The R&T Extra! April 2007
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The R&T Extra! April 2007 |
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Subscribe/un-subscribe to our e-mail newsletter In this issue: |
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Your Designs Rock!
From this impressive array of entries, we're proud to announce that this year's grand-prize winner is Louise Little for her bracelet design "Southwestern Petroglyphs." In addition, we've awarded six first-place prizes and 17 honorable mentions. To view all winners, plus "Polly's Picks" (non-winners that our catalog editor considers noteworthy), visit the Design Contest Winners in our Design Gallery. The sad news is that we had to disqualify more entries this year than ever before. 20% of all 2007 entries were disqualified due to poor-quality images (too small, low resolution, out of focus, etc) – that accounts for 73% of all 2007 disqualifications! We don't like booting entries out of the running, especially since we understand that our entrants are craftspeople, not photographers! The hard truth, though, is that our judges simply cannot score a design if they can't see it! Because of this, we want to especially thank all of you who did work hard to follow our image guidelines. We hope to hear from all of you again next year. Till then, keep creating with confidence! |
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Earth Day Every Day: R&T's Environmentalism
Owners Russ Nobbs and Dee Mueller have always been conscientious about the environment, and the company works hard to reduce, reuse and recycle. Energy reduction efforts include special measures in summer and winter to reduce heating and air-conditioning costs while keeping comfortable temperatures in the warehouse. Plus, employees maintain a stellar record of using "commute alternatives" to get to work. The company has voluntarily participated for over six years in a countywide program to reduce carbon monoxide (CO). In January 2007, R&T was awarded a 2006 Pinnacle Award for outstanding performance — 70% of R&T employees regularly walk, ride a bike, take the bus or carpool to work! Our goal to reuse items includes the shipping department's reuse of packing peanuts, cardboard boxes, heavy paper tubes and other packing materials. As for things we can't reduce or reuse, the recycling program includes receptacles in hallways and the employee breakroom for food-related recyclables (glass, #1 and #2 plastic, plastic bags, paper bags, aluminum and "tin" cans). Various receptacles throughout the warehouse also collect white paper, mixed paper, heavy paper, corrugated cardboard and batteries. There's even a "Technotrash" receptacle for recycling larger electronics equipment. Plus, employees can bring in personal items if they don't have a good way of recycling those items from home.
R&T also sponsors a recycling program at local community events, like Spokane's annual arts & crafts fair, Artfest. The program includes providing recycling receptacles for both patrons and sellers, culling recyclables that get put in the trash, sorting all collected recyclables and overseeing pick up by a local recycling processor. This process doesn't just reduce what goes in the landfill; it also saves event sponsors a lot of money in dumping fees. Businesses often claim that implementing environmentally friendly practices will hurt the bottom line, but Rings & Things has been disproving this claim for years! Russ even takes used coffee grounds from the breakroom to use in his composting pile at home. The latest buzz is that he is looking into the possibility of adding a worm bin to the warehouse for disposing of most food scraps — a great way to not only reduce what goes to the landfill but also make fertilizer for the garden! We at Rings & Things encourage each of you to celebrate Earth Day and to adopt year-round practices that help sustain a healthy environment for us all! For information on Earth Day events and environmental news, visit the Earth Day Network. For general recycling information, check out The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide. |
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A Season of Contrast: New Trends
Swarovski also predicts several upcoming color combinations, from pastel mixes to autumnal darks, 1980s crayon brights to deep rich gem-like shades. Our personal favorite for spring and summer is the "Nature/Artifice" blend. |
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Festivals & Fairs 101 – Part Two: Becoming a Player In the March 2007 R&T Extra, we brought you the first installment of a three-part series on the world of festivals and fairs. In that article, we offered a broad overview on types of fairs and festivals, and recommended that you spend your first year/season researching (visiting/scoping out) various shows. In part two, we offer suggestions for what to do once you've done your research and made a list of potential shows. If you haven't already, now is the time to whittle down your list to shows that fit your schedule, your geographic restrictions and your style of goods. Next, judge which of the remaining shows will be the most promising for you. And remember, "most promising" does not always equal "least risky." More likely than not, you will need to balance (read juggle) the risks and benefits of different shows. Three areas to pay particular attention to are:
Application requirements: A primary factor to look at is the show application itself. Go ahead and collect application materials from all shows you think you might be interested in. Then, compare their processes and fees. Seeing how involved and how expensive each application is will help you determine which applications you're willing (and/or can afford) to complete. Most people prefer to start small and gradually build up to the more expensive, more competitive shows. At the same time, you don't want to undercut yourself. Shows with higher fees often have higher sales, so if you're able to pay a larger application and/or booth fee, it may help you in the long run.
Salability: You'll also want to determine if you will fit into a show's specific economy. Review your research to find standard prices for goods comparable to your goods. Can you afford to sell your work for a similar price, or are your costs too high? If you don't already keep track of your labor, equipment, supplies, overhead and other costs, now is the time to start! The Art & Craft Show Yellow Pages provides several good online articles about keeping track of expenses and determining profitability. Once you've figured out how long it takes you to make a particular item, how much the materials cost, and how much your other expenses and overhead run, you can better determine how to price your goods. When pricing your wares, you'll most likely need to balance your costs and your desire for profit with a realistic understanding of what people will pay for certain items. Completing Applications: Once you've chosen which shows you will apply to, be sure to follow each show's individual application instructions faithfully. If a show is at all competitive, sloppy paperwork or failing to follow directions gives organizers a good reason to put your application directly in the rejection pile. This isn't a cruel response; it's merely a practical way to whittle down a large number of applications. Generally speaking, expect to complete the following steps for each show you apply to:
Perhaps the most vital step listed above is acquiring quality images. If a show's jury cannot determine that you have quality goods from the images you send, you won't have a chance. It might be easier for you to hire a photographer than to become proficient at digital photography yourself – jewelry is difficult to photograph well. Before hiring a photographer, shop around. Get advice from other artisans about who can give you what you need. If you opt to shoot your own photos, one possibility is to shoot on film, and have the film put on CD before the slides are created. This gives you both film slides (still requested by some juries) and digital images from one photo shoot! Also, consider taking your film to professional, rather than retail, developers. They tend to be more careful in getting color and exposure just right, plus they are more likely to stand by their work and help educate newcomers. Another option is to apply to shows through the nonprofit organization Zapplication (ZAPP). ZAPP has created a system through which you can apply to several shows at once, using the same images. They also offer photography tips and a list of professional photographers who have experience shooting for show applications. Getting good images can be exhausting, but the hardest part of the process can be waiting to hear if your applications have been accepted! Depending on if/where else you sell your finished products, you might be able to start on production before you receive any answers. This suspenseful time is also perfect for continuing to educate yourself on the business practices of the arts & crafts world. The Crafts Report (a print magazine as well as Web site) is one great resource. Another is the Society of North American Goldsmith's (SNAG's) Professional Guidelines. And, don't forget you can browse and ask questions in the business tips and questions section of R&T's online forum. Plus, check your local libraries and bookstores for recent business how-to guides specific to the arts & crafts world (check publication dates to make sure you're not getting archaic information!). While you wait, you can also get a jumpstart on gathering some needed show supplies. At this point, focus on free or inexpensive supplies. That way, if you don't get accepted into any shows this year, you won't have invested a lot of money on things you won't be using right away. And remember, even if you don't get accepted into a show this year, you will still have gained valuable experience for next year. If you do get accepted into one or more shows, you'll still have much work ahead of you. Next month, we'll discuss show supplies and what to do after you hear back from show organizers. In the meantime, good luck on your applications! |
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R&T Employee Spotlight: Ben Glass Ben Glass currently weighs and packages stock for Rings & Things. But watch out world — he could become a 21st Century Hunter S. Thompson.
R&T: What is your job with the company?
R&T: What's your favorite part of working for R&T?
R&T: Have you got a favorite R&T stock item?
R&T: Do you have any jewelry-making experience?
R&T: What are your hobbies?
R&T: What's the last book you read and/or the last movie you watched?
R&T: Do you have any favorite sayings?
R&T: That's a bit odd. Would you care to elaborate?
R&T: Nice! Do you have any life goals you'd like to share with our readers? R&T: Thanks Ben. We wish you the best of luck! |
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R&T's String of Events: April 2007 Calendar
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Thanks! Russ, Kim and the whole Rings & Things crewP.O. Box 450 Spokane, WA 99210-0450 USA Phone (509) 252-2900 Fax 509 838 2602 Order toll free 1 (800) 366-2156 Web site: http://www.rings-things.com You can subscribe/unsubscribe (it's free) to our newsletter in seconds! If you've moved, please help us get our next catalog supplement to you. Just fill out this form: www.rings-things.com/addressform.htm. Newsletter Home |
Our fourth annual design contest has proven once again that you – our customers – are a gifted bunch! We love seeing what people are up to not just in the USA, but around the world. So, we were happy to again receive a strong international response. Entries this year came from the USA, US armed forces overseas, Canada, the Turks & Caicos Islands (near the Bahamas), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Earth Day began in 1970 after US Senator Gaylord Nelson requested that the nation dedicate a day to spreading awareness of environmental issues. Despite its low-key presence in the United States in recent years, the April 22nd holiday is now observed by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries worldwide (
Overall, eight people from four departments process the warehouse's recyclables each week. Jordan Earnest, R&T invoicer, is one. "I've actually taken to it, and started recycling at my house. I encourage others to do the same," Jordan says. "It's so simple and makes such a difference. After working here, I've seen that you can recycle most garbage. I had no idea before. At Rings & Things, we only fill one garbage can per day with trash; the rest of our waste is recycled. For 80-90 people in one place, that's incredible!"
Your Finances: At this stage, you'll want to ask yourself how important it is to break even (or make a profit), as opposed to having fun and/or getting exposure for your name and your goods. Do you need to make enough money at the show to cover your application, booth fee, travel and other expenses? When looking over applications, make sure to note when your booth fee is required. It is becoming more common for shows to request booth fees at the time of application, before you even know if you've been accepted. If you are not accepted, you will eventually have that money returned to you. But, getting your money back can take months.
R&T: How long have you worked at Rings & Things?
Between road shows, classes, purchasing trips and more, there's a lot going on at Rings & Things! Here's what's happening this month: