I just completed another cuff, with a design fit for the season! This is titled, "Who-Me Deer?". It is a 30 bead wide loomed cuff. When I create such a wide cuff, my main staple of clasp choices become a slide tube clasp. They have a long presence, mostly 35mm. I never cared for the design of a 'single loop' or 'small single clasp' on a wide cuff, because I wouldn't want it to flip or flop around on the wrist. I also feel that a single, small clasp, of some sort, on a wide looming, just doesn't offer a proper 'balance in design'.
The adjustable aspect, of this design, is also something I am sharing. It can be difficult to loom cuffs to an exact fit, without having the model to refer, so an adjustable design can be a great feature.
I call the end caps, seen in the photos above, my 'crunchy clasp' method. The reason being that beads are 'cracked' when they are attached. It can be very uneasy to think about the beads breaking, but my technique keeps the cracking of beads into consideration, long before I have to attach the 'CC's' to the ends!
The one end of this cuff is finished with a copper chain, for the adjusting part, topped off with a dangle, a custom made 'snow globe lamp work bead'. On the other end is a copper wire hook clasp and matching stones, again wrapped in copper wire.
Above is a montage of the edging. The large beads are 'copper barrels' aligned perfectly between four rows of looming. There is a 'stop bead' two beads inward because I wanted the barrels to lay directly next to one another. This stop bead allowed me to enter a row of looming then exit the same row of looming. To secure the large barrel beads further, I strung a strand of copper 11/0 glass beads, directly inside the entire row. This will keep each barrel bead in line, especially while being worn or bending the cuff. The opposite edge was finished in a simple copper color Permanent Finish 11/0 glass bead.
This method of clasping a loomed cuff can be the simplest way to manage the warps and still complete a cuff in a professional finished manner!
A fantastic bracelets have you conjured up there.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mein! This was a quick one, using this type of pattern. Not many small areas of color!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing! May ask about your customers' experiences with this type of clasps? To me it seems that no matter what kind of clasp I use, people have trouble putting their bracelets on...
ReplyDeleteSo far I have not received any negative feed back, on a double clasp design. As a matter of fact, I have heard many times, as I eluded in the copy above, a double clasp design is much more comfortable then a single small clasp on a wide cuff! Also, I don't use a 'spring' clasp when I design a double. The scroll hooks seem to hook easier, when you have to consider two of them. Other then that, the tube clasp is always a great choice. Have you tried those yet, with your Customers?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply Erin, I forgot to come back to check... *embarrassed* I've only put a tube clasp on one of my cuffs so far, 'cause I'm on a really tight budget. I think they are quite easy to use, but no-one else has tried that bracelet yet :) I think my only double clasped cuff was with a button loop closure, and the customer who bought it is a jewelry maker herself, so she's more used to putting bracelets on. I don't know if the clasps really are a problem, or if I'm just so insecure that I freak out if people show any signs of difficulty when trying my jewelry. Thank you for mentioning spring clasps, I will make sure not to use them on double closures.
ReplyDelete