Large Interchangeable Snaps in Faux Stone

I really love creating clay designs with the CaBezel jewelry molds.  These pieces were made in our faux red stone and on a snap for interchanging to be worn in a variety of ways.  I filled the center hole in the small designs with a bit of faux white stone to add a bit of contrast.

The new 'Holy CaBezel' jewelry molds come in three sizes.  I really like the variety as even if you created a pendant from them, not everyone prefers the largest size so it provides more options.  Shown below is the smallest size of the 'Carolyn' design (my favorite -- not just because it is named after me!) that is on a snap and worn as a necklace.

Here is the same snap combined with the large size and a small 'Sue' design to create a three piece interchangeable snap necklace.

And a few more ideas as to how to use this size of art bead.  It could be used as bracelet links or in this case a snap added to one of our new wrap bracelets.

It is also the perfect size for adding to a shawl or hair stick.  We make our own clay covered sticks with a snap base for interchanging which are available in our online store as well as several yarn shops that sell our work.

And if you like chunky rings, the small size CaBezel can be worn as one as well.  Having it on a snap allows one to choose the ring base they prefer for a proper fit.  We have a selection of rings with a snap base in our online store.

So even if you aren't into making interchangeable snaps, I hope this can give you a little more inspiration on using the CaBezel jewelry molds created by Wendy Orlowski which are available only at Shades of Clay.

Make Your Own Interchangeable Snap Bracelet

We have these cool bracelet clasps in our DIY Snap Supply section of our online store that have a snap for interchanging.

I suddenly realized I never did a tutorial on how to make your own bracelet with these and even though it is quite simple I thought I would give you a mini tutorial here with a special bonus offer!

These clasps come as a two piece set.  The main part with a snap base for interchanging your art snaps and a slider that keeps the bracelet closed while wearing.

To create your own bracelet, you will need some cord that is 6 mm thick and 14"-16" long, depending on your wrist size.  15" (36 mm) is good for an average size wrist.  I have a small wrist and so my cord length is 14" (34 mm) and you can cut it 16" (38 mm) or longer for a larger size wrist.

Fold your cord in half and slide on the slider piece.  Slide it up towards the folded loop making sure that the ends are even.

If your cord has a seam, make sure the seam is to the back or bottom of your bracelet so it is hidden.

All that is left now is to glue the ends of your cord into the snap base.  I like to use a gel type super glue.  The Loctite brand is exceptional as it is quick drying and holds really well!  So add some glue directly to the inside of the snap base end as shown (rather than on the cord as it is less messy this way).  Insert your cord ends and hold for a few seconds until it is secure.  Note:  Because this glue is fast drying it is good to make sure your cord ends are already straight and lined up ready to insert before adding the glue.

Once the glue is dry, your bracelet is now ready to wear!

A - open the loop by pulling back the slider
B - place the loop over the snap base and fit it in the groove
C - Push the slider up to hold it in place
D - Snap in your art design and wear!

We also have Necklace magnetic front closure clasps with a snap that take the same size cord and you can create a matching set.  My tutorial to create the necklace is here.

And for a limited time, we have a special bonus offer.  Purchase some of the snap base clasps and receive some cord at no extra charge to make your own bracelets or necklace.  This cord is a super soft Ultra-suede in black with a copper brown heart pattern.  You will see the bonus packs in our DIY Snap supply section in our online store.

New Snap Base Findings!

Our snap supplies were getting low and needed replenishing and so I couldn't help myself to bring in some fun new items!   Here are a few samples to start and the others you will find listed in our online store. 

These snap bases have 2 large loops at each end and are available with a beautiful frame design or with rhinestones.  The bases have a slight curve to them making them suitable for a bracelet.  These are available in our Snap Supply DIY section only.

Snap Jewelry Links for Bracelets

These new clip hair barrettes are really sweet and come in 5 colors.  They are for sale in pairs or in bulk if you would like a bunch.

Snap Hair Barrettes

We have also added some new bracelets, pendants and necklaces.

We now have a larger supply of the Snap Flower necklace so are available in bulk as well as a new Spiral design.  I have several of these pieces for myself that I have been wearing for almost a year now and I absolutely love them.  I get a lot of compliments and it is fun seeing their face when I pop one of the snaps out to show they are interchangeable!

Snap Flower Necklace (left) and Snap Spiral Necklace (right)

These necklaces can be worn or sold as they are or you can change them up by switching out the chain for cord or other materials.  All of our jewelry pieces are completely interchangeable and this includes the velvet straps on the necklaces that can be switched out in different colors by simply adding a clip type clasp.

Velvet Ribbon and Necklace Straps available in 15 colors

The velvet ribbon is washable and colorfast.  It is available in our jewelry finding section along with the crimps and clip clasps. 

Little Posie Snaps

These are our new little mini flower "snaps" for our interchange jewelry that we are calling our little Posies.  We made a small flower mold to form each posie in a consistent size.  Each flower is individually cut out and then placed on top of a "prepped snap bezel B" (see our tutorial on page 5) that was textured.  A Swarovski crystal was added to the center of each posie.

"Snap" Bracelet

"Snap" Bangle

Beginner Polymer Workshop and Some New Jewelry

Dave and I taught a beginner polymer clay workshop at Thread & Paper all day yesterday.  I am kicking myself for forgetting to take some photographs.  We did meet some really great ladies who were all very enthusiastic to learn.  I wore my "Natasha Bead" necklace and matching bracelet and after explaining what a Natasha bead is to the group, I remembered I still hadn't shown it on our blog yet.

The bracelet is another design using memory wire but in a cuff style.  The clay pattern on the links was a happy accident when I was playing around making the Natasha beads for the necklace.  I had an idea to try something different and this was the result.  Each square is a mirror image with no two patterns alike.  

I am experimenting with this new technique a little more and will keep you posted.

Memory Wire Bracelet Tutorial

It is that time of year again to pull out our supply of candy cane beads and make some more jewelry.  We made a huge supply of beads last year so still have a bunch on hand to play with.  If you play with polymer clay you will find my free tutorial here to make your own.

We like to use the shorter beads in bracelets and so we made some up in the spiral memory wire style.  The nice thing about this type of bracelet is that they are easy to put on and take off and they fit any wrist size.

Working with memory wire can be a little tricky at first, but once you know what you are doing, it can be a lot of fun.  When you first unpack the wire you will notice it is a lot like a "Slinky" toy.  When you stretch it out a bit and then let go, it will spring back into the same shape.

With this type of bracelet you want to have 4 to 5 "rounds" or rings so it will wrap around the wrist several times making it more secure and giving it that stacked bracelet look.  It is best to cut a bit more to allow for finishing at each end.  Do not use your good jewelry cutters for this type of wire as it will ruin them.  There are special "memory wire shears" you can buy for this.  These are very strong cutters and are like a mini "bolt cutter" so are also handy for cutting other things like soldered chain or other steel or brass wire.

Make an eye loop at the one end of your wire with your round nose pliers.  The loop acts as a stopper for your beads when stringing and you can also add some pretty dangles and charms on it after.

This type of bracelet can take quite a few beads which can make the bracelet rather heavy if you are using a lot of glass or metal types.  Because Polymer clay beads are light, they work really well.  Long tubes also look really stunning on these bracelets and the typical ones are made from metal.  Not only are these tubes rather expensive, they are also heavy and can tarnish quite easily.

I discovered a great substitute for the metal tubing which is called Softglass cord and is available at Shades of Clay (scroll down after the buna cord).  The Softglass cord is like Buna except it is hollow inside so you can thread wire through it.  It also has a beautiful satin glass-like finish and comes in a wide range of gorgeous colors.  The other cool thing about using this type of tubing is that you can cut it to any length.  You can use scissors or I find using a heavy tissue blade makes really clean and straight edges.

Now the fun begins.  You can play around with different patterns to see what works for you.  The main idea is to have your beads somewhat evenly spaced or "weighted" all the way around.  You will notice that the bead placement can change drastically with different tube lengths.  If you find it isn't working, then try cutting the Softglass cord longer or shorter and see what works best.  For the bracelet shown here (below) I am using the Emerald Green Softglass cut into 1-1/2" lengths.

Start threading your beads and cord tubing on the wire.  When you are happy with your pattern, slide the beads down to the end of the wire.  Keep adding your beads until your wire is full.

When you are happy with your bracelet, finish off the other end with another eye loop.  Add some pretty bead dangles and charms at each end and you are done.