Cleaning and Restoring C-Lon Bead Cord Jewelry

This is one of the bracelet I kept for my personal collection. It is a Multi Strand Bracelet with a square knot slide closure made with C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord and 4mm Titanium Coated Rainbow Hematite Beads. I wear it a lot, it's colorful and fun to wear. A few weeks ago while vacuuming my room, I heard a bunch of clinks... that sounded like beads being vacuumed up...

Sure enough, when I emptied the vacuum in a garbage bag,

the bracelet was there... but is was filthy. 

Cleaning Steps 

Wash the piece with soap and warm water,

and rinse it under running water. 

Let the piece dry on a clean towel.

Now it's ready to wear. 

If after you wash it, you still notice that the cord is a bit greyed out, or clouded over, or you see some whitening of the cord especially noticeable on darker cord, then cleaning is not enough, add the restoration step. 

Restoration for Bonded Nylon Cord

For all C-Lon Bead Cord (all 4 sizes), Tuff Bead Cord, D&E Bonded Nylon, or any of the older brands of bonded nylon #18 such as Conso or Mastex. 

Take some isopropyl alcohol, soak it in a lint free cloth such as an eyeglasses cleaning cloth, rub the cord, and let it dry. Make sure to lay the piece in its proper position as this also blocks the piece. 

This final step with the alcohol restore the bond transparency and the restore cord memory. The bond is softened by the alcohol and dries again fully transparent once the alcohol evaporates. The cord will naturally return to the position it had when the alcohol dried.  

Bond - What is it? The bond is a polymer clear coat added to the cord after the nylon fibers have been dyed and twisted into a 3-ply cord. The coated cord is baked in ovens. Quality control is important along this process. A properly applied bond adds a clear coat that holds the fiber together and make the cord abrasion resistant.  

I usually do not vacuum my jewelry, this was a first time event, and the perfect incentive to share and illustrate the cleaning process.  These are the steps I take when cleaning my personal jewelry, or when someone send me a piece for repair that needs it too. 

Interested in making this bracelet? > Multi Strand Bracelets

Pantone Color of the Year 2020 compared to C-Lon Bead Cord and More

CLASSIC BLUE - The 2020 Pantone Color of the Year

Calm and confident, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.

PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is a poised and self-assured blue hue, elegant in its simplicity.  Genderless in outlook and seasonless in endurance, this foundational anchor shade enables color mixes throughout the spectrum, yet at the same time, makes a strong statement on its own.

As to matches...

C-Lon Bead Cord: Try IND Indigo or the darker N Navy
> C-Lon Bead Cord (Standard - 0.5mm Ø)
> C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord (Heavyweight - 0.9mm Ø)
> C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord Tex 135 (0.4mm Ø)


Chinese Knotting Cord: Try 516-Lapis, 517-Washed Navy, 518-Midnight, or 519 Deep Navy. > Chinese Knotting Cord

Silks for Tassels: Try the Kanagawa 1000 Denier Silk Color KNK-153 and KNK-150
> Kanagawa and Fujix Tire Silks

Multi Strand Bracelets Variations - Rules are Made to be Broken

I have been enjoying making these bracelets. There are so many possibilities... as to beads and cord colors... And the pattern can be changed, rules are made to be broken. Here are some variations showing what's possible and how to deal with unanticipated occurrences.

When I first encountered etched beads, I was not sure if I would like them... I have since fallen in love with them. However I encountered a challenge: the bead holes of the etched beads are larger than most other Czech Fire Polished Beads, and the beads were sliding around the C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord... But hey I still wanted to work them into the design... The solution was to frame the larger holes etched beads with other beads with smaller holes.

This bracelet is made with 4mm Czech Fire Polished beads, Etched Gold Ore and Indigo Gold Ore. The etched gold ore beads were a bit loose on the C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, so to keep them from sliding around I boxed them in with the Indigo Gold Ore beads. Some of the cords have 3 beads, 1 Etched Gold Ore in the middle with one Indigo Gold Ore on each side, keeping the beads in place. Other cords have 5 beads, 3 Etched Gold Ore in the middle with one Indigo Gold Ore on each side.

The C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord colors are AGO Antique Gold, IND Indigo, and GR Grey.

This next bracelet is a variation of the bracelet shown above with NK Nickel instead for GR Grey and added beads, Etched Argento, also with larger holes, surrounded and blocked by Crystal Argento. The Etched Argento and Crystal Argento beads are loaded onto the Nickel cord. The Etched Gold Ore and Indigo Gold Ore ones are loaded onto the Antique Gold and Indigo C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cords.

Other options I like: 6 cords with 3 beads, 3 cords with 3 sets of 3 beads, so 9 beads altogether. 

For more info on these bracelets, go to the previous post. 

Find the beads listed here –> 4mm Czech Fire Polished Beads

Multi Strand Bracelets with Floating Beads and C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord

To make these bracelets, get the tutorial, C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord, 4mm beads, and a few tools and supplies. 

–> More Info, Kits, Tutorial, Tools

Necklace Cord for the Knotted Beaded Charms

To make the necklace cord for the knotted bead charm, you will need the following:

–> 1mm Chinese Knotting Cord

–> 1.5 mm Sterling Silver or Gold Filled Clasp

–>  Poly Zap Super Glue

–> Thread Burner

–> Chain Nose Pliers

For longer cords and smaller charms, I like to use a thinner Chinese Knotting Cord, so look at the New Fine and Fine size, and even the Extra Fine size as possible options. Or choose a thicker Chinese Knotting Cord such as the HDQ weight cords for a heavier charm. 

Or forgo the clasp and use a square knot slide closure. That's the same closure used for the Square Knot Bracelet Trio. 

–> Square Knot Bracelet Trio Kits and Tutorials

Go to the previous post for the tutorial on how to make the Knotted Bead Charm. 

Here are some bracelet - beaded charm combo, I like...

Gold Halo Beads, with Hematite Bead Centers

Bracelet Knotted with C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord

Charm knotted with C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord Tex 135

Necklace cord made with 1mm Black Chinese Knotting Cord

All Hematite, with Pearlescent White Hematite Beads
Bracelet Knotted with C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord
Charm knotted with the standard size of C-Lon Bead Cord
Necklace cord made with New Fine 201 Pearl Grey Chinese Knotting Cord

Bracelets made with Gunmetal Halo Beads, and Pearlescent Pink Coral Hematite Beads, knotted with Chinese Coral, Pink Lemonade and Charcoal C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord.

Charm knotted with the standard size of C-Lon Bead Cord, with Hematite Ring Beads and Pearlescent Pink Coral Hematite Beads.
Necklace cord made with 1mm Black Chinese Knotting Cord

Knotted Bead Charms with Hematite or Halo Ring Beads | DIY Video Tutorial

Hematite and Halo Ring Beads are very inspiring... I just designed the Square Knot Bracelet Trio using these beads... and I wanted a small necklace to go with them, a small addition that could be made with either leftover beads or just a few additional purchased beads... the idea became the knotted bead charms.

–> Square Knot Bracelet Trio Kits and Tutorials

For making the charms use the following materials:

Hematite or Rainbow Titanium Coated Hematite Ring Beads available HERE

or

Halo Zamak Beads made in Greece available in Antique Brass, Copper or Silver, Gunmetal, Gold or Rose Gold finishes available HERE - All nickel and lead free and meeting European jewelry standards. 

+ 

6mm Hematite, Rainbow or Pearlescent Hematite Beads for the center, available HERE

or 

6mm Swarovski Crystal Pearls available HERE

+

4mm Hematite, Rainbow or Pearlescent Hematite Beads for the center, available HERE

or 

4mm Swarovski Crystal Pearls available HERE

As for tools, you will need a macrame board, a bead mat, 1 1 3/4" T-pin, beeswax, a large fine point reamer, a thread burner, beading tweezers, scissors. All these are available HERE. 

As to cords, use C-Lon Bead Cord with the Hematite Rings, and C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord Tex 135 with the Halos. You will need about 24 inches or 60 cm per bead charm. 

For the necklace cord for the charm, use Chinese Knotting Cord, it is a braided nylon and it look great as a neck cord and use a small sterling or gold filled clasp. Go to the next post for the video tutorial on how to make the necklace cord for the charms...

Compare C-Lon Bead Cord Colors - The Blue Green Range

I often get emails with someone is asking me to describe the difference between two colors. And yes, colors can be described but a picture is worth a thousand words...

Here is the blue green range compared with bluer colors on the left, greener ones on the right:

CY Cyan is the bluest.

AQ Aqua is a bit lighter and a bit less blue.

IB Ice Blue is lighter and greener.

TL Teal is the darkest tone in this range.

TQ Turquoise is the lightest color in this group.

SG Sage is a bit darker, greener, and more muted.

CEL Celadon is a touch lighter, greener, and even more muted.

For more pictures and other color, visit these posts:

> Compare C-Lon, Chinese Knotting Cord, and Kanagawa and Fujix Tire Silk 

> C-Lon New 2015 Colors

> C-Lon Bead Cord Colors - This is a series of posts on C-Lon Bead Cord Colors. It includes this post plus the two listed here above. 

The large photos on these posts will help you choose C-Lon colors for your next project!

Playing with String Art - Designs with C-Lon Bead Cord

String art, also known as symmography, or filography, is best described as linear thread design merging geometry and art, or mathematical and geometrical design combined with artistic design. Essentially, it works by connecting two points with a straight line, and then by grouping and overlapping multiple points and lines. The design can be first drawn with pencil and a ruler on a sheet of paper or can be composed in a more spontaneous way directly with the cord and thread right onto a board or canvas. 

C-Lon Bead Cord is a perfect material to create string art pieces with its wide color range and different sizes, making it fun to play around and experiment with. 

Here are my first three pieces experimenting in this field. All are made with a 12 by 12 stretched canvas. 12 by 12 canvasses are inexpensive and easily available at your local art store or online. 

Shield - Playing with Symmetry

Materials: 1 12 x 12 Canvas, Gesso, Acrylic Paint, Small Nails, C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord

Tools: Pencil, Ruler, 1-2 Foam Brushes, Hammer, Scissors, and Thread Burner

1. First paint the canvas with white gesso, let it dry.

2. Add a coat of acrylic in a celadon tone and let it dry.

3. Tack small nails to the back of the stretcher bars, 1 cm apart, all around. If the nails are placed on the back of the canvas, they will not be seen. They will face the wall. Leave the head of the nails sticking out so the cords can be wrapped around the nails. 

For this piece I added 4 nails right at the center of each side and left these sticking out a bit more as lots of cords will be strung around these nails. 

From left to right: (darker to lighter colors) 

Group 1 - Persian Indigo, Hyacinth and Periwinkle

Group 2 - Myrtle Green, Fern and Mint - Oops Fern is missing and Celadon is shown instead

Group 3 - Navy, Indigo, and Light Blue

Group 4 - Marina, Teal and Turquoise

4. Start stringing the rays from the central nail outwards. Each of the rays are made with 3 C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord colors. Attach the darker color by making a knotted loop, melt the end of the cord right into the knot with the thread burner, and loop it around the first nail, just off center across the main center nail. Go back and forth around the nails making 8 central rays, 4 on each side of the center line. On one side go around two nails, the other side always around the central nail creating a symmetrical design.

5. Change to the next color in between two of the nails. Tie the darker color you just used to the middle color, melt the cord ends into the knot, and continue looping the cord back and forth. Change to lighter color and finish all the way to the last nail. Tie the cord off with 2-3 half hitches. Melt the cord end into the last half hitch. 

6. Repeat for all 4 sides. 

Variations: change colors, change cord size, add more cords... 

The photo montages may not show the pieces to scale. To get this effect, you may have to scale up to larger canvasses.

These close ups show how the piece is seen from the side, making them a good choice for wall art in a hallway... as they change as you move. 

Bridge - Balanced Asymmetry

Materials: 1 12 x 12 Canvas, Gesso, Black Gesso, Small Nails, C-Lon Micro Bead Cord, C-Lon Fine Weight Bead Cord and C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord
Tools: Pencil, Ruler, 1-2 Foam Brushes, Hammer, Scissors, and Thread Burner

This piece is a bit more free form than the last one... Follow steps 1-3, but at step 2, coat the canvass with black gesso instead of an acrylic coat.

Cord Colors: C-Lon Micro Cord in Grey ad Oyster, Fine Weight in Grey, Argentum and White and C-Lon Tex 400 in Shanghai Red. 

May have been Beige and Oyster for the Fine Weight. Not sure, the piece is at a show and all the colors were left on my desk, so I considered them... I can't remember which ones I ended up using for the Fine Weight exactly. 

Work the cord in layers starting with the Micro Grey and then the Fine Weight going from dark to light. Create movement and repetitions. 

Tie the bundles with the Tex 400 cord. Use the thread burner to melt the ends back into the knot. Then weave some Shanghai Red cords across using a tapestry needle. Size 20 is perfect for C-Lon Tex 400 Cord

For this piece I had no precise composition plan, other than creating an asymmetrical composition reminiscent of jazz with repetitions and surprises. I just followed my intuition and ending up with 3 repeated elements, the 3 triangles on left and the bundles on the right. All held up by the repeated diagonal lines going from left to right and the intersecting line on the right corner. The contrasting red color was the final touch bringing in dots as knots and woven lines.

Close up of the Tied Bundles

Close up of the Triangles

Close up of the Woven Lines

Tight Rope - Creating Tension

Materials: 1 12 x 12 Canvas, White Gesso, Small Copper Plated Nails, Black C-Lon Micro Bead Cord , Copper Wire, Electronic Wire

Tools: Pencil, Ruler, 1-2 Foam Brushes, Hammer, Scissors, and Thread Burner

This piece is a bit more planned than the last one... Gesso the canvas with white gesso. Let dry. Then mark the places where nails will go using a ruler and a pencil. 

Drill partial holes. It will make it easier to hammer the nails straight. Hammer the nails all at the same depth. Use a guide to keep the tops of the nails level. 

I placed 11 nails on the top left, nails all across the bottom, all 1 cm apart. The final nails on the top right were added afterwards once the thread composition was made with the Black C-Lon Micro Cord. 

Attach the cord right at the left bottom nail. Use 3-4 half hitches. Melt the cord end right to the knot. Pull tight to make sure it is secure. Create a composition with the Black Micro Cord, going back and forth. Think of it as music with rhythm. End the Micro cord with 3-4 half hitches and melt the cord end into the last knot. 

I added the extra nail on top right for the final touch, the opposing composition element and a contrast of materials. 

The copper wire is hand twisted - the galvanized electronic just pulled tightly. 

I hope that you will try this art form. It is easy and the results are fun. If you go ahead and make a piece, let me know how it goes. This is the perfect type of projects to do as a planned activity with kids incorporating art and geometry... And it can be done with cardboard cutting little slots on the edges instead of canvasses and nails. 

I will keep you posted on future pieces. I really want to make a few more! - Marion

Resources and References

Bonded Nylon - C-Lon Bead Cord

Compare Thread Burners

Do a search on 'String Art', get books on the subject... There are many resources with info and instructions online relating to this subject, but please refrain from using cotton floss or cotton crochet yarn as many of these sites recommend. C-Lon Bead Cord is far superior as it can be dusted, washed, and the cord is durable!

New C-Lon Bead Cord Colors - July 2015

C-Lon July 2015 Colors: Aurum, Medium Brown, Green Olive, and Venetian Red.

Compare C-Lon Bead Cord Aurum to other Gold Tones

Aurum, the Latin name for gold, is the new gold tone. It is a great addition to the gold tones and yellow range. Here it is, surrounded by Lemon and Golden Yellow (at bottom), Light Maize & Marigold (on left), Gold (on right), Tan & Antique Gold (on top).  

Medium Brown, in the midst of the other brown tones, with at top: Latte, Sable and Brown, then continuing in a clockwise fashion, Chocolate, Sepia, Antique Brown, then Cocoa, more of a grayish taupe… and finally Mahogany, a reddish brown. 

Here is Medium Brown, next to Sable. It shows the tone and value difference between the two. 

Green Olive, the newest olive green addition, is greener than Olive and darker than Olivine… Compare it to Myrtle Green (at top), Chartreuse (left), Peridot, Fern, and Green (above) and Forest Green (on right), and Olivine and Olive (below).

Venetian Red, a perfect lower saturated red that reminds us of natural earth clay tinted by iron oxide, the interior of palaces in Venice, or the murals of Pompeii… is surrounded clockwise starting on left with Black Current, Sienna, Copper Rose, Chinese Coral, Shanghai Red, Red-Hot and Red.

I am truly amazed to have so many colors to work with!

> Shop for C-Lon Bead Cord

> See the New C-Lon Bead Cord June Colors

C-Lon Bead Cord - How to Identify Colors

As the collection grows, it is getting more and more difficult to keep track of some of the colors without some kind of reference. Here are some suggestions that might help to keep track of your colors.

At first, here is how you will receive your order if you place it with marion jewels in fiber online store:

… in plastic bags with a label with cord type and name tags

… in a cardboard box

When ordering 5 spools or more, you will get them in a box. The back row of the box is packed first from left to right, then the front row also from left to right. If the colors are obvious no label will be included. You will need to figure out which color is which based on your packing slip.

… in a cardboard box with a label

If the colors are too close to be easily identified, a label is affixed with color names codes. These codes are listed on your packing slip or invoice, the website, and the color chart.

So now, you know what colors you just got, but the challenge is how to keep track of these colors especially with a group such as the one above once you start playing around with them…

Get an Official Color Card Set

C-Lon Bead Cord Color Sample Cards

104 cards have actual samples of each color of the C-Lon Bead Cord. Plus 4 cards are size comparison cards with Micro Cord, Tex 135 Fine Weight, standard or regular Bead Cord and the heavyweight Tex 400. Each card has about a yard of cord.

They are organized in alphabetical order by codes and bound in 4 sets. Each group is attached by a plastic tie.

Actual cards are 2 1/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches (5.7 cm x 6.3 cm). $45.00 a Set > Get one

These color sample cards represent a tremendous amount of work by C-Lon and minimal mark-up all around, well a labor of love at the $45.00 price for 108 cards. New colors get added, but with a bit of a delay... The Neons are in. The New Colors as of June 2015 have not been added in yet.

Print a Color Chart and Add Actual Samples

Printed C-Lon Color Charts

Photographed with customer right at the show. Thank you!

A customer came to a show armed with these color charts. This way she had a record for the colors already had, plus she had marked the one that needed to be re-purchased…  Actual samples of the cord stapled in a butterfly fashion is a brilliant idea!

Spools can be compared to the chart and the actual cord sample for identification. All the C-Lon Bead Cord sizes have now a printable version of the color chart. Just look for the 'Print Color Chart' link, then print them and overtime as you add more colors to your collection fill in the squares. Haha, that sounds like lotto.

These were printed on photo paper and placed into clear sheet protectors. If you do not have a printer, the color charts could be printed at a copy place from the PDFs online. Most copy/printers nowadays can access a file online.

Add Tags to the Spools

Tags for C-Lon Bead Cord

Another customer sent me this picture a few weeks back… She described how she did it and I duplicated the mini-tags below. Thank you for the fabulous idea!

Code on one side

Take an address label. Cut it in 1/2 length-wise, leaving it attached to the back of the label paper. Write the color name in the top quarter facing the top edge. Write the code on the next quarter facing the long side. Remove it from the backing, fold the top quarter back onto itself. Fold the label into a small tube and insert inside the center hole of the spool. Once in, flatten the label with a knitting needle, crochet hook handle or whatever you have on hand with a thin long cylinder. Hey it sounds way more complicated than it actually is. It really is very easy to do. Just wait for the ink to dry before folding the label. I smeared mine… 

Full name on the other side

The spools can be stored with their little tags sideways in the boxes, on wood rack, or in plastic boxes, I tried them on my wood rack, and yes it works. The actual length of the tags could be fine tuned to minimize their heights.

The large bobbin box I carry for C-Lon Bead Thread Size D & AA,  plus KO or Miyuki Beading Thread will hold 12 spools of C-Lon Bead Cord in ant for the 4 sizes with enough extra space for the name tags on the spools. I will add a picture of the box filled with C-Lon Spools as soon as I can.

In addition to these solutions,  I have also encountered customers with notebooks with snippet of cord attached with names and date of purchase. I am very fond of all these homegrown solutions. 

Let me know if you have any other suggestions. The professionals thus far early on thought of complicated and expensive solutions such as plastic canisters for each spools. Or a longer plastic tube for several spools, so each time you needed a color, you had to dump everything out to get the color you needed…. I found all of these attempts to be a waste of time and money, plus they were not environmentally friendly. 

Please reuse or recycle plastic bags, and/or cardboard boxes sent with your order. Grocery stores have recycling for plastic bags. Most places nowadays have curb recycling for cardboard. Thanks ;)

Other post you might be interested in...

> C-Lon Bead Cord - Comparing Sizes

> Storing C-Lon Bead Cord

> C-Lon versus S-Lon (SuperLon)