Posts Tagged ‘blog partners’

Welcome Wendy Gibson, “guest” blog partner!

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Introducing you to the lucky winner of our latest drawing…

Welcome Wendy Gibson, “guest” blog partner!

Another place you'll find our busy new blog partner

Another place you'll find our busy new blog partner

Wendy put her name in at our Blog Partners page, to be in our quarterly drawing.  She’s now our second (ever) winner in that ongoing contest!

5 things you didn’t know about Wendy, and why she’s going to rock your world for the next 3 months:

  1. She’s the great mind behind the Peterborough Fairy Door Project!
  2. Wendy’s our first Canadian blog partner…so she’s already celebrated Thanksgiving.
  3. She’s not only a gifted blogger & indie entrepreneur, she’s also a popular girl on Twitter & Facebook.
  4. The paper cutout version of Wendy has been spotted traveling with the ceramic Russ Troll bead :)
  5. Wendy is an early adopter of the great new Twitter lists feature!

Enjoy reading Wendy’s Craft Dinner blog, and say hi to her at her other links above!

How to market your crafts book

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

No general guidance here — just a tip of the hat to someone for a great idea she had!

We received a package of really attractive bookmarks from our blog partner Lisa Crone:

We loved these cute bookmarks :)

We loved these cute bookmarks :)

She combines stylish design, plus her ongoing theme (at least for me, “A Bead A Day” is suggested by the single bead here), plus a quick plug for her upcoming book, “A Bead in Time”.

Lisa made this promo short, sweet enough to make people want to keep it around, useful, and unique.  I’d call this example a great craft business tip!

This could be you, y’know

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Rings & Things would like to introduce someone to you…

Lucky #1

Lucky #1

Angela Bannatyne is the very first winner ever in our ongoing “I Want to be a Blog Partner!” contest.  She’s already written her first blog post about it.  Go have a read!

Every three months, we draw a name to be a guest Blog Partner.  We’ll send goodie packs of R&T items for review, for use in jewelry-making, or to give away–your choice.  It’s a great chance to check out some of the latest and the greatest in the realm of beads & findings!

The next drawing is at the end of October.  If you put your name in at our Blog Partners program page, we’ll keep it “in the hat” till it gets drawn.  So you don’t have to keep re-entering!

Best of luck!

More uses for choker forms

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

In the spirit of multipurposing that our “grow your business” project often mentions, we’d like to report on some great uses people have recently invented for Rings & Things’ chokers.

We’ve been seeing some brilliant applications of wire-wrapping to our choker forms.  A number of ideas involve wrapping part or all of the form itself.  This turquoisey design is from Tish:

justatish_r_tchoker_zoom

Another take by Tish on the wrapped-choker idea:

justatish_img_8689

Dawno combined an inspiration from abstract artist Piet Mondrian with choker wrapping:

dawno_red-choker-form-with-dangles

Melanie at Earthenwood Studios found our choker blank provided a good structure to express her ongoing steampunk inspiration:

earthenwood_020

At her “A Bead A Day” blog, Lisa wrapped the entire choker form and added a pendant and coordinating bead accents:

abeadaday_universe22

In a similar vein, Tish went for a softer feel, designing a loosely ribbon-wrapped choker:

justatish_img_8742 (Tish provides a full, excellent tutorial on making this one!)

How about wrapping wire on some other element of your design?  Dawno beaded the choker form itself, but wrapped the great dangles in this design:

cathedral-cut-magnetic-clasp-choker-bust

And Lisa made a stunning wire-wrapped focal piece in this choker design:

abeadaday_silver-choker6

Another wire-wrapping idea for a focal is this stunning bit of sculpture by Dawno:

dawno_silver-and-botmo-purple-swirly-choker

Somewhat more minimal wire work is involved in the hammered tendrils dangling from this “Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright” choker by Margot Potter, a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter:

margot_tiger-tiger-burning-bright

What’s your inpiration for using choker forms?  Share a comment–or even a picture!

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!