Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Too Cool!

Occasionally something too cool for words shows up and requires, absolutely REQUIRES, that the usual order of events be ignored. It has happened now with two pieces of Sterling measuring a total of 3 cm in length. Our new Horse and Carriage Bead (13539) is a two part bead; the team of horses is hinged so they move. Remarkably, the wheels turn also! It will be surprising if it is not a big hit in places like Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans. Retailing for about $90, it is a perfect reminder of enchanted nights. The pictures below suggest, but cannot adequately show the detailing of this newest cool bead! So . . . here it is in the Blog before it appears for official sale on our website.


 
Another design is headed to The Cedar Chest in Sanibel. Frequent inquiries about "the next Sanibel Bead" can be answered with either of our two additions to their growing number of choices. One, an Oval Bead (13543), displays the distinctive Sanibel script on one side and a frolicking Dolphin on the other. The second Bead is a Scallop (13542) also inscribed with the Sanibel script. Both capture the spirit and sights of the Gulf Coast vacation retreat.




The process of creating stories in miniature has energized our enterprise. We hope our customers will continue to push us to be even more creative so we can answer the always-present-question, "what will they do next?"

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Beads Knees

The market has changed. Big news? No, just a fact of life in the jewelry business. The economy and personal tastes have always been factors in industry trends, but maybe not nearly as much as recently. For us the beginning of a significant change began more than three years ago when we created our first "large hole bead." Pandora and other bead makers were becoming very well known so it seemed the right direction to go, despite some internal dissention. Now . . . well we are Bead-aholics. Beadiacs. Even the Beads Knees!

Like Tennis Bracelets of the past, Beads are a passion. Unlike Tennis Bracelets, Beads show no decrease in momentum. We have sought to fill a niche with our localized, collectible and whimsical collection of miniature images and stories. Retailers can create Beads to match their customers' tastes and herald local events and attractions without massive investments. The result has been exciting. A visit to our Bead pages shows the diversity of designs. On our Regional Bead page are the wide variety of localized and customized beads, many of which have been developed for the exclusive use of retailers.

Below are some of our most recent Bead additions.

The Hatching Turtle Bead (13523) is a tiny work of art, capturing the scramble of a tiny turtle ready to begin its life at sea. Available as a part of our Nautical Collection, the Bead can also be localized with the addition of a name etched into the shell's underside. The Sanibel Hatching Turtle Bead is available at The Cedar Chest on Sanibel Island.


Being able to match Local Attractions and Tourism is a key to successful marketing and our Apalachicola Oyster Boat (13522) does just that. The distinctive style of the boat used extensively throughout Apalachicola Bay makes this Bead a serious collectible for visitors to St. George Island where it is available exclusively at Madinger Jewelers.