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Some people pick up a hobby. Others can't stop creating. For Johnette Rutledge, creativity has always been part of who she is. As a third-generation dance educator from Eagan, Minnesota, she grew up in a world where performance, design, and self-expression were second nature. But when rhinestones entered the picture in the 90s? That's when everything changed.

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✨ A Lifetime of Creating (and Sparkling)

 

"I've been a creator of SOMETHING my whole life." That creativity started early. But when rhinestones came into the mix as a teenager, it clicked in a way nothing else ever had. Thirty years later, she's still obsessed. As a former performer, she understood something fundamental: the right costume doesn't just support the performance—it elevates it. And now, three decades later, rhinestoning has become her most authentic way of expressing care and creativity.

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✨ If It Sits Still... It's Getting Rhinestoned

What started with dance costumes has turned into… well, everything. Costumes, phone cases, home décor, artwork, botanical designs, drinkware—you name it. In her house, there's a running joke: "If anything sits on the coffee table longer than 2 days, it gets rhinestoned!" That tells you everything you need to know about Johnette's mindset. Her creativity isn't limited to one lane—it's constantly evolving, experimenting, and expanding into whatever catches her attention next. And the range? From delicate Crystal AB Rhinestones on cacti to bold comic book designs to elegant dance costumes—she approaches every single project with the same passion and precision.

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✨ The Spark Behind the Work

For Johnette, rhinestoning is more than just a craft—it's an experience.

It's the quiet focus of placing each stone. It's the color theory and intentional design work. It's the satisfaction of finishing a piece.

And it's that final moment—bringing it into the sunshine and watching the sparkle come to life.

"It's a form of therapy for me. I feel so peaceful when I can step away from reality and lose myself in a project!"

Whether she's working on something detailed and intricate or a quick, fun project, the process itself is just as meaningful as the final result.

She's genuinely inspired by other creators doing their thing. "Seeing what others are doing just sparks a need for me to create." This isn't competitive energy—it's collaborative. She believes there's enough sparkle for everyone.

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✨ Creating for Others: Her Love Language

While she loves the process, what really makes it special is what happens after. There's nothing like handing over a finished piece and seeing someone's reaction—the excitement, the confidence, the joy. "Rhinestoning for others is absolutely a form of love language for me." Think about what that means. Someone hands her something ordinary—a plain phone case, a basic tumbler, a simple gown. And then Johnette transforms it. She spends hours placing each individual stone, thinking about color combinations and considering exactly what will make this person feel special. When she hands it back, covered in sparkle and light, that's her saying: "I see you. I care about you. You deserve to shine."

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✨ Sharing the Sparkle: New Territory

Here's the thing about Johnette—she just started sharing her work online two months ago.

Two months.

After 30 years of creating behind the scenes, she's suddenly visible. And she's just getting started.

From detailed botanical projects to personalized accessories to pop culture art, she's building a space that reflects her creativity, her personality, and her deep love for all things that shine.

Her goal? To create, share, and inspire—while making her corner of the internet just a little more sparkly.

"I feel there's enough room for all of us and we don't need to compete, rather inspire each other!"

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✨ Where Magic Happens: A Gallery of Sparkle

Johnette's portfolio spans everything from everyday items to show-stopping statement pieces. Here's where her creativity truly shines.

✨ Nature Meets Sparkle: Botanical Rhinestoning

Some of Johnette's most innovative work comes from taking nature—cacti, succulents, and other natural forms—and transforming them with rhinestones. These pieces show her ability to think outside the traditional costume-and-fashion box. The cacti are perfect examples of her precision work. Notice how the Crystal AB Rhinestones follow the plant's natural spines, creating dimension and sparkle without overwhelming the organic form. It's meticulous, creative, and proof that rhinestoning isn't just for clothing—it's an art form.

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✨ Everyday Sparkle: Personalized Accessories

From phone cases to drinkware, Johnette brings personality and shine to everyday items. These are the pieces that make people smile when they see them.

Notice the range. The phone case features bold, graphic design. The lemon slice demonstrates her ability to work with vibrant colors and create realistic imagery. The tumbler shows intricate patterning with precise color blocking.

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✨ Statement Pieces: High-Fashion & Decorative Art

Some of Johnette's most ambitious work ventures into high-fashion accessories and home décor. These are the pieces that make a real impact.

The pink bag is luxury rhinestoning at its finest—intricate floral designs, designer-inspired details, and those stunning butterflies that seem to dance across the fabric. The chandelier design shows her ability to work on unconventional surfaces and create dimensional, gallery-worthy art.

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✨ Pop Culture & Creative Expression

Johnette's pop culture work shows an artist unafraid to experiment with bold colors, complex imagery, and creative subjects.

The comic art piece is bold and playful—notice how she uses size variation in the rhinestones to create shading and dimension. The Snow Queen is hauntingly beautiful—those icy blue rhinestones feel like they belong on a fairy tale cover. These pieces show she's not afraid to experiment with scale, subject matter, and creative storytelling through rhinestones.

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✨ Functional Art: Tumblers & Drinkware

When everything Johnette touches gets rhinestoned, even functional drinkware becomes wearable art. Look at the craftsmanship and color theory here. This collection shot says it all. Multiple rhinestone-covered tumblers in different colors, a glue gun ready for action, finished pieces shimmering in natural light. This is what a rhinestoning creator's world looks like—colorful, inspiring, and bursting with possibility.

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✨ When Sparkle Changes Everything

If you asked Johnette about a specific moment when her creations made a real impact, she'd probably pause and smile. "I can't think of a specific project; however, there's nothing quite like the look on someone's face when returning a costume, phone case, gown, pair of shoes, water bottle, etc, that I rhinestoned!"

That expression—that moment of pure joy and surprise—that's her favorite part. Because for Johnette, rhinestoning isn't about the object itself. It's about the feeling it creates.

Think about what that means. Someone hands you something ordinary—a plain water bottle, a basic phone case, a simple gown. And then Johnette transforms it. She spends hours placing each stone, thinking about color combinations and what will make this person feel special.

When she hands it back, covered in sparkle and light, that's her saying: "I see you. I care about you. You deserve to shine." That's impact that goes way beyond rhinestones.

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✨ Dreams & Future: Building Her Sparkly Corner of the Internet

Here's the thing about Johnette—she just started sharing her work online two months ago. Two months. And already, she's thinking bigger.

"My dream is for brands to reach out to me for commissioned products!" she says. And honestly? With work like hers, it's not a dream—it's an inevitability.

Her real focus right now is building her brand and finding her voice. "I feel there's enough room for all of us and we don't need to compete, rather inspire each other!" That collaborative spirit she brings to her own work? She's extending it to the entire rhinestoning community.

She wants to make her little corner of the internet "a fun and more sparkly place." Based on what we've seen, she's already doing that. And we can't wait to see where she takes it next.

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✨ Why Rhinestones Unlimited

Johnette chose Rhinestones Unlimited for reasons that reflect both her values and her creative needs.

Complete Variety: "RU has variety! EVERY color, size, style, AND QUALITY, for ANY project." This range means she can bring any vision to life.

Ethical Sourcing: "I especially appreciate that Rhinestones Unlimited works directly with their manufacturers to ensure their stones are ethically sourced!" This alignment between her values and RU's practices is what keeps her coming back.

Quality She Trusts: The stones perform flawlessly across every project type—from delicate botanical work to bold statement pieces.

She primarily works with loose rhinestones but is eager to explore hotfix stones and rhinestone sheets as her creative boundaries expand. "I use loose rhinestones most, but I would LOVE to explore hotfix stones and rhinestone sheets!"

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✨ Connect With Johnette

Follow Johnette's journey on Instagram at @addsomespark, where she shares her latest creations and inspires creators everywhere.

Watch as she explores hotfix stones, rhinestone sheets, and smaller sizes for even more detailed work. The future of her craft is limitless.

And if you're thinking about exploring rhinestoning yourself? Johnette's work is proof that there's always room for one more sparkly creator in this community. All you need is passion, a love of shine, and the belief that ordinary objects deserve to be extraordinary.