You can always count on R&T’s blog for some excitement, can’t you?

In homage to the current movie-inspired Alice in Wonderland resurgence…

…we say ‘Off with their heads!’

Only we’re talking about some très snappy choker forms.  (You can remove the ends to string your beads!)

These “crimps with rings” accommodate beading chain or cord up to 2.2mm.

Crimp (flatten) only the center section of the tubes, leaving the ends intact.

Choose 0.8mm or 1.5mm inner ring diameter.  Size and shape will vary slightly.

Coming soon: new center-crimp tubes with hook, and new center-crimp tubes with loop!

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"

"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"

Hmmm, in just a few words I’d say findings are:

• Jewelry-making parts…
• The components used to make jewelry…
• Everything in your jewelry except the beads & string!

FINDINGS

“Findings” is a phrase that we jewelry-making types use, a lot, for the specialized parts you need for making jewelry out of cord & beads.  We can narrow this definition down and illustrate it by thinking about the kinds of jewelry that findings get used in:

1. Necklace findings — pretty much the parts you bring in to make your pendant or beads stay in the necklace!  (I.e. bails, more than anything.)  Clasps are necklace findings too; among the approximately 50 skidillion varieties are pearl clasps, lobster clasps, toggle clasps, and bayonet clasps.
2. Bracelet findings — like necklaces, you’re essentially looking at clasps here, if it’s the kind of bracelet where you hook the ends together.  Don’t forget leather bracelets, where cuff ends, like the awesome Tafurious line, “snap” it all together!
3. Earring findings — there are basically 2 types — those for pierced ears (so mainly ear wires, posts, and ear threads), and the ones that are for non-pierced ears (solutions like ear clips and ear cuffs).
4. Other random findings — because there are so many jeweled things to be created, there are lots more kinds of specialized findings.  I can think of: belt-buckle backs, cuff links, key rings, beadable writing pens, suspender clips, (finger) ring findings, and beadable cigarette-lighter covers off the top of my head.

Want to learn more about findings?  Go hands-on at your retail LBS (local bead store), or dive into Rings & Things for wholesale-priced findings!  Remember, you can always phone us with questions for your order; it’s 1-800-366-2156.

Here’s the top 4 reasons these beads have me fired up:

Multicolored glossy glaze

Renaissance-faire dragons

Corks, i.e. "more cute bottle pendants!"

Holiday beads

Footnote:

Click here to see even more raku beads...!

...maximize the shine per penny...

…with shell pearls…

...perfectly round every time!

I’ve challenged myself – - write 5 great things about shell pearls – - in 25 words or less

1. Mixing real & faux!
2. Awesome feel & cost!
3. Durable!
4. One of the few beads you can call pulverized!
5. Coated with fish scales or pearl powder!

Does my nerdy enthusiasm for shell pearls shine through?  I hope so!  Get ‘em in lots of colors & sizes from…well, you know where

Bright stuff coming down!

These crystal pendants are the classic Swarovski #6704 style, perennially popular for the way they gently glisten.

Make your list now, and check it twice!  You have enough time to stock up some great styles for Christmas and Hanukkah shoppers.

Like real snowflakes, these come in many forms.  Sizes are 20mm, 25mm, 30mm and 35mm — in other words, from nearly an inch to an inch-and-a-half.  Choose from “pure” crystal, crystal AB (aurora borealis coating), and crystal/moonlight (also coated).

Crystal snowflakes fit for a princess

PS: You can also get new snowflake beads in raku, as well as other styles.  Merry browsing!

For jolly happy souls!

Add goofy grins to the festivities with the snowman-head beads above — or with the fun snowmen, Xmas trees and Santa beads below!

Making spirits bright...and helping mittened fingers zip jackets!

(There’s also a really fun bubble wand in our Design Gallery, featuring these same three beads.)

Besides these designs, check out such festive baubles as lampwork Christmas stockings…

Stocking stuff!

…and many more!

Have holiday plans involing beads?  Share the inspiration here!

Introducing “Search by Color” for crystal beads in our CRYSTALLIZED™ -
Swarovski Elements section!  Thanks to Melissa for a ton of hard work to make this happen.  (Maybe I should say a gross of hard work…uh…)

Now you’re just a click away from seeing every single crystal bead color that we have, laid out in an attractive table.  As you can see, similar colors are grouped together — which makes it easy to build on a color theme, or find a substitute for a color you can’t get.

Let us know how you use “searching by color” in your crystal shopping…

The telling of the beads

Reddish-brown rudraksha or rudraksh beads are the seed of the fruit of the rudraksha tree, from India.  (This tree, genus Elaeocarpus, also grows in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, some Pacific Islands and Australia.)

Numbers are often mentioned in connection with these beads.  Rudraksha beads commonly have 5 mukhs or mukhis (faces of the bead), but you’ll find various numbers of faces on them.  There are 108 beads per strand traditionally in a Hindu mala or prayer garland.  Malas are used like rosaries in meditative prayer, as well as in traditional Indian medicine.

Go ahead, stare 'em in the face

Rudraksha beads show a great deal of versatility.  Because they’re a natural material, they work extremely well with your more organic designs.  Because they’re exotic here in North America, they lend a funky, ethnic flair to jewelry.  And because of their texture, rudrakshas can pair up in interesting ways with the more unusual beads, like lava, wood or nut beads.

Ever handled rudraksh beads?  How would you describe them in 25 words or less?  Leave a comment!