Archive for March, 2009
Featured Seller – Chinese Attic
Posted by onGood morning! This week my Featured Seller is Chinese Attic, who produce jewellery, accessories and art. You can read all about Elinor’s fascinating journey and ethics below…
Chinese Attic
Introduce yourself
My name is Elinor and I run ChineseAttic with two of my graduated students Todd and Yvonne. We create jewellery and accessories out of found treasure, vintage pieces and new items. We enjoy revamping pieces but do not try hard to make things look extra vintage or extra quirky, we like to keep things pretty but simple. I am based in London while Todd and Yvonne are based in China.
They are over exploited, work too long hours for too little pay and so we came up with the idea to create ChineseAttic, promoting ethical fashion and encouraging proper pay for the work they put into creating their pieces. While I pay the 20p to list an item and the 3.5% when we sell an item, if it is one of their items that is sold they will receive 100% of the sale price.
How did it all start?
I used to live and teach at a university in China, I stayed in touch with some of my creative graduate students who were working in factories as seamstresses/translators and we decided to use the materials they were making to create and recreate jewellery and accessories. We already set up a charity for children in orphanages while in China so we wanted to promote ethical fashion through a more personal direct way. It’s more than fairtrade because we use the actual materials they create or develop and 100% of profit goes directly back to them on the items they have handcrafted like the bags and wooden earrings.
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Inspiration strikes – Collage
Posted by onWith the recent scrapbooking trends, it is no suprise that collage is making a comeback. It straddles art and craft and gives really quite unique results if you take the time to seek out unusual materials. All you need is a good eye for colour, texture and composition -and some decent glue!
Here are some collaged beauties from deviantART to inspire and motivate you:
Featured Seller – JoJoJewellery
Posted by onThis week our Featured Seller makes jewellery using silver precious metal clay and creates simple, graphic pieces by imprinting shapes and letters. If you want a modern twist on hearts and flowers, be prepared for the lovely pieces below. If you like what you see, just click on the images for more details.
JoJoJewellery
Introduce yourself
My name is Jo, I’m 35 years old and I live in Wargrave, Berkshire. My company is called JoJoJewellery.
How did it all start?
I had always wanted to start my own business, and after many years of slog in offices (and getting nowhere), I decided to give it a go.
Have you always sold online?
Yes, I also taught myself how to design and publish my own website, but the more places you can sell, the more exposure to customers with great taste in jewellery!
What inspires you?
All sorts of things, colours, textures, shapes, all sorts really.
If you had to pick a favourite from all your creations, what would it be?
My handmade silver flower imprint heart studs, very cute, reasonably priced and very wearable for ladies of all ages.
Turning promotion up to 11!
Posted by onThe last month has seen Coriandr gain some great ground traffic-wise. The release of the Coriandr Seedlings has seen some strong and consistant improvements in daily vistor traffic (over 60% higher on average), with this month’s average reaching almost as high as last month’s peaks!
Since Coriandr’s launch it has been very interesting to see how (and why) other competing marketplaces have developed in the way they have. Whereas other marketplaces marketed heavily from the start, here at Coriandr HQ we focused our intitial efforts very much on developing great shop management features and making sure the underlying technology was solid. Well, that focus is about to change! We’re determined to push those vistor and sales stats through the roof, so from here on in it’s all about marketing and promoting your beautiful creations!
With that in mind, please say hello to Toni Jones, the newest member of our little family! With many years of marketing experience and a real passion for the maverick handmade scene, Toni will be bringing a great deal of know-how to proceedings. She will be getting word out to the national press , building links with other craft networks and helping to co-ordinate Coriandr’s support of real-world craft shows and events.
Continuing in the promotional vein, the majority of our upcoming features and technical improvements are aimed at making it easy for everyone to promote themselves and their favourite shops to the rest of the world. From a long-awaited favourites system to a curation feature that lets you build your very own front page for the site! Check out the forum for more details.
Mat
Featured Seller – Katcha
Posted by onWelcome to this week’s Featured Seller! This week I’m completely, totally in awe! The amount of recycling involved in Katcha’s products and the environmental awareness she promotes should be a lesson to us all! Not many people can make something this stylish and functional from a recycled bicycle tyre (or truck inner tube!). Fantastic!
Katcha
Introduce yourself
My name’s Katcha and in 2007 I moved to Britain and set up my fashion & recycling company re-Collect. Recycling and design come naturally to me; I love the creative challenge of transforming discarded objects into useful and beautiful products. I have an inherent disapproval of waste which makes me a kind of eco-warrior. I love beauty and originality, which draws me to the fashion-world, and I’ve always been pretty skint which means I’ve had to be crafty and stylish rather than a follower of fashion.
My move to Britain was for the birth of my baby, and I love being a full-time mother. So I’ve swapped my social-life and most of my sleep-time for my family and my business, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m knackered but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
I like this quote from William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”.
How did it all start?
It all started with my mum – she hates throwing things away! It’s become a medical disorder, but at least it means I can get creative with her rubbish… and I can always find some retro gems in her attic!
All red for comic relief!
Posted by onIn honour of comic relief I thought I would do a red theme on the blog today! Here are my favourite red picks from Coriandr’s sellers!!
Featured Seller – Zoe Woods
Posted by onHi everyone!
Welcome to this week’s Featured Seller post…
My seller this week is Zoe Woods, who creates very distinctive, colourful pendants, rings and brooches. Take a closer look at Zoe’s beautiful fun contemporary jewellery (click on any image for more product details).
Zoe Woods
Introduce yourself
Hi, I’m Zoe a full time designer/maker, mother to two little girls (aged 4 and 2) and wife to Mark, we live by the coast in Suffolk. I learnt my design and craft making skills in Wales, working in the family retail display and promotion business. I then moved to London and worked in theatre design and build, arts and entertainment. After having the girls I wanted to keep myself busy, so started playing with jewellery ideas, and here I am now.
Have you always sold online?
I started selling online March 2008, so I’m a newbie really.
What inspires you?
Colour and the amazing artists and crafters I’ve discovered since selling online.
If you had to pick a favourite from all your creations, what would it be?
It was the first brooch I made, two dogs in two hearts, sold to a mum at pre school, it was then I thought, WOW people like my stuff, they even want to pay for it!
What music is playing in the background right now?
Absolutely nothing, all’s quiet and it’s bliss.
Discovering deviantART – Birds
Posted by onYes, yes, I am obsessed with birds. I can’t help it – I think Spring brings it on! However it seems I am not the only one – have a look at these beauties and long may the bird invasion continue!
Featured Seller – Lauren Ceramics
Posted by onOur Featured Seller post spotlights the fantastic handmade earthenware pieces from Lauren Denney. Very beautiful work, I’m sure you’ll all agree! As always, click on the images for more details about the work.
Lauren Ceramics
Introduce yourself
I’m Lauren. My signature pieces are white holey earthenware night lite holders. My product range is a variety of functional delicate slip cast ceramics including oil burners, dishes, vases, magnets, brooches and various pots. I make each piece in a plaster mould then hand finish each one. No two pieces are exactly the same although they are from the same mould.
I live in Reading, Berkshire where I have a workshop. You can see some photos of it on my blog on the creative spaces feature.
How did it all start?
My love of clay started when I was about 4 years old making pots with clay dug from the garden. I’ve always been into making craft and using all kinds of materials, but when I went to University to study Crafts in 1999 I realised my true love was working with clay and plaster.
My degree was mixed media crafts which meant that I could specialise in ceramics and use other materials too, mostly resin. After I graduated from Staffordshire University I returned to Reading and set up my workshop.
Have you always sold online?
No, only since March 2008 on a US site. I then discovered UK online sites November 2008 and was very pleased to be able to list in pounds at last. I have been selling at craft fairs and through galleries since November 2005 and was always keen to sell my work on the internet. My partner set up my website in 2006 but we never got around to adding a shop to it. I’m really excited with the new UK based sites, it’s so much easier to sell in pounds!
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