Making leaves with leaf mashers???

[Beadlady57]

Help!! I bought those scissor shaped leaf mashers & was all excited about making some cool fall leaves. Does anybody have a quick tut for them? It's not as easy as I thought.. But then again, nothing ever is...Thanks for your help!
Nancy:smile:

[Raven]

Hi,
I recently acquired a pair also. I found If you let the glass on the mandrel get drippy hot and start slumping down I just squeeze the drip.. It can be a big or small drip. I've made tiny leaves and some medium size ones even one sideways. I have no pic's. I'm still experimenting too!
I'd be interested to hear other experiences too:)
Raven

[Margrieten]

Hello Nancy,

I have a leaf masher also and find it a wunderfull tool. I have made this one:

http://www.beadmaking.nl/blaadjeskralen.jpg


:-o Made a bead.

:-o Let it drip

:-o Put the glass between the leaf mashers, take care that there is enough glass to make a decent hole

:-o Push the masher together.

:-o Go back with the glass in the flame to avoid much stress

:-o When you want to make it longer, make the glass soft and pull on it with your tweezers.

Good luck!

[Blair]

I don't know if we have the same mashers, but with mine I found it helped to make a ball of glass at the end of the rod then mash it flat first. Then I heat it back up a bit, let it stretch some, and then use the leaf press. This was the only way I could get it to work without having a ton of extra glass ooze out the sides of the press.

Blair

[Beadlady57]

Thanks everybody for your input!! I have been experimenting with my mashers and just had a 'DUH' moment. I found that after I mashed the blob with my leaf mashers, I heated it up a bit and gently pulled out the bottom to make it more of a point on the end. These look much more leaf like then the round leaves I was getting!!
Nancy

[flamesofglass]

Can can one find a leaf masher?

[beadandi]

Does anyone have a picture of the scissors leaf masher...I have a leaf masher but not fond of it. Thanks.

Sandi

[swanseafarm]

I make all my leaf beads without a masher. I'm going to do a tutorial soon and post it on my website. I have several pictures of leaf sets in my Studio Special page and also in the Gallery if anyone is interested in looking.

[LoriBird]

Bonnie,
I LOVE your leaves Hate my leaf masher...LOL Going to the studio to try to get 'your' look..that's the look I've been looking for! Your colors are awesome too! Here's the one I have http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/mashing_tools.html I got the small one..and it's HUGE...I need to work w/ it more :doubt:
Looking forward to your tut! let us know when you get it up!
Thanks!
xoxo
lori

[Ellen Black]

here is a couple of good threads

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1933

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3913

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212400

[LoriBird]

great tuts Ellen..THANKS!
xoxo
lori

[Ellen Black]

Welcome.

[swanseafarm]

Bonnie,
I LOVE your leaves Hate my leaf masher...LOL Going to the studio to try to get 'your' look..that's the look I've been looking for! Your colors are awesome too! Here's the one I have http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/mashing_tools.html I got the small one..and it's HUGE...I need to work w/ it more :doubt:
Looking forward to your tut! let us know when you get it up!
Thanks!
xoxo
lori

Thanks Lori!
The main tools I use for making my leaf beads are a pair of needle nose pliers, a pair of glass shears, something to flatten the glass with like a marver or flat masher, and a dental tool with a blade end.