• New Art, Old Inspirations: Interview with Luann Udell
  Rainbow of Activities at 2006 ArtFest
  Inviting You to DIY at Our House
  Finding the Perfect Parts

New Art, Old Inspirations:
An Interview with R&T Customer Luann Udell

R&T: What's your business name?
Luann: It was/is Durable Goods, but I've sort of switched over to using my name (Luann Udell). Turns out it works better for selling art.

R&T: What is your artistic background?
Luann: Although I've always been considered "artistic," I actually couldn't get into art school. I took a few drawing classes at the University of Michigan (where I got a BA in art history and an MA in education), but I am mostly self-taught.

R&T: How would you describe your style/work (contemporary, traditional, Native American, folk, etc.)?
Luann: Oh, now that's a loaded question! Let's see. My work has been called everything you've listed: folk art, contemporary, fine craft, art, etc. My favorite is "postmodern." My art refers to traditional art forms in a modern way, creating interesting tension and a wonderful counterbalance of ideas.

R&T: What is your favorite/preferred craft medium?
Luann: Fiber and polymer clay. I embellish my fabric collage wall hangings with artifacts I make myself out of polymer clay. I also carve my own rubber stamps, and wrote the first book about it for Lark Books in 2003 (Rubber Stamp Carving). And I can still whip out a mean scarf with my trusty knitting needles, too. (I have a BARN full of yarn ...)

R&T: Where do you find most of your inspiration and design ideas?
Luann: My first and most powerful inspiration is the Lascaux cave in France, site of some of the most beautiful and colorful examples of Ice Age art. The story of this cave – how it was lost to us and then rediscovered in the 1940's, the tremendous power and beauty of the animal images, and how the very breath and body heat of visitors nearly destroyed the paintings – resonates with me. This delicate balance and dichotomy – an ancient cave that is new to us, powerful imagery with total mystery as to its meaning, enduring art versus the fragility of the paintings themselves, ancient people who have so much in common with us right here and now – [all this] fascinates me and supplies my art with tremendous energy and passion.

R&T: What does beading/jewelry/crafting mean in your life?
Luann: It's HUGE to me. I think I handle beads every single day. It's so satisfying to play and experiment with beads and findings, and come up with something absolutely beautiful. There's just something so ... primeval about beads. I think it harkens back to our prehistoric roots, when men hunted and women gathered. I can just see a group of women out gathering food, picking berries, picking up nuts, poking for roots, and eventually one woman picks up a pretty pebble and goes "Huh. Nice!" And then someone figures out that if you can drill a hole through it, you can actually wear it. For this reason, when I put together a necklace or bracelet with my handmade fossil artifacts, I like to use beads that look ancient, rough, handmade – like old African trade beads, handmade powder glass beads from Ghana, recycled beads from Indonesia, "English cut" Czech glass beads, and simple beads from India and China. When I'm done, I've got the whole world in my hands. And I like the fact that every country, every people, has made/traded/used/desired beads. Even though, unlike pottery or clothing, they aren't really "used" for anything ... just because we love them.

R&T: What's your favorite part of doing business with Rings & Things?
Luann: The Tootsie Roll that comes packed with my order! No, seriously ... I think it's the fact that everything R&T is "about" is reflected in every aspect of the business. The catalog is informative and helpful, with comments about how the products work and even their drawbacks – how often do you find THAT nowadays?? The online forum is full of useful suggestions and advice. I love the wide range of products, from the wonderful selection of old trade beads to the latest beads from China. I am charmed by the fact that every single person I've talked to at R&T, whether by phone, e-mail or in person, has been warm, helpful and funny. I'm touched that every time I mention on a bead forum that I'm looking for a specific bead, Russ Nobbs offers to dig through his stash to find me some. Good people, good products, good business models, good prices – you've got it all!

Find out more about Luann Udell and the Lascaux cave. Plus, peruse our wide variety of old and new trade beads.

Rainbow of Activities at 2006 ArtFest

Each June, the Browne's Addition residential neighborhood near downtown Spokane is transformed into a bustling three-day festival. The event features arts and crafts booths, art demonstrations, live music, hands-on children's activities, awards and plenty of mouth-watering food. Organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and the Spokane Art School, 20% of vendors' revenues go back to these vital local arts organizations. And since 1992, Rings & Things has done its part!

In 1992, Rings & Things co-owner Russ Nobbs initiated a recycling program at ArtFest and for 15 years now dedicated R&T employees have volunteered to lend a hand. As a result, each year many cubic yards of waste are diverted from Spokane's land fills, ArtFest's refuse fees are substantially reduced and recycling revenue is earned to help keep the festival going strong. Russ's ultimate goal is to prove that recycling efforts can succeed, even in areas like Spokane where environmental awareness is minimal.

Rings & Things also underwrites ArtFest's annual Jeweler Merit Award. This year's Jeweler Merit Award was given to Amy Buettner of Portland, OR, whose sterling silver pieces feature precious and semi-precious stones in unique handcast mountings. Other awards at the festival are the Juror Choice Awards, Clay Artist Merit Award, Painting Merit Award, Photographer Merit Award, Recycled Material Merit Award and Emerging Local Artist Award.

But don't think Rings & Things stays strictly behind the scenes! Amy Mickelson (R&T sales representative) sold her beaded creations at the festival for the sixth time, and Emba Lee (former R&T buyer) manned her first ArtFest booth this year. Several R&T customers were also spotted selling their creations. "Summertime starts with ArtFest," Amy explains. For her, the festival – which was bigger and more diverse than ever this year – provides several benefits to artisans. The 20% of sales that is automatically extracted from vendors may be viewed as a disadvantage. But it also translates to a lower booth fee, which is especially good for artists just starting out. The children's activities attract a lot of families, and the live music attracts additional visitors. Both these factors mean new potential customers and a rise in arts awareness. Best of all for Amy, she had sales even on a rainy Sunday!

Ever heard of a rainbow arriving before the rain? Well, that's exactly what happened this year. On sunny Saturday, a particularly bright circumhorizon arc provided the festival with some extra natural beauty. A circumhorizon arc is a prismatic phenomenon caused by the sun hitting cloud crystals at a particular angle. According to the "What's New" section of Atmospheric Optics, "the Spokane display of June 3, 2006 will probably rank as one of the brightest and most widely observed circumhorizon arcs."

Do you have stories and pictures to share from festivals you're participating in this summer? E-mail us your photos and some explanatory information, and they could appear in a future issue of The R&T Extra!

   

Inviting You to DIY at Our House

We're happy to invite you to our home for instruction in Art Clay™ Silver (ACS), beading and more. Classes are held at our warehouse in Spokane, WA, and at our biannual Spokane Bead Frenzy. Unfortunately, we can't offer classes at our BeadTour shows. We simply can't spare our instructors for that long (everyone at Rings & Things plays a vital role on the team!).

The good news is that our resident ACS expert, Master Instructor Kurt Madison, can travel to your area to provide instruction in all levels of ACS certification, plus project-based ACS and jewelry-scale glass fusing. Keep a look out for more details (coming soon) on how to hire Kurt for classes in your area.

More good news is that the Howard Johnson's Hotel at 211 South Division Street (near our warehouse) now offers our customers corporate room rates – a savings of $25/night in summer, possibly more during the winter off-season. To receive this special rate just call Howard Johnsons at 1-888-271-4190 and ask for the Rings & Things corporate rate. We are currently working with other nearby hotels to secure similar deals for you.

So, come visit us! If you live in the Spokane area, stop by often. If you live out of town, you now have three excuses to visit the area: check out our showroom, take a class while you're here and take advantage of affordable nearby hotel rates.

Pieces created by our resident instructors Mary Morton and Kurt Madison can be seen in our Design Gallery.

Finding the Perfect Parts

Don't just wish, make it happen! Here at Rings & Things, we understand how frustrating it can be to sift through our 20,000+ items and still not find exactly what you're looking for. That's why we provide you with a couple ways to request items not in our current line: our Wish List and our special order services.

Have you seen something at a retail store that you'd rather buy in bulk at wholesale prices? Got an idea for an item that would work perfectly in a project you're ready to try? Our Wish List allows you to request that we add items to our regular product line. You don't even need to be a customer to submit a Wish List request! Plus, if we do decide to carry an item you requested, you'll be among the first to know. We send emails to all Wish List contributors if and when their requested items become available.

Making a product request is easy. Simply fill out our short product request form, providing relevant details about shape, size, color, materials, etc. Then click "submit wish."

For large quantities, a special order may be your best option. We're happy to investigate the viability of special ordering items not in our regular product line. Minimums may be as little as 10 or 144 pieces, but are more commonly 1,000 to 10,000 pieces. Crystal and cord minimums are usually 1 full box or case. A 25% deposit is required to order special items. We also provide special order services for barrel plating and custom engraving.

Both our Wish List form and special orders information page (along with other helpful links!) can be accessed from our contact page.

Thanks!

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