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Jewelry Making

DIY Men's Jewelry

July 17, 2018

It’s been a while since we had an article on making jewelry for men. For me, it’s not easy to design jewelry for guys. I’ve made some jewelry for my husband over the years and I always get it back because I’ve accidentally added feminine touches (like a few tiny sparkly beads that I thought he wouldn’t notice…). To help make sure that doesn’t happen to you, I’m just going to share some of my favorite designs that OTHER people here at Rings & Things made!

This bracelet is my newest favorite:

The Dragonfire bracelet is created with 12mm round Lava Stone beads and 12mm Dragon Blood Jasper beads. We almost always have Lava Stone in a variety of sizes, but we can’t always get 12mm Dragon Blood Jasper. Lizardite and Kambaba Jasper are excellent alternatives. The beads are strung on size 6 (0.7mm) silk cord, which is wrapped onto 4-strand braided leather cord (this type of braided leather cord is normally used for Southwestern bolo ties). Complete parts and instructions for this bracelet are here.

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DIY 4th of July Jewelry

June 18, 2018

It’s fun to wear something colorful and patriotic for Independence Day, but it’s hard to find good red, white and blue jewelry that isn’t tacky or cheaply made.

So … make your own! The key is to start with quality components, in nice, bright colors. Swarovski makes some of the purest and most reliable reds and blues, and has set the benchmark for sparkling crystal for over a century. The catch? They don’t always have the names you’d expect. Here are my favorites for the 4th of July:

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Jewelry Designs featuring Tiny Gemstone Beads

April 11, 2018

We’re wild over strands of small gemstones! Tiny baby rounds, rondelles, cubes, briolettes, and teardrops – we love them all!

We’ve stocked up on small-sizes of gemstone beads for our Trunk Show & Gemstone Bead Sale this Friday & Saturday (4/13 & 4/14) at our Spokane, WA warehouse. Thought we’d share some pics of our favorite Trunk Show strands and the jewelry we have created using the tiny babies! Enjoy! Continue Reading…

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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DIY Constellation Jewelry

February 8, 2018

Create custom pendants by setting crystal chatons in metal stamping blanks! This fun, easy, inexpensive project works well for small gatherings (bridal parties, crafternoons, solstice celebrations, baby showers, wine with friends…) Just a few supplies & three simple steps…

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