CAT BEAD TUTORIAL BY CORNELIA SCHMIDT

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1 GLASSBONBON CAT BEAD TUTORIAL BY CORNELIA SCHMIDT

2 Thank you for purchasing this tutorial! This tutorial is aimed at artists who have already gained experience with glass. Please take some time to study the instructions carefully. Make sure that your place for working is safe and well ventilated. I will not accept any responsibility for inadequate labor protection and working practices misapplied. Please gather all needed materials and have ready before starting your bead!

3 Introductions and material 2 graphite paddles Glasses: For the base bead: Opal pink(moretti) and clear for encasing (moretti crystal) For the Cat : Intense black (moretti) Intense black stringer for the tail: approximately 0.5mm in diameter Intense black stringer for the whisker: approximately 0.2mm in diameter Black sharp stringer to pull the neck and the ears Some colors of your choice to fill the bead with flowers, stripes. I had used orange pumpkin, strawberry red from Reichenbach and some light opaque pink.

4 The Flame I m always working with a neutral flame unless i will temper the bead. Then i work with a big bushy flame. Temper your Bead Temper(this means to re-heat) your bead after using the graphite paddle and after each work step!!! Temper in the right way!!! If it is a flat bead like we are making now- more up and down- do not spin too much! Stringer work You need stringers in different sizes. Some really thin ones for the hair and a bigger one for the tail. Sometimes they break if you apply too much pressure so I recommend that you have several extra ready when you begin. After some practice, you will get the feel for stringer work!

5 The sizes oft he 2 stringers you need for the tail and the whiskers Left stringer for the whiskers: approximately 0.2mm Right stringer for the tail: approximately 0.5mm Heat only the bead when you work with stringers. Take your bead out of the flame next to the flame!your stringer should be cold and inflexible. You need full controll over your stringer. The bead is hot enough to paint(but it should not glow) I work with stringer in a angle of degrees, so you have much enough pressure to be sure that the stringer is on your bead. Paint next to the flame with the stringer- not in the flame! I love to work with stringers, when they are sharp at the end. The stringer is your locomotive and the flame is the next waggon. You must move with your flame. Heat the part from where you will start- put the tip of your stringer on the bead and move from one side tot h other side.the flame comes promptly after the stringer work. Pulling glass for ears and neck Just pull the glass outside the flame (ears and neck of the cat) with a sharp end of a rod or a big stringer!i do not use metal tools for that, because they can cause big lines and furrows.

6 This is right! This is false!

7 Start making the Cat Bead Start with making a base in opal pink. I prefer to use opal colors, because they are not as soft as opaque colors. It is much easier to work with these colors at the beginning. If you have more practice with stringer work and making Kittys, then move on to opaque glasses. But at first you should focus on your cat and not too much on the shape of the bead. The opal base of this bead is approximately 1cm in diameter and 5 cm long. If you would like to make a larger bead, the base should be thicker in diameter.

8 If you have enough of the opal glass on your mandrel, take your graphite paddle and roll your bead - make a plain shape- this is rolled like a cone.

9 Now encase your bead- i prefer to use moretti crystal, because of the brilliance. Another advantage is, that you can work really long with this without streaking. I encase 2 times the bead will be larger and you will have the transparent and brilliant effect. If you would like to use lauscha clear, please proof the compatibilty!

10 After encasing, heat your bead evenly and roll it on your paddle for the right cone shape.

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12 Make it really hot once more and press it with your paddles into a flat bead.

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15 Temper(re-heat) your bead carefully- it is important for the next steps. Do it after all steps, when you had used your paddle after flatting dots. You can not go ahead, if you have any chill marks(signs for stressed glass)on your bead!!! Make some patterns of your choice. I have made some stringer work (with a big stringer)at the sides of the bead. One side is red and the other side light pink.

16 Temper your bead carefully in the flame and go ahead to the next step!

17 THE CAT-BODY NOW-Start making the cat on your bead!!! Make a big dot with intense black for the body of the cat on your bead. The black should be very hot so you can smooch(i love that word,my bff taught it to me) it wide on your bead ( in a big circle). Make the dot really hot, but only for a short while and press it down with your paddel. Temper your bead. The dot should be sealed completely, in order to proceed.

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20 The next 2 steps should be done quickly! Heat the body of the cat strongly but briefly(do not cook the glass).

21 Take the bead out of the flame and take your sharp glass rod(you have the rod already in your hand) to pull /draw the glass for the neck of the cat. I f the black body is not hot enough, you can not pull the neck! If it is too hot it is too soft and you will make a deep furrow. The best result to make the neck is approximately 2 seconds after glowing. Very important that you do not work in the flame when you pull. Break the rod off. At this picture i had worked under the flame. Temper your bead, to be sure that it is not too cold to break and go ahead.

22 THE CAT-HEAD Make a smaller black dot for the head (press your glass strong on the bead- because the diameter of the dot should be large- the same way like the body) on the end of the neck. Heat the head dot and take your graphite paddle to flatten it. Temper your bead in the flame until it is smooth again.

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25 Heat the part oft he head. Go outside the flame and take your glass rod ( the rod should be sharp- without a glass ball at the end!!!) and pull your ears out of the head. Pull it and wait until it is cold enough and break the stringer off. I ll always blow this part of the bead to make it cold quickly. After that i break the stringer off. If you melt the stringer off- you will not have a nice end of the ear- it looks frayed.

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28 THE CAT-THE TAIL Now you can start with making the tail- i will make the tail in two steps, because it is easier at the beginning. When you have enough practice and you can work your cat in more colors, not only black, you must do the tail in one step. Heat the place for the first part of the tail on your bead.

29 Take your bead out of the flame, but keep it next to the flame!your stringer should be cold and inflexible. You need full control over your stringer. The bead is hot enough to paint(but it should not glow) I work with this stringer in a angle of degrees, so you have just enough pressure to be sure that the stringer is on your bead. I paint next to the flame with the stringer- not in the flame!

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31 Go ahead and make the second part of the tail.

32 THE CAT-WHISKERS Now you can start making the whiskers of the cat. I heat always the bead and paint with my stringer in the same way like the tail.

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36 Make some patterns of your choice- i have made a simple flower with light opaque pink, orange and red at the body of the cat.

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38 When you are done with your pattern, make at last the eyes of the cat. Take a fine white stringer for the eyes melt the white dots short but hot, so that they are flat. You can also use a paddle for the rest of the flattening. After that, temper your bead to make it all smooth. After that you take your black fine stringer to make the pupils.

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40 At last temper your whole bead in the flame- it should not really glow. Put your bead into the kiln!

41 You made your first Kitty Bead!!! Congratulations

42 Some Kittys for your inspiration: yellow base (Moretti, encased) snail base in olive green and ink blue(lauscha)

43 Black Kitty on a pink-purple (moretti)and ink blue base Red-brown (moretti) and ivory Stringer work in light blue,yellow and red

44 Ink blue,ivory,light blue and some olive green Double helix,ivory and light blue,yellow,red and black I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. If you have question, please feel free to ask. Best wishes, Cornelia Mail: perlhuhn75@googl .com