Daily Blogs : findings

2 Free and Easy Wire Projects

Leslie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:10:00 GMT

Hook and eye clasp is hardware chic!
Rubber tubing called “spline” is one of my favorite hardware store materials. Commonly used to press around a screen door panel, it’s cheap, easy to cut, comes in a few gauges and shades of gray or black, and (most important) is hollow–perfect for threading wire or beading cord through it. I use it often as a cord by threading it with flexible beading wire and crimping clasps at the ends.

But while playing around with 20-gauge craft wire I saw how easily it fit into the spline, and how the spline held different shapes with the heavier wire inside. This hook-and-eye clasp is one of my results. If you can make a wire wrapped loop with a pair of pliers, you’re good to go!

What You Need:

12” of 20-gauge copper craft wire
14” rubber tube (hollow spline)
2 pair round-nose pliers or round-and chain-nose
wire snips
craft knife to cut spline
ruler

Cut your materials
1: Use the wire snips to cut a 4” piece of the wire for the eye, leaving 8” for the hook.

2: Hold your tube alongside a ruler on a cutting board. Use your craft knife to cut the tube in two pieces, keeping the ends as straight across as possible: 1 piece 2” for the eye, 1 piece 4” for the hook.

Make the eye
3: Thread the 4” piece of wire through the 2” piece of tube so the wire protrudes evenly out both ends. Make a wire wrapped loop on both ends, keeping the wrapped loops snug against the rubber. Bend the wired tube into a simple U shape for the “eye."

Make the hook
4: Thread the 8" piece of wire through the 4" tube, and make wire wrapped loops at each end as in Step 3. Bend this piece into a U shape, (this one will be longer than the first one) then bend the middle over to make a hook shape.

You can now attach a piece of jewelry in any way you desire—jump rings, crimped wire, linked wrapped loops. Of course, you can make this hook-and-eye without the tube, using 20 or 18 gauge wire for sturdiness. For some great inspiration on ways to try this clasp technique on other designs, the 2009 issue of Easy Wire is a must-have for your library. Enjoy!

FREE Easy Wire project!
The style of my clasp may not be your cup of tea, but you'll find plenty of other styles among the 45 projects in the new issue of Easy Wire–like this gorgeous copper wire and lampwork bead Caramel Swirl Bracelet, for instance. Spiral copper wire in a unique pattern, and pair it with delectable lampwork beads.

Download this free Easy Wire project here!

Have you played with wire in rubber tubing? Tell us about it in our comment boxes below!

5 Essential Findings for Your Bead Stash

Michelle M. — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:01:00 GMT

I had all the on- and off-loom techniques down pat before I discovered that bead stringing can be an equally refreshing and creative mind teaser. As a technique for making jewelry, stringing is definitely easier than bead weaving, but once you delve into it deeper, you find there’s a nice design challenge there, too. ...(read more)

Beginning Silver Fusing: Free Video on Making Headpins

Michelle M. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:07:00 GMT

Using a torch can be scary. There's something about holding a flame--no matter how petite and charming--that is a little unnerving. I've taken three classes that used a torch for a small part of the class. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm perfectly relaxed and comfortable around a torch, but I survived the experience and am working up my courage to learn more. ...(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!

Free Project: Caribbean Sunset Multistrand Necklace with Pendant

Editor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Inspiring Focal Beads

When I asked Beading Daily readers a few weeks ago to tell me about their "problem" beads, lampwork or other focal types of beads were at the top of the list. In most cases, it wasn't that the bead was actually a problem--they weren't extremely heavy or hard to string. Instead, it was a question of how to best showcase a beautiful bead that you really love. The good news is that it's easier than you think.

Free project: Caribbean Sunset Necklace

Julia Watt began her Caribbean Sunset Necklace with the shell pendant, which inspired the colors of the necklace, the use of natural beads (pearls and fossilized coral), and the "ocean" elements like the silver dolphin clasp and fish bead. Using a pendant as a starting place for a design is a tried-and-true technique that I've used many times.

Try this: choose one or more colors from the focal bead to use in your own necklace. You don't need to match the colors exactly--you can choose darker or lighter shades, or mix them to add depth. If you're really adventurous, add some contrasting elements. You could choose a color on the opposite side of the color wheel (orange and blue?!), matte beads (to contrast with the shine of the pendant), rugged man-made beads instead of smooth, natural pearls (Lucite nuggets?) . . . anything you like!

In addition to the pendant, there are two other features in this necklace that are worth a closer look:

A Singular Sensation

I often wonder what to do with the single beads in my collection. If you have two beads leftover from a project, then obviously you make a pair of earrings, right? But how do you use a single bead--especially one not large enough to be a focal? The simple addition of this silver fish bead adds visual interest to a symmetrical necklace, but does not detract from the glorious focal bead. If you want to start creating asymmetrical necklaces, this little step of throwing in a slightly larger random bead on one side of the necklace is a great place to start.

How to Use Cones in Multistrand Necklaces

The Caribbean Sunset necklace uses a one-to-three design with one strand at the back transitioning to three strands in the front. Multistrand necklaces are fun to make, but for me, the multiple strands at the back of the neck can feel too bulky (especially if you like your necklaces tucked under your shirt collar), so I really like the idea of a necklace that has the multiple strands only in the front. Whatever kind of multistrand necklace you create, you may want to use cones to cover the ends and keep them neat.

To use a cone, attach the strands to an eye pin, pass the eye pin through the wide end of the cone, covering the ends of the strands. Form a wrapped loop at the tip of the cone that attaches to the clasp. (This necklace uses a wrapped loop on both ends, which is another option if you don't have any eye pins.)

About the Designer

Julia Watt is a freelance photographer, clothing/costume designer, pianist, wife, and mom. (And she still has time to bead!) See two of Julia's designs ("Crystallized Pearls" and "Marrakech Set") in the Spring 2008 issue of Stringing on sale February 28, 2008. You can learn more about Julia on her website: www.juliawattworks.com.

No Beading Daily on Monday, February 18 because of the holiday (President's Day). Here are two things to keep you busy in the meantime:

Start your glass jewelry design for the Beading Daily glass bead design challenge and you could win a fabulous lampwork focal bead or a cool new book! Entries are due March 2, 2008. Learn More.

Vote for the free project from Lisa Kan's Bead Romantique. Last day to vote is Monday, February 18, 2008. One vote per person; the project with the most votes will be free to Beading Daily members for a limited time. View the Projects and Vote Now.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She can't stop thinking about the orange and blue combination that she mentioned today. That sounds like a challenge! What's the most difficult color combination you've ever worked with?

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!