Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference…you know, when you learn something new (a technique, tip, style, etc) and it just keeps making a difference in the way you do things?
Rice has been that way for me!
Yes, rice.
You see, I read one of Stampington’s jewelry magazines…I think it was Jewelry Affaire…and one of the contributing designers wrote about setting rings in a box of rice while allowing the resin she put in the bezel to dry. I make a lot of rings with vintage buttons glued onto a ring blank, and it always puzzled me how to keep the ring upright while the glue dried. When I read about the box of rice it was like a light bulb went off! So now when I make these rings (which have been selling really well at The New Label Project) I put them in a container of dry rice while the glue dries.
Displaying my finished jewelry is not my strong suit, so I was super glad I could use the same idea for displaying the rings at the Sunday Market. Instead of a plastic yogurt lid, I used an old wooden tea box or cigar box filled with rice.
PS. The ring blanks are from Nunn Design (available at your local craft store; you can only order wholesale from Nunn). These are hands-down the best ring blanks I’ve seen. They’re adjustable, but don’t look like it and they’re not that awful flimsy metal normally used for adjustable rings. They also have a shallow bezel, so you can use resin with them too if you wish. I search for vintage buttons to nest inside, or glue on top.
