Glass Beads 109.2-Encased Florals

Beautiful flowers floating in an encasement of clear glass.

What you'll learn
Students will learn how to make encased floral lampwork glass beads using 3 different methods of encasement.
Students will learn how to give their clear glass rods a beautiful clarity using "pickling" methods of preparation.
Students will learn how to encase their beads using coiled encasing, spot encasing, or striped encasing, or a combination of each of the methods.
Students will learn some design ideas using simple floral techniques to create beautiful lampwork glass beads.
Requirements
The student should have a work area already prepared.
All artists creating this bead should have basic knowledge of lampwork safety precautions. Torch safety, glass handling skills, proper ventilation and using proper eyewear are all requirements needed to safely make this bead. All the materials, supplies and tools are available through lampwork glass suppliers and distributors. I also highly recommend using a kiln to properly anneal your bead after it is complete to ensure durability and strength.
Fireproof workstation with their torch already set up and good ventilation.
Description
This class will be presented to show the student how to create encased floral beads using 3 different techniques of encasement.  The class is intended for the beginning student and does not require a lot of experience or expensive tools and equipment.  The class will start with an introduction and a presentation slide of the class Syllabus.  The instructor will then give a brief description of the prerequisites required for the class.The first lecture will demonstrate the method of "pickling" clear glass in order to sufficiently clean it and provide increased clarity.  The instructor will then move on to the preparation of stringers, cane and murrini that are required for the class.The following lecture will start out very simply with a demonstration of basic flower encasing using a coil method to apply the clear glass.  The class will become more complex with a demonstration of stacking, encasing, and plunging multiple layers of glass petals to give a more 3-dimentional look.  Spot encasing on a lentil shaped bead will be demonstrated next along with techniques to gently shape the bead without distorting the flowers under the encasement.  The final bead will demonstrate the striping method of encasement and will showcase the design of using both encased flowers and surface flowers for a complex and intricate design.A short review and wrap up will conclude the class.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction and Syllabus

Lecture 2 Prerequisites

Section 2: Preparation

Lecture 3 Prep: Pickling Clear Glass Rods

Lecture 4 Preparing Canes and Murrini

Section 3: The Encased Floral Beads

Lecture 5 Basic Encased Flowers

Lecture 6 Stacked and Plunged Flowers with Coiled Encasing

Lecture 7 Spot Encased Lentils

Lecture 8 Combination Flower Garden and Striped Encasing

Section 4: Wrap Up

Lecture 9 Wrap Up

Lecture 10 Bonus Section: Beads of Courage

Beginning lampwork glass bead artists.