Ice Cream Social!

 During my recent trip to the West Coast, I visited one of our top secret super awesome suppliers and found some fun, flirty aluminum chains in light green and purple.  They instantly became my muse, as chains and stones often do, but these chains were begging for the spotlight.  With summer right around the corner, I knew they had a home in a future Scarlett Garnet collection.  I paired them with some neutral tone chains and a theme was born!  The light green and brushed brass aluminum chains paired perfectly and reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The purple looked oh so demure when paired with the dark grey aluminum chain and screamed raspberry sorbet.  For a "Lactard" (my term for a lactose intolerant individual), these thoughts of ice cream seemed kind of crazy but I knew I had to go with the flow of the creative juices.

I had no choice but to showcase these fabulous colorful chains.  I immediately thought of a bracelet design, combining some nouveau styled cut metal as the ornate clasps and closures.  The aluminum chains are so light and I knew that I could get away with some serious volume so I went for it - a 10 chain bracelet was born!  Inspired by Katie's love of asymmetry, I made sure to come up with a random yet clever and eye pleasing color pattern.  To mix things up, we included a new finish to the stainless steel nouveau components - sand blasting!  This gives the stainless steel a matte, darker finish, just what the sparkly colored chains needed to keep them in check.

Ice Cream Social Bracelet in Raspberry Sorbet 

Ice Cream Social Bracelet in Mint Chocolate Chip

But why stop there?  This Lactard was in heaven, I got to have my ice cream and eat it too???   The lightness of the aluminum chains proved too perfect an opportunity to pass up on some seriously big, colorful and dangly earrings. Although they look massive, they truly are light as air.

Ice Cream Social Earrings in Mint Chocolate Chip

Ice Cream Social Earrings in Raspberry Sorbet

Some of our lines are so "serious", combining ancient cultures, history and Nouveau/Deco with unusual gemstones and semi-precious metals.  Katie and I were ready for something relaxed and fun yet still encompassing our signature style.  The nouveau cut metal components have a sort of circus look which ads to the theme of fun, however, they still represent our unique point of view.  The colorful chains add the funky flair that this summer needs.  And, who doesn't love ice cream?  

After creating a finished product, the next step is to hire an amazing photographer.  When Scarlett Garnet was a gallery/studio in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City, we shared the space with M&E Photo Studio.  They were the talent behind our Spaghetti Western Sunset Line photography.  Having since moved on to bigger and better locations, both businesses have been working hard and focusing on growth.  As the Universe often re-crosses our paths, Emily Lodigensky (the E of M&E) and I have been bumping into each other so often this Year of the Snake that a collaboration seemed to be in the cards. 

 Emily Lodigensky, hard at work, capturing the moment and the jewelry.

 It takes a village to make a perfect photo shoot.  One of my BFF's, Tara Milleville, offered to photo assist.  She's a natural, as we discovered during the Black Forest Nouveau photo shoot, but doesn't know it yet.  Thanks, Scrappy T, for shining the light where it's needed!

We met to discuss the details of the shoot, Emily suggested the PERFECT location, the bridal suite in the Bauer Building (formerly the Art's Incuabator in the KC Crossroads), and I found the perfect models.  Scarlett Garnet NEVER uses card carrying career models, rather we focus on real women, usually our friends and acquaintances, the people who support us, inspire us & look awesome in our jewelry.  Nancy Lee Ayala Rush, a KC vocal talent and beauty, who also just happens to have purple highlights, was my go-to-girl for Raspberry Sorbet.  Tonia Barksdale, an up-and-coming KC clothing designer and old neighbor of mine was our Mint Chocolate Chip.  The girls were happy to model and they were AMAZING!!  They truly had fun, looked fabulous, and got to eat the ice cream in the end. 

 Nancy Ayalla looking demure as Raspberry Sorbet.

Tonia Barksdale showing off her sass as Mint Chocolate Chip.

Katie and I personally could not be any happier with this new line, our models and the photography!  What a visual treat!  We'll virtually launch our new line on the Summer Solstice, June 21st.  

Please join us for our physical launch in Kansas City on June 27th at one of our all time favorite boutiques, Colfax, in Westport.  We will not only have our new line available for purchase but will also have an array of all our past lines and one-of-a-kinds available.  We will also be raffling off a free piece of jewelry!  In addition, Boulevard Brewery, our sponsor, is providing free Wheat and Pale Ale for those age 21 and over.  Did I mention there's also free ice cream?  And cupcakes?  

Happy Summer 2013 - let the fun begin!!

Stay tuned for the Saint Louis launch at our beloved Cherokee Street store front, mid-July.  Who knows, we may just add a few more Ice Cream Social flavors...

XOXO for now!

GG

Two Geminis, One Jewelry Company

When Garnet and I first met almost 7 years ago (virtually, of course, as we still lived in separate cities back then) we realized that we are both Geminis.  It seems to explain a lot about why we do what we do and why we get along so well.

When looking up descriptions of Gemini, I found this, "When a Gemini matches up with another Gemini it’s usually a miracle because the two of you would burn each other out instantaneously but it would be a good time while it lasted" (astro-counseling.com)  I feel like perhaps Garnet and I have abated this by being in different cities.  The distance could have killed other business partners, but for two strong willed Geminis it works. Maybe because we talk less regularly than cubicle-buddies, we are able to even out the highs and lows of the volatile Gemini tendencies.  

I have always felt like I had dueling interests, both sides of the Gemini at work.  In high school and college, I focused on scholastic pursuits with a major in biology, pre-med.  But I still was taking several philosophy and fine-art classes and performing with the dance team.  I could enjoy staying up all night studying the mechanisms of glycolysis but could dance all night at college parties too.  I love to be an extrovert, on stage performing, but was also to be the solid voice of reason and quiet ear to many a friends' dramas in life and love.  

Garnet and I share the Gemini personality trait of creatively beating to our own drummer.  Perhaps I have not felt as much of a rebellion feeling as Garnet does, but I think we both have had the "to hell with convention" attitude that sets Scarlett Garnet on its own path.  There are a few more qualities of Geminis that make us perfectly suited to become jewelry designers.  For one, Geminis like new challenges are quick to jump to the next idea, aligning us perfectly with creating new jewelry components on a regular basis.  And second, Geminis are good at pairing those mental skills with manual dexterity- meaning a talent with one's hands, perfect for jewelry design.  Lastly, Geminis are social butterflies and tell energetic stories, making them perfect genuine salewomen!  

To start sketching the Gemini Necklace, I wanted to get away from the often used images of two twin girls, and a numeral much like the Roman II.  I share a birthday (June 13) with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen...so enough with the literal Gemini twins.  I wanted to create a pendant that represented two personalities overlapping and coinciding, not two distinct pieces that were separate.  Hence the overlapping swirls came to shape.  The diamond shape is one I often find myself drawing, and the swirls took several turns before landing on the final design.  

We partnered with the photographer Meagan Huth of High Spektical Photography for product shots.  I was uber impressed with her crazy portraits and art photos, as well as her willingness to capture a client's vision.  She also runs a super dope vintage clothing store on Cherokee Street, just blocks from our St. Louis storefront, that doubles as her photo studio.  

I originally wanted to have Garnet and I be the models for the Gemini Necklace, but time constraints made it difficult for GG to be in STL before the launch online of the necklace.  I looked briefly for another Gemini to be my twin, but in the end, I got to be my own twin!  

Double Exposure- The Dark and Light Side of the Gemini, overlapping into one

Two exposures on one frame made for some ghostly conversation

In addition to these double exposure shots, we also did long exposures with a flash that would make two images appear on the same photo. We had a lot of fun playing with all the different techniques and ways to line up within the frame.  

A couple weeks later. we were invited by Google (yes, Google! More to come on that) to be filmed for a special project.  Garnet made plans to come to STL, and we got to hook up with Meagan again for a true Gemini Twin shoot.  Garnet and I had opposite ombre hair color, I created the allusion of bangs, and we painted our nails the same shade of emerald green.  Back in 2010, Garnet and I each separately picked out the same dress, by Always the Forest, out of hundreds of vendors the Renegade Craft Fair.  Early in the morning, Garnet and I donned our twinsies best and met with Meagan on Cherokee street to shoot.

People walking by on the street asked if we were twins.  For the Win!

Eye've got my eye on you.  Mural by Peat Wollaeger

More double exposure - double the pleasure, double the fun

Chillin on Cherokee in front of the graffiti wall, in our matching fringe dresses

Future's so bright, we gotta wear shades

Gemini Necklace, $64 in stainless steel and copper plated steel

The shoot was quick with wicked results.  We always try to look different when we are both representing SG at a show, so it was fun to intentionally attempt to look the same for once!  

We will be blogging about all of the Zodiac necklaces- including inspiration for the design and a behind the scenes of the photoshoots.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you like the pics!  

Thanks for reading!
-Katie