How to Make the Implosion/Petal Beads - Page 4

Baubles by eli · #91 2011-04-12, 4:45pm

Really pretty Pia! You can make the tips pointy by creasing the petals with a razor tool and by making sure to apply the clear over the entire tip of the petals otherwise the tips will appear square shaped.

Christy, when you add your first row of dots for the petals, make sure to add them slightly right of the center of the disc belly. Then as you add the clear on top of these dots and melt in, your bead should continue to get bigger and rounder, but it will stay slightly donut shaped until your final shaping. When you are doing your final shaping, this is when you stretch the petals by using gravity to pull them either to the top or bottom of your mandrel. You do this by heating and holding the mandrel perpendicular to your work surface. You can maneuver the glass by holding the mandrel both pointing up or down depending on which way you need to stretch yours petals more. As you do this, the bead will also round out more. You should be able to see the glass start to flow/move towards the mandrel, you really do not want it too hot because it is hard to control the glass movement if it is. You can also use a bead shaper, I love to use Donna's CG beadrollers for this when I want the bead to be round and consistent size. You can also stretch the petals more and round out the bead more by adding clear glass to either shoulder of the bead.

I hope this helps, it is so hard to explain a technique, I am more of a hands on/visual teacher.

Keep practicing, it took me months to get the technique down to where I was satisfied. Once you get it, it's well worth it.

Pia Kaven · #92 2011-04-12, 6:51pm

I thought that the pointy tips would be from a feathering with razor. But thank you for clearifying that for me, I think another comment earlier made me think that I was wrong, and it had something to do with the clear, I was getting confused, which is easy to achieve

I think I might have to try to make a set... oh gawd, the dreadfull set, I have never made a set. Well, not a proper set anyhow. That is kinda scary thought.

cadia · #93 2011-04-12, 7:09pm

I'm a little confused by the term "either shoulder"
". You can also stretch the petals more and round out the bead more by adding clear glass to either shoulder of the bead."
Isn't the shoulder actually a "ring" of clear that goes all the way around the bead? Sorry if I'm being thick-headed - you are being so nice to share and explain!!

ElementalsDesign · #94 2011-04-12, 9:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by piakaven

Set?

Gulp!

And then photograph them all nekkid! teehee!

Pia Kaven · #95 2011-04-13, 12:22am

Rachel, dont you challenge crazy people

ElementalsDesign · #96 2011-04-13, 4:54am

Awwwww Pia :::stompin'foot:::: you never let me have *any* fun!

ROTFL

misspiggy · #97 2011-04-13, 7:22am

Thanks for your replies,

I do only add the clear to the dots that I just added. The donut keeps growing only on one side but where I am having problem is the "stretching" portion. It won't stretch even if I hold it upside down. Even if it stretches a little, as soon as I hold it upside down on the other end on the next melt, it gets back into the fat donut shape again.

Am I just not getting hot enough with my HH? Maybe I should try to make the clear a little thinner?

Thanks a bunch!

Pia Kaven · #98 2011-04-13, 8:48am

Christy, try to make just a donut, with what ever leftover glass you have, and try to stretch that and round it up. That way you wont waste your flower for the practise. It can be little trickier with HH, but I think if you just add some more heat and let it stretch, but when it does, take it out of the flame to cool down, so it wont ball up again, then work on the other end of the bead, the problem often is that the glass wants to ball up from the middle of the hot part, but you can avoid this by keeping the other side cooler, but flash it every now and then so it wont crack.

misspiggy · #99 2011-04-13, 11:39am

Pia,
Wow. Thanks for the tip!
You are totally right. I was heating the whole thing up every time instead just the one end at a time! Glass wants to move toward the fire/heat.... Ding...(that was the dim light bulb that just turn on)LOL
I will have to try it again!
Thanks a bunch!

Baubles by eli · #**100** 2011-04-13, 3:12pm

Cadia- by shoulder I mean to the left or right of the middle or belly. Sorry I wasn't more clear and yes, you add clear all the way around the shoulder, like a ring.

Christy- I'm glad the light when on for you. It is so difficult to explain a technique by typing words. When you heat up and hold at a different angle, you take it out of the flame and let it cool. You do not heat the entire bead up again, because the glass will flow back to the middle naturally and you will end up with the donut again. Whichever end you point your flame at is where the glass will flow. If you want the glass to flow more towards the bead holes, closer to the mandrel, you heat at the ends closest to the holes.

Lizzydee · #**101** 2011-04-13, 4:07pm

great tut...thank you

j2canoe · #**102** 2011-04-14, 1:26am

There are several slightly different ways to make these beads. My technique is a little different than Eli's and this may be resulting in some confusion. If anyone wants to follow my technique, you are more than welcome to pm me and I will try to help you individually.

CSimi115 · #**103** 2011-04-20, 8:30am

OKay now I am going to my torch to try this again for the 10th time! LOL I also end up burning my clear and end up with a swirly sooty blob.

Chris

j2canoe · #**104** 2011-04-20, 1:26pm

Chris - you don't say what kind of a torch you are on. If you are on a HH, I recommend using Aether as your clear. I started out making these beads a couple of years ago when I was still on a HH and it can be done. The Aether helps as it really can resist the scumming/sooting from the propane during the LONG time and many reheats that these beads require. I tried every clear from Reichenbach leaded to Lausha and the Aether was absolutely the most HH friendly for these beads. If you are on a dual fuel torch and having sooty problems, try working with a more oxidizing flame (turn your propane down or your oxygen up) and work a little farther from the torch head.

crystalflipz · #**105** 2011-04-21, 4:17pm

Oh, I wish someone would do a YouTube video on this. I'm such a visual learner that I can't wrap my mind around where the wraps go. I've done implosions with soft glass before, but somehow I see this leaving a big bubble of air in the center. There is nothing wrong with the instructions, just how I process them.

SpitFire · #**106** 2011-04-22, 9:34am

Joan -

I would love to read your method for making these type of beads. I am like Carol O. and I can't wrap my head around this tut either.

I know that you offered help, but I need help from the very beginning! Please - purty, please with sugar and a chocolate covered caramel on top?

Little Lilypad · #**107** 2011-04-22, 10:25am

I can't thank you enough for this tut. I've been wondering and trying to figure it out on my own. Can't wait until Sunday so I can play with it and try it out myself.

j2canoe · #**108** 2011-04-22, 10:52am

Pm'ing you Melissa....

ellabeads · #**109** 2011-04-25, 10:56am

I would like to thank you again as well, Joan. These are such beautiful and fun beads to make. i am going to purchase some of that clear from DH that you recommended to me. The place that was having a sale didn't have any. I haven't attempted them again and also feel without that clear there isn't really much point. But it's a great tutorial.

CSimi115 · #**110** 2011-04-25, 11:40am

Joan,
I'm not using a HH. I have a Minor / NG and oxycon. I REALLY need a visual like some other people said. I so wish there was a video. ANd i ran out of clear so I was using a very pale rose transparent.

Chris

j2canoe · #**111** 2011-04-25, 12:52pm

Hi Chris - PM me and tell me where you are getting stuck and I will try to explain it a different way for you. You can use any transparent instead of clear - but I would use one that is not terribly stiff or you will be making these for an even LONGER time than they already take!

CSimi115 · #**112** 2011-04-26, 8:50am

I will try it agaion today and then get back to you where I am having the problem. It's really from beginning to end. LOL Not sure if I'm making the disc too thin in the beginning. A few times the disc released from the mandrel after I was working on melting the first batch of dots. I also think that sometimes I melt the glass too much because what should be the petals end up swirling around the center. What i'm using in place of the clear is Moretti Pale Rose 068.
Thanks so much for your offer of help.

Chris

gallerygal · #**113** 2011-04-29, 5:18am

Joan, thank you so much for your tut. I've been having the best time making these beads, they're just the most amazing fun!!

Marianne.

CSimi115 · #**114** 2011-04-30, 3:06pm

OMG! OMG! OMG! I think I understand now!!!!!! I added what I thought would look like leaves on the bottom but that kinda ruined it. Pic is bad too.

j2canoe · #**115** 2011-04-30, 3:19pm

Yes Chris - You've DEFINITELY got it!!! Good Job!!! You got a handle on it MUCH faster than I did!!

Thanks Marianne! They are tons of fun! Very addictive!!

dkpmd04 · #**116** 2011-04-30, 5:27pm

Hi Joan,
Thanks for the tutorial!
I have been practicing these every chance I get and I think it has finally clicked for me.
This is my best one so far!

j2canoe · #**117** 2011-04-30, 5:40pm

Hi Dawn!!

Great Combo!!!! Very Dramatic!!! Your petals look Wonderful!!

LynieG · #**118** 2011-04-30, 8:27pm

Hummm Joan! This is an awesome tut. I tried it today - kinda clicked but not till I was on my 3rd round! Gonna see what it looks like when I get it out of the kiln tomorrow and then try it again now that I (think) I know what I'm doing! Thank you!

dkpmd04 · #**119** 2011-05-01, 6:21am

Thanks Joan
Couldn't have done it without you.
An addicting bead - I just want to try all kinds of color combos!

glasscelr · #**120** 2011-05-01, 5:42pm

Let me also THANK YOU for your instruction. I am hoping my day tomorrow will let me have some torch time. Connie