Solving a Cable Problem

I love the nylon coated steel cables for hanging pendants as they are very practical and show off the clay pieces instead of drawing attention to the cord.  They are available with a barrel screw type or magnetic clasp.  The magnetic are easier to use but there is a great risk in losing your piece and so that is why we prefer to use the screw type one.  We cover the clasp with clay in a matching color and of course add a slice of our signature cane.

Our first Christmas show is just around the corner (this Sunday) and the problem with these cable type necklaces is they are difficult to display.  After trying various ways we finally found a solution to our problem.

We bought this revolving rack sometime ago to hang our carded earrings and brooches.

We weren't really happy with that set up and in the meantime I was using it in our studio to organize some of stock.  We then came up with a plan to hide the ugly chrome bar in the middle and dress it up a bit more and voila!  A new revolving jewelry display that shows off the cable necklaces beautifully.

We created the center backdrop by covering a large tube (several stacked and duct-taped juice cans) with quilt batting and then some beautiful black faux suede fabric.  It easily slipped over the chrome bar and fits perfectly in between the surrounding four bars with clips.

I will show you more of our new displays we created throughout the week as we get ready for our show this Sunday.

Some New Cord Styles for the New Year

After creating our clay beads and pendants comes the decision of how they will be finished into jewelry pieces.  Should they be wire wrapped, strung or just hung on a cord for best effect?  When it comes to pendants on cords,  I like to "lock" them into place whenever possible.  This prevents the cord from "walking" with the clasp ending up at the front.  The pendant below is an example of one that is finished this way:

Our favorite type of cord we like to use is the "Softglass".  It is like rubber cord but is slightly translucent, very strong, yet flexible and almost looks like frosted glass.  It has a hole going through the center which is perfect for stringing wire through.  I like to use "softflex" wire in this case and even though it isn't necessary, I prefer the 49 strand due to it's strength and flexibility so the softglass cord can still drape nicely.

Another type of cord we recently discovered is a stainless steel cable that is nylon coated.  They come in a variety of colors with a screw barrel type clasp.  I prefer to cover this clasp with clay so it is more comfortable on the neck and easier to handle.  These cables work great for shorter (16-18") choker type necklaces.  They are also great when you really want to show off the pendant or beads and not have the cord as a  distraction.

I sell these with the finished clasps in our Art Fire and Etsy shops as they are great if you want a simple cord to use for interchanging pendants.  These cables work great for beaded style chokers as well making them more versatile.  We have them in silver and gold and will have more colors available soon.

My latest discovery, however, is combining these cables with the softglass cord.  I found there is a slight "walking" problem when using these cables on a pendant so I was experimenting with ways to "lock" them in.  When I cut small pieces of the softglass and thread them on the cable they look like little beads but are also nonslip and gently keep the beads or pendant in place.  I can use the softglass pieces in contrasting colors like beads or in the same color as the cable to blend in.

This new style will work well with some of the new clay designs I'm working on and will be available in the new year.