Goody Beads (great name for a bead store!) sell different kinds of jewelry supplies. Their best selling items are their Licorice and flat leather and accessories.  It's not hard to see why!  They have a great selection of European leather products for making easy but very stylish bracelets. You can see the previous designs I made here.


They sent me a selection of 5 different clasps and an assortment of leather as well as some slider beads.   The clasps really make the leather bracelets pop!  Making the bracelets with the exception of the one with the wire work embellishment, takes literally only a few minutes to do.  It will take a lot longer just trying to choose!  If you are making these as gifts or to sell, remember that the minimal labor will offset the higher costs of these clasps.  They are worth it!


Some tips. I really like their Super New Glue which is the glue I use now instead of E6000.  The latter is very good but I can never keep the nozzle clear and the tube is useless after it blocks up.  The Super New Glue is not the same formulation as the stuff you buy locally.  It dries quickly and has a strong bond. Another benefit is it stays liquid and a little goes a long way.


Make sure you check or even mark the depth of the hole where the leather is going in so the glue can be added to all parts of the leather end going in.  That will ensure the best bond. You can see the darker mark on the cork end above where I had tested the depth of the clasp end. Once glued,  make it snug by pushing the leather in a bit more.

Antique Silver Large Straight Clasp for Flat Leather (#A015686

Be sure to examine the clasp properly. Some styles like the clip-on one above have a more round top and a flat bottom so you need to orientate them correctly before gluing.  I matched this clasp with the awesome 10 mm flat cork (who knew cork could be jewelry?)  and added an Italian slider (#Z005041) and two silver bar beads (#A020155). This clasp is one of my favorites as it makes the bracelet so easy to wear. Snap it on.  Removing it requires just some pressure on the metal strip at the bottom to open up the hook.



Goody Beads also has excellent magnetic clasps like the one I used for the green 5mm flat leather bracelet. Very strong magnet. Having said that, wearers should always pull on the clasps not on the leather when opening it.



Antique Silver Extra Small Magnetic Clasp for Flat Leather (#A020079)

This bracelet was also a favorite. There wasn't enough leather to make a triple wrap but I like the look of the double wrap nonetheless.  The starfish was a Goody Beads slider bead (#Z002274) but the two round hole beads on other side were from my stash!  They work like slider beads too and actually helped prop up the flower bead and stopped it from sliding too freely!




The most spectacular clasp was the large belt buckle style one. It works like a real buckle too. Adding the braided leather strip really makes the whole bracelet look really like a belt!  It is a heavier clasp so I think a plain flat leather would be more suitable.

Antique Silver Hammered Buckle Magnetic Clasp for Flat Leather (#A020086)


The hook clasp is just a single piece clasp.  3 strands of 2mm leather cord had to be doubled as you can see below.  I used the last slider - a round disc (#A015694) and added two of my own round large hole rondelle metal beads to help keep the leather strands together.

Antique Silver Hook Curved Clasp for Flat Leather (#Z001958)


The gold clasp worked like a toggle clasp.  I teamed it up with the pale blue-green (they called it turquoise) 5mm flat leather. This time, I made my own wire wrapped slider component with 2 complimentary beads I had in my stash.  Make basic leather bracelets and then embellish with whatever you like - beaded or wire components, perhaps make your own polymer clay bead sliders? Endless possibilities!

Gold Bar Clasp for Flat Leather (#Z011616)




Giveaway
If you'd like to win a $50 gift certificate from Goody Beads,  please make a comment below.  
Make sure you leave contact info below if you do not have an online shop or blog. Goody Beads are also offering my blog readers a 5% off discount code for any order valid until April 30,2014.  Enter code : BEADGEM.

Subscribers need to click on the post title to come to my actual blog. Scroll down and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank. 

This giveaway is international.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower etc. If you also do shout outs about this giveaway, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments.

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, April 14, 2014. I will pick the winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips