Goddess Bead Tutorial

[Jacinthe]

This is a tutorial on how 'I' make my goddess beads.
It has a lot to do with heat control and your use of marvering and shaping.

So if you are offended by the nude female body, please do not continue into this tutorial.

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You have had your warning, and I will warn you one more time...
This tutorial has pictures of a nude female formed bead.
Please if this offends you, do not continue into the tutorial.

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Now for those of you who are ready...
Here it is...
Sarah J Schalken's Goddess Bead Tutorial

[Jacinthe]

Step 1.
You need to make your base bead. I normally start at the waist area and then add on to the right side for the legs and the left side for shoulders and head.







After getting the base bead to the approximate length that I will want the body of the goddess, I then add a few wraps of glass to where the shoulders and hips should be.

[Jacinthe]

Step 2.
Fill in glass for legs, from hips to knees.

[Jacinthe]

Step 3.
Shape the leg area pushing the hip area out and the knee area in (making a small cone sahpe)
Add glass for the shoulder/chest area and shape it into a small cone

[Jacinthe]

Step 4.
Adding the head and fixing shape
I add the head because I feel that it look incomplete on my beads without. Some other goddess beads look fabulous without the heads and it works great as well, this is just one of my own little quirks. (my goddess beads have heads, but no arms or feet - go figure )

[Jacinthe]

Step 5.
Heating, and flattening the front of the legs and back
I like to flatten the front of the legs (it makes it easier for adding the details for me) and the back as well, kind of makes the chest and backside stick out a bit, it also makes the hips and shoulders a bit wider.

So I heat the front of the legs (I choose which ever side seems to be the flattest, giving the backside more roundness and then the opposite side for the back)
Gently I press it against my marver from the tummy down, flattening it evenly.
Then I heat the upper back/shoulder area and gently press it against my marver from the waist up to flatten it as well.

[Jacinthe]

Step 6.
Adding front leg details

Gently heat the front of the legs, it doesnt have to be glowing, just soft enough to be able to use a tool to press into the glass
I find the middle of the flattened area, and gently press my chisel/whimzitool/razorblade carefully to make the line seperating the two legs.
Then I gently heat again, and add the V just at the top edge of the line (keeping in mind approximately where in real life this area sits in comparison with the thighs and hips)

[Jacinthe]

Step 7.
Add backside details

I now gently heat the back of the legs, find the middle of the area and gently press as with the front the line down the middle
Next I gently press a slight curved line to away from me, making one butt cheek
Then the other side, pressing slight curved line towards me
Finally I press from the point where the butt cheek lines meet the leg line another line going straight up, completing the butt form
Then just for my peace of mind, I even give the little ladies a spine, by gently heating her back and pressing one small indentation into her back in line with her leg and bottom lines.

[Jacinthe]

Step 8.
Adding fullness to belly, bottom and shoulders and the belly button

This is where my goddess become mine, I like to create my goddesses with a little bit of a tummy, nice rounded buttocks, and shoulders (kind of like the marble statues where the arms have been lost over the years) and a belly button.
So I dot on some glass on the tummy, and on each butt cheek and then on each shoulder, keeping an eye that I've not got the torse twisted to the hips when doing this (sometimes this is a nice effect, then it looks like she is moving some)
Then I carefully melt the added glass in, keeping an eye on all the details so that they don't melt back in, do not fear though, if they do you can always carefully re-add them.
Then after all is carefully melted into their perspective places, I gently heat the tummy again and use my poker tool and poke the belly button gently into the tummy.

[Jacinthe]

Step 8a.

[Jacinthe]

Step 9.
Adding the breasts

Now we come to the part where you can make them as big or as small as you like.
I try most of the time to keep the in comparison with the rest of the body.

Carefully add two dots on the front chest area and carefully melt them, turning the bead to make them move to whichever side or down depending on how you want them to hang.

[Jacinthe]

Step 10.
Adding Hair and other details

Some people add dots to the head, some flowers, some faces, some hair, some just leave it as it is... each way is your personal way of finishing the goddess bead.

I put hair on my goddesses by using twisties, that I have made before hand.
Keeping the bead gently heated all over, I then begin heating the end of the twistie and apply it as close to the head end mandrel without making it stick to the mandrel.
Then slowly lay it carefully with great heat control, down the middle of the back.
This is where you can play with the hair, adding layers and making it look like she has curly hair. Play and find out what works best for you.

[Jacinthe]

Final Step.
Adding the nipples.

I use a small stringer of pink coral and carefully add nipples to the breasts. You can leave them off or put them on, its whatever you are comfortable with.



Thank you for looking, and when you have made one, feel free to share your pictures here. If you have questions about anything, feel free to ask.

Hugs from Holland,
Sarah

[StLouisBiker]

Awesome bead! Thank you for the tutorial Sarah!

[CD Lampwork]

Very nice turtorial Sarah! I really like all the photos. That was a lot of work!

Bravo! Well Done!!

Greg

[dogmaw]

Thanks Sarah, super job!!!

[Deb]

Awesome tutorial, Sarah! Thanks!

Deb

[McDuck]

Beautiful Goddess Sarah! Iknow I have one in my collection! I love love love that blue one...we need to trade again

and the turtorial is fab!

[danelady]

This is one form I've been wanting to make! with my POOR heat/stringer control it will be a challenge, but I'll give it a shot, THANKS for your AWSOME tutorial!
Lynnie

[whimzicalities]

Ah, so thats how its done!!! Beautiful job, Sarah!

[Ryssa]

oooo pretty!!!
i love the hair and side part on that one!!!
i cant wait to try it!

[Roe]

Thank You Sarah, I can not wait to get to work and print it out in color (he he )

Roe

[boheme']

Awesome tutorial Sarah - thank you for sharing. I love your goddesses.

[coyotesfamily]

Sarah Wonderful tutorial...she is simply gorgeous!

I do have one quick question...

do you have a pic of the top of her head? So I can see how you "laid" the hair on around the mandrel??? THanks girl!

Again beautiful job!!!

[sadiesmom]

Great Tutorial Sarah!!! It will be a while before I attempt this one, but this is definitely a 5 star thread!!

Denise

[bousky]

Thanks so much for spending the time to put this together

Michelle

[Jacinthe]

Originally Posted by coyotesfamily

Sarah Wonderful tutorial...she is simply gorgeous!

I do have one quick question...

do you have a pic of the top of her head? So I can see how you "laid" the hair on around the mandrel??? THanks girl!

Again beautiful job!!!

Right now I don't, but next one I will try and get some.
Thanks for asking.

And everyone, Thank you for the compliments, it really makes my heart soar. I hope to see all your goddesses sometime soon!

Hugs from holland,
Sarah

[purplelilyone]

this is soooooo great! You do such a great job! thanks

[Nicker]

Sarah I doubt mine will look as nice as your but I am gonna give it a shot. You're a doll for sharing!

[Sylvie Anne]

Very nice tutorial, Sarah! You made it look *so* easy!!!