Keeping Dragons A-Round
January 8, 2018
Inspirational Art
I thought this week, we’d just check in with what our fellow clayers are posting this first week of the year and I found quite a few pieces of new work on Flickr.
This detailed and whimsical bracelet is by Dorota Kaszczyszyn. The individual ridges that make up the dragon’s back work so perfectly as separate beads fitted together to create the bracelet and I love how she integrated the closure into the design. The closures usually end up on top of the wrist in large bead bracelets anyways since the weight of the beads, being heavier than the clasps, spin to hang downward so why not just design for that eventuality? I thought it was a great way to finish off a well sculpted and textured set of beads that is sure to draw some attention.
This is not Dorata’s first dragon bracelet but is, thus far, my favorite. I do like the toggle clasp on some of the others versus a lobster clasp but the face on this guy is beautiful. See more of her dragons (and owls … another favorite creature of hers) on her Flickr photostream.
Polymer Covered Clasps
June 1, 2013
Inspirational Art
A very easy way to make your findings fit into the design of your jewelry is to cover the findings with polymer. Magnetic, barrel screw, or even box clasps can be covered using the same design or colors in clay. But not only that, you can create a clasp that blends into the design by hiding the clasps in two halves of a bead or component that matches others in the piece.
A nice big round bead makes a great concealer of clasps, especially the magnetic and barrel screw types. You create two half round base beads, burying the clasps in the clay (or, since there is evidence that baking magnets can reduce their strength, bury a spacer in the clay same size as the clasp ends and glue them in after baking), then treat the half rounds with the same surface design as other round beads on your piece. Ford and Forlano have been integrating their clasps into their necklace designs for years. Here is one of their timeless big bead necklaces from 1997, with a clasp hidden in a back bead.
I do like that they didn’t even make the two halves the same, but simply versions of the same texture. It isn’t written anywhere that the halves have to match, is it? If you take some time to look through their body of work, you’ll see other finding integration solutions that might spark some ideas for you as well.
Keep in mind the beads don’t have to be round or even bead-like, as long as the clasps can be buried in the clay. For example, Cynthia Tinapple did this with faux river rock, as she demonstrates in this video tutorial. Her approach and tips can be expanded to include any kind of necklace component you would like to hide two-sided clasps in.
I thought this week, we’d just check in with what our fellow clayers are posting this first week of the year and I found quite a few pieces of new work on Flickr.
This detailed and whimsical bracelet is by Dorota Kaszczyszyn. The individual ridges that make up the dragon’s back work so perfectly as separate beads fitted together to create the bracelet and I love how she integrated the closure into the design. The closures usually end up on top of the wrist in large bead bracelets anyways since the weight of the beads, being heavier than the clasps, spin to hang downward so why not just design for that eventuality? I thought it was a great way to finish off a well sculpted and textured set of beads that is sure to draw some attention.
This is not Dorata’s first dragon bracelet but is, thus far, my favorite. I do like the toggle clasp on some of the others versus a lobster clasp but the face on this guy is beautiful. See more of her dragons (and owls … another favorite creature of hers) on her Flickr photostream.
Read MoreA very easy way to make your findings fit into the design of your jewelry is to cover the findings with polymer. Magnetic, barrel screw, or even box clasps can be covered using the same design or colors in clay. But not only that, you can create a clasp that blends into the design by hiding the clasps in two halves of a bead or component that matches others in the piece.
A nice big round bead makes a great concealer of clasps, especially the magnetic and barrel screw types. You create two half round base beads, burying the clasps in the clay (or, since there is evidence that baking magnets can reduce their strength, bury a spacer in the clay same size as the clasp ends and glue them in after baking), then treat the half rounds with the same surface design as other round beads on your piece. Ford and Forlano have been integrating their clasps into their necklace designs for years. Here is one of their timeless big bead necklaces from 1997, with a clasp hidden in a back bead.
I do like that they didn’t even make the two halves the same, but simply versions of the same texture. It isn’t written anywhere that the halves have to match, is it? If you take some time to look through their body of work, you’ll see other finding integration solutions that might spark some ideas for you as well.
Keep in mind the beads don’t have to be round or even bead-like, as long as the clasps can be buried in the clay. For example, Cynthia Tinapple did this with faux river rock, as she demonstrates in this video tutorial. Her approach and tips can be expanded to include any kind of necklace component you would like to hide two-sided clasps in.
Read More
