Flower Necklace

Materials:

glass rods: clear, sky blue, grass green, orange yellow
green frit
twisted silver wire
26-gauge fine silver wire - 24 inches
.019" (.4mm) diameter beading wire
3 headpins with crystal end
2 silver bead caps
silver hook clasp
crimp beads
sky blue seed beads
2 yellow diamond shaped crystal beads 6mm
20-peridot diamond shaped crystal beads 3mm
hot head torch
kiln
bead masher
leaf pliers
mandrels
tweezers
bead release
round nose pliers
rose didymium safety glasses
fiber blanket
rotary tool with diamond tip
bowl of water

1. To make the glass rods for leaves, heat the tip of a clear glass rod and dip it into green frit (figure A). Pull into a stinger. Let cool.

2. To make flower petals, heat the tip of an orange yellow rod and let the molten glass form a ball. Press the ball with a bead masher and let cool in a fiber blanket (figure B).

3. To make the leaf beads, use prepared stringers, heat and put the glass onto a mandrel. Let the blob of glass drop down and press with leaf pliers. Put the glass back in the heat and pinch with tweezers to form a leaf (figure C). Place in the kiln.

4. To make the flower bead, heat sky blue glass and make a small base bead on a mandrel. Using tweezers, heat the tip of a petal and attach it to base bead. Repeat until all petals are attached and heat the flower from the underside (figure D). Use tweezers or graphite paddle to even out the flower and make sure everything is connected well. Add stamen dots to the center of the flower using the grass green. Pinch the edges of the petals (figure E). Place in kiln

5. To make mini flowers, heat sky blue stringer and wrap it around a mandrel. Add five dots and build up a tiny bit so that the topside view of the bead resembles a star. Heat and press flat with a bead masher. Add small dots around the center (figure F). Place in the kiln.

6. Allow the kiln to ramp down slowly for several hours until it’s at room temperature. Good rule of thumb--it's too hot if you don't think you can rest the bead on your belly.

7. Place the beads in a bowl of water and using a rotary tool with a diamond tip, clean the holes in the beads to remove the bead release.