The R&T Extra! May 2008
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The R&T Extra! May 2008 |
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Subscribe/unsubscribe to this e-mail newsletter In this issue: |
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Rock 'N' Roll, Contest Results Are Go!
From this cosmopolitan and talented array of entries, we're proud to announce that this year's grand-prize winner is Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg from Ansonia, Connecticut, for her polymer clay choker Untitled (Three Tiger Lilies). In addition, we've awarded six first-place prizes and 12 honorable mentions. To view all winners, plus "Polly's Picks," visit the Design Contest Winners in our online Design Gallery. |
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More Contest News: Celebrating Beads
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A Rondelle by Any Other Name: New Bead-Shape Glossary
Live outside North America? Then you might also find our British/American Translation Glossary of Jewelry Terms useful. |
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Five Things to Heart @ Etsy.com Chances are good that if you've hung around crafters lately – or searched for their creations on Google, Yahoo or MSN – you've noticed Etsy. If you haven't already given this website a try, we think you'll like this "ebay" of handcrafted creations. Warning: this article isn't going to be objective. We're just going to focus on some Etsy things we "heart" (a fave Etsy term), and gushingly urge you to check out their site.
Thing 2: one of Etsy's missions is to encourage the selling and buying of handmade products. Why buy handmade? Etsy offers several great reasons, but we'll just repeat one here: "We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect." One thing you can do on Etsy is take a handmade pledge! Thing 3: Etsy uses cooperative advertising. Etsy reserves pages in national magazines like Bust and Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, covers half the cost, and lets its storeowners buy mini-ad space within that page. Again, nice exposure to zillions of eyeballs, and for a price geared to the little gal (or guy). Legend has it that this popular program once filled a page in 6.82 seconds. Thing 4: Etsy appears to attract gender balance. Much of the craft world is female-dominated, and there's reason to celebrate any space where the ladies call the shots! But, Etsy appears to involve the fellas too, and the result is a lively, truly diverse arts & crafts space. Thing 5: Etsy offers you low overhead. The sky's the limit for how much you choose to sell on Etsy, but the costs are minimal. It's free to sign up and set up your store, only $0.20 to list an item for sale, and only a 3.5% cut of each sale goes to Etsy. You can do much worse! For a site that's just two-and-a-half years old, Etsy has been doing a lot of things right. They've pretty much become a trusted household name for crafters already. We recommend checking them out. |
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Jewelry on the Campaign Trail
Politics being a gamble, we're willing to bet that you have a favorite presidential candidate this season. But have you thought about using your jewelry-making skills to promote your favorite contender? If so, you're not alone! In addition to the usual campaign buttons and stickers, we've seen a fair amount of handmade political jewelry this season featuring the faces or names of major U.S. presidential candidates. Here are some trends our newsletter's crack team of researchers has discovered:
As a result of these "findings," our jewelry talking heads predict that Obama will be the "sweeper" (earrings, that is) candidate among jewelry crafts people. Whichever contender you support, now is the time to use your jewelry-making skills to promote them. By acting fast, you might even increase your sales while the primaries are still ongoing. And, you'll have something stylish to wear when you vote in November. |
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May's Free Jewelry Project Become a mysterious flower of the night with our new "Fleur Noir" choker design. It's simple, stunning and combines high-quality magnetic-clasp choker cables with dazzling Swarovski® crystal margaritas. In short, it's a design that packs a punch! Don't be deceived—this design is made for the femme fatale in you.
Plus, keep in mind that while our magnetic-clasp choker cables might look similar to others on the market, they're not! Ours have a high-quality construction that's crucial for realizing your unique creations:
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R&T's String of Events: May 2008 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 Website: http://www.rings-things.com You can subscribe/unsubscribe to our free newsletter and/or our e-mail sale flyers 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 |
Between road shows, purchasing trips and more, there's typically a lot going on at Rings & Things! Here's what's happening this month: