Archive for August, 2009

Featured bead: Hollow sterling beads

Friday, August 28th, 2009

“Hollow” means a lot of different things when you talk about beads and findings.  Let’s look at hollow sterling beads…

Hollow sterling silver beads all have one thing in common — they’re light in weight and they’re more affordable than solid silver beads.

  • There are organic-shaped hollow sterling nugget beads.  They’re hollow because they’re a continuous surface like a pebble, only empty inside:
hollow sterling nugget beads

Hollow...

hollow silver roller beads

...toroidal...

  • Silver teapot charms are hollow because they’re shaped like a real teapot, with room inside for a tiny drink:
hollow 3-D silver teapot charm

...concave

If you really think about it, “hollow” could mean even more things…how about those deeply pockmarked lava beads?  Leave a comment to suggest more ideas about hollow beads!

Dapping tools and why you need them

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Do you use metal clay?  (Like Art Clay Silver and Gold.)  Or metal sheet?

dapping tool set

If you do metalwork, making a smooth finished product is a major goal.  Dapping punches with their ball-shaped ends are a huge help.  They’re used to “dome” metal.  (So some call them “doming punches”.)  Think of adding depth to pendants…or making each half of your own unique bead!

“Dappling” punches (as we’ve also seen them called) are usually used in an affordable set with another dapping tool

dapping block

Dapping blocks are a block of wood or steel with domes (half-spheres) of various sizes indented into the sides.

You just place the metal, or metal clay, against one of the dimples in the dapping block.  Then you work it smooth, rounding it by “dapping” at it with the punch.

Dapping blocks are also wonderful for forming a domed filigree, as Mara Marlow did in her “Eglantyne” necklace for the Rings & Things Your Designs Rock design contest:

Domed filigrees made with a dapping block

Domed filigrees made with a dapping block

Share dapping ideas — leave a comment!

Happy alabaster anniverary, Rings & Things

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

I found a website that says your 37th is your alabaster anniversary…

mint alabaster

Happy anniversary to Rings & Things!  We celebrated our 37th “birthday” this last weekend.  It was a big, fun bash.  I wanted to share a couple quick photos!

A wire-wrapping demo with the EuroTool ladies

A Wubbers & wire (wrapping) demo with the EuroTool ladies

Visitors took in lots of demos: wire-wrapping, SoftFlex stringing with Sara, and metal-stamping “make & takes”.

Finding fun Czech beads was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel...

Finding fun Czech beads was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel...

We had absolutely piles of great new beads that you haven’t seen in our catalog!

Dyed composite magnesite beads were an attention-getter!

Dyed composite magnesite beads were an attention-getter!

For another fun perspective on Rings & Things’ big event, read SoftFlexGirl Sara’s blog…and mark your calendar for 2010 for our tourmaline anniversary.  (I think we can provide some special anniversary beads for that one!)

…Got a jones to check our shows?  If you live near Rochester, Boston, New Haven, northern New Jersey or Philadelphia, put in your name to be our Guest Bead Helper the last week of September!

Start conversations…about your craft jewelry

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

From a thread of conversation over at Twitter.  Thanks, tweeter friends!

Craft business tip (1):  Always carry your business cards with you.

Craft business tip (2):  Wear your craft jewelry wherever you go.

Craft business tip (1+2=3):  Wear your jewelry and hand out your business cards.  It’s amazing how many people have told me about someone approaching them asking “Where did you get that great jewelry? Oh my gosh, you made it??”  The next step from there is obvious: snag a new customer.

Craft business tip (3+1=4):  Make a t-shirt that artfully invites, “Ask me about my jewelry!”  How about a button too?

Ask me about my etsy store

Ask me about my etsy store!

It works.

Share a story about “conversation starters” that led to sales–leave a comment!