Saturday, December 1, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway







It's 1st December and I think everyone is getting into the Spirit of the Holiday festivities! For the first time, I am offering one lucky winner a chance to win their most favorite item from my Etsy shop. All you have to do is enter the giveaway below. The giveaway runs from Dec 1-12, and on 13th December I will announce the winner. Don't forget to share with friends, after all it's time for sharing :)


ENTER TO WIN HERE



http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3701850/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions: Giveaway ends on Dec 12th 11:59 EST. Winner will be announced here on Dec 13th.Open to residents worldwide.


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Vitrine on Etsy Front Page today!

Vitrine made it to Etsy's Front Page !
 
My crystal Ice drop earrings were featured on Etsy Front Page today, and they promptly sold out! I'm so excited! The views and the number of items that were favorited during this one hour went through the roof. AND my shipping arrived which means I'll be busy making more items and relisting a few that sold out. So please check back to find more things in stock including my wire wrapped gemstone and Swarovski cocktail rings...


Monday, September 3, 2012

Vitrine Style: Fall with Grey and mustard

It was love at first sight with these gorgeous faceted grey and mustard fire agate stones! I knew I just had to have them! And with most looks, I usually create them around my favorite piece of jewelry! I strung them with some faceted smoky quartz rondelles and wire wrapped them on to a delicate gun metal chain and created this piece that could just very well be a staple for this Fall. I matched them up with a white tank, a feather light grey cardigan and my favorite pair of Blue denims and some pewter metallic ballet flats for a casual chic ensemble. You can buy the agate necklace here.






Friday, April 13, 2012

Fashion Friday- Mod Florals

I think out of all the trends out there, florals are probably the easiest thing to pull off. No matter what your age, anyone can look good in a floral print. Today I thought I'd feature updated floral prints that don't look blatantly floral. Infact, check out the shoes, wouldn't you say at first glance that they look like an animal print? Wearing any of the below ensures you're fashion forward; it's never been easier!



















1. Sequined Plume Top | pyramidcollection.com   2. Ikat Square Scarf |warehouse.co.uk 
3. Oscar De La Renta Floral Shoe | bergdorfgoodman.com  4. Kate Spade 'Melinda' | nordstrom.com
5. Ruby Earrings | vitrine.etsy.com  6. Skinny Jeans | shopbop.com

All pictures courtesy of polyvore.com except 5 Copyright Vitrine







Friday, April 6, 2012

Fashion Friday - Racy Lacy Finds

Lace is one of Spring 2012's trends. I must be truthful: I've never liked wearing lace all that much. And I'm too afraid of looking like Grandma's doilies! But I'm warming to the trend... I love the lace cutout look on some of the dresses this season, like the Anthropologie top below:


But if you're still unsure about wearing lace, I've found a few lace-inspired items on Etsy that are absolutely gorgeous!


Leather iPhone cover by Tovicorrie.etsy.com



Ceramic Lace Bowl by dgordon.etsy.com


Paper Lace Cards by AlmondCrafts.etsy.com



Lace parasol by thelovelymemories.etsy.com


Doily clock by FrenchFind.etsy.com

So what do you think of these lacy finds? Which is your favorite? I'd love to hear what you think and if you have a fave lace find, post the link here!






Friday, March 30, 2012

Taking eye catching pictures

Lately I've had a lot of questions asking me how I get my photos in my Etsy shop to be so good. Well, thanks for the compliments! Believe me, it's taken me three years to figure things out, and get to this point. Today's Etsy Success Symposium gave me the impetus to make changes in my own shop. Using my own items I'll share with you my before and after shots and what I think makes each item stand out more now.

1. Create more depth and interest

BEFORE (left)
While pretty, the druzy necklace is flat and might not be interesting enough to capture someone's interest enough to make them click on the picture.
AFTER (right) Using the Macro feature on my camera, I found an angle that draws the eye to the texture of the stone while keeping the chain as a 'minor' detail in the background.

2. Make sure you have enough natural light. If you don't  have enough light, your picture will end up looking dark and frankly, get ignored. Believe me when I say how exciting it is to create an item and you can't wait to take out pics and list it already! In the long run though, be patient. First impressions count, and if your pics aren't great you'll lose out on those initial clicks and hearts.


BEFORE (left) Dark and over exposed. Making it brighter using a photoediting tool only made the silver shinier and did nothing for the amethyst gemstones.

AFTER (right) Taken in natural light. The amethyst earrings now have sparkle! Go as close as you can to a window. Experiment with different times during the day. Seasons make a difference too! If you are north facing or have a lot of trees in your yard that obstruct light coming in through your window, create a lightbox. You will find lots of help creating on on etsy forums.


3. Play with different props. I've used my work table (laminate surface) that results in very boring pictures! So I try to use textured backgrounds. Find paper, wood, stone, tile, concrete, fabric... the options are endless.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/75632417/blue-multi-gemstone-bracelet-turquoise

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83501765/chrysocolla-necklace-geo-rock-emerald

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90703149/herkimer-diamond-earrings-sterling

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84221500/aaa-pyrite-necklace-metallic-sparkle


4. And lastly, get to know your camera. Play with the macro Button (it looks like a flower) on your camera. Play with the light adjustments and ISO settings, auto vx manual. And read the manual :)

Feel free to ask any questions, and to share any tips that you may have when taking your pics!




All pictures Copyright @Vitrine (2008-2012)

Friday, March 23, 2012

Fashion Friday: Sunny yellow Spring 2012




Some of Spring 2012's trends: bright yellow and lace eyelet fabric. So using my Citrine quartz earrings and a gorgeous eyelet dress, I've created two looks. You can dress it up or down - either way you'll stand out! Click on links below for more info on each item.

Dress up Look (think wedding or romantic date)
JUICY COUTURE Grapefruit Daisy Lace Guipure Dress
Stella Mccartney bags YELLOW
Forzieri Orange Gemstone and Diamond Yellow Gold Fashion Ring
Burberry Prorsum Embellished leather sandals

Dress down Look (meeting up with friends, picnic, shopping)
Burberry Textured-leather crossbody bag
Htc Straw Yellow Bandana Straw Hat With Twisted Band
K. Jacques pour Opening Ceremony Picon Patent



All pics courtesy Polyvore.com except Citrine quartz earrings by Vitrine.







Thursday, March 15, 2012

Fashion Friday - Pastel pink Spring 2012

We continue with the pastel palette and today's shade is pale pink. Pale pink aka blush is flattering to almost any skin tone and to me, is probably the most feminine color you can choose to wear. If pale pink is not your thing, then go for a more dusky rose pink instead. I've gathered some of my favorites here and included the Parisian perfume Miss Dior Cherie for a youthful elegant whiff of chic. You can buy the handmade pair of earrings here and view the full selection here.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Fashion Friday - Mint Green Spring 2012

One of Spring 2012's color trend is this lovely serene shade of mint green. Pastels are always a surefire hit, and this hue is particularly feminine. I've accessorised the look with these earrings and would also suggest this bracelet.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Exclusive Facebook offer!



I thought I'd let you know that you can now purchase my jewelry on Facebook now! Just go to my page VitrineDesigns and click on the tab that says EtsyShop. When you purchase an item, you get an instant discount coupon (I'm not telling you how much, you'll just have to find out!) Ofcourse, you can still buy my jewelry on Etsy as well.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Turquoise Tangerine Tango Spring 2012


So let me fill you in on the last few weeks... I was introduced to Pinterest and it's now become my new obsession. What a beautiful range of items! And while on there I came across Polyvore.com. You can create your own fashion boards, and I thought what better way to showcase the jewelry I make! So here's my first attempt at doing one of these. Tangerine is one of this year's IT colors so using my Tangerine Hammered Gold earrings as a springboard, here's the finished result. I'd love to hear what you think!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Candy Cane Coffee


I first got into Candy Cane Coffee when our local store got some limited edition packets in, pre holiday season. After getting that first packet, it seems it was such a hit, it was all sold out. So I decided to make my own. I ground some coffee beans with crushed candy canes (I used two to make about 4-5 cups), allowed to percolate, and voila, some candy cane coffee made to order! I added a candy cane stirrer. Alternatively you could add some peppermint oil to get the flavor, but I'm a visual person, so the crushed red and white bits are pretty irresistible!