What do you poke with? What do you crease with?

[Megan]

What do y'all poke your flower centers? and how far into the bead do you poke? And what do you use to make the indentation in your raised flower petals?

I have been using Corina's poker set but it hasn't been working the greatest and my brass shaper to put a crease in the flower petal but it doesn't come out with the same look as the beautiful petals I have seen in the Show and tell..

Thanks for your help..

[LavenderCreek]

Sometimes I poke with a stringer, wait till it cools a bit then snap it off, sometimes I poke with a tungsten. It all depends on how I want the flower to look. I couldn't tell you how far I poke though, it's not really something I think about, maybe a mm or 2? just try it, you'll get the feel for it.

For creases I use dental tools with a nice thin blade. Anything will work if it has a fairly thin blade, try different tools til you find the one you like best.

[Veda's Beads]

an exacto knife works well for creases too.

[DesertDreamer]

I use nail sets from Harbor Freight to poke, and I have a set of dental tools, including a terrific "spatula" that's perfect for creasing.

[kbinkster]

I just found a big set of dental tools (different than the ones I already had) for $25 at a gun show os all places. It had some very sharp little spatula things in various shapes. Very useful. I also use a razor blade. You can mount one in an Xacto knife handle. Glass Craft sells a little paddle tool (from Uncle Al) that I use for making creases that are not too sharp. It is an excellent tool for when my shaper is too big.

I use a metal rake to poke my holes. I also ground a point onto the end of a mandrel. It makes a great poker - just right for using CZs.

[Kevan]

I poke with a tungstun steel poker I bought years ago for...I'm not sure what for now.lol

I use my trusty butterknife for creases. It's perfect for goddess butts.

[RyanTheNumberImp]

I use Corina's pokers and I think their the best. You can hold them close to the tip and there is no useless wood handel weighing them down. They make it easier to accurately poke the centers of the flowers. Do you heat the center of the flower before poking?

[meadowesky]

I use whimsicalities brass tools and they are the best!! It has your creaser tool on one end and a poker on the other.

If a razor blade is closer I use that if I have been hunting for my whimzi tool for a while.

[shawnette]

Depending on what's closer, a sharpened pencil 1/16 mandrel or tungsten for poking. For creases I use a small putty knife. I found that a razor blade and my heavy hand don't cooperate. I tend to cut things in half, lol.

[loco]

Whimsicalities brass tools!!!!! I would be lost without um...

[Moth]

I use a $5 bent steel rake for poking flower centers, but I was gifted one of the whimsicalities brass tools and I love that very much too. I plunge all the way to the mandrel baby.

For creased petals I put a straight razor blade in a pin vise.

[Megan]

Thank you all for the help. Will definitely check out the whimzy brass tools and I need to order the razor blade thingee..

Mary, thanks for the info on how far to poke.. I wondered how far I should go.. I wish I lived closer for your floral/encasing workshop.. :-(

[debkauz]

OK, now where can I get whimsicalities brass tools? LOL! I tried googling it but didn't find anything. Website, anyone?

[Megan]

http://stores.ebay.com/Lost-Marbles-Lampwork

I think she has another tool too but that is the only one listed.

[Moth]

Thank you all for the help. Will definitely check out the whimzy brass tools and I need to order the razor blade thingee..

Mary, thanks for the info on how far to poke.. I wondered how far I should go.. I wish I lived closer for your floral/encasing workshop.. :-(

:biggrin:You live closer than I do. :lol: I know what you mean though. It can be a haul, can't it? Steinerts holds classes about an hour and a half from me and I've always said I wanted to go but there is something about that drive that just keeps me home. And it isn't even FAR. LOL

Good luck with your florals! And I don't ALWAYS plunge clear to the mandrel...but I go pretty deep.

~~Mary

[pam]

Just as a something a little different, I use an ice pick for poking and a palette knife for creases. I don't think I could work without them!

[loco]

Thank you all for the help. Will definitely check out the whimzy brass tools and I need to order the razor blade thingee..

Mary, thanks for the info on how far to poke.. I wondered how far I should go.. I wish I lived closer for your floral/encasing workshop.. :-(
Megan, You can use an exacto knife base for holding razor blades.

[PaulaD]

Clear stringer or a mandrel to poke and a paring knife to crease! Paula