New Canadian Maple Leaf Necklaces

Canada is celebrating it's 150th birthday this year so we have been making special Canadian themed pieces for this big event.  Here we made some of our maple leaves in red and black on a snap and have arranged them on the softglass cord snap necklace that I showed how to make the other day.  I love how the leaves can be arranged in different ways and you are not permanently locked into only one necklace design.

I really love the look and feel of the softglass cord but if you have any sort of arthritis or difficulty with clasps, the plug type clasp can be a bit tricky.

For an easier alternative, the braided leather cord with the front magnetic closure is quick and easy to put on and take off.  Here is one in black with the same large maple leaf snap. 

These necklace cords are available in our online store in several colors.

If you would like to make your own, we have the clasps available in our DIY Snap Supply Section.  I showed in a previous post here on how to create your own necklace.

How to Make an Adjustable Slider Bead for a Necklace Cord - Tutorial

Our sockeye salmon pieces are packed and ready to be delivered to the artisan market at the Salmon Festival tomorrow which starts this Friday.  One of the salmon themed items we have created to sell there is a pendant strung on the softglass cord.  We wanted the necklace to be suitable for both men and women as well as adjustable so we created a slider type bead that also has our signature logo stamp on it.

This is how to make an adjustable clay slider bead for softglass or buna cord:

Step 1:

To find the correct hole size, we matched the cord up with a pair of knitting needles that were the same thickness.  For example, the photo below shows the olive green softglass cord as the same  thickness as size 12 knitting needles where the copper buna cord is thinner so the same thickness as size 14.

Step 2:

Make a clay bead by rolling a medium thick sheet of clay and then doubling it.  Cut a 1/2" circle from the clay sheet and then roll into an oblong "ball".

Step 3:

Holding the pair of knitting needles together, poke a "double" hole into your clay bead by going straight down into your clay ball.

Step 4:

Carefully remove the knitting needles and flip your clay ball over.  You should see two indent marks that were made from the knitting needles.

Step 5:

Holding the knitting needles together and lining them up with the marks, insert them straight down into the clay piece the same way as in step 3.  You can go all the way through the clay bead to make a double hole by twisting one knitting needle at a time being careful to not distort or stretch the hole any larger. 

Step 6:

Leave the clay bead on the knitting needles as shown below for the next step.

Step 7:

You can stamp a pattern onto your bead at this point.  We like to texture one side and add our signature logo stamp on the other.  This is done by placing the clay bead onto a texture plate or stamp and pressing down slightly.  Another texture or logo stamp (shown here) can be pressed down on top.

Step 8:

Carefully remove the knitting needles from the clay bead one at a time by gently twisting them.  Bake the bead for at least 40 minutes.  After baking the cord should slide in through the holes but not be too lose.  If you find that your holes are too large, then you may need to go with a size smaller pair of knitting needles.

Step 9:

To prevent the bead from coming off the cord, a crimping bead can be added to the ends.  Here we used some fold over cord crimps and cut the loop off the end.  You could always leave the loops on and add a decorative bead dangle to each end if you prefer.

Step 10:

Cut your cord so that it is long enough to fit over your head with the slider bead extended to the end.  The cord on the necklace shown here is 26 inches long.  Slide the cord through the pendant and then through the slider bead.  Attach the fold over cord crimps to each cord end the same way as in our other softglass tutorial here.

One last tip:

If you do not want your cord ends to be a shiny metal, that can easily be changed by adding a bit of Gilders Paste.  Here we added some black to the silver ends which gave them more of a gunmetal look and blended in with the black cord so they weren't so noticeable.  I like Wendy Orlowski's tip she shared (click here) on marking the outside of her tins with the color so they are quick and easy to identify without having to open the lid each time.

Finishing off Softglass Necklace Cords

There are so many different types of necklace cord options to hang your finished art beads from.  Rather than purchase ready made ones, we prefer to make our own.  It not only helps to keep our costs down but also gives us more control over length, quality and over-all look.

One of our favorite cords we like to use is the Softglass cord from Shades of Clay as it is very soft and drapes beautifully.  Here are some more of our flip flop sandal necklaces all strung on the Softglass cord.

There are several ways to finish off the ends of this cord and so I thought I would share a few ideas here.  These are some spring coils that fit the softglass cord very nicely.   To make them a little more secure, you can put a drop of glue on first and then pinch the last coil to tighten it around the cord.  The loops at the end are for attaching your clasp and chain with jump rings.  (Click here to see them at Shades of Clay -- scroll almost all the way down)

These cord ends are my favorite to use. 

They are a fold-over type and if you can see in the photo, there is a sharp "v" prong that grabs onto the cord so it won't slip out.  (Click here to see them at Shades of Clay -- scroll almost all the way down)

These cord ends are more secure so you don't need to mess around with glue.  To attach them, simply place the cord into the end finding as shown.

With chain or flat nose pliers, bend one of the sides first folding it over the cord.

With your pliers, bend the other side down, overlapping the first fold.

Finish off the other end of your cord in the exact same way and you are done!  These cord ends are quick and easy peasy so you can see why we like to use them.

Now add your clasp with some jump rings.  Here we have a lobster claw with a chain so the length can be adjustable.  You can add a fancy bead or charm to the end of the chain or here we have added our signature bead.

We are working on another option (a surprise) so will share that with you a little later after we work out the details.

Single Flower Style Flip Flop Jewelry

We've been working on some more flip flop jewelry pieces.  With so many lakes and beaches in our area they are a popular summer item.  The pendants are all hung on the gorgeous Softglass cords that we get from Shades of Clay.  Both the Softglass and the buna cords are beautiful and drape so softly making them perfect for these lighter weight beads.  I found a simple way to finish off these cords which I will share with you in my next post.

Flip Flop Sandal Necklaces

Flip Flop Sandal Earring Beads

I had fun creating these in a variety of colors some of which were in the latest Pantone shades.  All the ones shown here are now availabe at Chum N' Luba's Unique Boutique in our town of Chase.  Here is the one in a Pantone color combination of Celosia Orange and Cayenne (top photo far left) with one of the gorgeous maxi dresses at Chum N' Luba's.

 

Flip Flop with Summer Maxi Dress at Chum N' Luba's Unique Boutique

Finishing Touches

Now that we have recovered from all the excitement of the World Masters it is time to catch up on the many things on my to do list.  I've been sorting through our latest pieces that still need finishing off and taking photos as they are completed.  There are so many ways to finish our pieces and so how do we decide?

When we look at a finished clay piece we like to feature it in it's best light.  Some of our pieces are purposely designed to hang on a nylon coated stainless cable.  We like how it causes you to focus on the bead or pendant and the cord is almost invisible.  We will try our pieces on a variety of colors to see which gives the best effect as in the ones in the photo shown below.

I cannot believe how light and comfortable the cables are.  I made one of these for myself and I had to keep checking to see if it was still in place.

I love making these stripe blends and have created bangles and beads for bracelets and earrings to match.

Another type of cord we like to use is the "softglass" which is like a rubber cord but has a silky look and feel to it.  You can see how they look with the variety of pendants below.

At times the cable or softglass cord just doesn't seem to fit with certain pieces.  I'm always scouting around for just the right materials.  I found these beautiful organza ribbons and a light bulb came on!  I pulled out my sewing machine and stitched some into cords and voila!  Soft, elegant and yet comfortable.

So how do we decide on what to use?  This part is generally a joint effort between Dave and I.  We sometimes create a prototype first and I will actually wear it to "test it out".  We will take note of how it fits or if it hangs properly.  Sometimes we are satisfied and other times we go back to the drawing board  if it needs any tweaking.  I have a drawer full of these prototypes that have become part of my wardrobe.  I must say my hubby has a keen sense for design and style and I tease him that he has a pretty "good" eye for a straight guy!  It is really great to work together like we do and bounce things back and forth.