Pleated beads?
 

I have been seeing some beautiful pleated beads and was wondering if there was a tut for them somewhere? I would love to give them a try.

Anzie

They are in the Japanese Tonbo Dama book. I haven't watched the dvd but they might be on it too. I think Malcolm from ArtCo sells it. Hope this helps!

:) Kelly

Oh cool! There are much better descriptions in that thread! Except for the fat ankles, lol!

:) Kelly

Thanks guys. I'll check out that book and DVD, and that thread is a riot. And no I never peeked at the ankles.:poke:

Love your avatar! And the pleated bead isn't on the Tonba Damba DVD but there is some info in the book -- although that link has a bit more.

Speaking of pleated beads. I've seen the Tonba Damba book and that works fine for smallish beads.

This can't possibly be the same technique that Michael Barley uses for his long focals? He calls it something to do with a whale.

I thought I read somewhere that he uses a blade or knife to do his but the effect is very similar. I've tried it by pressing ridges into a light pastel base and then press encasing with a color transparent but it doesn't look like MB beads. Maybe I'm to heavy handed. Anyone got any tips for this look on focals?

I'd love to know this, too. The MB thing.

These are some pleated beads I made after Kim Adams taught us how to do them in Sept at Hot Times. The Tonba Damba book does it a little different. I encase in clear before marvering into shape. It seems easier to me.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL490.../305165985.jpg

that makes sense. The encasing keeps you from distorting the pleats. So you are starting with say a donut and then marvering to elongate the bead?

I still think MB uses a knife to do his beads - "baleen" is what he calls them.

PS - those are really neat beads - my fav colors and very nice for a bracelet.

The MB thing is totally different but I'm not giving it up! :lol: I made a pleated bead yesterday going from the Tonba book. It looked great till I added my chintz flowers on top! :lol:

Linda....I make a good size disk bead, put on the twist and melt down. Then encase with a good bit of clear and then start to heat and marver. The larger you want the bead the bigger your disk and encasing should be. And I don't know anything about MB beads. :)

That technique is called 'baleen' I believe. I've been trying to figure it out without much luck so far. Anyone have any tips?

:love:Stinker:love:

Wish MB was giving a class near me.

:twisted: His class was great! Ya know, ya might try emailing him, it couldn't hurt! :wink:

I never have the money for any of the classes I want to take even when someone comes this way (west coast).... :pout:

Hi!
I made a youtube video about pleated beads. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP0WCd424c4

For a good 3d-effect it is important to use enough clear in the cane. I make it this way: lollie in white or another light opaque color, then two dark transparent colors on both sides, then I add clear on one side (no matter which). Twist tight and use for the bead.

Melt the twistie down and encase with clear, but be careful to add the clear only to those parts of the bead that have some cane on it, otherwise the cane will not spread properly all the way to the mandrel.

http://www.glasperlenwerk.at/images/...mellenwald.jpg

Very helpful video, thank you. I was trying to make this type of bead last weekend, and could not get the pattern to spread to the ends of the bead at the mandrel. But, watching your video, I can see that I was not using enough clear, and not adding extra clear on the ends of the bead. Can't wait to try again.....

Here is a Bead and Button interview with Michael mentioning baleen...http://www.beadandbutton.com/BNB/Obj...bpdf070492.pdf
xiola

Verena, thank you so much for the video. A picture says a thousand words and a video says it all.

pleated beads
 

These were from the second night of trying. They are so addicting!

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! How beautiful....I'm SOOOOOOOOOO impressed!

DeAnne in CA

Carol, your pleated beads are beautiful!!!

Thanks DeAnne and Verena! My DH hardly says anything when I show him my beads but he loved these :-).

I was trying out a larger bead with different colors a bit ago so I could make an elongated bead like in the gorgeous bracelet by Pat.........the phone rang. That pretty much ended that experiment. When I get back I'll try again!

Can I ask a rude question? When did twisty beads become pleated beads?

Thanks for all this info, everybody. I'd never even heard of pleated beads! And, I never knew you could read any articles from Bead and Button on the internet!

does this look like a "baleen" bead?
 

First, a reply to "rude Laura:" (LOL) I think they became pleated beads (at least for me) when I made a distinction in the 3-D look of the "pleated" beads. I make a LOT of twistie beads - and most don't have that 3-D effect.

So, the baleen thing. I tried a couple this weekend. I have never seen a Barley one in person (finances and life prevented me from taking his class the last time he was in Austin), but here's my interpretation from the pictures I've seen. If they're even close, let me know, and I'll be happy to share my how-to (which may be (probably isn't!) even close to MB).

(Sorry sorry sorry about all the smutz on the pictures - I wanted them kind of big so you could see the effect, but we have 5 long-haired dogs - dusting is an almost daily thing, and obviously on this day I decided to take pictures rather than dust!)

I think you might have figured that out! Looks great!

Thanks, Anne! Love you girl and wish I saw you more often. I know, I know - go to Fireflies, right?

yup! :lol: love ya too! :grin: