Meet Ralph Helmrich owner of Unkamen Supplies:
I love making chainmaille jewelry, but was unable to purchase jump rings that met my standards, so I invested in the equipment and started making them myself. Over 40 years engineering experience paid off! I love them! The weight is substantial and my customers love the feel when they pick up my products.
Check out my family's and my finished products and see the endless possibilities my findings will bring to your chainmaille weaves and other jewelry and craft designs:
http://unkamengifts.etsy.com
http://favmoongirl.etsy.com
I offer high quality commercially made supplies; items that I use my self in my own finished goods.
While I can do everything, I no longer can AND meet all of my customers' needs, so I get by with a little help from my friends...and family:
Karen, my wife. She lists, photographs, ships, stocks, sources materials, collaborates with designs, manages, organizes and rubs my shoulders every 10K jump rings!
Leah, my daughter. She lists, ships, stocks, collaborates with designs, assists with production and is apprenticing with me in my machine shop. She has taken numerous classes and plans to make this her life's work.
Byron, my son. He prints orders, ships, makes bookmarks, stocks and is learning about Excel and Quickbooks and bakes me treats to keep me going!
Travis, my friend, who apprenticing with me, keeps chopped wood piled high next to my stove and keeps me chuckling with his quips and quotes.
Ian, my friend and Travis' brother, keeps my wire inventory up to date, cuts custom lengths and whistles tunes to keep me amused!
Denise, my friend and another homeschooling mom, helps fill commercial orders, ship and when I am lucky, brings her newborn son along for the rest of us to oodle over!
Hanna, my friend and Denise's oldest daughter, who is apprenticing with me, helps with jewelry orders and drives my Basset Hound crazy with the aroma of her pizza slices-her standard snack!
Find my family on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/UnkamenGifts
Follow my family on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/unkamengifts
Learn more about my family on our blog: http://unkamengifts.com/blog/
Find Videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/unkamengifts
