Holiday Sale!

Red Orange and Purple Gem Necklace

Long Diamond Geometric Brass Earrings

Geoflora Jewelry company is celebrating its first Christmas season by offering free shipping and 10% marked down prices on our Etsy!  We are also adding some new jewelry so be sure to check it out and take advantage of our holiday sale.  Enter coupon code HOLIDAY2012 at checkout for free shipping!  Thank you for supporting us in our first year as a company and for supporting small business and handmade goods.  Have a great holiday season from Geoflora :)

Etsy Sale!

Its Cyber Monday and also the last day of our 30% off sale for our jewelry so don't miss out! Use the promo code blackfriday30 at check out to receive the discount and get your holiday shopping done early while supporting small business!

SHOP HERE: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Geoflora?ref=si_shop

Personalizing Packaging!

      Ok small business friends this post is to impart some DYI wisdom and tricks to make a statement with your packaging.  We all love getting something in the mail and being pleasantly surprised by what we find.  Obviously, we all want our customers to have that same feeling so here are a few easy and affordable ways to achieve a unique look and keep the same look in your branding.

      One simple way is to buy linoleum and linoleum carving tools and make your own stamps!  For beginners linoleum is available in a white rubbery, easy carve variety.  If you opt to use these you might want to consider backing it with a piece of wood so it stamps more consistently.  You can also use MDF board which is a particle board used for block printing and is available for cheap at any local hardware store.  MDF is similar to wood but still easy to carve and doesn't require a wood backing.  For color we simply used regular ink pads but if you want to pack a bigger color punch you can also water down acrylic paints as well.  If DYI isn't your thing, you can also get stamps made very inexpensively at select places such as mail/ shipping stores or by ordering them online.

     Another exciting way to add some personality to your packaging is by playing with foiling or adding labels.  This blog has a great step by step tutorial for foiling to add some shine to boxes, business cards, and bags!  http://thedesignercoop.net/2012/02/youve-been-foiled/  Many craft stores offer a few different color varieties other than just gold or silver toned foils.  Many online packaging services offer labels that you can print your own design on but you can also print your own with a few simple supplies.  This blog has a tutorial on printing and transferring your own labels!  http://thepaintedhive.net/2012/02/magic-decal-transfer-tutorial-with-free-printables/

     The pictures in this post feature our personalized stamps using easy-cut linoleum and ink pads on simple cardboard boxes.  One thing we found was that the pigments in the ink pads aren't strong enough for the lighter colors to show up on the cardboard so we ended up only using darker colors.  The next round of boxes will have the watered down acrylic paint for the color to allow for more vivid colors in a wider color range.  We hope the tips in this post have inspired you to get creative and save a little money on your packaging!  As always, thanks for taking the time to read!

Jewelry Sale!

Hey everyone, if you're in the Greenville, NC area come check out the ECU Metals Guild's first jewelry sale of the school year! We will be selling our work along with some other great artists in the program so swing by Wright Plaza and look at our merchandise!

Powdercoating Time

Here's some recent work Ellen has been doing in their final stages.  Both are examples of powdercoating but the image on the left also uses spray paint on the coral gem stones.  Powdercoating is traditionally used in the automotive field but it has recently made its way into the vocabulary of contemporary metalsmiths.  Michael Dale Bernard produced a very informative video on the process of powdercoating in an easy step by step instructional for the Society of North American Goldsmiths television submissions a few years ago.  Check it out below and thanks for reading!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORDnv_iTCjA

New Listings!

Check out our new listings up on our Etsy shop in the next few days!  We had a great first sale and we made room for more inventory so stay tuned and like our Geoflora jewelry facebook page for more news and process photos.

Last day for 25% off sale!

Today's the day folks, last chance to get our current listings for 25%!  Tomorrow we will be adding some new merchandise to the shop to check it out and like our facebook page to keep up with our announcements!
Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Geoflora?ref=si_shop
Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/Geoflorajewelry

Marketing Tips!

We know its everybody's favorite subject and all but marketing is extremely necessary and important for making connections.  The world wide web provides many opportunities that can frankly be a bit overwhelming.  Since we are both newbies at this marketing/ small business stuff, we thought we'd share a little of what we've learned so far.  These images are books that have been recommended to us by fellow artists in the small business field and by some of our professors.  Having read them, we've found that while the material does overlap, the information and tactics covered varies greatly.  Everyone has their own recipe for marketing success.  They are all very inclusive and summarize the steps necessary to be successful as well as some advice on how to customize it to your personal needs.  One of our professors is always stressing manners and as southern raised artists, it makes a whole lot of sense!  For example, when applying for a job send a thank you note even if you weren't chosen, it encourages them to remember you for future positions.  Makes sense right? Now apply that principle to your audience by thanking them for taking the time to view your work, your blog, your new website, or whatever it may be.  We've learned that personality is important and your audience needs to feel comfortable with you and your products.  On that note we're gonna turn it over to our favorite reference
for all things business, The Biz Ladies at Design*Sponge.  Here are a few helpful links and thank you
so much for your time and attention!  http://www.designsponge.com/2012/05/biz-ladies-the-best-way-to-get-your-site-out-there-fast.html
http://www.designsponge.com/2012/05/biz-ladies-social-media-secrets-for-sold-out-events.html

Etsy Shop Sale!

For the month of September we are offering 25% off all merchandise on our Etsy! Use the coupon code  sept25 at check out.  We are trying to move some older merchandise and finally get rid of that nasty zero for our Etsy sales so help us out!  The new listings are coming Oct. 1st so help us clear some room for them!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Geoflora

Laser Etched Enamel Video!

Ok, so this is a two part deal but definitely worth taking a peek.  Arthur Hash is a great maker and innovator and these two short videos give you a look at some of his process so check it out!

http://vimeo.com/32286954  and http://vimeo.com/10339935

Time to get down to brass tacks!

This semester, we are both enjoying and struggling through a community arts management class and in light of that we thought we'd share a bit of advertising info!  This slide show is a great visual presentation of what a brand is and how to have a great one.  It's clear and to the point, which is always awesome for those of us that aren't so business minded by nature so here's the link and enjoy!

http://www.slideshare.net/coolstuff/the-brand-gap

Trunk Show!!

So in case you might have forgotten, Geoflora is having a trunk show on August 16th! We have been busy busy making things in the studio for the sale, heres some of the things we have been working on!

These are Margaret's black and gold powder coat earrings. They are powder coated black and then gold-leafed. This style happens to have chain loops. They might look heavy, but trust me they are super light-weight!

These are Ellen's geometric cut-out earrings. They are brass with sterling silver hand-made ear wires. They look great with short hair or your hair up for a fun profile! 

This is Margaret's double black and gold powder coat ring. Size 8 for the index finger and size 6 for the ring finger, this black powder coat and gold leaf knuckle duster is super comfortable. It has sterling silver ring bands and was super fun to make!

These are more of Ellen's geometric cut-out earrings. They are also brass with hand-made sterling silver ear wires. They are super light-weight and funky, perfect to jazz up any outfit! Look for these items and more at our sale and soon to be on our Etsy as well!

Wishlist Wednesday

Ok, we're back and lusting again! This time it's over these spectacular Erikson Beamon earrings because, let's face it, they're pretty amazing.  These gunmetal plated, Swarovski crystal laden earrings pack a huge style punch with a refreshing color palate that makes us drool.

Next up is this stunning ring by jewelry designer Kara Ross.  The gorgeous stone is raw African dioptase with a gold band and a diamond nestled in the raw stone.  We were in absolute awe when we saw this ring understandably given its mysterious history.  Dioptase was originally found in Kazakhstan and thought to be emeralds because of its similar color.  However, its lesser hardness distinguishes it from emeralds and also allows it to be used as paint when ground into a pigment.

 And finally, this lovely Emilio Pucci art deco inspired cuff.  Antique brass accents around red glass and clear crystals on a plastic base.  This is a powerful accessory with big statement power for any outfit.  We always love Pucci's prints and now we love their jewelry too!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Charlotte area! We're having our first jewelry show and we would love for you to come join us! Our beautiful invitations were done by our good friend Timothy Weaver so be sure to check out the rest of his designs and illustrations at www.timoillo.com!

We've been working on some fun new designs including some rings and necklaces/ pendants finally.  What's left from the sale will be listed on our etsy so if you can't make it out to the sale be sure to check out our site at www.esty.com/shop/Geoflora
Thanks for all the support, we hope it goes well!

Wishlist Wednesday

 Wishlist Wednesdays are where we show you what we've been lusting after lately.  Trust us, it was hard to narrow down this list but how can these rough cut diamond and rose gold earrings by Kimberly McDonald not make the cut?  We love the glitz but the unexpected roughness of these earrings!  We flipped out over the simple concept behind the spectacular gold folded earrings by Herve Van Der Straeten.  Their rounded geometric shapes mixed with the layered look of the folded metal are certainly lust-worthy.  And last but not least, we adore this Bvlgari snake watch.  What girl doesn't love a 'killer' accessory?  This watch is decked out in gems with diamonds, pink sapphires, and amethysts as the scales on the body and lapis lazuli eyes on a gold frame.  The mouth hinges open to reveal a watch face and we have to say we were totally floored by this watch, must have!

Fashion Friday!

Friday's are dedicated to what we're watching in fashion lately so here's what's on our radar:

 1. Neon (of course!)
We love anything eye-catching so with this look how can you go wrong?  With silver or gold, neon looks great, but either way some added bling is always a fun touch.  Looks great with neutrals or patterns and color!

2.  Patterned Statement Necklaces
A great way to show some personality through your accessories is with a chic bib necklace loaded with pattern and texture!  Again, this look is very eye-catching and is an easy way to add some fun into a simple outfit.  Whether the necklace is a mishmash of patterns or one strong pattern, we're crazy about this look!

3.  Antique Gold Tribal jewelry
We're always a fan of anything gold- toned but we absolutely love the authentic, rustic look of tribal jewelry.  The unrefined look mixed with the luxury of gold is absolutely gorgeous!  We respect the history and symbolism behind the pieces as well as the staying power of this jewelry

Just ordered a bunch of supplies to make rings! We have a show coming up in Charlotte on August 16th so we have a lot of merchandise to make before then. Pictures and products to follow! Oh, and by the way, this is our first show ever so wish us luck!

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hi there fans!
   This is our first official post on our blog! If you aren't familiar with us already, we are Margaret and Ellen Hinrichs, two metalsmith/jeweler/twins who love what we do! We will try to keep you fans updated on here, but definitely check out our Etsy site Geoflora and our facebook page Geoflora as well! Thanks for reading!
-Margaret and Ellen Hinrichs
Geoflora jewelry artists