This tutorial was designed to be a one page, quick glance type of thing. It is available as a
PDF file. This will be easier to use when working, although the pictures below are bigger, and I had a bit more space to write.
Materials List:
Mandrel dipped in bead release
Base color of your choice
Vine cane
Clear glass stringer
Clear rod
Opaque White Stringer
Transparent Color Stringer
Stamen Cane
Marvering tool (I use a Stump Shaper)
HINTS:
1. Work with a small flame.
2. When adding transparent colored dots add them within the edges of the previous opaque dot.
3. When I say "melt in slightly", your goal is to melt only enough to smooth any sharp transitions. This is to avoid bubbles being trapped as you add clear.
4. When covering each layer of petals with glass, you just cover the petals completely and only. When you melt to round this helps with the spread of the petals.
Below making an embedded Rose Bead is broken into 24 steps.
STEP 1: Place small footprint of glass on mandrel
STEP 2: Marver glass footprint to a barrel shape, measuring about .25 to .375 inch wide.
STEP 3: Add Vine Cane to barrel.
STEP 4: Melt to round.
STEP 5: Encase vine with clear.
STEP 6: Melt to round.
STEP 7: Add three groups of three opaque white dots for the first layer of petals for three seperate blossoms.
STEP 8: Melt to round.
STEP 9: Add dots of transparent color to each petal. Place dot within the opaque white. Melt to Round.
STEP 10: Add clear glass on the top of each group of petals. Melting very slightly to avoid bubbles. Melt to round.
STEP 11: Add a second group of petals, on top of and in between each each of the first set of petals.
STEPS 12 through 14: Repeat steps 8 through 10
8. Melt to Round.
9. Add dots of transparent color to each petal. Melt to round.
10. Add clear glass to the top of each group of petals, melting slightly to avoid bubbles. Melt to round.
STEP 15: Add a third group of petals, on top of and in between each of the second sets of petals.
STEP 16 through 18: Repeat steps 8 through 10.
8. Melt to Round.
9. Add dots of transparent color to each petal. Melt to round.
10. Add clear glass to the top of each group of petals, melting slightly to avoid bubbles. Melt to round.
STEP 19: Spot heat and plunge the center of each grouping of petals with stringer or stamen cane.
STEP 20: Melt a small amount of clear stringer and carefully fill the hole made by plunging. Melt in very slightly.
STEP 21: Add clear glass covering the top of each blossom. Melt in slightly as you go. This is to avoid bubbles.
STEP 22: Melt to round
STEP 23: Carefully encase the entire bead. Melting slightly as you go.
STEP 24: Melt to round.
The content of this tutorial, both photo's and text, is the property of Michelle Schomburg. No part of this tutorial is to be reprinted for other than personal use with out the written permission by Michelle Schomburg.