Problem Solving by Moving Dots and Lines

Many folks who are starting out in glass are learning to add dots and stripes to decorate your beads. You can do so many things with dots and stripes to create amazing designs. But what happens when you didn't get that dot or line just so?

I have problem placing my dots and lines evenly over a bead most of the time. I'm right-handed so I tend to work from left to right. If I place a line I think is in the middle most often it looks like it's leaning to the left. If I'm placing dots at the edge of the left side my right side dots look uneven. I actively try to make them even but usually I have to result to using heat to move my dots and lines.

Let's start with dot placement. Have you placed dots to far to one side or another? You can move it with a marver into position fairly well. If you need that dot to expand don't mash it into the bead completely - just move the dot. If you need a small dot go ahead and smash it with a tool. Just don't overheat your bead. Heat only the area around the dot you need to smash. If you need to go over it several times it won't hurt the design. It's better to work slowly in this situation especially if you've worked on the design for a while.

The other method I like is to turn your bead at a 45 degree angle from the flame and let your dots move to the correct side. Remember the glass wants to move to the flame. Therefore if you just heat the area next to you dots or lines the glass will move in that direction. Practice this method to see if it will work for you.

Do you ever add a stripe of glass and it's becoming too fat melted? Take your bead out of the flame before the line completely melts into the glass. You can heat a part of the line and use tweezers or another tool to smash the line smaller. Melt it in gradually so it doesn't expand or just heat and push into the bead.

Do you add dots that are too big and need them smaller? Pull your work out of the flame and let the bead cool a bit. Reheat the large dot and pull the appropriate amount of glass off the dot with tweezers, pliers or whatever tool you have. I use the same glass rod or stringer to take away excess glass. You heat the dot while making sure your stringer or rod is warm enough for contact and pull away the excess glass.

Several times I've added stringer and need to remove it. If you work cooler you can pull your bead out of the flame and use pliers to take off the glass if it isn't melted into the bead. Just be sure not to pull too much and break your bead release. If the glass is opaque enough just add a little more glass, melt in and start all over.

I usually heat and smash dots and lines with my marver when I'm working with white and black. The black tends to bleed into the white and spiderweb. To counteract the problem I will heat the black and smash it into the white or the white into black. If you want this effect ignore the advice.