Invisible clasp -- when two ideas meet

I've been meaning to publish a pic of this bracelet first after it was finished, but with my cold, Randi (he escaped outdoors on Tuesday and ripped out all his stitches in the process...) and everything I just don't seem to get around to finish it. Yet.

So here's a "sneak peek". My original inspiration -- as I've mentioned once before -- was a smart craft tip on the Rings & Things blog where Dave wrote about how Anne, another employee, came up with the idea of using bolo slides for a larger bracelet blanks than those they sold. Well, that got me thinking of other ways to use bolo slides and this clasp was one of the ideas I came up with. A clasp.


It's really a very simple design: I added a link to one of the metal "loops" and then I bent up the other "loop" using round nose pliers. Just enough for a second link to slide in and out of the "hook" I made. It's a pretty secure clasp as there is some tension when sliding the link on and off, but it's still easy to undo with one hand.

I didn't really plan on making whole bracelet blank, just use the clasp in some sort of jewellery, but as I hadn't come up with a good design I thought I might as well make a bracelet blank in "Anne style". Just wanted something to do. It wasn't my intention to make anything at all, I just wanted to add a bracelet to my new clasp, but it turned out I've made a bracelet blank with an invisible clasp.

So I guess I'll keep the clasp in this bracelet. I like the idea of an invisible clasp. Now I just have to come up with a good idea of how to embellish the blank...