There's a contest going on. I read it in a blog, so it must be true!

February 5, 2010

The blogs say there’s a contest going on. Must be true!

That’d be this year’s R&T design contest, of course.

design_contest_ribbons

Have you gotten your entry ready? You’ve got until the end of this month!

How do I know all this? I read the blogs 🙂

Maneki says,

“Rings & Things tar emot bidrag till tidigare omnämnda tävlingen Your Designs Rock t o m 28 februari. Imorgon, 5 februari, är sista dagen att lämna in om du vill vara med i deras Early bird-drawing med chans att vinna goodiebags. Observera att de numer inte längre skjuter fram sista inlämningsdatum utan siste februari stÃ¥r fast.”

Not to be outdone, Tammy Powley at About.com notes,

“Rings & Things’ Your Designs Rock competition is taking entries, and the deadline is coming up at the end of the month.”

And as if to prove her right, Adalea’s Designs has shared a super-fun necklace design that’s going to be entered in this year’s contest.

Join the blogroll! Send your entry! Blog about it!

Sometimes…creativity goes bad

February 4, 2010

Sometimes…creativity goes bad! You can benefit from this 🙂

creativity_sparkle

I wanted to share a fun flier designed by Rings & Things’ talented Selina.

Want a limited-edition paper copy?

  • DM me @Rings_Things on Twitter /
  • Message me, RingsAndThings on Facebook /
  • Leave a comment here, I’ll email you for your postal addy

…& I’ll send you the flier. It’s on durable glossy stock, with handy bead-sizing charts & info on the back side!

Guest blog partner is R&T's FB BFF

February 2, 2010

Introducing our newest winner in the “Guest Blog Partner” drawing, Melan Designs!

Every 3 months, with the help of random.org, we pick someone to be R&T’s guest blog partner. The twist this time around is that the winner isn’t strictly a blogger!

The un-blog partner

The un-blog partner

Melan Designs is an active Facebook user instead. We’re delighted to have her (Melanie) expanding the blog-partner program further into social mediaspace.

Click in to check out Melanie’s metalwork, jewelry and jokes. (“Temper, temper, temper,” said the metalsmith…)

And wish her well in this new partnership!

* Put your name in for the drawing too! Did you know–we’ll keep your name “in the hat” till it gets drawn? That way you don’t have to keep re-entering 🙂

Crimp ends that really match your chain

February 1, 2010

Imagine always being able to get crimp ends that match your beading chain! Even in antiqued colors!

crimps_41-151-90-08-6These “crimps with rings” accommodate beading chain or cord up to 2.2mm.

crimps_41-151-90-08-7Crimp (flatten) only the center section of the tubes, leaving the ends intact.

crimps_41-151-90-08-5Choose 0.8mm or 1.5mm inner ring diameter. Size and shape will vary slightly.

crimps_41-151-90-08-9Coming soon: new center-crimp tubes with hook, and new center-crimp tubes with loop!

Make jewelry, support Haiti

January 29, 2010

Want to raise disaster-relief funds for Haiti? How about cause-ribbon jewelry…

Two color schemes are in common use for “Haiti relief” awareness ribbons:

  1. Haiti_509px-Coat_of_arms_of_Haiti.svgRed, yellow and blue tri-color (after the coat of arms on Haiti’s flag; used in the celebrity telethon last week)
  2. Haiti_222px-Black_Ribbon.svgBlack (used by a big group in Facebook)

You can make jewelry in the shape of a ribbon, or otherwise using these colors. (Think of beads, crystals, cording and more.) Your talents can help in the drive to rebuild Haiti after this month’s terrible earthquake!

For other causes, see R&T’s awareness colors page.

Get your jewelry seen

January 24, 2010

…Join a collective!

RiverSpeak, an arts collective

Like RiverSpeak here in Spokane, WA.

Keep in mind the possibilities that open up to you when you join forces with other artists — not just jewelers!

That’s the quick tip for today 🙂

Why create?

January 23, 2010

By guest blogger, Lisa Crone (A Bead A Day)…

Why Create?

Creativity can't be pictured!

I’ve been thinking about the creative process lately, and during those random thoughts, sort of wondered why we create… Or, maybe this is more about why “I” create.

In relation to jewelry making, there are a number of reasons for me to create:

  1. Fun/entertainment/relaxation
  2. Creating on demand (for book, magazine or blogs)
  3. Gift giving
  4. To create a memory

While all of these reasons to create make me happy in their own way, I have to admit I am more likely to push myself out of my comfort zone when creating on demand or to create a memory.

This is especially true if someone else picks out the beads or materials that will be incorporated into the project. There is a bit of excitement about having a deadline and wanting to create something unique.

If you allow yourself to keep an open mind, I think it is possible for the creativity to take over and that is always a rewarding experience. When you get to the end of the project and you look back and wonder how you figured it all out in amazement, wow!

I wonder if that is similar to getting in the “zone” while running? Is more serotonin released during this process? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Just another reason (not excuse) to bring out the beads and create!

It would be interesting to find out from other beaders whether they have experienced creating in “the zone”! Are they surprised to find they have created something special and inspired? Could you call this “bead meditation”?

— Lisa Crone,
www.abeadaday.blogspot.com
“A Bead in Time” book, out in January 2010

It's giant. 2010 Super Supplement.

January 22, 2010

The following is loosely based on an actual press release.

It’s giant!

"<i

Someone pointed out that R&T’s new Super Supplement has a gross of pages (144 of them).

And the reports coming in say it’s engrossing reading. Coincidence?

See and buy for yourself. Thousands of beads, findings and more added since Rings & Things‘ main catalog came out last year!

Get your Super Supplement today!

It’s free with your order, hint hint 🙂

shhh…lower case metal stamps

January 21, 2010

BIG L, little l, what begins with L?

you may be pounding metal — but you don’t have to shout…

lower case, italics even

lower case, italics even

case-insensitivity was never so beautiful

case-insensitivity was never so beautiful

  • in other words, these new ‘little-letter’ metal stamps are a trend you can capitalize on.
typewriters are gone, but metal letters live on

typewriters are gone, but metal letters live on

the fine print is all good news: our price is really competitive (and you won’t find these with many suppliers). the stamps come in rather attractive wood boxes. made in the u.s.a. = quality tempered steel.

what other metal-stamping trends have you spotted? leave a comment (no caps please) 🙂