A Little Marketing

Next Wednesday, I am part of the committee who puts on the OCADA Women In Sports Conference. This is a conference that celebrates the place of women in athletics and is attended by close to 1200 female athletes from high schools in Orange County and San Gabriel Valley, California. It's an inspirational and motivational type of day with guest speakers who share their amazing stories with the female athletes.

We usually have raffle give-a-ways and I always try to bring some gift cards for The Beachcomber for the supervisors, who attend with their athletes. This year I decided to offer some of my jewelry pieces as well, as a means to market my product.

I have donated 3 sterling silver cuffs and 2 sterling silver bar necklaces.

Two of the cuffs are stamped with "She believed she could so she did" and this is the third cuff:

One of the necklaces:

The other necklace:

I have to admit that the Dream necklace is a definite fave of mine. It came out really cute and this is the first time I have stamped using that star stamp.

There are going to be some very lucky female athletes that day and hopefully maybe a little business will come my way.

For The Matriarch

Last weekend I went to a baby shower. I sat at a table with a bunch of girls who were seniors at Orange High the year I started working there. It's so fun to see them and be able to call them friends. One of the girls had me create a bar necklace for her and when we started discussing the necklace at the table, the girls were shocked to learn it was I, who had made it.

Not only did the table conversation create some business, but Sheryl also decided to announce while opening my gift that I hand stamp and what my website is. While Sheryl is simple and opted for a round sterling silver circle with just the letter "T," another one of her friends at the shower went for something I have never done.

Gina just married the love of her life and her in-laws are making their first trip to California from London this weekend. It is her mother-in-law's birthday and Gina wanted something special for her. She told me that she wanted a necklace with the husband, all the kids, and the grand kids on it. Now I am not a fan of the overlapping necklaces where all the blanks are singular and then strung on the same chain. I know it's a popular look, but I've never shown it on my site because it's not my preference. This project has made me think differently.

Gina tells me that there are 14 names that need to be represented and she wants the necklace to be a mix of charm shapes and colors and for it to look "chunky." After some back and forth via text, I got to work. I will admit this was a really fun order for me.

This is what I started with:

I decided to pair the married couples onto blanks to eliminate 2 extra blanks and keep the cost down for her. The husband is on the large circle with the cut-out heart. I then used a mix of 14k gold-filled and sterling silver circle, square, long rectangle, and heart charms. The square charms I decided to turn so they became diamonds. I was originally going to use flowers until Gina informed me that flowers are not her mother-in-law; she's edgier than that :) Pablo is a grandchild that died before birth and so she asked for a cut-out heart for him and I think it's unique and helps him have a special charm that will stand out for those who understand.

From there I then balanced them out and threaded then onto the chain:

Now the necklace will not lay like this when worn. Thanks to my friend Brittney, who offered to give it a try so I could see it, she and I immediately fell in love once it was put on. The charms do come together, but if you were viewing from a distance you would think its one of those popular statement costume jewelry pieces that are so popular right now. Yet when you get closer, you realize it's a very personal and special piece.

Thank you so much Gina for coming up with such an awesome idea. I hope your mother-in-law loves it as much as I do.

This is a custom piece so price varies based on number of blanks and style used.

Hot Mess 14k Gold-Filled Hand Stamped Bar Necklace

I think the best thing about this business/hobby is when a friend contacts me and says, "can you do this?" 

This time is was Erin. I've known her since college and she is an Internet shopper. She came across a bar necklace that was constantly sold out, so she text me.

Hot Mess 14k Gold-Filled Hand Stamped Bar Necklace

$30

And as Kim says, "I think that is such a funny term we have adopted with a little endearment."

Sterling Silver Bar Necklace

After mastering the 14kt gold-filled bar necklace, I decided I should probably sell sterling silver ones as well. 

So here it is.

The lettering is offset, but could also be centered.

I first took a picture of the necklace left as is after stamping.

And then I blackened the hand stamping.

Sterling Silver hand stamped bar necklace on a 16 or 18 inch chain.

Can be blackened or left in it's natural state.

$30