Featured Brand of the Month: Regaliz - Week Four

It's been fun spending the last 3 weeks exploring the Regaliz brand and all the nifty components they offer. Making a customizable bracelet is both fast and easy by using the perfectly sized and matching cord, beads, and clasps. But, and you knew there had to be a but, as jewelry designers we often like to walk off the beaten path and find our own way. For this last week of our brand of the month spotlight, I want to highlight some other products that you can use with Regaliz to create a unique and varied look to your design.

Seed Beads: Create sliders for your Regaliz bracelet out of seed beads. Try stitching a piece of peyote or right angle weave, both of these are easy to "zip up" and create a tube. This technique looks particularly nice with the Regaliz Corduroy Rubber.

TierraCast: We have been fans of TierraCast for years and were thrilled when they came out with their new rivetable line. These components work great with the Flat Cork Cord.

Cup Chain: Add some glam to your Regaliz design by adding rhinestone cup chain. You can wire wrap the cup chain in place, use a soft textile to wrap around it, or even use the new Super Glue to hold it where you want it.

Featured Project:  This week's featured project is Megan's Neon Peyote Regaliz Bracelet. A fun neon chevron patterned piece of bead weaving makes an eye catching slider for this Regaliz Corduroy Rubber Cord bracelet.

Featured Video: In this video, guest Designer Tracy Gonzales from TierraCast shows us how to use the TierraCast rivet setters to set compression rivets.

Designer Picks:

Megan:

Generally, when I see a new product in jewelry making, one of the first things I think about is how I could incorporate seed beads into a design with it.  The Regaliz line was no exception, and I had to sit down right away and make a bead woven slider bead for the corduroy rubber cord. 

Kat:

When I saw the TierraCast rivetables, I instantly wanted to incorporate them into my Regaliz projects.  I especially like the rivetable glue in cup beads.  You can add a pop of bling and color to the Regaliz flat cork cord by adding your favorite crystal flatback rhinestones.





Karlin:

I really like this antiqued pewter double round cap compression rivet set from TierraCast. These rivets are brass plated and have an antiqued pewter finish, which I think can look really cool with just about any color of Regaliz cork cord. They're simple, but will also add a bit of edge to your bracelets.






We hope you enjoyed learning more about our featured Brand of the Month, Regaliz! Make sure to take a look at our Regaliz Product Guide for more inspirational projects and instructional videos.

Featured Brand of the Month: Regaliz - Week Three

This is week three of our Brand of the Month spotlight on Regaliz and it is time to complete our bracelets by choosing a clasp. One thing that I love about Regaliz clasps is that a lot of them are as decorative and interesting as the beads themselves. It is not about hiding the clasp but showcasing it as a design element. All of the Regaliz clasps are incredibly well made and sturdy, assuring you that you will get years of enjoyment out of your jewelry.

When choosing a clasp, think about the overall feel of your piece and choose one that complements your beads. If you used a lot of really large beads, consider a larger clasp and vice-versa for smaller beads and a smaller clasp. Consider too if you want the clasp to be the focal; maybe you don't want to add any beads at all and you want your clasp to be the main design feature.

Featured Project: Regaliz Studded Pyramid Bracelet by Julie

This bracelet is funky yet chic and features awesome studded pyramid beads and an elegant silver plated magnetic buckle clasp. It captures the trends of today in a timeless manner.

 Featured Video: How to Add a Clasp to Regaliz Cords

In this video see how to add a Regaliz clasp to both the Flat Cork Cord and the Corduroy Rubber. Kat demonstrates how to glue the ends of the cords in place and securely finish your bracelet.


Designer Picks:
 

Megan:

The Regaliz magnetic buckle clasp is one of my favorite clasp designs.  It is so cute, and gives such a classic feel to your bracelet.  I can't wait to see what other applications I can find for it, because I plan to come up with a few more ways to use this piece.




Kat:

I think the antiqued silver plated snake hook and eye clasp is just too cool to pass up.  It is a simple hook and eye clasp and when your bracelet is clasped, it looks like the snake is biting his own tail.  I find this to be a really interesting design element.  It continues the circle of the bracelet without breaking it up. 

Karlin:

This antiqued silver half circle clasp is really unique. The clasp is magnetic and offers a secure closure to your bracelet - but it is also incredibly stylish and will add a sleek look to your bracelet. Another great quality about this clasp is that it's perfect for men's jewelry as well, as you can see in Megan's piece, The Logan Regaliz Bracelet.

Featured Brand of the Month: Regaliz - Week Two

If you are reading this blog and are a jewelry maker, chances are you love beads. Beads are the building blocks of a good design and they set the tone for the overall feel of the finished piece. Regaliz has produced a wide variety of beads in a plethora of shapes and finishes to help you create your unique bracelet, and this week we're taking a look at these beads. Add 1 bead, 2, 3 or even 12 to a bracelet, intersperse them with rubber O-rings or even consider adding some Vintaj patina to a metal bead to give it a pop of color.

Word jewelry and using initials is popular, and Regaliz offers alphabet beads that will let you spell out your name, your favorite city, or an inspiring word. Maybe you want to give a gift to a loved on and this is a great way of personalizing it. With so many beads to choose from, the possibilities are endless.


Featured Project: Regaliz Pink Mom Bracelet by Kat Silvia

This bracelet shows a wonderful use of the Regaliz alphabet beads.  What better was to personalize your bracelet for a gift or yourself.  These beads make it so easy.  

Featured Video: How to Use Rubber O Rings with Regaliz Cord

 

In this video, Megan demonstrates how to use and incorporate the Rubber O-Rings into your design.  These rings work with all three types of Regaliz cord. 


Designer Picks:


Megan:

It's probably not surprising that my favorite Regaliz bead has crystals on it.  I love this silver plated spacer bead.  The crystals will add such a pretty touch of sparkle to your chunkier corduroy rubber cord bracelets.  I really like the contrast that kind of look gives.




Kat:

My personal favorite is the antiqued copper plated butterfly slider for 10mm cork cord.  I think it is really neat that you can see the color of the cork you chose shine through as the color of the butterfly.  I also love it because it reminds me of those slice and bake cookies from when I was a kid. 

Karlin:

There is something so striking about this oval ceramic bead in Gasoline. I think the blend of colors on the ceramic is so cool and eye-catching. It can be paired quite easily with an array of colors of ceramic spacer beads and rubber o-rings on your 10mm Regaliz rubber cord.

Featured Brand of the Month - Regaliz Week One

Our April Brand of the Month is Regaliz and we can't wait to tell you all about it!

The Regaliz beading system provides you with everything you need to make customizable bracelets to suit your personality. First you choose the base material - do you want the heavier Regaliz Corduroy Rubber Cord to give you that trendy "chunky" leather look or do you want Flat Cork Cord to give you a sleeker design and one which you could even have multiple wraps with? The choice is totally up to you. After you have chosen what your bracelet will be made of, you get to have the fun of picking out the various beads, o-rings, and clasps to fit onto your cord. All the Regaliz components are made to work with each other, taking away the guesswork and leaving just the fun part of designing. We love that!

For this first week of our Brand of the Month spotlight, I would like to focus on the Regaliz cords themselves. The Regaliz Corduroy Rubber Cord has a soft flocked texture with uniform grooves running the length of it. When viewed from the side, it is oval in shape and measures 10mm x 6.5mm. The Regaliz Flat Cork Cord comes in both 5mm and 10mm widths and features a fabulous cork texture. It is soft and pliable and can easily be hole punched, stitched, and riveted. Both of these humane leather alternatives are sold by the inch so you only need to purchase exactly what you need for your design.

Featured Project: Peace and Love Regaliz Bracelet by Julie Bean

Featured Video:  How to Measure and Assemble a Regaliz Corduroy Rubber Cord Bracelet

I will be the first to admit that it is a little challenging wrapping your brain around how to figure out the right amount of cord to order when you don't have the beads and clasp in front of you. For that very reason I decided to make this video to help sort out how to measure Regaliz and take into account the added length of the clasp and the extra space needed when you add a bunch of beads.


Designer Picks


Megan:

I love the Regaliz 10mm flat cork cord in natural!  It's really different and pretty.  The slim profile of the cord makes great jewelry that's completely wearable for everyday use.  This cord is a fantastic blank slate and it allows a great deal of customization when you pair it with findings and beads.



Kat:

My personal favorite is the Regaliz 5mm flat cork cord in orange.  I just love a good arm full of bracelets.  I recommend using this size cork in a trendy wrap bracelet or double it up to utilize the findings for the 10mm bracelets.  Regaliz has made this a really versatile line for you to easily customize. 





Karlin:

My pick is the Regaliz 6.5mm corduroy rubber cord in black, mainly because it allows you to make larger statement bracelets. I like that you can stack on as many ceramic beads and rubber o-rings as you like, and really personalize your bracelet with your favorite colors. I'd pair mine with antiqued silver findings and an interesting clasp.