Category: Leather and Suedes

Working With Leather Cord

There are many great options for finishing your projects with leather cording.

A Pewter End Cap is really pretty.  You simply flatten the middle of the finding with pliers.

This is also a pewter end cap with four leaves.  We recommend a small dab of glue on the end of your leather cord and then carely press the leaves together over the cord.

This is a medium sized leather crimp.  You place the cord in the centre and fold the two flaps tight over the cord.

These are stainless steel end caps.  End caps are available in many sizes and they will work with the the thinnest to the widest cords.  You glue the cord into the cap.

These are called “coil with loop.” You glue the cord into the coil.  The loop makes it easy to either add a clasp or jumpring for a closure.

This is a more decorative crimp end.  You slide the cord through the backside and flatten the one or all three round coils to keep the cord in place.  Our collection of crimps is here.

 

These pretty crimps come in different sizes, so it is good to know the thickness of the cord you will be working with.

Lets not forget that a simple knot is a classic style for leather cord projects.

This is a “magnetic tube clasp“.  You glue your cord into the two components that make the clasp and you have a finished piece in minutes.  Tube clasps are available in many sizes, so being aware of your cord thickness is important.  You can see all our magnetic tube clasps here.

 

This is a simpler “Tube clasp” without the magnet.  It works the same and as long as you know your cord thickness you can get the right sized tube clasp set to work with.  Our collection is here.

 

If you have time to google or go to YouTube you will see lots and lots of how-tos explaining how to add macrame knots to finish jewelry.  We have a square knot step by step right here.

A popular way to create a finished piece with leather cord is by using the “sliding knot.”  We have a step by step for that technique here.

 

Adding a bead to the end of a leather cord is also a great addition.  It can also act as a clasp.

 

Wire wrapping the ends is also a nice finish.  Simply leave enough space so that you have an opening which can act as a clasp as well.

Leather Cord Instead of Chain

A quick search on Pinterest for leather cord jewelry will pull up hundreds of great images and inspiration for leather projects.

Our genuine leather cord is available in many wonderful colors.  It is an ideal replacement for chain when designing necklaces and bracelets.

Leather cord can be tied together for fast no-clasp peices.  You can also use a number of unique products to finish the edge of the cord to make wearable jewelry quickly too!

We have over a dozen options to share with you.

  1.  Bend your leather cord and wrap with wire to make loops that can go over buttons and other clasps.

2.  Use end caps that are attached by flattening the mid section with pliers.  Finished jewelry looks high end and the end caps can be linked with jump rings to clasps, charms, tassels and more.

We have a small assortment of these end caps left in stock linked here.

We also sell a revolving version of these that are beautiful and linked here.

3.  These end caps “pinch” into place.  A little dab of glue keeps it more secure.

They are linked here.

4.  Leather crimps are the most common way to finish a cord.  We have a wide assortment of sizes so that more than one cord can be crimped too!  Linked here.

 

5.  Traditional glue on end caps in small sizing for leather is also very popular.  Many people glue several cords into one end.  We have end caps for one cord and more here.

6.  The coil loop is visible on lots of leather cord designs.  While you could make these yourself with wire, sometimes it is nice to have them finished and ready to attach with glue.  Linked here.

7.   We have some decorative crimps that act in the same way #2 on this list works.  These caps have a mid section that you flatten with pliers.  This grips and holds the leather cord in place.  Their design are meant to be seen and featured.

These crimp ends are also available in sterling silver.  Leafs linked here.

8.  Glue-on magnetic clasps make your peice instantly wearable.  The ends are finished and the clasp is easy to open and close.  Our entire collection is linked here but you will need the caps you can glue-on.

9.  The plug-in clasp tube is also a great option for finishing a cord.  The link is here.

 

10.  A knot is also acceptable for finished leather cord jewelry.  No tools, no components!

11.  A bead plus a knot is even better for a finish.

12.  Of course, knotting more than one cord creates a fridge effective.  Also, take a moment to google “sliding knot” for one of the most common additions to leather cord jewelry.  There is a video explaining the knot right here.

 

13.  Leather cord plus a bead also creates a button style clasp.  Easy and no tools required.

Create Your Own Badge With Leather and Beads

John Bead Beaded and Leather Badges!

Earlier this year we shared some images of the “make and take” project John Bead presented at the winter trade shows.  These leather and bead badges were very popular so we are sharing our step by step with you.

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Color has meaning and we chose to focus on five unique palettes.

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The leather badge was created utilizing tooling leather for the shaped background and leather sheets for the stripe.

Leather sheets  Tooling Leather

We have attached the PDF created by our Marketing department so you can make your own.

Leather-Badges-template

Leather Badges template

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It is helpful to have a leather punch so you can make holes for the pins to go through.

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We also provided some leather crafting tools so that the leather edges received some detailing.  This is the leather edge beveler.

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Each badge featured one of these kilt pins.  There are three open spots to hang an embellishment or charm on.

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Beads we have an abundance of!  We provided a selection of gorgeous Czech glass beads for our make and takes along with eye pins and jump rings.  We think everyone really enjoyed creating their own bead charms/dangles.  We also had some tiny metal spacers available for anyone wanting to add some metallic shimmer.

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Although we had a color palette for inspiration we noticed quite quickly that some participants wanted to select their own colors.  That worked out really well too!

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We also gave our participants one more opportunity to embellish their pins since there was a little extra space available before setting the kilt pin onto the leather badge.

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I think the extra beads made the top look extra special.

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This is an easy make and take to set up.  It is a great way to use up smaller beads and leftovers.  We hope you enjoy making your own badges, with and without, a leather badge background.  The kilt pins are perfect for all awareness campaigns.

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Creativity on The Catwalk Show – The Global Jet-Setter Look

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Our Global Chic product line was beautifully captured in this picture from the “Creativity on the Catwalk” fashion shows in the UK last month at CHSI Stitches. (Photo from CHSI)

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Our Creative Director, Fernando DaSilva designed an “out of the ordinary collection of jewelry that is delightfully different, chic and of course trendsetting.”  Here is a closer look at just one of the six models he styled.  The unique embroidered dresses were hand picked by Fernando in Brazil in January.

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Fernando combined a traditional caftan with one of a kind art jewelry.  Sandra Baumgartena is the perfect model for this look because she radiates confidence.  The look implies that she loves drama and texture and Fernando believed if she walked into Diane von Fürstenberg’s office she’d be hired in a moment!

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Sandra’s cuff prominently features wire and beaded flowers hand crafted by Lena Gillespie of Purple Lace Designs.  Her beautiful wirework uses our Tropical Punch flower maker as the centre.

Fernando used our leather sheets to wrap a brass cuff with hand stitched edging and a faux suede lining.  Lovely knots chocolate cord was used for the stitching.

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Leather strips are riveted in place to attach the flowers using the rings already soldered to the back of the flower maker.

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The earring are also show stoppers.

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Filigree is set with a Swarovski crystal stone.  Global Chic semi precious teardrop beads and gold chain tassels create the dramatic dangles.  These earrings could easily be turned into pendants as well.

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The Global Jet-Setter look was completed with the addition of these Czech rings which were already handmade and are being sold in our John Bead Outlet.

This is post three in our series.

Look One – Golden Butterscotch can be viewed here.

Look Two – Wild Boho can be reviewed here.

Vintage 50’s Necklace With A Kumihimo Twist

 

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Designed by Carmi Cimicata for John Bead Corp and Perles et Cetera Winter 2016 Issue. This is the English translation of the step by step that appeared in French in the current issue of the Magazine.

Kumihimo Kumihimo

This simple kumihimo disk has become the most loved tool in my studio. Made of foam, it is surprisingly sturdy. Kumihimo is an ancient braiding technique. Today, the classic 8-strand braid is easy to create with a variety of stringing materials. Most kumihimo disks come with instructions for this braid. Rattail is usually included because it the most common string used by kumihimo designers. It braids easily and is available in a wide selection of colours and several thicknesses.

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I love the 8-strand braid and have tested it with virtually every stringing material I have in my stash.   Thick and thin lengths of cording combine to create the most elegant braids. They look complicated and unique. This really appeals to me as a designer.

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To create the three tiered necklace I set up three completely different braids. My disk looked different each time. For one braid I used Neo Chain and classic kumihimo polyester rattail.

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My second braid features several different thicknesses of cotton wax cord.

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The third braid is especially unique with one extra thick piece of Nappa leather cord, soutache cord, cotton wax cord and rattail.

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The color palette for these braids was influenced by the announcement of the 2016 Pantone Color of the year. This is the first time they have selected two colours; Rose Quartz and Serenity.

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2016 Pantone Color(s) of the Year.

Kumihimo

I glued my three braids into a special large kumihimo end cap. I made sure to let this cure overnight before adding my lobster clasp in order to ensure that the three braids were permanently in place.

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I think the necklace looks lovely on it’s own. The chain I added to one of the braids adds a tiny bit of glitter.

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However, what is life without a little extra embellishment? As a jewelry lover I also have quite a few of these vintage brooches in my collection.

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I added this over the top rhinestone brooch and felt quite satisfied with the final necklace. The brooch is in place with just its pin back, so it is easy to remove, replace or switch out for a different color.

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Here is how the necklace appears in the current issue of Perles Et Cetera.

Products Used from John Bead Corp.

Kumihimo Circle Disk

Dazzle-it Rattail

Dazzle-it Cotton Wax Cord

Metal Complex Napa Leather

Kumihimo End Cap #23820105-01

Lobster Claw

Quick Grip Glue

More Information

If you go to blog.dazzle-it.com you will see over sixty posts I have written featuring kumihimo.

If you would like to see a video demonstrating the classic 8-strand technique go to this link.

Retro Blooming Necklace

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace for CHA 2016

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace Workshop Created for CHA 2016

“Make a cutting edge leather necklace using components from the Tropical Punch line by John Bead Corp in association with Sizzix machines and brand new dies created by Jill MacKay.   Mixed media has never been this hip…until now!   A workshop literally to die for.”  Workshop by Carmi Cimicata

Soft Leather

This workshop was created to showcase our soft leather sheets and some of the unique components in the Tropical Punch jewelry making collection.  Since the workshop techniques were demonstrated in person, these pictures are a good summary of what you need to do in order to create something similiar.

cut1  RETRO BLOOMING Necklace for CHA 2016

The Retro Blooming Necklace stands out because of the layered leather blooms.  We were able to create and cut the flowers with special dies from the Jill Mackay collection. Thank you Sizzix for allowing us to use your new “Movers and Shapers” dies for workshop.

Tip – You will be able to die cut more flowers if you cut your leather into smaller shapes. There will be less waste. (see picture above)

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace for CHA 2016

You can cut as many flower shapes as you may want for your necklace. Some of my pieces are over the top with more than three layers. You may prefer far fewer flowers on your necklace.  Simply cut and build layers until you are satisfied with the groupings.

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I used a tiny dab of glue between each flower layer to secure it in place.  For the layer on top I added the special circular bead.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace for CHA 2016

The bead I used as the flower centre is a Preciosa Ripple™. I sewed mine with a tiny bead anchor to give my necklace more of a hand-finished appearance. RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

I only sewed through a single layer of leather.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

One good stitch with a knot holds the bead in place. Then I glued the layers of leather together. The Ripple bead covers the tiny hole in each flower and any possible glue seepage. (Notice where I added glue.)

NOTE: If you do not enjoy sewing, you can glue the bead in place too.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

I worked on a non-stick surface so I did not accidentally glue my leather flower to my table/work surface.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

I always let glue dry overnight if I can.  In a classroom setting, we are on the clock, so it was great to be able to use a fast glue such as Quick Grip for this project.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

 

To make the flowers wearable I used Tropical Punch polyester pipe for my necklace.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

I created the tiered look by cutting my pipe to the length I liked and taping it in place to maintain its shape.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

 

I added a pendant bail slider to my last polyester pipe cord before gluing on my end caps.

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The bail slider allowed me to add this special lucite Tropical Punch flower to the necklace. Then I glued my leather blooms to the polyester pipe necklace so that the lucite flower was perfectly framed.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

If you do not like working with frayed ends (1),  you can tape your polyester pipe before cutting it (2)  or use a flame to seal the edges (3).

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

The Tropical Punch endcap I picked has a deeper center, so I cut my cords into a triangular shape so that I could glue them properly into the cap.  This allowed the cords to sit side by side snuggly in the cap with glue.

RETRO BLOOMING Necklace

If you are working on a beading board, place a little masking tape under any area where you apply glue.  This way your project won’t accidently stick to the board if glue seeps out.

Your last step is to add a clasp.

Retro Blooming Necklace

I used these products from John Bead Corp.

Soft leather sheets – Retro Pink and Black Suede   75103102-05 + 75103100-00

Tropical Punch Polyester Pipe   75001000-01 (available in many colors)

Tropical Punch Findings   26002001-03

Tropical Punch Lucite Flowers   28400684-04

Pendant Bail Sliders   26002053-01

Bead Design Board   74530132

Quick Grip Glue

Czech Preciosa Ripple Beads  27800957-01s5

Macrame With Genuine Leather Cord

Leather Cord

This is the perfect time of the year to wear necklaces that feel a little more substantial. These simple but stylish necklaces were made by Nancy Donaldson who spent a few hours working with our leather cord collection.

 

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While softer cords are a more traditional approach to macrame, the use of leather allows you to really showcase the individual knots.

 

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Ends can be left just cut.DSC01073

For this collar Nancy added in some metal blank washers.DSC01076

The look is industrial and contemporary.

Metal Blank Washers

Nancy used german silver metal blank washers.

Leather Cord Leather Cords

We have a very large assortment of leather cords to select from on spools and retail ready packaging.