On request of one of my russian blog readers I made a quick tutorial on how to make coin beads.
We'll be making these beads:
Start with measuring out equal amounts of scrap clay for each bead core.
Roll scrap clay into balls. Roll out a very thin sheet of pretty clay, which will be a background for your canes' slices.
In order to get millefiori beads all of the same size, you have to be sure that at each step you add the same amount of clay: same size of a bead core, same size of a background wrap clay, same amount of canes' slices on each bead.
Wrap a bead core into a background clay sheet.
Pinch the ends of pretty clay, hiding scrap clay.
Roll bead into a ball.
The ideal spherical shape of the beads is not necessary at this step.
Slice your canes. I've picked my favorite colour combination of green and yellow.
Put equal amount of cane slices on each bead.
Roll bead into a ball, trying to make it as spherical as possible this time.
Now beads are ready to be turned into coins:
Prepare a surface for flattening the beads. The baking paper is ideal for this purpose. If you press raw bead onto glass or tile surface, you might deform the bead when pulling it of the glass surface or a tile. The paper can be easily peeled of the clay leaving a bead undeformed.
On top of the paper put tiles or thick paper cards. The height of this level will determine the thickness of your beads.
Put your beads between the tiles. Press your beads very lightly with your finger to make sure beads don't roll away. At this step you can choose which part of the bead you want to be a flat surface of the coin in future.
Leave enough space between the beads.
Put another sheet of paper on top of the beads.
Press your beads with a tile or a piece of glass.
I prefer to use glass since I like seeing what I am doing :))
Now you have coin beads all of the same thickness.
Bake the beads:
And here is my result :))
