As seen in: Bead Star

We thought it’d be fun to share paparazzi photos of Rings & Things beads on stars.

Then we thought, why not feature some Bead Stars?!

Good Advice

Erin Prais-Hintz won second place in Bead Star’s “heart designs” division. Her whimsical “Good Advice” on pages 26 and 71 to 72 cleverly deploys quite a mix of Rings & Things items…

Beads:

• Curved silver tube beads (20mm) are used to hang heart pendants (40+ mm)
• Seed beads (size 8 )
• Round glass beads (6mm)
• Faceted round coral beads (4mm)
• Word beads
• Sterling silver bicone beads

Findings:

• Sterling link findings (15mm)
• Sterling silver jumprings (10mm)
• Silver crimping tubes (2x3mm)
• Heart clasp findings

Wire:

• Silver beading wire (0.018″)
• Sterling silver wire (22-gauge)

Erin is a Rings & Things blog partner, by the way!

Falling Leaves

In the “pearls” division, second-place winner Susan White’s “Falling Leaves” (pages 38 and 77-78) mines a vein of copper tones…

• Electroplated leaf pendants
• Top-drilled freshwater pearls
• Copper mesh tubing
• Czech glass dagger beads (11mm)
• Copper toggle-type clasps
• Copper cone end pieces
• Copper seedbeads (size 11)
• Copper round beads (3mm)
• Copper daisy spacer beads (5mm)
• Copper crimp findings
• Beading wire (0.014″)
• Copper craft wire (20-gauge)

Fragile Love

Another R&T blog partner, Heather Powers, won third place in the “gemstones” division with her Fragile Love (pages 57 and 86), backed up by these Rings & Things items:

Beads and such:

• Pyrite round beads (6mm)
• Amazonite rondelle beads (6mm; use Russian amazonite beads as a substitute for cash-&-carry apatite beads)
• Faceted amazonite round beads (8mm)
• Silver daisy spacer beads (6mm)
• Many cash-&-carry gemstone beads only available on our BeadTour (Heather tells us she goes “a little crazy when the R&T trunk show rolls into town”)
• Metal coral-branch charms
• Sun-shaped charms and pendants

Findings and stringing materials:

• Toggle-type clasp (5-strand)
• Gunmetal eyepins
• Gunmetal headpins
• Silver jumprings (6mm)
• Crimp findings
• Beading wire (0.014″)
• Gunmetal oval chain (3x6mm; bar chain is discontinued)

Carnelian Garland

Finally, Mary Harding McCallion scored an honorable mention in the “stones” division with her Carnelian Garland (pages 58 and 86 to 87). Mary shows that you want trusty findings to back up your fine focal pieces…

• Copper jumprings
• Copper toggle-type clasps
• Black double-link chain

For gemstone bead combinations like the ones in Mary’s garland, check out Rings & Things’ selection of:

• Botswana agate beads
• Carnelian beads
• Gemstone post beads
• Teardrop gemstone beads

(PS, see the magazine for the wonderful finished projects!)