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Jewelry-Making Classes

February 19, 2018

Ready to try something new this Spring?

Check out the free projects in our design gallery! Click the learn tab on our website for technique info. Peruse the blog for design inspirations. Or, take a class in our Spokane Showroom! We have great instructors, small class sizes and exciting projects. Techniques offered this spring include torch-fired enameling, BRONZclay, soldering (copper and silver), crystal clay, ICE Resin and metal etching. Visit www.rings-things/classes or subscribe to the NW Regional News to learn more.

Tempest Clasp (shown above) is an advanced class taught by author and award-winning designer Sarah Thompson of Sarah ‘n Dippity! Stay tuned for her new beginner level classes this fall.

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Planet Earth Earrings

March 24, 2015

Earth Day is just around the corner! And the timing couldn’t be better! We just got in the new TierraCast Earth Buttons and I thought some planet Earth earrings would be perfect! Check out below how easy these earrings are to make!

Trash to Treasure: Merging Creativity and Environmental Responsibility

November 21, 2012

 

Our new customer checkout stations. Made from recycled and re-purposed materials. There are five total, including one handicap accessible unit.

People often ask me what it is like to work for Rings & Things. The truth is, I love it. I was initially drawn to Rings & Things because being a jewelry-maker, it always seemed like working there I would literally be like “a kid in a candy store”. Quickly after being hired though, I discovered there was so much more to Rings & Things than just beads. They have to be one of the most creative, innovative and environmentally responsible companies around. One recent example of this mentality is these beautiful new additions to our Spokane, Washington showroom. These new customer checkout stations were made from recycled, re-used and re-purposed materials.

 

Rings & Things co-owner, Dee Mueller, working on one of the  mosaic portions of the new fixtures. The mosaics were created with scrap tile and broken beads.

 

Over the summer, we decided that the showroom was in desperate need of new customer checkout stations. While most business owners would order something new, Dee Mueller, co-owner of Rings & Things, decided she was gonna make something better than you could ever buy. Dee and her husband, Russ Nobbs, own Rings & Things, a company that just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Over the past 40 years, both Dee and Russ have made huge efforts to promote environmental responsibility in the Spokane area and to their employees. At our Spokane warehouse, everything in house is recycled (and I mean everything!), a bike is available for employees to travel green on their breaks, and there is even in-house composting. The compost is used by Russ and Dee in their garden, where they grow fresh produce to share with all their employees. Recently, Russ was inducted into the Washington State Recycling Hall of Fame for all of the contributions he has made to recycling in the Spokane area. He heads up recycling at several events here in Spokane as well as leads the recycling portion of an annual clean-up of our cherished Spokane river.

 

Russ Nobbs, in his signature tie dye shirt, at the annual Spokane River Clean-Up. Every year, Russ, Friends of the Falls, and a brigade of volunteers remove, sort and recycle three to ten TONS of garbage from the Spokane River gorge.

Russ Nobbs and Dee Mueller, husband and wife, and owners of Rings & Things.

 

The cabinets were a way for Dee to honor the efforts her husband has made over the years. Dee is an experienced cabinet maker and jeweler, so this was a fun opportunity for her to bring together her passions. Dee worked in her home garage and her shop at the warehouse to build these beautiful fixtures, which without a doubt took hours and hours to make.  She used scrap wood left by a neighbor to build the frames, found “seconds” counter tops at a local counter top fabricator, and got the side panels from the Habitat from Humanity store. Those are the functional elements. What is really fun about these portable checkout stations though is the decorative elements. Dee’s creativity really shines through here. She used scrap tile and broken beads to create beautiful mosaic strips on each unit. Each one is slightly different, though they are all unified by a similar color scheme and focal point. The focal on each cabinet is an inlaid carved stone Cicada, an exotic winged beetle like insect.

 

Mosaic detail on the front of one of the checkout stands featuring a carved stone Cicada, broken gemstone beads and freshwater pearls.

The front to another checkout stand. This also has a broken Chinese turquoise pendant.

The new stations are an amazing addition to our Showroom and are really a testimony to the philosophy of Rings & Things. It would have been easier to buy mass manufactured units, but Dee wanted something special, that would stand the test of time and be unique to Rings & Things.  For me, it is inspiring to see what beauty and functionality can be created from one man’s trash.  If we could all reuse, recycle and re-purpose just a little more, imagine the reduction in waste to our lovely Earth.

~~Tiffany White,   Rings & Things blogger

 

Co-owner of Rings & Things, standing behind one of her completed checkout stations.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions about the construction of these fixtures below in the comment section.  Click here to learn more about Russ Nobbs’ recycling efforts.

 

Prepping for the big Anniversary Event (August 12-13)

August 10, 2011

Josh is busy organizing all of the discounted strands – our entire truck bay is full of them!

39 years…that’s how long Rings & Things has been in business! Tomorrow our Spokane showroom will be closed in order to finish preparations for this weekend’s big anniversary celebration. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the lovelies that will be available starting Friday – doors open at 10 am!

Fancy faceted tourmaline in shades of watermelon.

A great selection of turquoise!

Super sunny citrine.

Mini gemstone donuts – the perfect size for earrings and bracelets!

A basket full of bundled cloth bangles.

Event hours are from 10-4 both Friday and Saturday, and there are a variety of demos going on throughout our warehouse. The anniversary event is the perfect time to get your questions about metal stamping, metal clay, soldering and other jewelry-making techniques answered!

If you need to stock up on findings, chain and other essential regular stock items, save time by placing a showroom will-call order now, so it will be ready for you to pick up at the sale.

Hope to see you there!

Staff pick! Lucerna beads by Swarovski

May 3, 2011

Lucerna, a definite staff pick!

These new Lucerna crystals by Swarovski, stock #05-030-08-, are stunning!

I am sure no picture can capture their lantern-like brilliance. (I’m trying, though.) 🙂 Here’s a line sketch, to illuminate how neat their shape is:

When first thumbing through all the great beads & things in our new supplement, I totally overlooked these beauties.

The other day a customer brought the Lucernas to my attention, and ever since, I can’t get them off my mind.

When you get these “Swarovski 5030” crystals* in your hand and see all the rectangular facets sparkling back at you, they are hard to resist.

My mind is already racing with numerous ideas of how these treasures can be incorporated into fabulous pieces of jewelry.

Thank you Swarovski, this Lucerna crystal shape is a keeper!

–Amy in the Rings & Things showroom


* As we insiders call them 😉

From the Rings & Things Showroom: What's Fresh with Freshwater Pearls

April 29, 2011

Blue and Green Freshwater Pearls

One of my favorite materials to make jewelry with is, hands down, freshwater pearls. I absolutely adore freshwater pearls! Why do I love them so much? Well first and foremost, they are beautiful! Also, they now come in so many shapes and colors, that the possibility for jewelry designs are endless. Freshwater pearls add a whimsical and organic feel to jewelry designs and plus they help me to get in touch with my inner “mermaid”!

Some of the pearls we have right now at our Spokane, Washington Showroom

That being said, here at our Rings & Things Showroom in Spokane, Washington, we just received a huge shipment of beautiful pastel and jewel tone freshwater pearls (just in time to help you with your Spring jewelry designs)! Though I was tempted to keep these pearls a secret all to myself, I realized they were just too pretty to not share with our fellow jewelry “bloggies”. So I have taken some pictures to show you the rainbow of pearls we currently have on display.

So what are Freshwater Pearls?

Freshwater pearls are cultured with the use of mollusks; in particular a species of freshwater mussels. The mussels are injected with a nucleus bead that is sometimes made from a small piece of shell or mantel tissue. The shape of the injected bead helps to determine the shape of the future pearl, as nacre will form around this bead. Nacre is the silky coating layered on pearls that make them so silky and beautiful. Over the years, pearl producers have become quite skilled at creating pearls in a variety of shapes. Below is a visual guide of the most common pearl shapes and a little info about each shape. Enjoy!

Coin Pearls: These are formed by using a disc-shaped bead as the nucleus. Sometimes they are almost perfect circles, while other times the shape is much more organic.

Keishi Pearls: These are actually formed when the mussel rejects the injected bead. The result is a very free-formed shape that kind of resembles Rice Krispies! They are by far my favorite shape of pearl!

Corn Pearls: This shape is like a round, but more flat. They resemble corn kernels and are center-drilled. Corn pearls can be used where you would typically use a rondelle shaped bead.

Potato Pearls: These pearls can vary from almost perfectly round, to fairly lumpy, like a potato. This is a very common pearl shape. Sometimes potato pearls have ridges in the nacre.

Blister Pearls: These pearls are irregular and occur when a pearl grows while still attached to the inside of the shell of the mollusk. They are also sometimes called bouton pearls.

Button Pearls: These are very similiar in shape to the corn pearls. They are side-drilled with one flat side and one rounded side. The picture shows the rounded side, but they are sitting flat on the surface.

Biwa Pearls: This name originally referred to all freshwater pearls grown in Biwa Lake, Japan. However, the name now refers to any stick-shaped or rectangular pearls. Usually they are drilled horizontally in the center or tip of the stick, but as you can see sometimes they are drilled through the center lengthwise.

Rice Pearls: These pearls are smooth and oblong in shape like an oval. They are usually center-drilled, though sometimes they can be found side-drilled.

Well, I hope I have gotten you inspired and excited about freshwater pearls! We have an ever-growing supply of freshwater pearls here at Rings & Things available as regular stock all the time. If you want to see some of the fantastic bright and springy pearls we just received, then head down and see us at our Rings & Things Showroom or check out our traveling Trunk Show, heading across the country right now! (Request an invitation!)

Tiffany

Picks of the Showroom!

March 18, 2011

The time for our fabulous showroom picks has come nigh!

This time some of these items are “Cash and Carry” items. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to visit our showroom or go to one of our Road Shows, Cash and Carry items aren’t available through our online store or catalog. Most of the time, they’re one-time special buys that our purchasers get for either the showroom or the road shows…so come & visit us in our warehouse or in your town!

Tiffany:

Birdseye rhyolite beads

Cash and Carry “Birdseye Rhyolite

These new items will soon be live on our online store! Here are the stock numbers for each new item:

21-005-227-10, Birdseye Rhyolite, 30×40 Puffed Oval

21-005-227-11, Birdseye Rhyolite, 20mm Puffed Coin

21-005-227-16, Birdseye Rhyolite, 20mm Puffed Square

21-005-227-22, Birdseye Rhyolite, 18×25 Puffed Rectangle

21-005-227-29, Birdseye Rhyolite, 30mm Puffed Coin

 

 

Sondra:

Mixed rainbow gemstone strands

Cash and Carry Mixed Rainbow Gemstone Strands

 

 

Toni:

Turquoise magnesite butterfly beads

Turquoise Magnesite Butterfly Beads

 

 

Lindsey:

Bottle cap beads

Cash and Carry Bottle Cap Beads

Some of these styles will soon be part of our stock as well!

 

 

Kameron:

Tim Holtz

New Tim Holtz!

These new items will soon be live on our online store as well! Here are the stock numbers for each new item:

55-000-20, Ideaology, 90 Red Game Pieces

55-000-21, Ideaology, 10 Tin Light Bulbs

55-000-23, Ideaology, 9 Distressed Plaquettes

55-000-24, Ideaology, Regal Adornments

55-000-25, Ideaology, 24 mini Hanger Clips

 

Mandi:

Stretchy finger rings

Stretchy Rings

 

Project Alert: How to use leftover beads to make a Statement Piece!

February 25, 2011

This blog is designed to address what I call “Orphan Beads”…

If you are a jewelry maker, then inevitably you have some beads lying around at your house or in your studio. You know what I’m talking about; those stray beads leftover from projects past? A gemstone here, a few lampwork glass beads there.

Too often these lost beads find homes at the bottom of our “bead organizers” and ” junk drawers” to never be used. I used to stare at these beads with turmoil, wondering how to organize them. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that in fits of OCD cleaning, I have actually thrown these lost beads away.

But at last, I have found a project to use these stray beads, and in a way that is actually appealing!

To begin this project, you need very little. Start by collecting all of your “orphan beads” together. Now pick one color palette to work within. As you can see here, I have chosen to work with hues of blue and teal.

Try to find an assortment of beads in varying materials. If you look closely, you can see my assortment contains some Mother of Pearl, Magnesite Skulls, Resin Rectangles, Foil Glass, Recycled Glass Trade Beads, Turquoise, Amazonite, Shell Pearls, Paua Shell and even some Coral from our limited-availability stock. (Just to name a few!) I also found some various beads in Antiqued Silver Plate. I think it looks nice to add a metallic touch! If you like, you can incorporate some found objects as well, such as buttons and washers, into your design.

Once you have your random bead assortment, then you can begin the stringing process. I like to use waxed linen cord with a little GS Hypo Cement to seal any knot ends.

Start creating your necklace with a bead that has a hollow ring-like shape if possible, like I have done below. Cut a piece of waxed linen about three or four feet long. Find the center of the strand and tie the linen around your first bead, securing with a simple knot.

Now begin adding beads from your random assortment. Just place one of the two strands through the holes of the beads. Secure with a knot between each bead.

This is a good time to have a bead reamer handy for those beads that have a hole just a little too small for the waxed linen. Continue this process until you get near the end of your strand of waxed linen. Use another hollow ring-like shape bead here. Tie a secure double knot, trim the waxed linen and seal the edges with hypo fabric cement.

Cut a new strand of waxed linen and repeat the process. I like to make a necklace that ends up long enough to double over and still be long, or triple over and be really chunky. (About 7 feet total!)

The end result is a mixed-media statement necklace that utilizes all of your random leftover beads!

Tiffany White

Rings & Things Showroom

Design Team


PS: here are some handy links to some other how-to’s in the Rings & Things blog!

www.rings-things.com

Showroom Staff picks!

January 20, 2011

Well, hello there fellow Rings & Things lovers! I have come to the land of the blog to share the world of the Rings & Things Showroom with you all!

Here in the Showroom we get the amazing opportunity of helping our customers face to face. Now, we would like to reach out to you all with our Showroom Staff Picks! We will be sharing our stock picks with you lovelies every other week.

Delicious Mix of Picks!The following picks have been chosen by each Showroom Associate:

Chinese Crystal Beads

Mandi – Chinese Crystal Beads

Totally Twisted

Kameron – Totally Twisted

Angel Wing

Lindsey – Blank Angel Wings

Metal Hogans

Sondra – Metal Hogans

Beadalon KnotterToni – Beadalon Knotter Tool

Keishi Pearls

Tiffany – Tip Drilled Keishi Pearls

Thank you for checking in with us! Expect many more posts to follow from the awesome Showroom Staff, and especially from me, your tubular friend Lindsey! We look forward to seeing your smiling face again in our Showroom!