The holiday season is all about giving, yet it has been a tough year economically and budgets are tight. Fortunately, Rings & Things offers a voluntary donation program for employees where a set dollar amount is deducted from each paycheck. At the end of the year, owners Russ & Dee match the deducted funds and give the money to charity. Each employee chooses which charity to support. So, for example, just $2 per bi-weekly paycheck translates into a $100 donation!

Yesterday our HR manager sent out the grand total: through this humble program, Rings & Things employees donated more than $10,000 to charity in 2011! It is really exciting to see a those few dollars we end up not even missing each month add up to something so substantial.  The nonprofits selected this year include:

Spokesman Review Christmas Fund ~ 2nd Harvest Food Bank ~ ACLU Foundation ~ Alzheimers Association ~ Anna Ogden Hall ~ Cancer Patient Care ~ American Childhood Cancer Organization ~ Doctors without Borders ~ KSFC ~ KYRS ~ Living Tongues Institute ~ Las Hermanas ~ Meals on Wheels ~ Planned Parenthood ~ SCRAPS ~ SNAP ~ Spokanimal ~ Union Gospel Mission ~ Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery ~ YFA Connections

Christmas is just days away, but to make them easier to find I also wanted to post a recap of the 12 Days of Christmas Jewelry Designs. There’s always next year to plan for, plus many of the techniques are adaptable to any occasion!

Day 1 – Swarovski Crystal Christmas Tree Earrings

Day 2 – Bottle Cap Baubles

Day 3 – Lampwork Glass Bead Zipper Pulls

Day 4 – Beaded Snowflakes

Day 5 – Swarovski Crystal Holiday Light Charms

Day 6 – Family Keepsakes

Day 7 – Faux Stained Glass Soldered Ornaments

Day 8 – Mini Ceramic Cookies Charm Bracelet

Day 9 – Hinged Picture Frames

Day 10 – Velvet Ribbon and Bead Bookmarks

Day 11 – Stamped Metal Gift Tags

Day 12 – Brass Fairy Door Sandwich Pendants

Happy holidays everyone! ~ Cindy

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Candy bead zipper pulls make a great gift for someone sweet!

Quick, cute and affordable gift idea: zipper pulls! Zipper pulls are actually quite functional when you’re wearing gloves or mittens – why not make them pretty, too? Here are the three things you must do to make beady coat decorations strong enough to withstand a blustery winter.

That hooked jaw will save your manicure.

1. Use beads that are large enough to grasp when you’re gloved up. If the bead holes are large, like on many of the holiday lampwork glass beads I used, add small beads on both ends. (Small Czech glass flower beads make convincing cellophane wrappers on silver-foil glass bead candy.)
2. String beads on a headpin and make a wrapped loop. A basic loop won’t cut it here.
3. Use split rings instead of  jump rings to attach your baubles to a swivel clip or clasp.

Pliers make this so much easier!

You’ve heard the song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”? Well, save your nails – use split ring pliers! Just insert the hooked jaw into the split ring and squeeze. Now slide both the swivel clip and beaded pin onto the ring.

Mint candy freshens up any outfit.

Well done. You’ve just learned how to make great gifts for under $1 each! ~ Cindy

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Celebrate spring abundance with Easter bunnies + eggs From the fertile imaginations of our designers, a springtime pairing: SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS pear-shaped crystal pearls with TierraCast® rabbits make perfect eggs ‘n’ bunnies for Easter jewelry.  (See the design ideas below!)  Plus, we have a basketful of other Easter jewelry parts!

Swarovski “pear” pearls (Easter eggs!) & TierraCast® bunny rabbits

Easter jewelry ideas:
“Bunny Foo Foo” necklace	“Easter Egg” earrings	“Easter Egg” charm bracelet

Happy hopping…er…shopping!

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Here at Rings and Things, we eat, sleep, and breathe beads.  In fact, some nights I think I actually dream about beads!  We are by definition bead enthusiasts.  Every year I can think of only one day, in one city, that celebrates beads in a way that can possibly rival our passion here at Rings and Things:  New Orleans on Mardi Gras!

Let the good beads roll!

Each year, 46 days before Easter Sunday, the Big Easy erupts into a Bead Mecca.  Beads are thrown from the balconies, collected by party-goers and hanging from the trees.  The city is literally decorated in beads like a Christmas tree is adorned with tinsel.

In honor of such an amazing display of beads, I have decided to design some Mardi Gras-inspired jewelry that can be easily re-created to celebrate the big day, whether you live in New Orleans or New Hampshire!

This jewelry features beads in classic Mardi Gras colors; Purple, Green and Gold.  (Did you know? — these symbolize respectively Justice, Faith and Power.)  There are also cute little gold Fleur de Lis charms, an image synonymous with New Orleans.  The jewelry is done using all gold-plated findings.

All of the supplies to make these items are readily available at our on-line store, www.rings-things.com!  Any questions on making the jewelry?  Contact us at 1-800-366-2156 and mention this blog!

Mardi Gras is on March 8th this year.  So hurry and get your supplies to celebrate Fat Tuesday in style!  These projects are both affordable and fun!

–Tiffany, Designer, Rings & Things

P.S.:  Want more Mardi Gras jewelry inspirations?  Enjoy our “Mardi Gras Memories” bracelet and “Mardi Gras Choker” designs!

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