The R&T Extra!   April 2009

Do-It-Yourself Displays

Rings & Things offers display and packaging options for selling your wares, but you can supplement store-bought displays with a more personal touch! Here are some great ideas for do-it-yourself (DIY) displays that you can make for almost no cost. They're great for creating an organic, artsy and/or homey look to booths and storefronts. Plus, some of them are great for emergency set-ups (for example, if your permanent displays get damaged, you forget to pack some displays for a distant show or you add a venue to your schedule at the last minute).

For classic-looking trays on a budget, cover shoebox tops (or any box) with black fabric or construction paper, then fill them with dried rice, lentils or beans. This makes a nice low-key backdrop for showing off pendants, earring cards, bracelets and more. For more punch, use brightly colored fabric or paper. Just keep in mind that solids are generally better than prints. You want your displays to support the look of your jewelry, not overtake them and steal the show! Another great way to make dynamic horizontal displays is to attractively lay your goods across river stones, large shells, driftwood or other branches.

To keep the overall look of your booth dynamic and eye-catching, vary the heights of displays by propping up some on top of fabric-covered boxes. You can also make your own shelving with bricks and planks, or slabs of flagstone. Click for a closer look of all three DIY displays pictured.

Mount thinner, longer branches in a base to make fun vertical displays for hanging goods. You can also make vertical displays from old window, fireplace and door screens (just place French hook ear wires right in the metal screen). If you've got metal screening without any support, staple the screening to the back of picture frames-cheap and easy to find at yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores.

In fact, all sorts of useful items can be found secondhand: small decorative pillows, baskets, wooden boxes, vintage jewelry boxes, colorful food platters… You can even hang items like clip cards and bracelets on large cylindrical candles (push straight pins into the wax to hold items in place)-just don't try this display at a hot summer show outside in the sun! Second-hand shops are also a great place to look for economical tablecloths, tray fabric, curtains and other coverings that can be useful in a wide variety of ways for polishing the look of your booth. And remember, not only do thrift-store purchases cost less, they're also an environmentally friendly way to consume.

If you're in a crunch and there's no time for browsing, then pop into the nearest grocery store and grab some large, colorful dishwashing soap bottles and large sponges (the dishwashing or car wash variety). You can either soak off the bottle labels or wrap the bottles in fabric to use as busts for hanging necklaces. The large sponges work as colorful horizontal surfaces for laying items across. Best yet, after the show you can put these items to work in their originally intended jobs.

Other suggestions from our show experts include using seasonal props to complement your goods. For spring and summer, cut flowers make a pretty addition. For fall, squash, apples and other harvest goodies add an attractive touch. Also, if you're not ready to invest in your own table(s), see if your friends, church or community center can loan you one.

We'd love to hear what additional DIY display ideas you've used or have seen. Tell us about (or send an image of) your fave DIY display in our April blog competition and you could win one of our famous goodie bags!

For other types of advice on running a strong business, check out our new list of crafts business tips. Happy show season!

Shellies in the Spring: Color Fun

Shell pearls are a versatile and economical bead! Pair them with crystal, glass, metals and more for everything from big and bold to soft and feminine. Try them with these spring color themes—or a theme of your own:

yellow shell pearls Easter pastels             jonquil crystal beads daffodils ...            & sunshine "Miami" necklace lemon & honey       jonquil glass beads       saffron

white shell pearls weddings       "Wedding Doves" set       ... CLASSIC clear glass crystal timeless ...         white freshwater pearls purity of spirit

silver gray shell pearls water ...                       spring snow melt amazonite gemstones ancient pools           aquamarine seed beads tropic shorelines "Lava in the Amazon" necklace           ... refreshing!

Rings & Things is Certified Sustainable!

Smart. That's what the city of Spokane, WA, calls Rings & Things. R&T is one of the first businesses to be recognized in its hometown for Sustainable Management of Assets, Resources, and Technology (SMART). The city's Business & Development Services Department developed the SMART Recognition Program in partnership with Avista Utilities, Eastern Washington University and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Rings & Things earned certified status in both the waste reduction/recycling category and the commute reduction category under the new program. Businesses can apply to be recognized for their efforts as either "participant" or "certified" in the above categories plus energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, green building and pollution prevention.

Spokane's mayor, Mary Verner, says "We hope people will see this as a seal of approval for these businesses … We see it as an additional opportunity to grow our green economy."

Read more about R&T's efforts in our 2007 "Earth Day Every Day" article and 2008 "Rings & Things is Still Going Green" article. Just last month Rings & Things won a separate, countywide award (the Pinnacle Award) for its outstanding employee participation in commute alternatives. A remarkable 95% of Rings & Things' employees get to work by walking, carpooling, bicycling, taking the bus or working compressed weeks at least part of each month.

For general information on what and how you can recycle, visit The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide. For additional sustainability topics, from greening your home to Creation Care, check out The Earth Day Network. Happy Earth Day (April 22, 2009)!

April's Free Jewelry Project

It's true that our "Holiday Wishes" earrings were created with Christmas in mind, but they're perfect for Earth Day too (or any day, for that matter). Once you've acquired metal-stamping tools, you can make these peace-loving dangles for under $5 a pair. And, by custom-stamping your own dangles, you can create any message you want to convey!

If you don't already have metal-stamping experience, don't be daunted! Take a local class, or check out our metal-stamping page for a basic introduction. It's fun, fast and easier than you'd think.

Find inspiration for more seasonal designs with parts for Easter, gardening season, Earth Day, Mother's Day and school graduations in our wide array of Spring components.

To browse more free designs, check out our online Design Gallery and/or projects index. 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 request that a Designer Tip Sheet printout 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: April 2009 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:

April's birthstones are diamond, sapphire and carnelian. Read carnelian care tips and history, plus physical and metaphysical attributes, in our Gemstone Beads Index carnelian entry. For diamond-colored and sapphire-colored beads and pendants, see our clear CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements and sapphire CRYSTALLIZED – Swarovski Elements.

• April 1: The R&T blog April raffle begins (no fooling!). To enter, simply post a comment in any of our April, 2009, blog topics. At the end of the month, all commentators go into a random drawing to win a surprise goodie pack!
• April 4: BeadTour show in Mt. Vernon, WA.
• April 5: BeadTour show in Seattle, WA.
• April 11: BeadTour show in Missoula, MT.
• April 18: BeadTour show in Bellevue, WA.
• April 19: BeadTour show in Portland area, OR.
• April 26: BeadTour show in Minneapolis, MN.
• April 28: BeadTour show in Green Bay, WI.
• April 29: BeadTour show in Milwaukee, WI.
• April 30: BeadTour show in Chicago, IL.

• May 1: The R&T blog monthly raffle begins. To enter, simply post a comment in any of our May, 2009, blog topics. At the end of the month, all commentators go into a random drawing to win a surprise goodie pack!
• May 2: BeadTour show in Grand Rapids, MI.
• May 3: BeadTour show in Detroit, MI.
• May 5: BeadTour show in Louisville, KY.
• May 9: Basic Art Clay™ Silver Class at our Spokane, WA, warehouse (click for directions). Attend from out of town and get hotel discounts for R&T customers.
• May 13: BeadTour show in Sacramento (McClellan), CA.
• May 14: BeadTour show in San Mateo, CA.
• May 16: BeadTour show in Orange County, CA.
• May 17: BeadTour show in San Bernardino, CA.
• May 19: BeadTour show in Phoenix, AZ.
• May 25: Rings & Things will be closed to observe Memorial Day.

Thanks!

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