The R&T Extra!   February 2009

Design Contest, New Catalog & Snow, Snow, Snow

Our 2009 Your Designs Rock! Contest has officially started. We invite you to show us your favorite originally designed and handmade creations. Jewelry, wall hangings, sculpture, you name it—your designs can be anything made with Rings & Things parts! Up to three entries per person (or team) will be accepted through February 28. Winners will be announced the 1st week of May.

Before sending in your entries, be sure you've followed our contest guidelines and image guidelines. The better your photograph(s), the more our judges will be able to see your artwork's quality. Likewise, the more completely you fill out your entry form(s), the better your chances. Full parts lists and an engaging story of your design help the judges better understand the work you've accomplished. Have questions about the contest? Be sure to check the contest FAQ.

Another thing to look forward to this month is our new 2009-2010 Rings & Things Wholesale Catalog! This volume is good for the next two years and features:

• 400 full-color pages in a thinner, lighter-weight format (10% more items, yet roughly half as thick as our old catalog!)
• Almost 200 finished example jewelry pieces to inspire you
• Informative section intros, easy-use section color tabs, usage tips, how-tos & size charts
• Full stock numbers and actual-size images for almost all items
• Exciting new items including more Beadalon® stringing cable, more styles of antiqued chain & antiqued clasps, base-metal crimp covers, new Czech glass beads and new Calypso™ sterling-silver-lined lampwork glass beads!

With such exciting things happening in February, it might seem odd to look back to December. But, the record-breaking snows of December 2008 are worth mentioning. On the morning of Wednesday, December 17, snow began a brisk fall in Spokane, WA, and didn't stop for 36 hours. By the afternoon of Thursday, the 19th, 32 inches had fallen! City plows worked nonstop, but couldn't keep up. City buses, the US Postal Service, UPS and FedEx all stopped service. Rings & Things declared an emergency closure because employees couldn't get to the warehouse. By Friday, a few determined employees were able to make it in, so we could at least process orders with a skeleton crew. Mobility remained difficult, but people improvised and figured out how to get by. Our search-engine-marketing guru, and blogger, Dave, decided snow-shoeing to work was his best option! Over the following week and a half, the snow kept coming and by January 1, Spokane had received 6 feet of snow. See pictures in our snowstorm photo album.

The snow also affected our annual showroom's Red-Tag Sale. Those of you who weren't able to make it this year will be pleased to know that a few goodies are left and now available in our online store. Festive Bag O' Beads mixes come in a variety of fun materials and colors. Each bag is unique meaning your designs made from them will be unique too!

Creating Form from Chaos: Spring 2009 Trends

Conflicting trend predictions can sometimes lead to head scratching, and spring/summer 2009 seems to be one of those seasons! While one source declares this will be the year for innovative recycled, repurposed and upcycled designs, another source says the year will bring back classic, conservative tastes like traditional pearl strands. Swarovski's spring/summer 2009 prediction calls for muted, earthy hues while Pantone's spring/summer 2009 forecast includes bright retro-1980s colors like fuchsia and citron.

With such conflicting forecasts, whose advice should you follow? Well, it's quite possible that in our complex and multifaceted world, all these various trend predictions will come true in certain segments of the population. So, we think the best advice comes from Margot Potter who writes in Simply Beads February 2009 issue: "Trends may come and trends may go, but the best designs transcend them. Keep an eye on the trends, but trust your intuition."

One welcome prediction this upcoming season is that jewelry and other accessories are expected to be increasingly popular as clothing budgets tighten—jewelry and accessories make smaller wardrobes more versatile! Of course, the same economic conditions that bring this prediction also suggest that we'll be looking more closely at the price tags on our components. Luckily, Rings & Things offers economical supplies for a wide range of styles and possibilities!

If you're interested in paper-arts, recycled and repurposed designs, then gluable findings are your indispensable friends. Try our wide variety, including gluable finger rings, glue-pad earring posts & clips, pendant plates, Aanraku™ & tube-top bails, gluable drop pads (including dog tags), disk-&-loop bracelets and disk-&-loop footage chain. These free Designer Tip Sheets will help you get started. (To view Designer Tip Sheets, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it free here.)

• Gluing Hints for Metal Findings
• "El Corazon" finger ring (high resolution)
• "Love Nest" dog-tag magnets (high resolution)
• "Birds Illustrated" bookmark (high resolution)
• "Disk-&-Loop Bracelet" general instructions (high resolution)

In terms of color, copper and brass are both expected to be hugely popular, since they provide the warmth of gold without the huge price tag. For bling designs, try our anti-tarnish brass and for a more muted look, try antiqued brass. For other muted colors and bohemian designs, our natural material beads and faux ivory please eyes and wallets. For bright, festive colors, our resin beads, miracle beads, lampwork glass and Chinese glass fit the billfold with change to spare. Our huge selection of semi-precious gemstones offers muted to bright to everything in between! And we buy many of our stones direct, which means we're able to provide both low wholesale prices and the knowledge that humane working conditions exist at rough-stone suppliers and cutting factories.

No matter what our tastes, it's ultimately up to each of us artists and crafters to create 2009's trends from the chaos of conflicting reports and uncertainty. As Margot Potter concludes in her February '09 Simply Beads article, "Great designers start new trends." What exciting new trends will you start this year?

Federal Lead-In-Jewelry Law Takes Effect

LATE BREAKING UPDATE:   On February 2, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a stay on lead testing requirements. Despite this stay on testing, manufacturers and retailers of children's products are still required, starting February 10, 2009, to sell only products that meet strict, new lead levels.

FEB. 10, 2009: Find out the latest.

The first stage of this new US federal law regarding lead in children's goods was originally intended to go into effect February 10, 2009. In terms of jewelry, the law only affects makers of children's jewelry, and defines children as 12 years of age or younger (the law does not apply to adult jewelry). It's part of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC's) recent Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

The shorthand version of the new law is this: Starting on March 23, 2009, manufacturers and sellers of children's metal jewelry (including crafters) will need to have an accredited laboratory test their jewelry and certify that it's within allowable lead limits. For other children's goods, testing requirements will not go into effect until February 10, 2010, due to the late-breaking one-year stay. The first stage of the law allows an upper limit of 600PPM (parts per million) of lead. At a future date, the allowable amount of lead will drop to 300PPM, and it will eventually drop again to 100PPM if the US government "determines this level to be feasible."

The testing process is looking expensive – and potentially cost prohibitive for small businesses – which has caused a lot of stir. We're sure the pressure of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America (MJSA) and the other national organizations and individuals helped create this stay! The CSPC seems to have geared their legislation for testing factory-made finished jewelry being imported into the United States from large businesses overseas. They've failed to take into account thousands of US artisans and crafters who 1) don't have the same overhead as large factories and 2) might be using components that have already been tested, either by the parts manufacturer or by the distributor.

It's a shame that such a well-intentioned law has not been well thought out, and is likely to hurt small US businesses. To voice your questions and concerns, and to find out more, visit the lead discussion in our Forum. You can also sign a petition aimed at changing the law.

Because Rings & Things' components are not intended for children's jewelry, the new law will not effect R&T's product lead classifications, which are based on California's lead law for adult jewelry. While California's law remains the strictest law in the USA regarding lead in adult jewelry, it is not as stringent as the new Federal law for children's jewelry. Nevertheless, our classification system does provide specific information about any lead content in our products.

We're all in favor of keeping children safe. Let's hope that the US government and US crafters can continue having a dialogue that will fix the prohibitive, and possibly unnecessary, costs built into the current law!

February's Free Jewelry Project

The band Heart gave us some hard-rockin' yet feminine tunes that have become well-loved classics! Make your own classic hit with our "Heart's Greatest Hits" bracelet design, featuring Swarovski® crystal and rhinestone beads. The chunky graphic beads add a rock-n-roll flair while the corresponding rhinestone spacers balance them with a feminine touch. The colors and clasp in the suggested parts list work great for Valentine's Day and year-round designs. Choose alternate colors and clasp shapes to create your own theme!

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 "Heart's Greatest Hits" bracelet design today.

For other last-minute Valentine's designs, check out all our Valentine's Day components. Plus, get ready for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and gardening season with our wide array of Spring components.

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 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: February 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:

February's birthstone is amethyst. Read care tips, history, physical and metaphysical attributes in our Gemstone Beads Index entry.

• Early February: Rings & Things' 2009-2010 Wholesale Catalog will continue arriving in mailboxes. Our new catalog features 400 full-color pages of stock items, plus almost 200 example jewelry pieces and introductions to each section with explanations about colors, materials and sizes. Watch for it! (For the majority of our charms, see our separate 2008 Charms Catalog.)
• February 1-28: Rings & Things is accepting entries for our 2009 Your Designs Rock! Contest. See January's article for photography tips and our December, 2008, article for general tips and inspiration.
• Thursday thru Friday, February 5-13: Join Rings & Things at the Tucson Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers Show. Every February, Tucson, AZ, hosts one of the largest conglomerations of gem and bead shows in the world. If you don't already have your reservations, now is the time to check for last-minute options! We'll be in the Holidome, booths 631 and 633. For more info and links to helpful sites, check out last year's Tucson news article. See you there for the experience of a lifetime!
• Saturday thru Monday, February 14-16: Art Clay™ Silver Level-One Certification Class in our Spokane ,WA warehouse (click for directions).
• Saturday, February 28: Basic Art Clay Silver Class in our Spokane ,WA warehouse (click for directions).

• Sunday, March 1: Our 2009 BeadTour kicks off in our hometown with the Spokane Bead Frenzy. Visit from out of town and get hotel discounts for R&T customers.
• Friday March 13: BeadTour show in Houston, TX
• Saturday, March 14: Basic Art Clay Silver Class in our Spokane ,WA warehouse (click for directions).
• Saturday March 14: BeadTour show in San Antonio, TX
• Sunday March 15: BeadTour show in Austin, TX
• Tuesday March 17: BeadTour show in Dallas, TX
• Wednesday March 18: BeadTour show in Oklahoma City, OK
• Friday March 20: BeadTour show in St. Louis, MO
• Saturday March 21: BeadTour show in Kansas City, KS
• Sunday March 22: BeadTour show in Des Moines (West), IA
• Monday March 23: BeadTour show in Omaha, NE
• Wednesday March 25: BeadTour show in Denver (Golden), CO
• Friday March 27: BeadTour show in Salt Lake City (Sandy), UT
• Sunday March 29: BeadTour show in Boise, ID

Thanks!

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