Daily Blogs : clasps

The Best of Stringing celebrates top designs from Stringing magazine!

Erin Carey — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:30:00 GMT

Here’s a little snippet of beady publishing history that you might find interesting...
In 2002 Interweave’s founder, Linda Ligon, and I sat in a hotel lobby in New York to discuss starting a new magazine that solely concerned stringing beads. It was a completely revolutionary idea at the time and, quite frankly, I thought it was a bit nuts; beadweavers like me often viewed stringing as our community’s wallflower cousin. She said she wanted a magazine that stretched people’s creativity, helping them explore new materials to expand their vision of what stringing could be. Her general edict was, “Make it beautiful, make it colorful, and I don’t want to see page after page of ‘bumps on a string.’ What I want is page after page of gorgeous pieces that you might find at a museum shop or gallery. No ‘safe’ jewelry in this one.”

When I got back to the office in Colorado, I broke it to the Beadwork magazine team (then Jamie Hogsett and Dustin Wedekind) that we were starting up a new magazine. It would include 100 pieces, have jaw-dropping work, and there could be absolutely no 'bumps on a string.' I think Jamie and Dustin thought the idea was a little crazy, too; we were all pretty beadweaving-centric at that time. In our discussion that day I sketched out some little drawings to explain what I think Linda was talking about. Miraculously, I found those sketches in a file cabinet in the basement this morning; and can share those first bright glimmers of Stringing with you now. Sometimes it pays to be a packrat!

We set off as a team to break out of our little design boxes and to bust up our notions of what stringing beads on a cord could be. The exercise produced 100 really nice pieces for our first special issue, and I know it gave us all a rich appreciation for the technique. Now, after 5 years, dozens of issues, and hundreds of gorgeous pieces later, I see Linda's idea for Stringing magazine was right on. I guess that's why she's the boss.

Danielle Fox, Stringing magazine's current editor, recently sent me a copy of The Best of Stringing, a fantastic issue with 183 projects--21 of which are brand new. She attached this note that made me tear up a little. This magazine, as well as the technique in general, has certainly "grow'd up" in the last several years, certainly past my little sketches. It's been due, in large part, to how bravely our community of designers, teachers, vendors, and publishers have embraced and experimented with this technique. We've gone far beyond 'bumps on a string', that's for sure.

Danielle had her own warm and fuzzy moment seeing this magazine come together: "I've been on the Stringing staff since its second issue. I'll tell you, it's been so much fun to watch and help the magazine grow. I'm really excited about The Best of Stringing because it brings together all of our favorite projects in a single edition. The hardest part was narrowing down our selections. What I think we came up with is a great mix of evergreen projects, the kind that inspire you again and again."

So I guess the challenge going forward, for all of us who love to string beads, is to continue to play and experiment, pushing the technique to unexplored creative highs. How will you contribute? What new stringing techniques or materials have you been using to make your work new and unique? What trends do you see around the bend? Why not share your ideas and thoughts below or on the Beading Daily forums?

How to Attach Metal Clasps to Beadwork

Michelle M. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:13:00 GMT

Between working more than a full-time job, slinging hash several times a day for the family, and geez, just simple personal hygiene, I have a hard time keeping up with what’s going on in the outside world. I usually get to the newspaper a day late and don’t think I’ve watched television for months. So it’s no wonder why I don’t know who Jon and Kate are and why they’re breaking up. ...(read more)

How to Create a Seed Bead Loop Clasp

Michelle M. — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:08:00 GMT

Beading Daily reader Penny S. wrote: "I have a problem with button and loop closures, particularly on bracelets. If the loop is large enough to go over the button, it slips off the button and the bracelet falls off. If it is tight enough to keep the bracelet from slipping, it's too small to go over the button."...(read more)

Beaded Watch with Your Favorite Clasp

Editor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Meet Your Favorite Clasp: The Toggle

"I never met a toggle that I did not like!"

Those were the words of one Beading Daily reader--and more than 50% of the nearly 1,000 readers who voted recently on their favorite clasp agreed!

Why do you like toggle clasps so much? Most readers said that unlike other closures, you can make a toggle clasp a design element, rather than have it fade into the background. Use a striking toggle clasp as the center of your necklace or choose one that highlights the "theme" of your necklace. Or hang pendants or beads from the ring part of the toggle, as Catherine Kenyon does in the Jeweled Disks necklace below.

Here are three more reasons you like toggles:

Variety: Toggles are available in a range of metals, sizes, and clever shapes (such as heart and arrow, or teapot and spoon).
Easy to fasten: Several readers mentioned that toggles were especially easy for people with arthritis to use. It's also possible to open and close them with one hand.
Customer favorite: One member wrote, "I was selling my jewelry at a craft fair and I had a mix of magnetic, lobster claw, and toggle clasps. By the end of the afternoon, I had sold all my toggle clasp bracelets. I sold only five of the lobster clasp bracelets and two of the magnetic clasp bracelets."

Jeweled Disks by Catherine Kenyon

Second Most Favorite Clasp

The second most popular clasp (20%) was the lobster clasp which readers felt was secure and affordable, plus blended unobtrusively into the design.

Left: The Silver and Sparkle Bracelet by Donna Kraidman uses a lobster clasp.

Project: Beaded Watch with Toggle Clasp

As promised, here is a new project featuring the most popular type of clasp.

I personally like beaded watches--there's something very appealing about jewelry that is both practical and beautiful--so I was happy to find this Time Out watch by Donna Kraidman. If you're not into watches, you can easily make this into a bracelet by simply adding an additional Kazuri bead in place of the watch face. (Kazuri beads are hand painted ceramic beads from Africa.)

Design tip: Notice how this watch uses a monochromatic color palette (blue), but mixes patterns (polka dots/swirls). The color gives it a polished, professional look, but the mix of patterns (particularly the use of polka dots) adds a touch of whimsy and fun--the jewelry equivalent of a fun T-shirt worn with a suit jacket.

Project: Time Out by Donna Kraidman

Note: The free period for this project has ended. Instructions are now available in the Beading Daily store.

But What Kind of Clasp Do People Really Use?

This may shock you, but sometimes people say one thing in polls ("I love broccoli for dessert!") and do something else in real life ("Mmm. . . double fudge mocha almond ice cream!"). In the interest of beading science, I decided to look at the Spring 2008 issue of Stringing and see what kinds of clasps were actually used by designers. The results were exactly the same for necklaces. For bracelets, toggles were also the top choice, but the second most popular clasp--by one design--were box clasps. In the last issue of Beadwork (February/March 2008), toggles won out for bracelets, but hook-and-eye closures were the top for necklaces. So, love 'em or leave 'em, you can't get away from toggle clasps!

Surprised by these results? What's been your experience? Love toggle clasps? Hate them? Share your comments on the website.

Glass Bead Design Challenge - Last Chance!

Have you submitted your challenge entry yet? Design a necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings with any type of glass beads and you could win a cool new beading book or a beautiful starfish lampwork pendant by Stephanie Sersich. Deadline is Sunday, March 2, 2008. Enter the Glass Bead Challenge.

Michelle Mach shares free beading projects and tips every Friday on Beading Daily. If you have questions or comments for Michelle (including suggestions for future free projects or poll questions), please post them here on the website. Thanks!

Creating a Wire S-Clasp

Editor — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:00:00 GMT

I really admire jewelry artists who create every bit of their designs down to a customized clasp, so I was excited when Sandra Lupo offered to share these steps for creating an S-clasp. Sandra has been making jewelry for 20 years in her New Jersey studio and will be teaching at BeadFest Wire in April 2008. Her BeadFest classes include Wire Aura Beaded Bracelet (pictured at left), Twigged 'N Twined Necklace, and Double Lattice Triangle with Pendant.Learn more.--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor

Creating an S-Clasp
by Sandra Lupo

Using a butane torch to ball up the wire ends to form a clasp is a nice touch when using thin gauge (20–24) fine silver. But if you want to finish the ends of thick gauge (14-8) sterling silver when forming a clasp, you’ll need heavier equipment. Here’s a torch-free approach, working with a few inches of wire, a hammer, slender half-round pliers, metal file or emery paper, and a buffing or polishing cloth.

1. For a one-inch, 14-gauge wire "S" clasp, a nice touch is to form a small curled circle just before you shape the clasp. Hammer the end of a 2.75" piece of wire 5/8" long with a ball peen hammer into a flattened and thinned paddle. (For 16-gauge wire, use 2.50"; for 18-gauge wire, use 2.25".)

2. Use a metal file to remove sharp edges. Polish the paddle with a buffing cloth before you turn the paddled wire end with the very tip of half-round forming pliers.

Left to right: The flattened paddle, the curved end, and the finished clasp.

3. Form your "S" clasp with larger barreled (5mm) forming pliers or a 1/4" dowel. Repeat the process for the other end's curled circle. After forming, hammer your "S" curves for a finished look. Polish.

Attention Designers: I'm looking for fresh, original stringing, wirework, and beadweaving projects to feature on Beading Daily. Not only will your beautiful design be featured, but I'll also pay you for your project instructions! Please contact me for the contributor guidelines. Thanks!

Free eBook
Making Wire Jewelry: 6 Free Wire Designs from Beading Daily

Create 6 stunning wire jewelry projects (2 wire necklaces, a wire bracelet, 2 pairs of wire earrings, and a wire ring) with this free eBook that contains step by step wire jewelry instructions for each project. Jewelry designs range in difficulty from beginner to intermediate and use a variety of wire work techniques, including spirals, coiling, wirewrapping, hammering, and twisting wire. Download Making Wire Jewelry: 6 Free Wire Designs from Beading Daily

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She has a right-angle weave bracelet to finish this weekend before she can even think of playing with wire!

Choosing the Right Bracelet Clasp

Editor — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Choosing the Right Bracelet Clasp

Beading Daily reader Nicole asked a great question about bracelet clasps. Her "best clasp" question is one of those questions that seems on the surface to be quick and easy. While there are some basic facts that you need to consider--like whether the recipient of your jewelry wears a pacemaker--there is also a lot of room for personal preference and experience. I'd love to know what you think about bracelet clasps--please share your own ideas in the comments section. Thanks!--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor.

Q: I have a question about bracelet clasps. I see lots of bracelets with the toggle bar clasps, but when I gave one to my friend she lost it for awhile. (Luckily, she did find it.) The next bracelets I gave away had a magnetic clasp and a box clasp respectively. One girl lost the magnetic one never to be found again and the box clasp broke. What is the best clasp that we can attach to our bracelets?

A: What a great question! I'm not sure there is a perfect clasp--much depends upon how often the piece will be worn, the weight of the bracelet, and the activeness of the recipient. Here are my thoughts on six types of clasps:

Toggle clasps require tension to keep them closed. This makes them a great choice for necklaces, since you have the collected weight of all the beads at the front of the necklace keeping the clasp shut. If your bracelet uses small, lightweight beads like freshwater pearls, then you might not have enough tension to keep the toggle closed.

I use magnetic clasps for much of my personal jewelry because they are so easy to open. But Nicole's right--they still can get lost. One beader I know went to a conference where she sat in a metal folding chair. The magnetic clasp attached itself to the chair and slipped off her wrist without her noticing. Jean Campbell, author of Getting Started Stringing Beads, advises that magnetic clasps should only be used for "light- to middle-weight pieces." You also should not use magnetic clasps on pieces to be worn by people with pacemakers.

A lobster clasp or spring ring clasp requires you to push a lever down to open clasp. An inexpensive option, these clasps can be difficult to open. Sometimes the bottom ring of the clasp can be weak and subject to breaking, particularly on spring ring clasps.

Box clasps often have inlaid gemstones or other designs that make them a beautiful finishing touch to a beaded bracelet. One half of a box clasp is hollowed out, while the other has a strip of metal that has been folded over. This metal tab slides into the hollow box with a snap. On high-end jewelry, I've seen safety catches added for extra security.

Pearl clasps combine both a fishhook clasp and a locking box mechanism, which means that there's a backup if the box mechanism fails.

Author of Findings and Finishings, Sharon Bateman writes about the fold-over clasp: "Even the most active person will have trouble snagging this clasp on clothing or objects." The top half of this type of clasp is pushed down until it snaps over the bottom half. I've never used these, but I did a little research and found them in use, particularly for watches. Many had additional safety catches.

Or why not skip the clasp altogether?

For that "special" person who keeps losing your bracelets no matter what kind of clasp you use, consider creating a bangle or cuff bracelet that does not require a clasp. Here are some some ideas to get you started:

For more information about clasps (including how to make your own), check out the book Findings and Finishings by Sharon Bateman.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She has a pretty good personal collection of clasps, probably because whenever she goes to a bead show and is stumped by all the choices, she buys another clasp!