The R&T Extra!   November 2008

Services for You: Product Requests & New Blog

Want one-stop shopping but need something we don't carry? Or, ever thought of the perfect component, but couldn't find it anywhere? Rings & Things understands these frustrations, and is ready to help! If you wish we carried an item we don't currently carry, tell us about it and we'll add it to our product requests. It can be something already available somewhere else, or it can be that perfect fantasy component that doesn't yet exist. We can't guarantee that we'll be able to get you the item, but we can guarantee that we'll look into the options. Some of our R&T-exclusive components are thanks to folks like you sharing component wishes!

To tell us what you want, fill out our product request form. Be as specific as you possibly can. The more information you give us, the better we'll be able to investigate the options for creating or otherwise finding what you're looking for. If we do end up adding an item you request, you'll be among the first to know.

Be sure to also check out Rings & Things' blog. In our new blog, you can get info about new products, new trends, upcoming sales, free design ideas and fun stuff like our "Stories from the Road" (a web page dedicated to quirky tales from our BeadTour shows). Plus, we want to hear your thoughts! We encourage you to log-in and add your comments whenever you've got an opinion (good or bad) about what we're up to. It's one more way we can listen to you and provide what you want and need!

An easy way to keep up with our blog is to subscribe to R&T's blog RSS feeds! To receive instant notices of when our intrepid blogger Dave adds new entries, sign up for our Blog Entries RSS Feed. For instant notices of responses from readers like you, sign up for our Blog Comments RSS Feed. Or, sign up for both! (Links to both feeds can be found in the small print at the bottom of our blog.) What's an RSS feed? The headlining article in our September 2008 R&T Extra gives a basic explanation for those of you who are scratching your heads.

NOTE: If your computer uses Internet Explorer version 6 ("IE6"), RSS feeds aren't automatically viewable for you. But, you've got at least 3 free options for adding RSS feeds to your computer repetoire! You can update to Internet Explorer 7 for free, or download the popular and excellent Firefox browser (also free). If you don't want to switch from IE6, an alternative is a neat free RSS viewer, called GreatNews that we've tried out. This easy little program runs on your desktop, and its File menu searches the internet for RSS feeds that you might want to add. For example, click File > Add > Feed, type in www.rings-things.com, and you'll receive our Hot New Items feed. One way or another, you can get the fun and benefit of automatically receiving news updates!

Lampwork Beads Offer Timeless Appeal

Lampwork glass is wildly popular—and for good reason. The brilliant colors and endless patterns of this ancient bead-making technique have a timeless appeal that combines the whimsy of handmade items with the sleek elegance of glass. At Rings & Things, we're excited about some new lampwork offerings, and we think you'll be excited too! First, our metal-core Calypso™ beads offer European style at an affordable price. These colorful lampwork beads are perfect for custom charm bracelets, and are compatible with major name brands of create-your-own jewelry. Their large sterling silver-lined hole allows them to work with a wide variety of stringing materials, including our bead-change cuff-style bracelets.

Also, check out our Christmas lampwork beads, available in a variety of fun holiday shapes. Use for holiday jewelry, table décor, napkin rings, wineglass charms and more—these are perfect accents on long bead strands to festoon holiday trees for years to come. (Goodbye moth-bitten popcorn strings and fall-apart tinsel; hello durable lampwork glass that will last generations.) Most of our Christmas lampwork glass is limited to stock on hand, so get these festive styles now, while you can.

To make lampwork beads, glass artists use a small flame to melt the glass (this was once done with oil lamps, hence the name "lampwork"). The artists wind the molten glass around a steel mandrel. Then, while still working the glass in and near the flame, the artists use hand tools or metal molds to shape the beads. They finish the beads with embellishments of additional glass colors. Take a look at all our online lampwork bead offerings to inspire your creativity and supply your year-round needs!

Your Designs Rock! Our 2009 Contest

It's time to rise to the design occasion! Rings & Things is happy to announce that details for the 2009 Your Designs Rock! Contest are now available. Entries don't have to be jewelry—they can be anything. Winnings up for grabs include:

• The grand prize: $750 R&T credit

• Five first-place prizes: $250 R&T credit each
• Honorable mentions: $75 R&T credit each

Entries will be accepted in 5 categories this year:

• Glass & Crystal
• Gemstones & Pearls
• Mostly Metal
• Metal Clay
• Found Objects & Miscellaneous (includes natural materials, ceramics, recycled parts, trade beads, resin, cording & Friendly Plastic®).

Another change from last year is that 2008 first-place winners will not be allowed to enter in the category they won first place for in 2008. We encourage 2008 first-place winners to move out of their comfort zones, expand their creativity and enter a different category in the 2009 contest. Not only will this help you further your artistry, it will also give more people a chance to shine!

We're excited to see what people enter this year-both in the well-represented standard categories, plus our new Found Objects & Miscellaneous category. The popularity of antique & recycled parts (including the Steampunk aesthetic) combined with our wide variety of trade beads, natural materials, resin beads and cording, means we can't wait to see what all you creative wizards conjure up in your studios!

For more contest information, see our complete contest guidelines, advice from our judges and contest frequently asked questions. Plus, keep reading the R&T Extra. To help your entry shine, we'll include contest tips in the December, January and February issues!

We start accepting entries February 1st, but don't wait until February to get to work. Now is the time to start your winning entry. Happy designing!

November's Free Jewelry Project

Celebrate the right to vote with our "Sojourner & Truth" jewelry-set design! Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist, suffragist (fighter for voting rights) and women's rights activist born into slavery in 1797. She is most famous for her 1851 "Ain't I a Woman?" speech, given at an Ohio women's rights convention (find out more about Sojourner Truth at Wikipedia). Our bold necklace & bracelet set, featuring braided leather and lapis lazuli gemstones, suggests the spirit of this strong American woman!

To view this Designer Tip Sheet (a PDF file), you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat for free here. Then, simply print the quick-loading or high resolution version of our "Sojourner & Truth" jewelry-set design today.

For Christmas and winter projects, check out our winter components, including a large array of beads and charms for Hanukah, Christmas, Happy New Year, snowflakes, snowmen, winter sports and more!

To browse all of our free Designer Tip Sheets, go to the projects section of our website. You can also check out a PDF version of our latest new item flyer. If you don't want to download and print PDFs from your computer, you can also request a Designer Tip Sheet print out be sent with your next order (either call our sales staff or add a comment during online checkout). New item flyers are automatically sent out with orders.

R&T's String of Events: November 2008 Calendar

Between road shows, purchasing trips and more, there's typically a lot going on at Rings & Things! Here's what's happening this month:

• Friday thru Sunday Oct, 31 – Nov. 2: Art Clay™ Silver Certification Class in our Spokane, WA warehouse (click for directions). Want to visit from out of town? Then use hotel discounts for R&T customers.
• Saturday, November 1: BeadTour show in San Mateo, CA
• Sunday, November 2: BeadTour show in Sacramento, CA
• Saturday, November 15: Basic Art Clay Silver Class in our Spokane, WA warehouse (click for directions). Want to visit from out of town? Then use hotel discounts for R&T customers.
• Thursday, November 27: Rings & Things will be closed for Thanksgiving.

• Wednesday thru Saturday December 24-27: Rings & Things will be closed for Christmas.
• Monday & Tuesday, December 29-30: Find great bargains at our Annual Red-Tag Showroom Sale: overstocks priced to move, reductions on limited-stock components, closeout sale prices and significant price reductions on gemstones and other strands! Held in our Spokane, WA, showroom (click for directions). Visit from out of town and take advantage of hotel discounts for R&T customers.
• Wednesday, December 31: Rings & Things will close at 4pm, for New Year's Eve.

Thanks!

Our Products   |   Home Page   |   Site Search