Archive for the ‘multipurposing’ Category
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Rings & Things’ own Metalman, Kurt Madison, took some time before our big design contest to talk about what makes a winning entry…
I have been reflecting on what wins an award in a contest. Is it the biggest / most elaborate entry? The one with the most obvious $$ spent?
What makes this a winning contest entry?
Lots of times, it does seem to look that way. When you feel like it works that way, try looking at several years of winners for that contest. There may be a unconscious bias working there somewhere. I feel I have seen some cultural bias in international art exhibitions — this happens and you can’t really complain about it. You can become aware of it and use it to your advantage, or at least know that it’s working against you.
So anyway….what makes a winner? I think it’s always design. The work has to have good design.
How to get to good design? Well, I guess my method is to collect ideas for a while, then I do small sketches (thumbnails) and play with my elements (beads/stones/etc.), until I start to get a real idea or concept in my mind’s eye.
Then I do some larger drawing. I really like an expressive/abstract style of drawing — this gives me more ideas. After that: I do a final design drawing to life-size, and really tight so I can cut metal to fit and all. Many times I get halfway through and the materials or visual ideas shift. That may mean a new piece gets started, or that the current one gets benched for a while, or just improvements.
So in this description, how many pieces got designed? Maybe 10 various directions — and from them, picking the best one and making builds for that GOOD DESIGN WINNER.
Tags: contests, design contests, kurt madison, metalman
Posted in Ask "Metalman" Kurt Madison, Uncategorized, contest, designing, multipurposing | No Comments »
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Here’s a quick tip that we found at the excellent Starving Jewelry Artists discussion forum:
Multipurpose this: learn another use for wire protectors!
“I shared this with a friend awhile back and she thought it was a great idea. I came up with it out of frustration.
“I use wire guards (or what ever name you may call them) as extra protection and finishing when using watch faces.
“I never liked the look of the beading wire going through the hole but more than that I was concerned about the durability. I always used two strands of high quality beading wire but never felt extremely confident. Now I have no worries and although it is obvious I still think it looks a little better or more finished.”
- Sophisticated Hippie
Know another great tip for using findings? Share it here in a comment!
Tags: cable thimbles, multi-purposing, multipurposing, sophisticated hippie, starving jewelry artists, watch findings, wire guardians, wire guards, wire protectors
Posted in multipurposing | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
The featured bead this week is the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements #6906 orchid pendant. Here’s why:
The crystal orchid pendant is lovely to start with. But you can get more for your money, and so can your customers, if you multi-purpose this bead into fashionable steampunk designs.
Given the steampunk affection for making things industrial look pretty, how about a crystal propeller?
This pendant comes in various colors, so blend it into an overall color “blueprint” in your designs. For starters, we’ve thought of using these on leather cuffs from Tafuri Tough. Here’s a similar idea recently made by Cindy Gimbrone using glass beads:
Steampunk "Deconstructed watch" / propellers pendant by Cindy Gimbrone
This is a good illustration of how you can add in some cogs, maybe some wire, watch parts…the sky’s the limit for propeller beads!
Do you have a steampunk inspiration? Lots of components can be re-purposed to use in this style. Share your ideas in a comment!
May giveaway:
* You enter by leaving comments this month
* At the end of May, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly, to enter a lot & to see if you won!
Tags: beads, crystal orchid pendants, Featured Bead, multipurposing, propeller beads, steampunk
Posted in Featured Bead, beads, multipurposing | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Multipurposing tip: Rings & Things’ sterling silver teapot bead caps also make a magical Aladdin’s lamp charm.
Sterling silver teapot bead cap (Rings & Things #43-546-02)
Credit goes to @tamdoll on Twitter for this great craft business tip! Just “cap” this finding around your favorite 10- to 12mm bead. It makes a fine addition to a charm bracelet, or earrings… Here’s another style that we offer:
Sterling silver teapot bead cap (Rings & Things #43-546-01)
This means you have at least three flavors of lamp for Arabian Nights-themed jewelry, because we’ve also added this new antiqued-silver plated Aladdin charm:
Aladdin's lamp charm (Rings & Things #44-940-17-AS)
How about an aquiline crystal bead as a lamp? Check out this Aladdin’s Lamp earring design from our Design Gallery!
Have more ideas for Arabian Nights jewelry? More multipurposing magic in mind? Share by leaving a comment!
April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: aladdin's lamp charm, aladdin's lamp earrings, aquiline beads, aquiline crystals, bead caps, craft business tip, design gallery, Grow your business, Grow Your Craft Business, multi-purposing, multipurposing, silver bead caps, sterling bead caps, sterling silver bead caps, swarovski aquiline, tamdoll, teapot bead caps
Posted in Grow your business, multipurposing | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
Plan ahead for May birthstones!
There’s one main birthstone for May, emerald. This is also the seasonal birthstone for Spring, so it’s doubly appropriate. For an economical emerald look, think about glass beads. Anything from these metal-core Calypso™ (“Pandora”-style) lampwork beads…
…to the ever-popular, economical Cosmic Crystal™ bicone…
…can be an evocative way to play on the emerald theme. Just search our online store for “emerald”! Or for “sapphire”, which some consider a birthstone for Taurus. Now that’s multi-purposing your components!
Speaking of zodiac signs, Gemini’s birthstone is agate. We always seem to have dozens of varieties of it at Rings & Things’ BeadTour bead shows, and you can always find agate beads in our online store. A couple of favorites are Botswana agate, like these faceted rounds…
…and blue lace agate, like this bib:
Less well-known May gemstones, according to various traditions, are chrysolite, carbuncle, and chalcedony. For reliable, honest background information, you can look these and many more up in our popular Gemstone Beads Index!
What’s your favorite May birthstone, or birthday jewelry? Share it in a comment below. You can even link to pictures of your own creations!
April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: agate beads, bead shows, beads, BeadTour, bicone beads, birthday jewelry, birthstone beads, blue lace agate beads, botswana agate beads, calypso beads, cosmic crystal beads, emerald beads, gemstone beads index, lampwork beads, may birthstones, multi-purposing, multipurposing, pandora-style beads, Rings & Things bead shows, sapphire beads
Posted in birthstones, multipurposing | 2 Comments »
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Quick post today!
A trend we’ve noticed in the scrapbooking world is “inchies”. These are like little challenges to yourself: Create a nice collage in the space of a square inch (ergo the name). What about wearable inchies?
Can you say "inchies"?!
Check out our item #49-441-0, 30mm square brass picture-frame charm! The usable surface inside the frame is almost exactly a square inch. This finding is perfect for gluing things onto. You could even follow Dawno’s idea and incorporate some brass wire into your collage, for a neat faux cloisonné look.
Thanks to Amy M for this idea. PS: a 2″x2″ collage is called a twinchie!
More mini-collage ideas? Share ‘em here in a comment!
April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: Dawno, faux cloisonne, frame charms, grow your bead business, Grow your business, Grow Your Craft Business, Grow Your Jewelry Business, inchies, mini collages, multipurposing, pendant frames, pendant plates, picture frame charms, square frame charms
Posted in Grow your business, multipurposing | 5 Comments »
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Looking for another market for your beaded productions? How about fishermen…or more accurately, fish?
Mmmm, beads!
It turns out that beads make good bait for certain fish. Trout think orange-colored Miracle beads are salmon eggs, and will try to eat them. Steelhead, less easily fooled, just think the beads are inferior to their own eggs and try to move them away–which gets them caught on the hook.
Local anglers have told us that the shine of the bead catches the fish’s eye very successfully. They put one bead on the line with a hook below it and a bobber on the top of the line. Both the 8mm and the 4mm sizes have been used.
This makes us curious, what other beads can you use in lures, artificial flies, etc.? What about the other orange beads, like opaque glass ones? Share your experiences and ideas in a comment below!
March news: New monthly lottery, right here on the Rings & Things blog. Here’s how it works:
* You enter by leaving comments. Comment on any March post(s).
* At the end of March, I’ll randomly draw 2 winners of surprise goodie packs! …So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: beaded fishing lures, fishing lures, grow your bead business, Grow your business, Grow Your Craft Business, miracle beads, multipurposing, orange beads
Posted in Grow your business, multipurposing | 6 Comments »
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Rings & Things has introduced a popular line of beadable-pen findings, perfect for displaying art beads!
These pens are the perfect partner for any bead artisan’s wares. (Lampwork? Clay? The possibilities go on…) They’re also a great way of showing customers that they can “multi-purpose” any beads they buy from you.
Artists can set off the charms of their glass, ceramic, metal or other bead creations to maximum advantage by pairing them with a choice of pen colors. A range of seven hues, from pearl white or matte silver to burgundy or copper, is on hand.
Made of genuine brass alloy, these blue-ink beadable ballpoints have an anodized finish. Each pen is 6″ long with a 2.5″ beadable section (adjustable by 0.125″). The pen nib retracts with a twist. The rod (mandrel) is 3/32″, perfect for showing off lampwork beads with 2.5mm holes or greater. The metal casing has good heft, unlike plastic varieties. The shorter threads of the rod screw into the base of the pen.
These pens become even more of a permanent treasure with the addition of optional ink refills. Refills are offered separately in either black or blue ink.
We carry an ever-growing line of ‘beadable’ specialty findings, from magnifying glasses to lighter covers to bookmarks. Keep an eye on our site for more new items that you can bead in various ways!
Have a favorite beadable finding? Looking for one but haven’t found just the right thing yet? Leave a comment below to talk about it!
March news: New monthly lottery, right here on the Rings & Things blog. Here’s how it works:
* You enter by leaving comments. Comment on any March post(s).
* At the end of March, I’ll randomly draw 2 winners of surprise goodie packs! …So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: art beads, beadable lighter cases, beadable magnifying glasses, beadable pens, beadable pens wholesale, beaded pens, beads, buy beaded pens, ceramic beads, findings, ink refills, lampwork beads, pen findings
Posted in Grow your business, New products, Trendspotting, multipurposing | 4 Comments »
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
Love the Earth? Love trade beads, and looking for more ways to use them? Breathe a new spirit into your rosaries!
We found a great blog post by Anne of Atelier-Beads, about two sorts of multipurposed jewelry in one. She writes about “Rosaries that Care: Recycled Glass Beads from Africa.” (You’ve got to click through so you’ll see a great photo of one of these rosaries!)
Anne sums up well when she says, “Ghana recycled glass is a wonderful rosary application. Not only is it innovative and beautiful, but it also promotes good stewardship both in the re-use of manmade materials and in the provision of employment and income to the artisans who create the beads.”
She’s writing about traditional-style powdered-glass beads, made by recycling modern materials from medicine bottles to TV screens. Africans have been crushing old glass into powder for centuries, though, to make these beads (also called “sand beads” sometimes). You can buy a good selection of older powdered-glass beads in our online store; we don’t have information at this time to suggest any of these are more recent.
The great-looking rosary shown in Anne’s blog post makes use of an Ethiopian cross pendant. These reflect a unique, ancient Christian style that many North Americans are unfamiliar with (Legend has it that Christianity came to Ethiopia quite early, around AD 300, but the country was not in close contact with other Christian nations.) So these cross pendants add a fascinating bit of history, and a beautiful style, to any rosary that you make.
Did you know Rings & Things sells many other Ethiopian beads and pendants? We’re also known for our extensive line of African & trade beads in glass (some even have “cross” designs), metal and natural materials. And don’t miss out on our many other recycled-material beads!
March news: New monthly lottery, right here on the Rings & Things blog. Here’s how it works:
* You enter by leaving comments. Comment on any March post(s).
* At the end of March, I’ll randomly draw 2 winners of surprise goodie packs! …So read the blog regularly to see if you won!
Tags: african beads, ethiopian beads, ethiopian pendants, grow your bead business, Grow Your Craft Business, Grow Your Jewelry Business, multipurposing, powder glass beads, rosaries, sand beads, trade beads
Posted in Trendspotting, multipurposing | 6 Comments »