| Rose Beads For this you will need: 2 - 3 quarts clean rose petals Large stainless steel pot Water Blender or food processor Jelly bag or cheesecloth Iron pot or skillet Rubber gloves Tray Newspapers Paper towels Rose essential oil Plastic containers with tight-fitting lid 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon 3/64th inch wide brass wire cut into 12 inch lengths Empty box or styrofoam tray Glass jars with lids Fine sandpaper Unwaxed dental floss Assorted other beads if desired First you will have to make the "mash." To do this place the rose petals in the stainless steel pot with water to cover, about one quart. Bring the contents to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer slowly for 2 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. You may cook your petals all day, or cook them a bit one day, turn off the heat, and finish up the next day if you wish. The longer you cook your petals the more cellulose breaks down which will make it easier to puree them. When you have finished cooking them let them cool and then puree the batches in a food processor or blender. Add just enough water to each batch to puree thoughly at highest speed. The finer you make your mash the more smooth your beads will be. Drain mash though the jelly bag or cheesecloth to remove extra water. The next step is slow cooking. Put your drained, pureed mash into the iron pot or skillet. The mash must be cooked in iron so that a chain of chemical reactions with the acid in the petals and the iron which should turn the mash black. Also, once the mash turns black it will stain anything it touches so wear gloves and old clothes! Plus, you will need to use an old pot because the mash will remove the patina from it. You must cook the mash over the lowest heat, covered, for two to three days or until you get it black and the consistancy of cream cheese. Again, you can cook for a few hours then turn it off and cook some more, but keep the mash covered otherwise a crust will develop. Alternatively you can bake the mash at 250 degrees F covered for one to two days. After slow cooking you need to cool and drain the mash. Thickly layer the tray with newspapers, which the mash will stick to. However, the mash will not stick to the paper towls. Turn the mash out to cool on the prepared tray and covere with another layer of prepared towls. Next let it drain. When the mash has soaked though then change the newspaper padding. It may be draining overnight and need three or four times. Add a few drops of rose essence to the mash, about six to seven drops for a cup of mash, and knead. You can make the beads now or store the mash. If you wish to store it pack it into plastic containers with tight fitting lids and keep refridgeradted for no more than a week or frozen for no more than a few months. You can thaw and refreeze it as many times as necessary. The next step is that of rolling your beads. You will use around 1/2 teaspoon of mash for each bead. As the bead dried then it will shirnk to 1/3rd of it's size. Knead each piece of mash to be sure it's smooth in your hand, and please wear gloves. Using even firm pressure, roll each bead between your palms until they are round. If you get any cracks in your bead while rolling you need to dip the beads in a bit of water or rubbing alcohol and smooth them out; this is important because as the beads dry the crack will become larger. Once you have rolled the beads you just need to dry them. Slide the beads onto the wires to dry, but be very careful. Be sure the wire goes though the center of the bead, and it is important the wire is brass because it will not rust. Place ten beads on 12 inches of wire and make sure the beads are not touching. Lay the wire across the box or styrofoam, be sure they don't touch the bottom. Let your beads dry at room temperature and away from drafts. When beads dry to fast they crack, like pottery. If the drying enviroment is cold or damp then they may mold. Leave the beads drying like that for a around three weeks, but during the first week of drying turn the beads daily and slide them back and forth a few times to keep them from sticking. When the beads are completely dry take them off the wire and store them in covered glass jars. The glass jars help retain the scent until you string them. After removing one batch of beads from the wire sand them with the fine sandpaper to smooth them for the next batch. To finish the beads bead them onto double strands of the dental floss. |