POOL Trade Show, Las Vegas, August 2011

Scarlett Garnet Jewelry busted into the wholesale rhealm with our first ever showing at POOL Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV this August 22 -24. We did our best to have enough in stock for the Cash and Carry booth and also took wholesale orders. Katie came in from St. Louis to Kansas City several days before the show to help with production. In a matter of days, we turned our KC studio upside down getting ready for the show. We have to say thank you to Maria, Esther, Megan, Gabrielle, and Lorena for helping us get our stuff did. Thank you ladies!


Agh!!!! Such an organized mess...

Finished products were hung on our display fixtures lining the wall of the studio to help stay organized.

All our efforts were immediately rewarded the moment we stepped foot inside the convention center at Mandalay Bay. This show is HUGE! And awesome, and a perfect fit for our blossoming company. We didn't know what to expect but we were sure it would be something good at the very least. It was actually something very awesome, indeed. We kinda totally heart POOL. A lot.

We launched our never before seen "Egypt Noir" line while in Vegas. Why not? It's pretty perfect for this city and show. It was well recieved to say the least.

We introduced a neon line of Jewelry for August's First Friday in the KC Crossroads Art District, where our Kansas City studio is located. We brought a few samples with us and also wore neon jewelry during the show. Needless to say, it was a hit! After selling pieces off our neck and ears 3 times in a row on our second day of the show, we decided that we should include it as a product to be ordered. Thus, the neon line has been officially born. Shapes from our past 3 lines, "Nautical Nouceau", "Spaghetti Western Sunset" and "Egypt Noir" are cast in neon acrylic priced way inside your budget. People asked if the jewelry glowed in the dark to which we replied, "it glows in the light."

As first time exhibitors, we were treated very well. We felt right at home, starting from the email correspondence months out to secure our booth up to the closing day of the show, we felt that we were under POOL's gracious wing. We picked up a copy of the POOL Trade Show directory which was distributed to all vendors and buyers throughout the 3 day show.

To our most pleasant and humble surprise, POOL featured us twice in this directory. We sold out of the Multi Metal Chevron Earrings :)

Day 1 & 2 of POOL, the vendors were treated to free happy hour. Thank you!
The real party, however, took place after the first night of the show, Monday evening on the rooftop of Mandalay Bay, Foundation, nose bleed floor. Vendors, show organizers, buyers, photographers all united and had a fantastic time. Open bar for 4 hours = very hung over vendors for day 2, but we'll all sleep when we're dead, right?

Yup, this is the view from Foundation Club atop Mandalay Bay.
We made new friends and fans during the show, including vendors and show organizers. Kristen, the head honcho organizer extraordinaire of Project POOL's immediate neighbor, loved our "Steel Steer Necklace" so much that her team of assistants bought it for her as a gift. She wore it around proudly and we were ever so happy to see her wandering around the show wearing our necklace.

Check out our new friend from "Costella" Bags sportin some chevron action!

And, finally, the Las Vegas sights...And, some well earned chilaxing time at the pool....

Scarlett Garnet Jewelry is so proud to have been a part of this August 2011 POOL Trade Show. We had such a successful trip and cannot wait to come back. Thank you to POOL Trade Show and to all our fans and friends who are there for us. We appreciate your support!

Scarlett Garnet hearts you all!

XOXO,

Garnet and Katie

Stylism - Japanese Showroom

When Katie and I were approached by Jasmine via email to sell our products in her Japanese showroom a few months ago, we at first thought it was too good to be true. We replied to her email with a laundry list of questions trying to figure out if Stylism was legit. Emails turned into phone calls and after tons of research and meeting Jasmine in person this past June in NYC, it turns out, yes, Stylism is very, very legit.

Jasmine and her mother run the office in New York where they spend hours and hours searching Etsy and other online websites looking for American bridge jewelry designers to include in their showroom. Once they find the designers they like, the get live samples from them and send them to their showroom in Japan. Buyers can come view the lines in the showroom and place wholesale orders. Stylism also participates in large wholesale markets in Japan where they set up shop and buyers come from all over to look for new products. Instead of us flying to Japan, Jasmine does it for us, takes orders, tells us what we need to send them, takes a percentage of sales and sends us a check. This makes expanding internaionally much more cost effective, although, some day, we would love to visit Japan.

Jasmine is at a wholesale market in Japan even as I type this blog post. We could get a few orders, we could get no orders, we could get hundreds of orders. Either way, Scarlett Garnet Jewelry has made its way overseas to Tokyo. Wish us luck that they'll love our jewelry the way our American friends do!

Stylism is on the 7th floor of a beautiful art deco building located downtown in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan, NYC.

The lovely ladies of Stylism, Jasmine and her mother inside their quaint and well-windowed NY office.

Knowing their market, Stylism asked us to alter slightly a few of our designs to make them more appropriate for fall. We changed out bright chain into darker and added a few stones to some pieces.

Katie and I after meeting with and dropping of samples at Stylism. Yes, we are smiling very cheesily from ear to ear. Thank you, Jasmine, for obsessivly stalking Etsy for new American jewelry designers. Scarlett Garnet Jewelry is honored to be one of your featured companies.

Trunk Show at Mezzanine Boutique

For years I have been receiving postcards from Mezzanine Boutique announcing its designer trunk shows. The boutique, newly relocated to Maplewood from the Central West End in St. Louis, carries a well curated collection of clothing, accessories and jewelry that is so much fun for looking and feeling the luxurious fabrics. I have always admired the store for its light and airy feel, as well as for the fashion forward lines inside.

In a world of digital and social media, the trunk show postcards are a delight to find in one's actual mail box. I have admired the designers featured, and the way the postcard is able to capture their essence with just one photograph and very simple writing as an invitation. I have always hoped that one day, my own business would make it to the level of that featured designer. And now it has.

Please join us for a trunk show at Mezzanine Boutique this Saturday, from 11 - 4, at the new location of 2741 Sutton Ave. Light refreshments will be served, and Scarlett Garnet will be showing selected pieces from its Spaghetti Western Sunset Line, as well as many other one-of-a-kind items.

Special thanks to:

-M/E Photography for their skill at capturing a feeling, as well as the jewelry detail, in our Spaghetti Western Sunset photoshoot

-Anna Spector, owner of Mezzanine, for inviting Scarlett Garnet to show in her store.

Road to Renegade: Packing it up

When we tell people we are driving to NYC for a show, bringing a display tent and all of our gear, they ask, "Are you renting a van?" Nope. It all fits in a Nissan Versa.
We have 1 10x10 tent, 4 tables, 2 chairs, 4 tent walls, 1 wagon wheel chandelier, 3 racks of antlers, a cow jaw, a rechargeable battery, numerous picture frame displays, a cooler, all of our jewelry making supplies, a dremel drill and enough clothes to keep SG looking good for about a week.

Excuse me, can you move your rack?

A brand's packaging can be almost as important as the product itself. We chose biodegradable "plastic" bags for our customers to carry away their new treasures! These cute and functional red bags are available at NoblePackaging.com. We also ordered adorable pillow shaped boxes made from recycled material for the jewelry itself.

Take me home!

We arrived in New York City late last night, and are excited to be attending the Etsy Craft Night at the mother ship itself- Etsy Labs in Brooklyn tonight!

A few other random pictures from the trip so far. You can get all of our updates on our Facebook Fan Page.

Ruby is our muskrat skull mascot. She loves sitting on the dashboard, getting the best view of the country.

As we walked through Philadelphia on our way to NYC, we passed by this cigar shop and spontaneously bought a few cigar boxes for jewelry displays and a cash box.

The insanity of the Magic Gardens in Philly.

Road to Renegade: Wild Wild Midwest

Our current jewelry line's theme is a Spaghetti Western Sunset. And nothing screams spaghetti western like wagon wheel saloon chandelier. Luckily, the owners of Maven, the boutique in which our studio lives in St. Louis, like to collect odd lights and lamps. My personal electrician* rewired this beauty so that it can plug into an outlet. We invested in a rechargeable battery a couple years ago to light our tent during evening outdoor shows, so we've got that part covered too. I can't wait to see this in our tent! Stop by to see her in her full glory!

The view from below. She will cast some great shadows.

Just like walking into a saloon. Chances are we'll have beer too ;)

We're in booth #112, near the north Lorimer entrance to the park. Stop by!

The Crafty Supermarket in Cinci and Fabricate Boutique

Scarlett Garnet had the honor of participating in the Crafty Supermarket in Cincinnati, OH again this spring. Held in the Clifton Arts Center, an old school, the carefully curated show is a hot spot for shoppers! They lined up outside the show for at least an hour before the start to grab the awesome goody bags, and came in droves all day long. I was very impressed with the vendors at the show, especially booth neighbors Magpie and Molly's hand sawed creations, and Busty's Fun Bags.

The Supermarket was Auntie's turn to carry her adorable niece! While Mom helped her try on the Mercury's Wing Necklace, the mirror provided much entertainment for all. Cinci shoppers know the art of the baby backpacks, too crowded for strollers!

The organizers of the show also run the boutique Fabricate in the NorthSide of Cinci. You can purchase Scarlett Garnet at the shop, as well as handmade goods from many other local artists. I picked up barrettes from one of my favorite accessory designers, Felix and Jane.

SG at FabNorthSide

Fabricate displays art on one wall of the store and holds monthly art openings

Felix and Jane, whom we met at St. Louis Fashion Week years ago, makes lovely little barrettes with bright colors and contrast stitching. I love the random shapes and florescent hues. They lady behind you in line at the post office will enjoy looking at something new too.

My mom and I made it a Mother's Day weekend trip and drove together from St. Louis to Cincinnati. We survived many hours in one car, and had a lovely dinner with my friend from college, Katie England-Simms, in a blossoming area on the skirts of downtown Cinci. We checked out some shops in Indianapolis on the way home, including the super fresh Homespun.

By no means am I a church searching tourist, but Mother's Day mass brought us to the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in downtown Cinci. After inhaling large amounts of incense for over an hour, I found the architecture and art very inspiring.

The colorful stained glass windows- so calming and peaceful

The Greek style paintings and mosiacs glowing with gold leaf and detail

Artists and crafters- this is a great show in which to participate. I had the shock and pleasure of pulling up to load-in and being greeted by not 1, not 2, but 4 volunteers to help me bring in my displays! Booth sitters made constant rounds to offer help, and the venue had tasty, healthy food by local restaurants. I highly recommend applying to this show, but no jewelry vendors, we don't want to lose our spot ;)

Thanks for reading,
Katie

Shop online at ScarlettGarnet.com, or on Etsy

Girls' Night Gone Bling

If you're tired of the same old girls' night routine, we have something fun and different for you and your besties! Book a jewelry making class with Scarlett Garnet! It's the perfect chance to hang out with your friends, gossip, drink wine and learn to make jewelry! This is the only girls' night where you learn a new skill and walk away with a piece of jewelry you designed yourself!

Last night I had the pleasure to teach 8 lovely ladies how to make jewelry out of my stock of gemstone, glass, metal and wood beads here at the Scarlett Garnet Studio in KC. Stefanie emailed me to book a jewelry class and recruited 7 of her friends to attend with her. The girls each paid a base fee to pick through all my beads, chains and findings to create jewelry pieces made just for them. It was so much fun to work with them all and get to know them during the class. We all had a blast drinking wine and eating snacks while we worked. I provided some wine and snacks and the girls brought some extra wine and snacks as well. The perfect ingredients for a girls' night: wine, cheese and crackers and jewelry.

Here's what Stefanie and her friends made.

Jean chose this Southwest inspired wooden shape designed by Katie and me and added some brass African beads, lapis lazuli and a turquiose briollette on brass chain. She was a natural at jewelry making and picked up on how to work with the materials in no time.

Emily chose this mother of pearl as her centerpiece and added dyed shell, wood and black onyx on a brass colored aluminum chain. She started out with too many bead options and knew it was a little too much so she asked my advice on how to slim down her choices. I told her to pick her favorite bead, which is the shell suspended in the middle, and the we worked together to come up with this design.

Esther fell in love with these thorny stainless steel pieces designed by me for our very first line and added a piece of vintage glass resourced from a chandelier. She used silver chain to hold all the pieces in place just where she wanted them. She was a natural and worked very quickly and efficiently and before I knew it, she was helping me out by helping the other girls.

Check out this amazing bib necklace made with turquoise and brass pieces on brass colored aluminum chain. The strung beads are suspended by two vintage brass components that Katie and I found at a bead store in San Francisco.

Stefanie gravitaded towards these copper pieces designed by me and Katie. She made them her own by adding green and blue crystal beads and a sparkly brass and white chain. Her necklace is long enough to slip over her head and makes a bold statement.

Catherine was inspired by SG's Disco Headdress Necklace when she designed this piece. She wanted to mimic the assymetrical look with beads cascading in different lengths down one side. She chose a vintage brass component sourced from one of our trips to San Francisco as the centerpiece. I drilled holes in the pendant for her after we discussed how she would like it to hang.

Suzy brought in her own pendant to the class to revamp it into something new. The fish was inherited from her Grandmother, who Suzy was very close to. She wanted to do something really special with it. She gravitated towards these blue and white vintage German enamel pieces that Katie and I found in San Francisco. I drilled the holes where she wanted them and showed her how to wire wrap vintage glass beads to the pieces and connect them to the brass chain. She paid a little extra to make these earrings because she really wanted to make a few things and fell in love with these green crystal beads.

Lea really loved this gunmetal ring and decided she wanted it to be the centerpiece of this necklace. I suggested putting this shell bead inside it to give it more definition. She really liked the circular black lava rock discs and vintage costume pearl beads. She and I worked together on the design and it turned into something truly unique.

These girls were all just so wonderful and I truly had a great time. I thanked Stafanie for booking the jewelry class and was so happy to see her and her friends walk away with beautiful creations that they designed to suit their personalities.

To book your own girls' night jewelry party in Kansas City or in St. Louis, visit our website for all the details or email us at scarlettgarnet@gmail.com. We would love to hang out with you and your friends and help you make beautiful bling!

I look forward to crafting with you and your ladies soon!

-Garnet