Pointsettia tutorial??? Please

[SLY Creations]

I am coming out of my lurking mode to ask a question. I am seeing lots of beautiful pointsettia beads now and was wondering if anyone would be willing to give a tutorial on how to make these flowers. My attempts so far have been woeful.

Thanks, Sharon

[Lizabeads]

I would love to know the same thing..like how big a dot to make... so far my look like poop... not a petal.. pulling more has made it worse...lol

[Lara]

Here is how I make pointed flowers.
1 - make a base bead
2 - Place 5 dots (petals) around a center dot - 2 or 3 per bead.
3 - Melt dots in almost all the way.
4- Using a razor tool, press into a molted dot so now it has a cut in the middle (all cuts towards the cent of the dot, not across (duh)). Do this to all the petals while keeping the bead warm and not melting in the dots. If the cut melts out, cut again.
5 - Case the petal dots with a transparent. Where the cut is, the transparent is thicker, thus it is darker and looks like a vein on the petal.
6 - Melt all petals in.
7 - Heat just the outer edge of the petal, drag the petal to a point away from the center with a small sliver of transparent or clear glass. Try to grab just the very very edge of the petal thus not dragging a lot of the petal/opaque glass. Do this to all petals and melt in. Try to drag in the direction of the center cut/line/vein.
8 - Optional. Heat the center of the flower and rake all petals towards the center of the bead. You will get a small lump of glass because their isn't much room to rake. Heat that lump of glass to molten (but keep the base bead cool) and pick it away from the base bead with some tweazers. You may have to do this more than once. This will also help bring the petals together in the middle.
9 - Heat the center section of the bead and press down with a stamen cane, let cool and break off stamen cane.
10 - Place of dots of clear or transparent over the stamen cane.
11 - Melt everything in and shape as desired.

Wish I had pictures.

Lara

[Lara]

Originally Posted by Lizabeads

I would love to know the same thing..like how big a dot to make... so far my look like poop... not a petal.. pulling more has made it worse...lol

Make small dots as you can get only so many dots around the bead, there is no were to pull out the pointy petals.

Of course, all depends on the size of bead you have.

[Lara]

Ok, I found my pictures. These are 2 of my very first digital photos and they suck (the photos, not the beads, thank you very much.)

In the first photo. I raked towards the middle, but not outwards. As you can see, I didn't have much room to go out. However, I think this photo shows the crease/cut/vein in the middle of the petal pretty good, as well as the stamen cane.

In the second picture, you can see that I did pull out on the petals a little, giving them more of a diamond shape. I also pulled towards the middle. There is no stamen cane in this bead and if there is, it is not showing up. Wish I would have used the stamen cane now that I look at it.

Now, picture red transparent over red opaque on a green background and tada, pointsetta.

Hope that helps.

[Juln]

Wow, what pretty little flower beads!

[SLY Creations]

Wow, thanks Lara. Will hit the torch later this afternoon and give this a try. I'll see if I can get my sweet baboo to take a picture for me and post my progress.

[Lara]

Thanks Juln. Hope it helps SLY!

[Julz]

Thanks for the tut- my Mom will be ecstatic if I can make her a poinsettia. Anything for Mom...

Julz

[LAG]

Thanks, Lara.. You is good!! Yup! Yup! Yup!

[Lara]

Thanks guys. :blush:

[emeraldartistry]

I love your poinsettas
I make poinsetta but they are of the larger sculptural type

[SadiesJewels]

Bridget ... those are simply stunning. It's been a while since I did scultural beads although I love them. Yours are beautiful ...