The Etsy Shop and the stuff we make

 

Glamorous?  Maybe

Simple?  Definitely

But why can't we have both?

Lilac

The birth of design

I have no formal training at anything design-related.  If I wanted to gain more education in any field, it might be that.  Narrowing down my interests might be harder.  But ultimately, I think the birth of design is a concept that arouses curiosity in one's own mind.  If you can have a vision, you can create the empire.

Our first physical creation has been this necklace.  

Displayed here (in various sizes and colors) are our Agate Arrowhead necklace: hand-wound with metal wire and strung on brown Suede in a (no clasp) adjustable double-knotted style.  These necklaces are fashioned after the "Survivalist" necklaces used by outdoors-enthusiasts, however ours are more for appearance.  They DO however have multiple features that any person in the wild might be glad to have on hand.  These include:  Pointed arrowhead for sharp edge;  metal wire and strong cord for winding.  

Currently, we are working on a version of this necklace that uses a more standard clasp-backed chain for ease.  I personally like the adjustable style, but not everyone will like that.  We are also using Black Obsidian Arrowheads and Flint Arrowheads as another variation.  The photos are not my product but just to illustrate:

The appeal of the two different stones intrigues me.  With the Flint, you have a DEFINITE survivalist arrowhead, capable of creating a spark in the woods.  Also, the raw look of it is actually artsy in way.  By contrast, the shiny, sleek black Obsidian stone is more processed, smooth and tumbled with a reflective quality.  The Obsidian, as a stone is still VERY strong.  For a survivalist option, the point will do just nicely.  But the two are so opposite each other, you can probably see the appeal for me to work with both.

Winding the wire is the true challenge.  I mastered it pretty easily, whereas my son has not yet mastered it.  He seemed frustrated and didn't want any coaching on how to do it...wanting to learn by doing.  We went through a LOT of pieces of wire!  Finally, I made the item while he watched.  He didn't seem impressed with me...but then...he went into a Group Meet with some students and a teacher who were asking about hobbies.  I heard him as he showed them the necklace I had made and explained that we were selling them to help him adopt a Shepherd (Shepsky).  He explained to them how hard it is to get the wire to bend as you need it and to shape it.  He showed them our jewelry-making tools.  He was PROUD!

So am I, honestly.

Alex and I are a pretty good team.

Creating the selling platform

Ideally- or as they say, "in a perfect world", I prefer a storefront setting.  I, unlike others in the world, will never think it is "old-fashioned" or "outdated" to make my purchases in an actual brick and mortar store.  In fact, it is (in my opinion), one of the true joys in life, to actually go into a store and come out smiling.  This is the most ironic statement in the world from me, as I buy 90% of everything I buy ONLINE. I think of shopping like I think of ice-cream.  Ice-Cream is not practical nor nutritional.  We do not need ice-cream.  But every so often, and for no really important reason, we want to experience ice-cream.  That is why ice-cream should exist.

Likewise, when it comes to buying Survival-Themed necklaces, handmade lotions, soaps and candles, or having a Tarot Card Reading...it's not a matter of need, but of want.

This flies directly in the face of my father's genius words.  When I was a child, Dad told me to get into the "toilet-paper business".  He said that people will always need TP, and therefore I would always have a job.  THIS was the mentality of the Boomer generation- no offense to any boomers out there.  Dad was also a bit stuck in a rut in life, so maybe not the wisest words...but there was something to be learned here.  SOME of us need the safety net of working where there is a lot of security and practicality.  I have made a living in that world for 46 years now.  That is a world I can navigate easily.  But what I am venturing into now is completely something else.

So the selling platform we have chosen to start with is Etsy.  The link to our Marketplace is here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GlamSimpleBoutique

Here on the Etsy Marketplace, we will sell directly to our customers using their (Etsy's) proven track record for sales.  They advertise, they have the templates.  It's easy for anyone who is an artist or small-business to use Etsy.  The Etsy Sales link can be shared using email or any Social Media to boost your own advertising.  It's easy to create a business card with your Etsy WebAddress, and customers can find you.  Partnering with Etsy just makes good business sense.

Determining personal growth

Measuring my growth (our growth, as I consider my family to be partners in this venture), is not- and will never be -based on my sales volume.  It will be based on my outreach and how many people can be positively impacted by the products, the services and the experiences they have when in contact with our shop.  I want to make people feel the way they feel when they buy an *Apple product.  *Apple gets it.  They understand their customers and they speak to the heart.  They make lots of money but not by pushing a product, so much as by appealing to the desire of the person buying it.

Upcoming Projects

In the next couple of months, we hope to be selling (Taking orders, shipping products) the Survival-Themed "neckwear".  

The next product that will be rolling out is a distinctively-fragrant solid hand and body lotion, which is otherwise called a glace.  The signature fragrance is made of essential oils and is a proprietary fragrance for our brand.

So why a glace bar instead of liquid lotion?

I could probably list quite a few reasons.  Lotions are messy, they don't always travel well.  The ingredients in a lotion are not always fast-absorbing.  In general, not everyone likes the process. A Glace (A solid) offers a different type of experience.  I could NOT shake the idea of making one.  I sold Avon products for about 10 years back in my twenties and thirties.  They had a few fragrance glaces.  They were not moisturizers...the glace simply carried fragrance that you could apply to your wrist as a solid.  It glides! It glides on and it slips into your evening bag.  Thin and small, like a tiny perfume ninja, no one knew what it was.  I love the air of mystery around it.

About 8 years ago I met a woman who made her own soaps, lotions and glaces.  Her fragrances were amazing and I quickly became addicted to her glaces!  I had them in every shape and every size.  I had different containers for them.  They made me happy.  I bought them to give them away as gifts.  

When something makes you happy, you just want everyone to have some of that too!

For me, these Glaces will be a true passion-project.  That is all.

Design Influences

BETSEY JOHNSON

Some of my most prized-possessions have this flamboyant woman's name plastered all over them.  Few things in life give me as much pleasure as my "Betseys".  From handbags to wallets, to scarves to shoes...she does it all.  The little signature flairs that make them stand out have captivated me and many others for a long time now.  She is a true legend of design.  

Betsey uses "polka dots and hot pink" as a base for many of her stylish bags, shoes and scarves.

THE COUNTRY STORE

No store in particular...just the idea and imagery and style of a Country Store in the Mountains of New Hampshire or woods of Maine.  I cannot get enough of it.

I love the wood- the amber glow- the smell.  The inside of a true country store has a nostalgic feeling about it that I personally love to bits and pieces.  I see no reason that the design concept cannot be made modern.  Even with an online store, the Country Store concept can prevail through the products or even with the proper set for a backdrop for photos.

Who had one of these in their hometown as a kid?

(me, me, me!)

Vintage~Classic~Nostalgic Styles

Whether in clothing, jewelry, books, candy or even the words I speak, I ALWAYS prefer Vintage and classic styles that remind me of bygone days.

What can I say?  These are few of MY favorite things...

These photos definitely tell a story and evoke a feeling of the past.  For some of us, maybe it is a feeling of familiar things from our childhoods.  For the younger folks, maybe your grandparents had a phone like this in their house.  Maybe you marveled at it while visiting.  Whatever the case, there is a feeling attached.

MINIATURES

I am fascinated by anything that is a miniature version of a larger thing, such as Model Trains, Dolls, Dollhouses and there tiny furnishings, etc. I love model cars of all sizes.  I am not alone in my love of miniature life.  Some of the products that I will make available at a later time will be dollhouse pillows and rugs and blankets (simple fabric creations).  Why?  Because I LOVE to sew by hand.

AROMATHERAPY

One of my FAVORITE, most-loved and used daily objects is this ratty old thing I call "My Snake".  I plan to make my own since hunting it down was a fun adventure for my husband about 6 months ago when the one I had was dropping it's innards all over the house!

It is essentially a Microwaveable Heating pad, but it is long (like a snake), and it molds and shapes and contours to your body so that the places that need the heat can get it.  The weight of the item also adds comfort by applying just the perfect amount of pressure!  You may be wondering what this has to do with aromatherapy...sorry...got carried away.  This particular healing product delivers heat, pressure and fragrance to soothe you in a variety of ways. 

Last Year for my birthday, my husband located the company that made my "snake"...as you can see here she calls it an "Herbal Heat Wrap".  The herb blend she uses is designed to emit fragrance when warmed, and this is where we benefit from the amazing qualities of aromatherapy.  My product will be similar to hers.  The purple item to the right is one designed for the eyes:  lighter in weight with a strong Lavender essence (fragrance), it can be chilled or heated before being placed over the eyes or on the forehead.

FLOWERS AND GARDENS (Homesteading)

Flowers and gardens have played an undeniable role in my life and are a constant source of inspiration, exercise and passion for me.  Here are some of my own PERSONAL success stories in my garden, which have inspired me to incorporate dried flowers, homegrown herbs and also veggies and fruit, into my creations.

A Late Summer Bloom from our two-toned Hibiscus (Red and Orange)

A pair of pretty Shrubberies grow here in the front of Mom's (Nona's) Rose Garden.  They frame the placquards and flags that tell the story of a fallen hero, brother and uncle.

Wispy and Whimsical, this tall grass is a nod to the region where we live.  Less than a mile away, Conimicut Beach is teeming with sun and surf all summer long.

THIS is my prized-possession in the Garden.  

I planted her in the exact corner that faces South.  

She is the Cornerstone of all things (and represents me) - watching over everything.  

She is a Witch's Broom.

With my husband's help in calculating moisture, sun, depth of planting and so much more, I accomplished what I thought would be impossible.  I grew Roses!

This beauty was an early bloom (on Mother's Day 2020) in Nona's Rose Garden which is situated right outside the window of my Studio.  I will get to watch her roses bloom all summer long...and smell them too!

Peony

Pink

Perfect

Not even open yet.

I cried when this bud was there one morning.

Peonies are subtly fragrant and bursting with hues.

Peonies were my wedding flower.

Before we even FOUND the house, Jamie and I purchased a skinny little CrabApple Tree from the Clearance area at Lowe's.  We bought her in the winter and kept her indoors all through the cold season.  When Spring came in 2020, so did COVID-19.  So our first adventure was building (digging out) this kidney-shaped garden and planting Mrs. Krebapple there.  We added Strawberry Zinnias and Marigolds for ground color.  Hand-painted Smooth Rocks are scattered around the bed- another Covid project to pass the time.  The Large Rock in the center is a tribute to Karla Carroll- Jamie's mother who died on 9-11.

We call it Gramma Karla's Garden.

The garden photographed here is where I made the lovely discovery of Tiger Lillies.  They lived here before us but we are so glad to have them!

Growing food.  Growing our own foods, including herbs like these two healthy and vibrant Basil bushes, was a very big undertaking last year.  We have a LOT of uncultivated land, so we created a couple of small gardens and worked them hard.

SWEET MINT

CUCUMBERS

PARSLEY

GRAPE TOMATOES

PANSIES- Gramma Karla's Favorite

GERBERA DAISIES

My Mother's Day gift from Jamie and the kids

My OWN Lilac Bush

and here...my first Lilac

INSPIRATIONS

So these are the inspirations in my life.  Here are a few others with NO EXPLANATION...just because as my Gramps would say, "Pictures are worth a thousand words".

~Namaste

Lilac