2016 #1 The Leandra Bead {by Leandra Franich}

 2016 Topic 1: Transparent Art 

Hi everyone Leandra here.

Tonight I'd like to share with you a post about the Leandra Bead. This is the ultimate in revisiting old school techniques, but the transparent art topic gives me the perfect excuse to properly showcase this technique that caused a bit of a buzz back in the day! 

The Leandra bead is a way to create a 'bead' or dangle, perhaps for a mixed media project, assemblage etc The idea I had was to trap stuff inside the bead like mica, small beads, wire, gold leaf etc and encase those things in a UTEE (Ultra thick embossing enamel) glaze.

I did a quick Periscope stream this afternoon on the Leandra Bead, you can watch this replay of the live version via #katch. 

At the foot of the post you can see the high defginition, more profesh, You Tube Version.

By the way, Periscope is a live broadcast app with a chat feature, so it's interactive, and linked to twitter as you will see evolve while watching the replay.

You need to use the app via any apple hand-held device, or it's also available for android devices too. Please check it out and get on board as we will be doing lots of periscopes when we release our newest products....coming very soon!

STEP 1: Heat/ melt your UTEE

Turn on the meltpot to ‘HOT’ and fill with clear UTEE to the fill line. Add 1 teaspoon of flex (this makes the UTEE more durable so the beads won’t shatter). Once, melted turn down to 120-130 degrees for a thicker viscosity which makes dipping and layering easier.

TIP: Wait for the UTEE to melt before stirring, if you stir while the crystals are melting you will create air bubbles. Once melted, stir gently to ensure the flex is well mixed.

STEP 2: OPTION A: Making clear beads with paper

1. Tear a small strip of brayered tissue paper, roll around a toothpick and secure with a small dot of glue. It needs to be loose on the toothpick.
2. Holding the toothpick, dip into the UTEE, allow excess to drip away, then place the paper bead onto a craft sheet, it will create a bell shaped bottom.
3. Once cool, pick up, and put a headpin through the base, it should stay secure.
4. Dip again to secure the headpin in place, and then you are ready to think about inclusions to add. (as below)

STEP 2: Option B: Making beads with sequins or beads

1. Place a sequin or seed bead onto the headpin. The colour of the sequin or small glass bead will shine through the clear UTEE, and is almost magnified by the UTEE.
2. Dip into clear UTEE. Allow the UTEE to stop dripping, then twist the bead or turn it up and down until the UTEE sets. This is like a 'starter' bead.
3. If you want your bead larger, then dip again.
4. Wrap the bead with wire, and dip again allow the excess to drip before you twist or move the bead.

TIP: Once you lift the bead from the UTEE, and let the excess drip off, it’s a good idea to keep the bead moving because if you hold it still, the UTEE will droop, if you keep the bead moving, you will be able to help the UTEE set into a round shape. Unusual shapes can be really interesting, so don’t expect to get a set of identical evenly shaped beads!

STEP 3: Making coloured beads

For this you can either use 2 melt pots (one with clear and one with coloured UTEE), or you can set up the melt pot with coloured UTEE, and half-make make the beads with colour, then fill the meltpot with clear to finish the bead.

1. Place a sequin or small bead onto the headpin as before and dip into the coloured UTEE. Twist until the bead has set.
2. Repeat these dips until you have a ball the size you prefer.
3. Now dip the bead into clear UTEE. Twist, set and repeat so you have 2 or 3 layers. 
4. Next, wrap with wire and dip into clear 1-2 times to glaze.
5. Wrap green beads with blue wire, or blue beads with green wire and dip to glaze. Be careful as wire-wrapped beads grow really fast into huge beads!

STEP 4: Other Dipping Ideas

Variation 1: Inclusions

Once you have created your starter bead using an option above, while the UTEE is set in shape, and still warm, try dipping directly into the following:

- no hole beads

- gold leaf or flakes

- wrapping it with coloured or plain wire (finer is easier, and UTEE magnifies it anyway to look bigger)

- fine embossing powders, zap then re-dip.

- mica powders

- brush on Treasure Gold

- clear sparkly EP

- there are lots of things to try here!

Now dip again 1 or 2 times in the clear, allowing to set up between dippings...until your bead is the size you want.

Variation 2: Coloured UTEE and Inclusions

The beads also looks superb when you half dip or create a coloured UTEE core.

Then proceed as above with inclusions/ mica powders

- green into blue (or blue into green - create a starter bead/ core), and then glaze with 2 coats of clear.

Note: To dip into heavier items, or to achieve good adhesion for beads, mica powders or gold leaf the UTEE blob needs to be hot so the items stick to it. Allow the excess drips to cease, and then dip the bead straight into the embellishing substance (beads, mica powder etc). Tap off the excess and re-dip into CLEAR UTEE to glaze. Repeat another layer of glaze if you wish.

STEP 5: Adding beads to other items

To finish your bead, first you need to trim the 'UTEE collar' of the bead, sometimes you get too much UTEE creeping up the head pin. While warm, use cutters to trim the UTEE away at the top of the bead and up to the head pin. Repeat from a different angle - you should be able to remove the collar and apply a capping bead.

Make a loop for the bead with round-nosed pliers. Then you are ready to attach it to anything.

So I hope you can find some kind of receptacle to melt UTEE in (if you can't get a Melt Pot), and have a go at this, it really is rather fast, and lots of fun to play about. There are endless variations on this concept! With metallic UTEE, sparkly stuff etc.

Here is the YouTube video we shot of the Leandra Bead. 

So that's it from me, have a great week, and don't forget to show us what you make!

Leandra

We would love to see how you interpret this Topic: Transparent Art, by linking to our 2016 Challenge #1: Transparent Art, on this page HERE.

Our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas, particularly if you were inspired directly by their post. 

Links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Transparent Art link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, January 17th. The winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.