a review of rings & tings...

So a little while ago, the ladies of ps.heart received an email from Rings & Tings asking us whether or not we would be interested in receiving some free jewelry in return for a review on our blog. 

Naturally, we were excited.

Of course we said yes. 

We may or may not have had a fit of giddy, excited laughter over Skype.
(...you'll never know and we'll never confirm.)

So without further ado, I present to you our first product review of...

Kelsey and I both received several pieces of jewelry, but I'm going to focus on my two favourite pieces: an anchor bracelet and a braided infinity ring. I was pleased to note that after the Creative & Marketing Director of Rings & Tings contacted us that I received my jewelry promptly in a week.

The great thing about Rings & Tings is the price of their jewelry. It's extremely reasonable. 

That being said, you get what you pay for. Don't expect high quality, durable, and long lasting jewelry. This company offers you cheap, trendy, cute jewelry that'll last you a season. And for the most part, I'm totally okay with that. It can be a real treat to indulge in a variety of cheap, cute jewelry to spice up your collection!

That being said, I absolutely adore the anchor bracelet that I received. It's a simple wire bracelet that's painted gold and for under $5 Canadian, you really can't go wrong with this trendy piece!

Similarly, I really love the simplicity of my braided infinity ring and that I can put it on for any outfit.

Tip Time!  Now, I can already tell that these gold and silver plated pieces are the type that will fade and tarnish easily, so a simple trick of coating them with a layer of clear nail polish varnish makes cheap jewelry like this last so much longer. 

All things considered, I would recommend that if you're looking for some cheap, trendy jewelry,

Rings & Tings is the way to go for online shopping.

Their shipping, customer service, and selection are excellent.

If you're looking for quality, long-lasting jewelry though, you'll want to look elsewhere.

What you pay for is what you're getting at Rings & Tings.

Cheers!

p.s. ♥ clara

diy: rose rings

Today I'm bringing you yet another ridiculously simple jewelry diy!  I'm just a huge fan of gluing things together, and being done with it.  Not everything has to be fussy!

{In case you missed them....here are the diys for my rose earrings and dahlia earrings!}

I found my filigree rings with a flat round setting (perfect for gluing things to) on etsy, and I picked up these sweet 15mm rose cabachons from the plaid barn.  In case you're wondering, these roses are quite a bit bigger than the ones I used for my earrings, which were only 10mm in diameter!

Materials:

-rings with a flat round setting

-15mm rose cabachon (although this can vary depending on the size of your ring setting!)

-E-6000 glue

-q-tip (for clean-up!)

Directions:

1)  First, make sure that you have all your materials lined up and ready to go.  The glue starts setting fairly quickly, so you don't want to dawdle too much once it's on your rose!

2)  Squeeze your glue very gently until a tiny amount starts coming out, and spread a bit on a rose.  Press firmly onto your ring setting, twisting a bit to ensure your glue gets everywhere.  You don't need very much, but a tiny bit should come out as you press down.  Use the q-tip to clean it up!

3)  Let the rings set for at least 24 hours before wearing!

 I love how delicate and vintagey these rings are!  So easy to make, and are such unique gifts.  I've seen similar ones at craft fairs, but I love making my own jewelry...especially when I can save money!

p.s.  ♥ kelsey

diy: map pendant necklace

I picked up these pretty silver pendant backings and plastic cabachon covers at a local craft shop, and they've been sitting in my craft drawer just waiting to be used.  I decided to scroll through etsy for inspiration, and found several variations of map necklaces!  I'm a sucker for any kind of map (I'm a geography major.. it comes with the territory!), so I knew that it would be perfect.

(this picture is of the back of my calendar...showing all the different maps included!)

At first I tried printing off maps, but that was a nightmare.  Then I remembered that I had an old Ancient Maps calendar stashed away in my room!  I knew it would come in handy one day (hoarding for the win! thanks dad...).

The hardest part of this project was trying to decide which map and what part of it to use!  Now I'm on the lookout for more map diys so I can use up the rest of my calendar! hehe.

Supplies:

-silver pendant setting

-plastic cabachon covers

-white glue

-E6000 glue

-old map scraps

-chain

-jump rings

Directions:

1) Take your plastic cabachon covers and move them over your map scraps until you find somewhere that will work well in a pendant.  

2)  Then, place a tiny bit of white glue over the back of the cover, and firmly press down over your chosen spot.  It may want to slide around a bit, so press firmly and then release and don't touch it again until it's dry!

3)  Once all traces of glue are dried, cut around the cover as close to the edges as possible.

4)  Now, place a dab of E6000 glue onto your silver pendant setting, and firmly press the plastic cover onto it.  Make sure the map is centered before the glue starts to set!

5)  While the pendant dries, measure out your chain to whatever length you'd like.  I chose to make mine nice and long, and added a jump ring instead of a clasp since it will fit right over my head. (jump rings are cheaper, so I like using them in place of clasps when I can!)

6)  Finally, use another jump ring to attach the pendant onto your necklace!

So, you should probably make these, and then go on an adventure!

p.s. ♥ kelsey