Browsing Category

As seen in

Tuesday Tunes

April 19, 2011

I didn’t want you to miss the Tuesday Tunes I’ve been putting up on Facebook!

  1. Click the titles & the pics, you get the ♫ music video ♪ and you can browse & buy exclusive Crystal Jams Swarovski mixes…
  2. Click the Share buttons, you earn karma 🙂

BAD BAD LEROY BROWN

Bad Bad Leroy Brown, by Jim Croce: the video

Bad Bad Leroy Brown, another rockin' Crystal Jams mix of Swarovski beads--by Rings & Things

*


RASPBERRY BERET

Raspberry Beret video

Raspberry Beret, another of Rings & Things' exclusive Swarovski "crystal jams"

*


WALKING ON SUNSHINE

Walking on Sunshine video

Walking on Sunshine, an exclusive Swarovski "crystal jams" mix at Rings & Things

*


WASTED YOUTH

Wasted Youth--Meat Loaf's "Everything Louder than Everything Else" video

*


JAILHOUSE ROCK

Video of Jailhouse Rock

*


KUNG-FU FIGHTING:

*


WALK ON THE WILD SIDE:

*


YELLOW SUBMARINE:

*


KARMA CHAMELEON:

Karma Chameleon

*


RUBY SOHO:

*


CINNAMON GIRL:

Cinnamon Girl

*


NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN:

Nights in White Satin

*


PURPLE HAZE:Purple Haze

*


I KNEW THE BRIDE:

I Knew the Bride...

*


ROCK LOBSTER:Rock Lobster

Fickle Heart necklace

February 28, 2011

Hi bloglandia! This is jewelry designer Cindy. I was asked to write about my favorite piece of jewelry that I myself created for Rings & Things’ 2011/2012 catalog…

Fickle heart necklace

Finished “Fickle” copper clay necklace

I picked Fickle because I love working with COPPRclay. Yes, you need a kiln (I bought the Caldera). I know that is an obstacle for a lot of people as kilns aren’t exactly cheap. Best to view it as an investment rather than an impulse buy. But once you have it, all kinds of jewelry-making doors are open to you: fused glass, ceramics, enameling and, of course, metal clay!

I made the Fickle heart pendant during an in-house training session. Since it was my first time working with COPPRclay, I didn’t have any big goals in mind when I started. I just wanted to see how the copper clay behaved compared to bronze clay and silver clay. I was really happy with its workability. It took textures easily and didn’t dry out too quickly. It was easy to connect pieces with a little slip. As you can see, we had a full range of tools and textures and other fun things to play with.

clay chaos

copper clay workshop supplies

I don’t know why I wrote “fickle” on the clay. I had just finished a trail run, despite my insistence that I am not a runner, so maybe my subconscious was just acknowledging what the world already knows: I change my mind every 3.2 seconds.

Anyway, I just Googled the phrase “fickle heart” in the hopes that there was a meaningful, well-known quote I could claim as my inspiration. There wasn’t. But, I learned that the Brit band Sniff ‘n’ the Tears released their first album, titled Fickle Heart, in 1978, which just so happens to be the year I was born. How’s that for serendipity?

COPPRclay before being fired

COPPRclay before being fired

I hung my fickle little heart with night blue Swarovski crystal pearls, using dotted copper ring beads as spacers. The back of the necklace is two strands of silky rattail. I really wish rattail wasn’t called rattail — it is such an unappealing name for such a nice, soft, affordable cording. The only drawback to working with rattail is its tendency to fray when you cut the ends, but that is easily solved by wrapping a little piece of tape around it before you cut. Dabbing a bit of glue on the cut end also works.

Whether you are fickle like me or constant and true in your affections, I highly recommend COPPRclay as a way to create jewelry that is personally meaningful. Have fun creating your own designs!

As seen in…

January 17, 2011

We think you’ll enjoy these fine bead magazines, just spotted on the newsstands with some “R&T” highlights:

Bead Trends (Jan 2011)

Bead Trends magazine

The pearly “Poseidon’s Gate” necklace by Cindy Edwards, on page 40, uses some sterling findings from Rings & Things:

Kelly Morgan’s fairy-tale inspired “Snow Queen” necklace, page 80, is made almost entirely with Rings & Things supplies:

Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist (Dec 2010)

Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine

The “Steampunk Resin Station” necklace by Helen I. Driggs, on page 18, is a veritable 1893 world’s exposition of
steampunk parts!

As seen in: poly clay video

December 8, 2010

Maggie Maggio is a skilled craft artist with a fun “Blog for the Color Curious“!

We were tickled when someone pointed out the ruler Maggie was using to make…

...split-ring polymer chains!

…split-ring polymer chains!

Click the pic to go & watch!

"As seen in": December/January BeadStyle magazine

November 29, 2010

“Purple often suggests refinement, grace, and elegance. To me this shade is just calming.”

That’s what Jane Konkel said about some attractive resin tube beads from Rings & Things that she used in her “Take a Look at Lilac” jewelry set:

Rings & Things beads in BeadStyle's "Take a Look at Lilac" design

Calling it a “New Fave”, Jane paired this resin tube with some of our popular
glass faceted round beads, also in purple hues.

See these regal designs starting on page 70 of BeadStyle magazine’s December/January issue!

How I got my 60 minutes (a week) of fame!

June 25, 2010

Our friend Miranda graciously answered my request to hear how her bracelets wound up on the network TV show “Pretty Little Liars“. It’s an interesting tale!

Thanks for your interest. It’s so exciting to share my 60 minutes of “fame” with others who are enthusiastic for me.

Well, for starters, after many years of making jewelry and being told I should sell my work, in December 2009 I finally had resources to do so. I started with an Artfire account, which wasn’t as customizable as I wanted. I had very few items listed there, but one was some peyote bands I had made 20 of for a client to give away for holiday presents.

MirandAck’s “Pretty Little Liars” bracelet

Fast forward to a couple months later, actual business license and website, and I got an email/call out of the blue from a man claiming to be working on a TV show [Pretty Little Liars, on ABC Family] and came upon my site and liked those bands.

Well, I had heard from a couple friends about scammers trying to get free product claiming your work would be seen by celebrities, etc. So I was indeed skeptical. I googled him and got more info about the show and what he wanted. It was REAL!

We talked about a few changes, he asked if I could get him a sample in 2 days. Despite my hectic schedule I said sure. I rushed to my friend Rose’s house to borrow some beads (thanks again, love you). Got it made in the wee hours of the morning and overnighted it.

He showed it to the producers who loved it. Then he asked if I could make several more…within DAYS! Despite 12 hour days at my “real” job, very late nights, bleeding and cramping fingers and shoulders, I got them done.

It was a very long wait between April (when they were made) and the premiere on June 8th. And you can imagine how sad I was when I didn’t see them in the first episode. But then I was elated to see them in several scenes, including their own flashback scene, in the 2nd episode. There will also be some plot involvement and further scenes with them.

The reaction has been astonishing. People are so impressed, and it’s fun. I love the fact that I can say I made something that 2.5 million (according to latest stats) have seen.

And I love the fact that I can say I got the job not so much because of the product itself, but because of my diligence, timeliness, and professional manner during all stages of the transaction. That’s something I think is sometimes pushed aside in today’s more casual world.

You can see my work, and order your own custom items, including the Pretty Little Liars Bracelet at MirandAck.com

Have another success story to share? Leave a comment!

The key to etching

March 24, 2010

As seen in…

The key to etching

The key to etching

Belle Armoire‘s Spring 2010 issue (Vol 6, Issue 1 — pp 60-65).

Explore the symbolism of keys and the versatile design options offered by choker cables from Rings & Things.

Our chokers are available in base and precious metals, velveteen, leather and more!

Also in the spirit of this Belle Armoire article, Rings & Things carries a variety of African heishi spacers and key charms.

Thanks to designer Riki Schumacher for this shout out to R&T!

Our fail becomes your win

February 25, 2010

That’s what a Rings & Things colleague said on Facebook. I love how humble bead people are 🙂

In a March 2010 magazine ad for gemstone beads and filigrees, we let a typo slip through. It’s been corrected (since)…

...from inpired to inspired...

…from inpired to inspired…

If you click this pic, you can find the word ‘inspired’. We mistakenly sent the magazine publisher a version that said ‘inpired’, oops…

Seeing a silver lining, we challenged our ultra-sharp beady buddies in the social media world, to see if they could find a typo in one of our ads.

  • Two people on Facebook (Rose and Heather) found this, in the new issue of Jewelry Artist!
  • In Twitter, Katie-Mae guessed that we meant to write ‘doughnuts’ for ‘donuts’, so she podiumed too.

Thanks for helping us turn lemons into lemonade!

Stringing it, together

January 20, 2010

There’s quite a community of jewelry designers showing off Rings & Things beads and components. Here’s the latest 3 sightings, in Stringing magazine‘s Winter 2009 issue:

Stringing magazine

Michelle Mach’s “Jazz Baby” necklace appears on page 64, riffing on the gunmetal theme with eye pins,
jump rings, lobster clasp, and figaro and ’round/oval’ ring chains. Accenting these are size 6 seed beads and lampwork rondelle beads… ?

"Jazz Baby"

“Jazz Baby”

"Time's Toolbox"

“Time’s Toolbox”

? …Melanie Brooks’ “Time’s Toolbox” necklace, also based on gunmetal, is on page 66 of the same issue. A ceramic focal from her Earthenwood Studio really clicks with the accompanying hammered oval chain and mesh-style links. Jump rings, both brass and an extra-heavy 13mm style, compliment a clasp in antiqued brass. (An added design suggestion: R&T’s sterling silver puzzle clasp would build on this design’s mixed-metals theme very nicely.)

With her “Amusing Grace” necklace on page 69, Melanie follows her productive steampunk muse farther. A gear link and keyhole focal, also from Earthenwood Studio, make this winning design tick. (Possible substitutes would be metal keyhole pendants, ceramic gear beads and eyepins.
Throw in skeleton-key charms and some added value in the form of a vintage center-holed coin!) There’s also jump rings (extra-heavy gunmetal ones in 13mm, and brass ones); bead caps; rollo chain (3.9mm, in brass), lobster clasps, eye pins and head pins (all in brass, the latter in 2-inch 21-gauge), and colored craft wire (in 20-gauge). ?

"Amusing Grace"

“Amusing Grace”