Browsing Category

Community

A season for CERF

November 3, 2009

An outlet for your generosity!

Invest selflessly

The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) specializes in helping those less fortunate–artists, specifically. When a studio burns down or a hurricane sweeps away someone’s livelihood, CERF steps in to help rebuild. CERF also educates artists in emergency preparedness.

Despite the economic ups & downs we’ve witnessed this year, some of us have come through all right — and as the holidays approach, we can consider donating to CERF. Through December, join “A Season for CERF” to give a portion of your proceeds to this good cause.

Whether it’s a percentage of profits or a one-time donation, our donations add up, like beads strung onto a thread, to make a valuable contribution to our artisan community.

Can’t donate? Please mention this article on Twitter or Facebook!

Rings & Things is a "Bicycle Friendly Business"

October 22, 2009

Thanks for the recognition!

My other car is a *real* bike!

The League of American Bicyclists recently announced 45 new Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) award winners, including Rings & Things. This was the third time BFB winners have been announced since the program’s inception in 2008, when the League announced the first 13 designees; it puts us in the ranks of businesses like Rodale Publishing, REI stores, and the World Bank.

BFB businesses make bicycle-friendliness a core element in the workplace, and use innovative tools to promote bicycling as an easy and fun option for transportation and recreation.

The BFB program recognizes socially responsible businesses that promote healthy, happy, and green workplaces, and provides a road map to become even more bike-friendly in the years to come.

BFB winners provide amenities such as secure bike parking and shower facilities, and motivations such as incentives to commute by bike and bike to Work Week promotions. When bicycling is infused in a company’s culture, great things happen: reduced health care costs; more productive employees; improved worker and customer satisfaction; smaller carbon footprint; and increased corporate social responsibility. It’s also fun to bike 🙂

Applying as a BFB is easy and free. Applicants receive technical assistance from the League staff as well as tools to evaluate and assess their bicycle friendliness through the application process. Rings & Things encourages other businesses to make a difference by supporting employee bicycling.

How to market your crafts book

October 13, 2009

No general guidance here — just a tip of the hat to someone for a great idea she had!

We received a package of really attractive bookmarks from our blog partner Lisa Crone:

We loved these cute bookmarks :)

We loved these cute bookmarks 🙂

She combines stylish design, plus her ongoing theme (at least for me, “A Bead A Day” is suggested by the single bead here), plus a quick plug for her upcoming book, “A Bead in Time”.

Lisa made this promo short, sweet enough to make people want to keep it around, useful, and unique. I’d call this example a great craft business tip!

This could be you, y'know

September 11, 2009

Rings & Things would like to introduce someone to you…

Lucky #1

Lucky #1

Angela Bannatyne is the very first winner ever in our ongoing “I Want to be a Blog Partner!” contest. She’s already written her first blog post about it. Go have a read!

Every three months, we draw a name to be a guest Blog Partner. We’ll send goodie packs of R&T items for review, for use in jewelry-making, or to give away–your choice. It’s a great chance to check out some of the latest and the greatest in the realm of beads & findings!

The next drawing is at the end of October. If you put your name in at our Blog Partners program page, we’ll keep it “in the hat” till it gets drawn. So you don’t have to keep re-entering!

Best of luck!

World's longest beaded necklace

September 9, 2009

” A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” And a bead added to the world’s longest necklace is not lost…

The start of the world's longest beaded necklace (image from the Scranton Times-Tribune)

We heard from Mary Ann Corey, the co-founder of a nonprofit organization called The Portable Playhouse (TPP) . This is an art-therapy program for thousands of women and children recovering in hospitals and cancer centers in several states. They use glass, crystal and silver beads to create one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that the patients get to wear and keep. They’re in 2 New York hospitals and 7 New Jersey hospitals, with many more in the surrounding areas and across the country waiting for this program. To date, they’ve worked with over 37,000 women and children, “beading one smile at a time.”

Seeking new and creative ways to implement and fund this unique program, TPP decided to launch a nationwide campaign to bead the world’s longest necklace.

Under the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records, along with the generosity of a New York bead company, TPP will attempt to exceed the standing record of 355 feet. People wishing to participate in this fundraiser can visit the World’s Longest Beaded Necklace website and donate a dollar per bead. The bead(s) will then be added to the necklace in their name or in the names of a loved one. TPP will then record the names of the donors as one of the world record holders. This campaign launched on July 30th and the necklace will be being beaded at headquarters in Forest City, PA until December 31st.

More importantly, this fundraiser will help spread awareness for the need of art therapy programs during this traumatic time in patients’ lives.

Over 40 hospitals locally and nationwide are waiting for TPP’s services. With the anticipated success of this fundraiser, hundreds more are expected, thus the reason for this national campaign.

Your support will be most welcomed, because as beaders, you all know the therapeutic value of beading. TPP needs to bead miles of smiles… So please forward this information to as many people as possible. Thanks for your consideration! For any additional information please contact TPP’s “bead” headquarters anytime.

“Bead Happy!”

R&T follows the Yellow Brick Road

August 7, 2009

Also known as Garland Street (in Spokane)!

Two Rings & Things artisans are featured in an art show celebrating the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz”. Appropriately held at the stalwart Tinman Gallery in Spokane, this OzVitational exhibit showcases artists’ unique takes on the legacy of Dorothy and friends.

Sondra Barrington, our Sales manager by day, mixed found objects with quality vintage-feel findings for a steampunk bracelet titled “Flying Monkeys”. Like a wearable video clip (from the scariest part of the film!), this piece sports stills from the classic movie transferred onto copper stamping blanks.

flyingmonkey bracelet sondra barrington

Some R&T stock used in the bracelet:
…and some Tim Holtz Idea-Ology items, plus a “cash & carry” strand of smoky quartz nuggets as sold at Rings & Things road shows and in our showroom.
margot_kurt_kurtozbx

Kurt (Metalman) Madison is our Art Clay Silver certified expert. He and partner Margot Casstevens created a collaborative print/sculpture/jewelry piece that the Inlander newspaper called

“one-of-a-kind pendants — ruby slippers, a yellow brick road, the heart so sought after by Tinman himself — hang[ing] from inside their gray weathered box. A knothole in the wood becomes the “O” for Oz and the wood itself is said to be from Dorothy’s Kansas farmhouse…if you let yourself drift to where childlike wonder lives, you can almost believe.”

margot_kurt_kansasoz

The exterior of Kurt & Margot’s “OZ BOX”

Many other gifted artists are in the show, too. So if you’re in Spokane any time this month, head to the Garland District for a visual treat!

"As seen in" (or, thanks for mentioning R&T!)

May 1, 2009

There’s a nice custom over at Twitter called #followfriday. It’s all about recognizing people who are important to you online. In that spirit, R&T thanks some people who wrote nice things about us in the last week. Here’s what they talked about…

Tammy Powley discusses the hows and whys of lava beads.

Cyndi Lavin's award-winning design from the 2009 Rings & Things "Your Designs Rock!" contest

Cyndi Lavin wins a “Polly’s Picks” award in the 2009 Rings & Things “Your Designs Rock!” contest.

Robyn at the Gem Shows blog included us in her go-to list.

hopebird21

Meanwhile, back at Earthenwood….Melanie conjures an uplifting color scheme involving our Dark Indigo crystal beads.

Dawno has mentioned us too! Here’s the very latest of her frequent, informative posts.

Mentioning Rings & Things or our products in your blog? Leave a link in the comments here! We’re glad to send you some readers.

May giveaway:
* You enter by leaving comments this month
* At the end of May, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly, to enter a lot & to see if you won!

Now that winter is safely over…

April 30, 2009

…we’re able to share this cool alternative-commuting story.

When our town was socked by a record blizzard this last December, Rings & Things people took it in stride. A modified, snowshoe-y stride. When other business were closed, we were tromping through the snowdrifts to bring you beads. Watch a local TV station’s story about our whitish-green commuting!

dave_snowshoe_2008

(Thanks to KXLY-TV in Spokane for permission to use this footage. PS: some of it was picked up by ABC national news that evening!)

April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!

Nice Earth Day present: a "worksite bike"!

April 23, 2009

Happy Earth Day! Rings & Things has been awarded a brand-new bike for employees to use for errands during the day.

ctr_bikec-010

Left to right: Rings & Things’ Val, Mayor Verner, and R&T people Dave, Cindy, Selina, and Russ

Spokane mayor, Mary Verner, presented select participants in Washington state’s Commute Trip Reduction program with their new Worksite Bicycles on Earth Day. For its voluntary participation in the CTR program (and with 96% of employees taking part!), Rings & Things received one of these fine bikes.

Ten local workplaces were given commuter bikes in The Chase Gallery, just outside the City Council Chambers. A whole package of items was presented to each business:

  • A durable new Giant “Sedona ST” bicycle, built for comfort and “heads up” riding
  • A Bell “Venture” adjustable-fit safety helmet
  • A Kryptonite U-Lock/Flex Cable key-lock security locking system
  • A bicycle tire pump with gauge for maintaining proper tire pressure

In a nice bit of recognition, Rings & Things’ diligent Employee Transportation Coordinator, Selina Shehan, was interviewed by two TV stations, KHQ (in a story headlined “Spokane Residents Live a Little More ‘Green’ “) and KXLY. View and read more at their websites!

We’d like to recognize the other workplaces who were honored yesterday:

  • CH2M Hill
  • Coffman Engineers
  • Goodwill Industries
  • Red Lion Hotels
  • Riverpoint Parking & Transportation Services
  • Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC)
  • The Spokesman-Review
  • Sterling Savings Bank
  • Spokane City Hall

How did you celebrate Earth Day — with special beads, designs, promotions or activities? Share in a comment below!

April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!

Announcing the Kreativ Blog Awards

April 21, 2009

Rings & Things’ blog received the Kreativ Blog Award from A Bead A Day.  We’re honored by Lisa’s vote of confidence!  Now to pass the torch…

These are the rules of the Kreativ blog award:

  • The winner may put this award on their blog
  • Please put a link to the person that presented you for this award
  • Nominate 5 blogs
  • Put links to all their blogs
  • Leave a message for your nominees

For blogging above & beyond the call of duty, Rings & Things gives the Kreativ Blog Award to these highly readable bloggers who help others grow their craft business:

  • Jen at Naughty Secretary Club
    (it’s as much fun as it sounds; new techniques all the time!)
  • Cindy at Polymer Clay Tutor
    (she’s an endless source of crystal-clear how-to’s)
  • Etsy’s official Storque blog
    (a superb resource for craft business tips)
  • The Craftzine.com blog
    (like an encyclopedia, only funner)
  • The Blog for Beaders
    (they’ve been putting up some entertaining stuff…and you’ve got to take a break for fun sometimes!)

Thanks to all five of you for some genuinely top-notch blog writing.  We’re looking forward to seeing who each of you picks out to give Kreativ Blogger Awards to!

Want to nominate more great bloggers for recognition?  Talk about them (with a link to their blog) in a comment!

April giveaway: “DIY Display Ideas”:
* You enter by leaving comments under the March 31 giveaway announcement
* At the end of April, 2 winners will receive coveted Rings & Things goodie packs!
*So read the blog regularly to see if you won!