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

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

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

Item Spotlight: Vintage Old Crow Drink Stirrers

Vintage Old Crow Drink Stirrers (Set of 6)

History of Old Crow Whiskey

Dr. James C. Crow began brewing his soon-to-be-famous whiskey in Frankfurt, Kentucky in the 1830s. He originally sold whiskey to employers under the label "Crow", and called the aged bottles he sold "Old Crow."

Old Crow's logo, a black crow perched atop grains of barley, is rumored to symbolize the bridging of the North and South during the Civil War. 

The label was ultimately purchased by Jim Beam in the 1980s and what was once the leading Bourbon of the South is now a three-year-old label under a much larger brand name. 

source

Item Spotlight: Vintage Roman Soldier Glass Bottle

Vintage Roman Soldier Glass Bottle

A Small History of Avon and Its Collectible Bottles

First known as the California Perfume Company in 1886 by New York couple David and Lucy McConnell, Avon began selling perfume and quickly gained popularity near the turn of the century. 

They began selling their first collectible bottle in 1968: a brown glass Sterling Six Classic car. The idea of fun-shaped bottles soon grabbed the attention of thousands and collectible perfume and cologne bottles became an Avon trademark throughout the 1960s. 

Shop this item and more Avon products here!

Why Buy Vintage?

Many of you are already a part of the thrifting community and won't need much convincing on why you should buy vintage over brand new products.

But for those who may need a little nudge in the right direction, (and for others who could use a friendly reminder), here you go:

What reasons do you buy vintage that aren't mentioned on this list?


P.S. New items in the shop today!!

Treasury Gets Geeky

Have you checked out our latest Etsy Treasury? It was inspired by some of the geek gear we've happened across over the last couple of days and thought "Why not make a collection of what a truly classy science-geek would wear?" A lot of you may want to correct me and say: "It's science nerd, Erica. Nerd."

What is the difference between a geek and a nerd anyway? Regardless, this is what we think either of them would buy:

P.S. Have you checked out our new Pin It! button? Hover over the image above to see!

hello world!

I'm finally back! And might I add that Blogspot (err, I mean Blogger) is looking rather dapper these days.

This blog will now focus more on the process and updates of my Etsy shop, which I co-own with a friend.

Be sure to check it out!