Plunged florals look flat

truegem · #1 2012-11-28, 8:26am

I made some florals, plunged, encased (soft glass). The flowers just look flat. Even the plunge hardly shows, except for the bubble in the middle. What am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated. =)
-Patti

MelanieG · #2 2012-11-28, 8:31am

It sounds like you might not be getting them hot enough when you are plunging them? Try heating up the whole flower (nice and hot and liquid) rather than just the centre and plunging deeper when the glass is more fluid,

gemsinbloom · #3 2012-11-28, 8:45am

Or............after you have plunged them and encased, you are working them too hot to shape and you lose the bubble. Work cooler.

deb tarry · #4 2012-11-28, 9:00am

Another tip I used was you get the flower hot like everyone says take it out of the flame and allow just the surface to cool forming a bit of a skin, then when you poke the centre it draws the petals down with it. When I was working on my timing for this I made a bead with as many flowers on it as possible then I focused the flame on the flower watched for the glow took it out and just before the glow disappeared I would poke. It's all about the timing which comes from repeating a few times. Using a transparent on top helps too.

gemsinbloom · #5 2012-11-28, 9:50am

I went and made a test floral to see if I can remember how I create them as it has been awhile. Deb is correct. You want to allow the glass to set slightly before plunging. And again, I work very cool. The flame is only about 1/4" high.

Just like Windows for your computer , there are many ways to accomplish the same task. This is just how I do it.

Test bead that has already cracked. Hmmm, now I feel like making florals, darn.

ElizabethCreations · #6 2012-11-28, 11:47am

Might be a silly question but do you encase your base bead before making the flowers?
I remember that my flowers used to look flat as well when I wasn't encasing the base bead.

And thanks to Jacqueline, I am now using a mandrel to make the plunge so I get a better result.

Elizabeth Beads · #7 2012-11-28, 1:43pm

I encase the base with clear, then add my shards, vines and flowers, poke the flowers and then encase the entire bead.

ElizabethCreations · #8 2012-11-28, 2:20pm

Elizabeth! Nice bead! I love the dichro!

truegem · #9 2012-11-28, 10:27pm

Encase, then plunge...I wasn't doing that. I don't think Corina's book teaches it that way? But I will give it a try. Thanks!

deb tarry · #10 2012-11-29, 1:06am

Whether you encase or not in each case it will give you a different look. When you place your dots for flower on your practise bead (I always make a practise one not worrying about the base design) try a few different ways.
1) just opaque dots for petals, focus flame on centre of flower bring to a glow plunge right away
2) just opaque dots for petals, focus flame on the center of flower to a glow, pull out of the flame pause..... waiting for glow to almost disappear then plunge
3)opaque dots for petals then apply a transparent dot on top of each opaque petal, heat as in 1
4)opaque dots for petals then apply a transparent dot on top of each opaque petal, heat as in 2
5)opaque dots for petals then apply a transparent dot on top of each opaque petal heat then take a small knife or the side of your pick and put a crease down each petal when done heat again, pause then plunge.
I really like the effect from the process in #5 as making the crease in each petal really gives it more depth. It is more time consuming though.
Please take pictures of your progress and ask more question and we will all gives tips to get you the effect you want.

truegem · #11 2012-11-29, 4:03am

Very pretty bead, Elizabeth! Do we have a plunged florals thread in the gallery? Maybe I should start one!

PerfectDeb · #12 2012-11-29, 4:52am

theres actually a thread here somewhere on how to plunge florals, some really good advice is in there - damned if i can find it

Anne Londez · #13 2012-11-29, 11:55am

The plunged hole in your flowers looks very tiny compared to the size of the petals so you are not dragging most of the petals down, only the very center of the flowers. Try either to use a larger poke or to poke deeper and not to have the glass too hot when you do it. Also make sure you don't reheat before adding the drop of clear that makes the bubble and don't hesitate to make it large so that when you encase, it pushes a larger part of the petals deeper down.

truegem · #14 2012-11-30, 10:57am

Pretty bead, Gems. I couldn't see it on my work computer the other day!

truegem · #15 2012-11-30, 10:59am

My other problem: There's always always always at least one deformed petal...grrrr!

ElizabethCreations · #16 2012-11-30, 11:11am

It's because you are working too hot.
And be sure that you heat only your clear when you are encasing!

deb tarry · #17 2012-12-01, 9:07pm

Don't worry about the one petal that looks off in nature flowers are not perfectly formed go with the flow. People are more drawn to colours that are put together well than perfectly form petals, and your colours look great. Have you gone back to the torch with any of the tips that were mentioned above.