CRH Sneak Preview and Secret SALE: New Medium

Sneak Preview: New Medium!

So last fall we debuted a line of purses called Charm Purses and they were very popular! Willow took some time off from selling and making them here on etsy to perfect her craft and experiment with different ideas (not to mention going to school and working).

While dabbling with charm purses we got a little rambunctious and began working with aprons! They are adorable as well as sturdy. We will be posting these in our store this week.

This particular apron had such beautiful fabric I HAD to show it off! The white dandelion pattern is just gorgeous on the spring green backdrop with white trim--just adorable! This is the perfect summer apron and at our introductory price of $18 it's perfect!

Now, it would not be a CRH product if it did not come gift wrapped with a little something extra. In each pocket you will find a secret recipe of our fabulous CRH cookies! Each apron will be packaged beautifully for gift giving to a friend or just yourself:)

SECRET SALE

Whenever we introduce a new product we like to give our Blog readers a little bonus with our SECRET SALES! With the purchase of any apron you will receive a FREE pendant from our shop. You may choose from our square, tear drop, or oval collections. Just leave a note to the seller during checkout saying you are a BLOG READER and leave the selection of your pendant.

CONTEST

Now we would also like to give away a SECRET item from our new line to one of our blog readers out there. Just post a comment about our new medium and a way to contact you. We will select the winner and send you one amazing gift. As always--Happy shopping!

CRH Update and SALE!

Summer Line Update and Sale!

What a FABULOUS response to the debut of our Waist Candy Summer Line featuring Cori Dantini's artwork! We are extending our offer for the free belt with a new Waist Candy purchase until the end of the weekend. Hugs xoxox!

Our Pendant line will debut for purchase next Friday July 4th. Of course my faithful blog readers will get a sneak preview and special sales and giveaways beforehand so check back often. As always--happy shopping!

Waist Candy Sneak Preview: Summer Line

Waist Candy Sneak Preview: Surprise!

Tomorrow launches our new Sumner Line and as always my blog readers get a sneak preview before we put them up for sale:) We will only be posting our new belt buckles as of tomorrow. We are still waiting on the final supplies for the rest of the pendant line.

Each new addition to our Waist Candy line is an original CRH design and will not be found anywhere else! Cori Dantini has created each individual design to match each of our 5 pendant collections. The first buckle pictured comes from our Floral Collection.

The next Waist Candy is a whimsical dandelion on a baby blue background.

Below is one of my favorite designs from our Vintage Fruit collection. This rich red apple is designed against a baby blue background giving a wonderful color contrast. We have already listed the matching pendant to this buckle in our shop.

This little birdie is part of our Modern collection. She stands in pastel green grass holding a dainty flower in her beak. The pale blue sky sets the background and is just perfect! We have also already listed the Modern Water Lily pendant from this collection.

The next addition to our Waist Candy line comes from our Bhindi collection. This collection is vibrant in color and has a Southwestern flare. The Bhindi buckle in ornate and intricate with colorful accents contrasting each detailed segment. Her colors and design are almost intoxicating to look at!

Our final buckle is my absolute favorite and comes from my favorite new collection: The Animal Collection. Cori has created some brilliant animals for our new line beginning their debut with our Waist Candy. These pair of love birds almost have a gypsy feel to me. The birds are designed in a deep red against a pale blue skyline. The clouds in the background are actually made into flowers. The detail on this design is incredible!

Now for the best part! For all my blog readers--tomorrow we will launch these new buckles. Purchase a new buckle tomorrow and we will include a leather belt FOR FREE! Just leave a note to the seller saying BLOG READER and tell me the size of the belt you would like.

As always--Happy Shopping!

***GIVEAWAY--Blog Readers ONLY***

Ever Been Caught RED Handed?

I have had the greatest time reading some of your caught RED handed stories in response to our poem and decided to create a contest out of it. I am going to give away one of our Silver Spoon LARGE pendants to the blog reader who has the BEST story being caught RED handed. The best part is the pendnat is brand new and a limited edition. Only a handful will ever be made!

In the comment section, write your story. Make sure to include a way for me to contact you if you are the winner. The contest will end Saturday night at 12 am est.

Just in case you have not read the poem that explains my life and our brand--here it is again. Good luck everyone!

Caught with my hand in a cookie jar
Caught with my skirt up a little too far
Caught in the rain, in the dark, all alone
Caught past midnight up on the phone

Caught in a kiss with my lover alone
Caught by my mother sneaking out before dawn
Caught at a light when all I needed was green
Caught by the wind my dress showing everything

Caught with notes on my hand during a test
Caught eating chocolate when I was depressed
Caught bluffing in poker my chips all taken
Caught at in the lunch room line breaking

We have all done it, all turned red and embarrassed
We have all hidden our faces in shame
Everyone of us has experienced it; everyone understands
Being caught RED handed-an experience not just a brand

CRH Update: Back from Vacation

The Return from Paradise:

We packed up our suit cases and said our "goodbyes" to each other and to our little piece of paradise that was ours for an entire week. On the way to the car I heard the grumbles of "back to work tomorrow" and all I could do is smile. I will miss my family but the inward smile came from the thought of getting "back to work." What a God given blessing to be able to be an artist for a living. No more Monday Blues, demanding bosses, or community bathrooms:) Just me and my imagination--what more could I ask for. I am truly blessed by the success of my business and the gracious support of my husband--my biggest critic and my number one fan. So, though we left our tropical paradise, I have returned to my personal paradise where the sunsets might not be as colorful but the pleasure is just as incredible.

Shop Update

We have completed all the orders that were placed last week and will be shipping them off tomorrow. We have a few surprises up our sleeves this week so stay tuned. There will be some fantastic sales, giveaways, a few tips, and great etsy finds.

VACATION--Relaxing?

Ahhh vacation. . .it looks so peaceful, so tranquil, so relaxing. Well, now add the mom, grandma, brother, sister-in-law and the infamous husband--still sound peaceful? Not so sure. We all have family that we LOVE spending time with but the question is how much time is too much? How much time will get you questioning your very sanity? Enough to live in the same beach house for the entire week? I guess we will find out:)

Though we are at the beach--my computer has tagged along with me. We have shipped out everything that was ordered by Friday June 13th and are still taking orders through the week. They will just be delayed in shipment. Well--wish me luck:P

Accomplishments:

It feels so good to finally have some of our new line completed and posted. Last night I finished adding pictures and changing the order of some others. I have added a picture of each of my new pendants being worn so that you can see how they might look on you.

This is the first time I had actually seen them on another person and I fell in love with them all over again. I also think it helps that my sister-in-law has an awesome tan (that's what happens when you live here in SC:). Anyway--I am very happy with how they turned out!

Giveaway:

Yesterday we announced a giveaway of one of our new pendants. The winner of our Giveaway goes to Wendy (foodchic) who left us comments and encouragement that we could not resist acknowledging. Wendy we will be sending you one of our NEW pendants. Please let us know what you think when it arrives!

MAJOR SALE: Today, for blog readers only, I am giving away a FREE pendant with the purchase of any pendant from my new line. You may choose any of our wood pendants for FREE! When purchasing place BLOG READER in the note to seller box at check out and include your free pendant choice. You may choose ANY pendant from our square, oval, or tear drop line. We appreciate you and your feedback:) As always--Happy Shopping!

Sneak Preview: Summer Line

Keeping it Fresh: Modern Collection

Our summer line has been in the works since Christmas of last year. We have been searching vendors for the perfect materials, bargaining for the perfect price, designing the perfect artwork, and perfecting the design process. It has been a wonderfully LONG endeavor of the creative process but an enjoyable one. This is probably my favorite part of being a jewelry designer--the designing:)

The pendant displayed to the left is set on a silver-tone backing. It is JUST under an inch (.95 without bail) in height and .80 inches in width.

The best part is the artwork. Each one of our pieces are original to CRH and will be found NO WHERE else! Cori Dantini http://www.corid.etsy.com/ has designed each image for us alone. The design to the left is from our Modern collection. Each collection has four new pendants and a coordination belt buckle.

A Little Oldies: Vintage Fruit Collection

The next pendant is part of our Vintage Fruit Collection. There are four separate fruits in this collection and each comes in a variety of colors.

Again, this pendant is designed on a silver-tone backing with the same height and dimensions as listed above. Each of these pendants are light weight yet incredibly sturdy.

Within this collection is an apple belt buckle, a strawberry, a pear, and some cherries. Each design is unique to us and only found here at CRH. The image is protected by an industrial sealant that makes them almost indestructible and waterproof. They will also be available in a much larger size for those of you who love statement jewelry:)

Dabbling: Reflection Collection

This collection will be added to our Elite line of pendants. Each pendant will be designed with elegant and fine papers and a limited edition pendant. The reflections line is at the top of our price scale.

The Reflections Collection was probably my favorite to design. I love the material and the 3-D image portrayed when the pendant is finished. The base of the pendant is sterling silver and sealed again in an industrial strength sealant to protect against the elements.

The picture hardly does this pendant justice. A glass-like bubble is formed over the image to give it an incredibly elegant finish. The image is magnified by the sealant and almost glows in the sunlight. If I could design the perfect material for a pendant--this would be it. The finalize design is just breathtaking.

Activating the Launch Sequence:

We plan on having the completed Summer Line ready for purchase Friday, June 27th. The pendants above will be available to purchase in our shop TODAY as a preview.

***Giveaway***

We will be giving away one of our new pendants TODAY. To qualify leave a comment in this post about our new line and leave a way for us to contact you. As always--Happy shopping!

Summer Line: Update

We have been working hard on perfecting our new Summer Line. Our original launch date was this past Monday but we have pushed the date back. We will be coming out with a few samples tomorrow THURSDAY JUNE 12. Next week we will be on vacation so the entire final line will not launch until Friday June 28th. Keep checking our blog for updates and some *giveaways*!

Beyond a Brand

Caught with my hand in a cookie jar
Caught with my skirt up a little too far
Caught in the rain, in the dark, all alone
Caught past midnight up on the phone

Caught in a kiss with my lover alone
Caught by my mother sneaking out before dawn
Caught at a light when all I needed was green
Caught by the wind, my dress showing everything

Caught with notes on my hand during a test
Caught eating chocolate when I was depressed
Caught bluffing in poker my chips all taken
Caught in the lunch room line breaking

We have all done it, all turned red and embarrassed
We have all hidden our faces in shame
Everyone of us has experienced it; everyone understands
Being caught RED handed--an experience not just a brand.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We took a weekend trip to Atlanta, my husband, brother, and sister-in-law, and ended up standing in front of Tiffany's. "Let's just go in and LOOK," I pleaded. Well, as we were browsing, a helpful little salesman walked by and began to try out his magic on my husband. Witin a couple minutes my husband had turned the tables around and was asking him "Why Tiffany's? What makes this bracelet better than any other bracelet?" The salesman politely looked and my husband with assurance in his eys "It's not just the jewlery, it's the experience."

It is very important to sell a quality product, a product that you can stand behind and really enjoy and cherish. BUT I learned somethging that day. The experience--or the brand--is as important as the product itself. We live in America where jewelry, soaps, candles, and even art is easy to come by. In order to be succesful your product, whatever it may be, needs to stand out. It needs to pack an experience a long with it. Every designer needs to develop a BRAND.

We have been working on this specifically for the last couple months and it has been a lot of fun but also a lot of work! The name of our shop stems from my constant awful, terrible, no good, very bad luck. When opening CRH I decided to just put it out there. There was no use fighting it anymore. With that decision of acceptance my business grew as did my customer base. I started to receive emails like this one I received just the other day:

"Your red-handed poem is a delight! I could really identify with several of those scenarios. I once confidently walked into the men's washroom at a pub. The guy at the urinal turned his head to see who was coming in and caught me, big-eyed and back pedaling. No prob hiding my embarrassment in a big, darkish pub, right? Ha! He came out of the john and returned to his seat, right behind my chair, big grin on his face! Aaargh!" --Earotica www.earotica.etsy.com

I have truly enjoyed laughing with my customers and other artists. But within the laughter came something unexpected, something truly original and something wholly mine. Within the laughter came an EXPERIENCE that took us right past a brand.

Wholesale--Blessing or Beast?!

Wholesale requests are SO exciting to receive and even more exciting to finalize! Well, that is until. . . COMPLETING the wholesale order. Sometimes I wonder about how much functionality really is going on up there in that brain of mine!!!!

Right now we are running SPECIAL PRICING for WHOLESALE orders through the end of this week and WOW--people are taking advantage of it. I thought this was a genius idea--a way to get a little extra spending money for vacation this coming week (beach here we come!) but I failed to realize that I need to MAKE all these orders before I CAN go on vacation. Ugghh.

So my question: Wholesale--blessing or beast? I just can't pass up the thought of my work being displayed all over the world in little shops and boutiques. Sigh. I rest on blessing. . .

Welcome!

Phewww! This blog entry has been a looooooonnngggg time coming! This year has been a long and crazy beginning to a hopefully successful career. I took a leap of faith and QUIT my "real" job so that I could focus on my art. WOW does that feel good to say! With all this "spare" time on my plate CRH has some changes on the horizon. We have just completed our logo and banner designs compliments of an amazing up-and-coming designer Trisha Mukai. We are also working on a revolutionary SUMMER LINE! Cori Dantini http://www.corid.etsy.com/ has designed an unbelievable line we are hoping to debut in the next few weeks. Along with our new logo, banner, and designs a new line of pendants are on the way. We are working with a new medium that promises to be stunning! So--stay tuned and come visit often. I hope to reveal secrets, tips, discounts, and just a little bit of humor spread in between. Until then--happy shopping!