easier for someone to suggest what you could do to achieve it.

[Kaz]

All I can say is...JUST SAY NO!!!
I think life's too short to spend it trying to meet other people's increasingly bizarre requests!

[Flyingcheesetoastie]

Does it have to be a bead? If it's flat then this could easily be a glass kiln fired piece with the ribbons printed or painted on using enamels. Then a bail could be attached or holes drilled for hanging etc.

I get a lot of commissions and don't find anything too bizarre as long as it's something I know I can make and the client can afford to pay for.

[Enchanted Cobwebs]

All I can say is...JUST SAY NO!!!
I think life's too short to spend it trying to meet other people's increasingly bizarre requests!

I agree! You may spend days trying to do it and then even if you produce something its 'not quite what I was after' or 'How much? its only a bead!' I have learned to say no if its not something I can do without thinking, I'd rather channel my workings out into something I am trying to create for my own satisfaction. My most recent NO was a teardrop pendant 70mm long just 5mm thick at one end and 30mm at the other

[Lakelady]

I agree you should just say no.  I do loads of commission work and if the client won't give me artistic license or asks for anything mm precise I won't do it.  It's safer and easier that way as people do tend to have unrealistic expectations! 

[June]

All I can say is...JUST SAY NO!!!
I think life's too short to spend it trying to meet other people's increasingly bizarre requests!

Kaz has it spot on. I was once asked for a kite shaped bead with each quarter a different colour and I can't tell you how much time I spent for next to nothing and it was ok. Fusing sounds like a possibility but I don't have enough coloured stringers to try it myself.

[flame n fuse]

As you suggested, I think fusing would be best for this.

[Flyingcheesetoastie]

Sometimes, it's nice to say Yes! 

[Corinne Lacy]

Wow!!! What a result!

[Fiona]

That looks great Rachel. I bet she loves it.