Tiny Leaves

[gemsinbloom]

Well I give up. I have tried for months to get these leaves correctly. Seems like a small thing but it gets in the way of some designs I want to do.

The type of leaves I am referring to are in this bead set. I have seen them all over the place but I am stuck on making them:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php...cat3_gallery_4

Please don't tell me to just lay a drop of glass down and rake. I need more detailed help. There is something I am missing. When I try to make them I just end up with a boring looking circle with a dent in it. Maybe I am using the wrong tool, or? I am atm using a pointy pick. I have not seen any directions in tutorials unless someone knows of one?

Thank you

[IF-Designs]

First make a striped leaf cane....

Then when you place your leaves use kind of alot of glass in the dot

Then flatten with the back of a tool

have a stringer of glass ready

when you want to do the leaf shape
spot heat JUST the dot of glass that is the leaf
and really you just need to heat up half of it thats the half your going to make into the point

Once its glowing but not transparent take the stringer and draw it through the dot and down into the point for the leaf.

If the stringer gets stuck its ok break it off and melt it in

[Elizabeth Beads]

I can help. Make a vine cane. Put the tip of the cane in the flame and let it make a small ball. Touch the ball to your base bead where you want the fatter part of the leaf. Pause. Then with slight pressure, pushing the ball of glass just slightly, pull to a point and off the bead.

[gemsinbloom]

Push the ball forward? Do you not feel there was a tool used that caused the dent in the center of the leaf? Thanks for posting btw! I will be very excited once I have these figured out.

Originally Posted by erose

I can help. Make a vine cane. Put the tip of the cane in the flame and let it make a small ball. Touch the ball to your base bead where you want the fatter part of the leaf. Pause. Then with slight pressure, pushing the ball of glass just slightly, pull to a point and off the bead.

[IF-Designs]

You can get that indention by raking the dot with a tiny small stringer just dont over heat after you do the raking.

[Elizabeth Beads]

I think the vine cane is the tool. I encase mine, so it is stiffer and a bit sparkly. I'll look for a photo of one of mine with that technique, may have to take one.

[gemsinbloom]

I just tried your suggestions and I think I am about half way there. Yes if you took a pic that would be helpful thank you.

Originally Posted by erose

I think the vine cane is the tool. I encase mine, so it is stiffer and a bit sparkly. I'll look for a photo of one of mine with that technique, may have to take one.

[Elizabeth Beads]

At your command Jacqueline. You have been so helpful to me.



I'm still learning, so my technique is a work in progress.

[gemsinbloom]

Aww thank you for taking the time to post pictures. Yes those are the type of leaves I want to do. I will give it another try tomorrow and report back with either good results or more questions lol

Originally Posted by erose

At your command Jacqueline. You have been so helpful to me.



I'm still learning, so my technique is a work in progress.

[glassactcc]

One more thing. The ball of glass on the end of the stringer, should be hot enough that when you place it and pull through it, it will make the crease automatically. Then you can also go back when all of your leaves are done, and with a hot stringer, pull off any ball or excess glass. It makes them look more finished.

[gemsinbloom]

Thank you. I was noticing I would have little balls of glass when I pulled through remaining at the end. So that is normal and you always need to touch up?

Originally Posted by glassactcc

One more thing. The ball of glass on the end of the stringer, should be hot enough that when you place it and pull through it, it will make the crease automatically. Then you can also go back when all of your leaves are done, and with a hot stringer, pull off any ball or excess glass. It makes them look more finished.

[glassactcc]

Originally Posted by gemsinbloom

Thank you. I was noticing I would have little balls of glass when I pulled through remaining at the end. So that is normal and you always need to touch up?

Yes, usually I always go back and clean up my leaves. You might get lucky on the first try but for me, that's rare. Good luck and show us the progress if you can.

[Lulu]

I'm VERY new to all of this, but I pretty much do it the same way as everyone is saying, but I use an exacto knife for my crease/dent. I'm on a hot head and like I said, a total newbie, so heat control is something I am still learning. But I have no problem with leaves doing it that way

[2kids&atorch]

Instead of the exacto knife, you could also use a dental pick, or similar type of tool. I bought a whole set of them in different curvatures at Harbor Freight in the wood carving tool section, less than $10.00. The dental pick is not as sharp and you can use the curved section to just press down lightly through the middle of the leaf. This gives you a bit of a curvature rather than splitting it right through the middle. I use it to give dimension to raised flower petals and such.

[LyndaJ]

For practice, just make a little lollipop on the end of a rod of glass. Use that as your "canvas". Much quicker, easier practice. And when your first several look like poo, you haven't wasted much time or glass making a base bead.

Also, for leaves that will be encased, try this
-dot of forest or olive green opal
-melt in
top with transparent (olive, fern, spring, etc) medium green, not really dark or light. Cover the opal completely
-melt to leave a bump
-heat and crease with (a sharp knife or razor tool)
-using a sharp stainless tool (I use a sharpened 1/16th mandrel) pull out one side along the crease
-if the future leaf is still hot enough, push in the opposite side.
-heat the pointy end of the leaf and to the left or right, swirl a quarter to a half turn with clear stringer. This will give you curl to the end of your leaf if you want
-melt smooth

What you have now will look a little like a green heart. But more like a leaf. These look very nice encased.

[cherylsart]

It would really be helpful to see it being done. Mine either look like a grain of barley or turn out long and distorted. I do like the lollipop idea though.

[designsbykurato]

I do it exactly like Cynthia. I melt a ball of vine cane and push it down and swipe it on to a point and lightly touch up the point after.

[Curly Irish Girl]

Lots of ways to skin the leaf critter! I have better result with leaf cane that I pull into a flat rather than round cane. Can then start that thinned portion as I end the leaf application...once again, heat is the key....not enough on that leaf and it doesn't want to pull thin...too much and you've got a string. The other thing I do (think I learned in Kim Field class) is to work that thinned point by heating and touching with very thin piece of stringer AND pull UP and away!

[theglasszone]

(Watching this thread closely... )