Jewellery making anyone??

vicks276

I bought my chain from hobbycraft but it was a bit dearer (£1.20 a meter) but you can pick it up on ebay for around £1 a meter. I remember seeing a site which was quite a lot cheaper, think it was an american site though. I will try and find it again.

Toggle clasps are cheapest on ebay i've found. You can get 10 for about £1 but keep checking on there as i've seen a couple of auctions for 50 sets starting and going for 99p

try these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15-sets-Tibetan-silver-toggle-clasp-fastener_W0QQitemZ220231416688QQihZ012QQcategoryZ150051QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

these are nice and quite reasonable
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-BALI-STYLE-TWISTED-ROPE-DESIGN-TOGGLE-CLASPS_W0QQitemZ230248853067QQihZ013QQcategoryZ150049QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

this is the seller that usually has the large quantity auctions
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/60-x-S-P-Toggle-clasps-jewellery-findings_W0QQitemZ130219434955QQihZ003QQcategoryZ150049QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

hope these are useful

vicks xx

Jo.G

I buy all my stuff from ebay. You can buy continuous chain (Angs Attic or Sparkles Findings) or you can buy complete chains with the clasps already on. You can also buy the charm type bracelets complete with the toggle fastenings.
Someone asked about memory wire - I've never used it but I think it comes in one coil and you just cut it yourself. I think I've read somewhere that you should use special cutters for it because it can easily blunt your sicssors / pliers.
HTH, Jo

Angie100

Jo.G wrote: »

I buy all my stuff from ebay. You can buy continuous chain (Angs Attic or Sparkles Findings) or you can buy complete chains with the clasps already on. You can also buy the charm type bracelets complete with the toggle fastenings.
Someone asked about memory wire - I've never used it but I think it comes in one coil and you just cut it yourself. I think I've read somewhere that you should use special cutters for it because it can easily blunt your sicssors / pliers.
HTH, Jo

Hi Jo - I can't find Sparkles on ebay - do you have a link please. thanks Angie

Jo.G

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Sparkles-Findings

Not very high tech so I dont know if the link will work! I just typed Sparkles Findings in the shop name search and it brought it up.

Jo

Angie100

Jo.G wrote: »

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Sparkles-Findings

Not very high tech so I dont know if the link will work! I just typed Sparkles Findings in the shop name search and it brought it up.

Jo

Thanks Jo - where is the search for shop names -I looked and searched but it never brought any up!!!

I am using Firefox so sometimes the view is different!!! Ah I typed Sparkles Findings and then sparkles_findings!!!! The dashes make all the difference lol!!!!

Lillibet_2

OK, here are my first attempts, a purist will be horrified, but I'm fairly pleased with them!

This one is intended as a spectacle chain & is intended to be quite eclectic! I am still awaiting delivery of the end fastners to attach it to the spectacles though!
It is made with white freshwater pearls, a mix of odd beads & threaded onto streachmagic.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/Lillibet123/Spectaclechain0001.jpg

This one is inteded for my Mum for Xmas, it is freshwater pearls, smokey ameythest bicone beads, a gold plated lobster claw clasp & threaded onto medical grade synthetic catgut (which is much nicer to work with than streachmagic IMHO!)
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/Lillibet123/MumXmas20080001.jpg

This set is intended for my M-i-L for Xmas, freshwater pearls, black seed beads & black bicone beads. The necklace is threaded onto synthetic cat gut & has a magnetic clasp, the bracelet is threaded onto streachmagic & doesn't have a clasp, the ear rings....well,don't look too closely! They are head pins & fishwires.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/Lillibet123/M-i-LXmas20080001.jpg

Please can someone tell me what crimp beads are for? I have them but can't get them to "crimp", am I not supposed to squash them? I gave up using them in these examples!

Angie100

Very nice - hadn't thought of spectacle chains, what a great idea. Not sure about the crimps myself.

I downloaded some info in pdf format from a website and it tells you about how to use various findings inc crimps on there with diagrams. Can't remember the site I got it from though!! PM me if you'd like it emailed to you.

Jo_F

Crimps are supposed to be squashed, you can get special pliers that do it in two stages, one that makes a U shape and then you use the other part to form a round ball shape.

They are used to 'hide' knots, hold beads in place in the illusion jewellery (this is where clear fishing line type thead, or tigertail is used and you don't fill all of it with beads, so they look like they are floating)

Be warned though, they can cut through fishing line, and will also cut through beading thread.

Just squashing them flat with normal pliers is also ok.

Jo_F

ps... Lilibet..... lovey work there, you have done well

sandy2_2

Hope someone will be able to help
I bought an evening/wedding style diamante necklace from ebay, the bit that lays across the throat is lovely about 5inches long and the last diamante each side, has a ring on it. The sides of the neclace are plain silver chain type links. Anyway I don't like that bit.
I have a single strand diamante necklace that if chopped in half would be ideal to replace the sides of the ebay necklace, are you with me so far....
If I cut the single strand diamante necklace in half, how can I attach it to the rings on the ebay necklace, as the stones in the diamante necklace are set in little box type thingies, and they attach to each other by a very small flat bit of metal.
I can't think of a way to attach to ebay necklace.
I do have a length of gold diamante chain which was made into a bracelet. this was done by enclosing the last diamante in a slightly larger 'box'. The 'box' has a ring so can be attached to a fastener or chain, but I can't see a similar 'finding' on ebay or any of the jewellery sites I've check so far.
Any ideas, sites links etc very welcome