Happy Birthday to Us!

We can't believe this day is really happening - it's our birthday! Copperseal has officially been up and running for 1 year.

In the spirit of reminiscing, we both put together 3 simple things we learned while being Etsy sellers since last November. Here are our main takeaways:

1. Raise Your Prices
If you think your prices are fair, raise them even more! Quality, handmade work is something to be valued. Make sure your customer knows that value.

2. Go With Your Gut
There's a reason you started this business in the first place, and that's because you have a keen business sense and know what you like. If something is telling you to do something out of the norm, go for it. It's your shop and your brand.

3. Buy What You Love
If you wouldn't buy it, how do you expect your customers to? It's easy to feel the pressures of filling up the shop to stay relevant, but you have to remember: quality over quantity.

1. Quality Control
Just because you're selling vintage, does not mean you can pass a broken-down piece of history as an item. Make sure the pieces have withheld the test of time, and they'll remain in your customer's lives much longer.

2. Learn From The Best
When you're just starting out, it's easy to be overwhelmed with how many super successful shops there are on Etsy. Noticing who the top player in your field is good because you need to study them. Look at their first sales and where they are now. Take note of the actions they took to improve and mimic that.

3. Be Patient
Rome wasn't built in a day. Whether you plan on building a "Rome" on Etsy or just merely want to make some extra cash, it's going to take time to build a steady following of people who care about your product and want to share it with the world. We're still not completely there, but we're keeping patient and continue to build our business slowly and surely.

Now on to the fun stuff!

To celebrate, we're having a flash sale on all items in the shop. Use coupon code ONEYEAR at checkout and receive 10% off your entire purchase! If you've been eyeing a few pieces for your holiday gift list, now is the time to purchase before they're gone for good.

Featured Shop: Brick and Arrow

Today we are so happy to introduce you to an Etsy shop we've recently discovered and since coveted - the lovely Brick and Arrow by Hannah Oatman. Originally from Colorado but now living in Brooklyn, Hannah makes beautiful geometric leather jewelry and paper goods.

Her leather bracelets are scored and then hand painted to make a flexible but firm slip-on piece of art. How great would these look stacked??

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Here is the best part: Hannah is offering Copperseal readers an exclusive 15% off coupon through the month of August. Simply enter the code "COPPERSEAL" at checkout for big savings!

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Read our interview with Hannah to learn more about her design process and creative background:

Tell us a little about yourself!
My name is Hannah. I am an artist and musician from Colorado, but I recently moved to Brooklyn. I like clothes, chocolate, shapes, Sci-Fi, and obsolete machines. And I love to make anything and everything that I can dream up.

How did the idea to open up Brick and Arrow come about?
I am kind of obsessed with triangles, and I wanted an interesting way to wear them. I made myself a couple of leather cuffs, and when I started getting compliments and inquiries from strangers, I knew I was onto something!

What inspires your work?
I'm inspired by the simple elegance of geometric shapes and colors. I love the many ways you can make triangles fit together, and I always enjoy coming up with new designs and patterns. There are so many more possibilities than you would think!

Where do you see Brick and Arrow going in the future?
I hope to add more leather products - such as bags and pouches - in the future. Eventually, there may be some metal jewelry and ceramics...but who knows what the future holds? I will be happy as long as I can continue to share my creations with others.

What advice do you have for creatives looking to sell on Etsy?
Don't expect. Don't give up. Always be kind. And take nice pictures!



>> Check out the rest of Brick and Arrow and favorite her shop!



Have an Etsy shop and would like to be featured on our blog? Post a comment below or send us a message on Etsy!

Native Tongue

If you ask Aeriel, it's no secret that I've been trying to take it back to basics when it comes to my wardrobe, my design aesthetic, and ultimately my way of life. There's something about doing a deep clean of your studio apartment and wanting to live minimally by the end of it (and also believing that once clutter is gone it will never return .... right). Regardless, I've been really into a basic color palette whether it's the items I choose for Copperseal or the interior I'm designing at work.

To go along with this theme, I've curated an Etsy treasury to capture the simple aesthetic I'm after.

Click here to enlarge

Does anyone else have those defining moments in life (like a deep clean) that make you realize the importance of simplicity?



Erica

Copperseal Giveaway - Winner Announced!

Thanks to everyone who participated in our first ever giveaway! We had a great time reading all of your answers and look forward to shooting out our first every monthly newsletter to those who chose to sign up via email.

If you missed out and would like to be a part of our newsletter family, you can sign up here.

The winner of these stunning 1950s earrings is Carol Throckmorton! Congratulations, Carol! We will be contacting you shortly to make sure these gems get to you safely.

Are you a shop owner yourself and would like to host a giveaway on Copperseal? Give us a shout out below with a working email and we'll be in contact ;)


Erica + Aeriel

Copperseal on Bloglovin!

Bloglovin is a great blog subscription service that allows you to follow your favorite blogs and view them in one easy reader. For those of you who have roamed the blogosphere, it is very similar to Google Reader (RIP).  If you haven't heard of Bloglovin, sign up today to receive new alerts when your blog list updates and discover new blogs with their long list of blog categories (you'll find us in the Home Decor section).

If you already have an account, be sure to follow us by clicking here or by clicking the small blue button on the ride sidebar below.



Erica

P.S. Only TWO days left on our first ever giveaway! Make sure you enter by clicking here!

Copperseal Giveaway!

Hello ladies and gents! We've both been super busy with work and trying to keep the shop stocked that we admit to placing the blog on the back burner for a while. To get out of a blogger's slump and also celebrate this week's hump, we're giving away a special item from Copperseal's inventory -

We found these beautiful cluster earrings at a local flea market near closing time. Whether it was our natural charm or eager persistance (we like to think it was the first), a kind woman finally agreed to unpack her jewelry bins to reveal a stash of vintage costume gems.

Aeriel has since modified these original clip-on earrings to have post backs for modern application. The clusters are comprised of small resin beads with great shine and texture; a great addition to any summer event.

Enter today to win this gorgeous pair of cluster bead earrings circa 1950s! All you have to do is tell us which decade of the past is your favorite! Is it the timelessness of 1950's mid century design? The nature-inspired 70's? We want to hear!

The more you participate, the better your chances of winning ;)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


We will announce the winner on Monday, July 29th and be in contact within 48 hours via email if you are randomly selected.

Happy Birthday Aries!

To everyone whose birthday falls between March 22nd and April 19th, Copperseal wishes you a very happy birthday! As a smoke token of our appreciation, we've put together some of our favorite Etsy gems that help celebrate the Ram (featuring our very own smoked glass Aries cup):

Click to view original image.

Etsy Feature: Black Lacquer

Our black and gold mugs recently made it to front page thanks to this treasury!

We love this classic color combination and especially love the use of vintage items - what do you think?

Shop Feature: TreasureandTravels

We've officially become a sponsor of the TreasureandTravels blog by the lovely shop Kalos. Hop on over to read a little bit about us along with some other great Etsy shops to add to your list of favorites!

Don't forget to stop by our shop to see all the new things we've added lately!

Jewelry Galore!

As per your numerous requests (and our general love for vintage jewelry), we have added a ton of new gems to the shop. Men's jewelry coming soon!

Vintage Dangle Tassel Earrings

Vintage Green Flower and Pearl Stud Earrings

Vintage Copper Heart Charm Bracelets

Vintage Gold Dangle Diamond Globe Pearl Earrings

Picnic at Forsyth

We recently had the pleasure of collaborating with local photographer Cole Whitworth on a "vintage picnic" themed photo shoot featuring some of our items from the shop.

Here are a few of our favorite product shots from the shoot:

Products featured:

Wooden Bird Whistle

Indonesian Brass Bangle

Primitive Drum

Girl Silhouette Necklace

Vintage Gentleman

Aeriel and I hit a bunch of great thrift finds this weekend so the shop has a ton of new stuff going in the next couple of days. Our men's selection has been growing rapidly so we thought it would be nice to put together a little gift guide for your main squeeze.

Here are some of our favorite men's gifts in the shop right now:

1. Shoe Shine Kit

2. Tepee Patch

3. Montana Shot Glass

4. Cuss Box

5. Harmonica

6. Shaving Brush

7. Lincoln Coin Bank

Necklace Mania

Hey there, lovelies! This week we've added three special necklaces made from tiny vintage pendants to the shop. We plan to continue adding to our jewelry section with hopefully rings. Surprisingly enough, vintage rings are quite hard to come by in our neck of the woods. But, we're on it!

Which necklace do you like best?

Copperseal Hits ShopSCAD

For you fellow Savannah natives, the word "shopSCAD" floods your memory banks with beautiful works of art, gorgeous jewelry, and spunky shop owner Amy Zurcher. We had the pleasure of meeting with Amy this week to deliver a few match box lovelies from the shop.

How sweet was she to Instagram some of our custom match boxes?

Check out these goodies and more in the shop!

Mid Century Madness

We have been busy little bees trying to get new items in the shop every day! Lately we've been watching a bit too much Mad Men and have had our eye out for mid century pieces (even more than usual). 

Here's a sneak peek of the latest:

Browse more vintage here!

New Year Haze

Today we're soaking in all the hopes and dreams of the new year and enjoying a quiet (yet productive) day in the studio.

This will be Copperseal's first calendar year being open and we cannot wait to watch it grow.


Here's to a great 2013!



Erica + Aeriel



P.S. Are you following us on Instagram? We mostly post pics of the shop and Aeriel's dog, Izzy. @ericakelly01 @aeriellane