Perhaps you too have become a little bored with using the same commercial clasps over and over in jewelry design. Toggle clasps are very popular and seem to grace almost every bracelet and necklace today. While Gold, silver and copper are great materials, sometimes the shiny metal distracts from the design or calls for a clasp that isn't too obvious at first glance. There are of course other not so obvious styles such as polymer clay covered barrel clasps, but this style of clasp serves double-duty as both clasp and pendant. My solution was to make a toggle from polymer clay, large enough to be both durable and functional as both clasp and pendant.
About my toggle clasp, it was first published in PolymerCAFE (April 2008). This newer version has now been reworked to include more detailed instruction, that I feel even a beginner would be able to achieve.
The tutorial, like in the magazine, includes a colored crackle technique, actually two methods because one that is achieved with inks, the other without. This newer version includes a whopping 37 photographs, 27 steps and 13 pages in an easy e copy .pdf file download. The tutorial guides you to create a leaf with branch toggle, but you can easily adapt or use any shape you desire, round, triangle, rectangle, flower or other shapes that inspire you.
Available through my Artfire and Etsy shops.
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