Mr. Smiley's heart tutorial...

Mr. Smiley · #1 2005-06-15, 4:52pm

Step one, get yourself a ball of glass one the end of a punty. The design is up to you.

Next, squish it flat like a lollipop... different thickness will yield different hearts.

This is the super secret step I've never revealed before... take a pair of $1 scissors from the office supply store (plastic handles, stainless blades). Heat up the gather again and cut it from top to bottom of the pancake.

Now you put it back in the fire and shape... This is easier shown than explained, so hopefully I can get some pics...

When you have the lobes the shape you want, hang the whole thing upside down and turn in the flame. Direct most of the heat towards the bottom and let droop. The top lobes will fall together and the bottom will stretch out.

Once you have the general shape you want, you just have to put on a loop. Normally one lobe is higher and that's the one I put the loop on.

For the loop, I put about a half inch of rod on the spot I want the hoop to be on. Then I heat the glass and flip with pliers into a loop. Again, this would be easier to show than to tell.

Melt in the backside of the loop and reheat to shape as desired.

Now, punty up with a cold weld to the loop.

Pull off and shape the bottom of the heart, hold loop with pliers or tweezers and snap off cold welded punty. Fire polish the punty mark and behold the beauty you just made...

Anne Ricketts · #2 2005-06-15, 4:58pm

Oooooo Brent! Thank you! I can't wait to try this! Moretti will work right? I can't wait to see the pics also! I a very visual person and learn alot from pics and just doin it!!

Rhapsody Fire Beads · #3 2005-06-15, 5:41pm

Beautiful Brent, I just love your hearts!!! And thanks so much for sharing your secret!!!!!!

~Suzy~

Laurie L · #4 2005-06-15, 7:59pm

Awsome !!!

What color was the Boro you used for this particular heart ? Breathtaking - Really !

jazzcurls · #5 2005-06-15, 8:26pm

thanks Brent.you make it sound so easy...I know better...that hanging loop is a doozy...now...for the gorgeous heart pendant I won from ya...is there going to be a tutorial on the horizon for that too????? Huh Huh huh...

AngelHeart · #6 2005-06-16, 4:15am

That is the most beautiful heart I have ever seen!

I am definitely going to try this out as they would make lovely charms for a bracelet I am making at the moment. Thanks heaps for the tutorial.

PattyK · #7 2005-06-16, 6:34am

Thanks Brent - what a great technique!

Toozygoot · #8 2005-06-16, 7:42am

Thank you Brent! I love your hearts! I had forgotten how it was done and your directions brought it back. But I sure will appreciate the pics! BTW, everyone loves your winged heart! What's not to love?!?!!!!!

pat

Cathie · #9 2005-06-16, 8:27am

great Brent,, I can't wait to try this out

Toozygoot · #10 2005-06-16, 9:50am

I have a question! I was going to bid on another one of your hearts but this one seemed as if the snipped line was very, very thin. And it would have broken my heart if that heart was to take a hit and break. The area looked that delicate. Should I have been so concerned? I guess my question is whether I shouldn't have worried because it's boro. And actually, come to think of it, I shouldn't have worried because you made it!

pat

Mr. Smiley · #11 2005-06-16, 1:28pm

Thanks Pat. If you ever break one of my pieces, I will always repair or replace it for free. Even if it's your fault- LOL Even the ones that look delicate are really pretty tough. It's boro and prolly not as thin as it looks.

Somebody asked what color that heart is... well, it's one of the amber purples... not sure which one. It's just rolled in clear frit. I LOVE CLEAR FRIT! It does fun stuff to all my favorite colors...

I have no clue if there were any other questions. I'll go back over it later. I've been in a really hot metal box all day (my car) and I need to get stuff packed to go out of town fishing... see you all Saturday!

Rose Leslie · #12 2005-06-16, 1:31pm

Love the heart Brent. It is just beautiful.

Boro is so neat to work with. It doesn't fracture like the soft glass does. I will try this out with my Moretti. Ha! I can see it now. You have to have put some type of frit or some other boro on the glass and then the red. Love the color. They are just way to cool.

Rose Leslie · #13 2005-06-16, 2:38pm

Brent,
I tried it with the ivory and light blues frit. It turned out great until I tried to put the look on it. Ha! What a real chore. It will work though. Just need some practice. It is with Moritti glass too. So it can be done. Ha. Do you have any glass blowing tutorials with soft glass?

Sue H-K · #14 2005-06-16, 5:15pm

Too cool Brent!!!!!! Thanks muchly!

Sue H-K

Mr. Smiley · #15 2005-06-19, 5:18am

I don't really work with soft glass. I will give it a go and see what I can come up with as far as pointers on the loop with the gooey stuff. I haven't tried that yet. You can always just make a little spacer bead on a mandrel and attach it to the lobe. Then you don't need to worry about making a nice loop.

barb · #16 2005-06-19, 6:58am

Morning Brent! I don't work with boro but I did want to tell everyone that if they have not bought one of your hearts (ebay) then they really can not appreciate how beautiful they are. I received mine yesterday and your color control is just breathtaking! Thank you.....barb

Mr. Smiley · #17 2005-06-19, 10:56am

Quote:

Originally Posted by barb

Morning Brent! I don't work with boro but I did want to tell everyone that if they have not bought one of your hearts (ebay) then they really can not appreciate how beautiful they are. I received mine yesterday and your color control is just breathtaking! Thank you.....barb

Wow Barb... thanks for the plug. Coming from you, it means alot. I would love to get down there and see your studio... I was chomping at the bit trying not to bid on that class you guys donated to the spring fling... Thank goodness they didn't take credit cards or I would have been in trouble on several things that day. My wife made me promise to be good- LOL

I am sooo glad you like your new heart. I have several I planned on listing this weekend that I really like! I don't think it will get done today either. I'm feeling lazy...

barb · #18 2005-06-19, 3:37pm

We will get you down in the fall when the weather has become better for running the torches - even if we have to bribe you! Barb

Mustang Dawn · #19 2005-06-20, 6:59am

Thanks Brent!

I'll get it a try later. I just love your hearts! Dawn

Mr. Smiley · #20 2005-06-20, 6:51pm

Barb, no bribes needed... just the chance to hang out with you and Pam would be really cool. If we get the house and set up the teaching studio, I'll have you guys up and we can go to Disney and play with glass up here too. Man, I'm sooo hoping we get that house.

barb · #21 2005-06-20, 7:28pm

Okay no "bribes"

but we treated Shirley [winner of the class] so well she wanted to move in! I think we will also be up for the next flameoff in October and hopefully bring up most of the Southern clan with us but if you get set up before then let me know.

Barb

Craftylady · #22 2005-06-21, 8:32am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Smiley

I don't really work with soft glass. I will give it a go and see what I can come up with as far as pointers on the loop with the gooey stuff. I haven't tried that yet. You can always just make a little spacer bead on a mandrel and attach it to the lobe. Then you don't need to worry about making a nice loop.

Ok I thought about making a spacer bead for the loop. My question I guess is how would you go about doing that when you Have to hold the heart and punty in one hand and the mandrel in the other and well the glass goes? So could you make a spacer put it in the kiln the make your heart. Then attach the spacer after it had been in the kiln? I hope this makes since.

Laurie

Mr. Smiley · #23 2005-06-21, 9:11am

It makes total sense. You could also garage the heart in there while you make the spacer. That way, the mandrel doesn't get too hot to hold.

I just tried to make one yesterday and wasn't fast enough with my spacer... garaging the heart would keep it from exploding like mine did. I just don't play nice with soft glass. I like boro, because it would have been just fine. I also have a hot plate I use to keep pieces warm.

Craftylady · #24 2005-06-21, 9:14am

I am going to give this a try thank you for the quick response.

Laurie

kandice · #25 2005-06-21, 12:29pm

That rocks!! I've always wanted to know how that was done. Thanks for the tutorial - and for showing that gorgeous heart!

Dread · #26 2005-06-24, 10:32am

I've been so wanting this tutorial - cant wait to try this when back in Canada - still packing !.........

bazile · #27 2005-06-25, 2:44pm

I tried this today...can't wait to open the kiln...I did the loop on the mandrel first and popped it in the kiln while I made the heart...the hardest part was getting a good gather, I think I need bigger rods...But what I had worked...
Thanks Brent!!

bazile · #28 2005-06-26, 5:31pm

ok, here they are..not that good, but a start

Moth · #29 2005-06-29, 8:47am

OK! I tried it too and here is one of them. I made two, but the other one is just plain black.

Thanks Brent!!

~~Mary

Lara · #30 2005-06-29, 6:47pm

Great tutorial, thanks for the secret. I would not have thought of that.

Lara