Make Easter Charming with Pick Up Sticks!

Easter offers us several things, depending on our viewpoints.  For some it’s a holiday devoted to a celebration of spirituality.  For others, it’s a  great excuse for gift-giving (we figure you’re never too old for an Easter basket).  It gives us a reason to dress in our absolute best finery (white shoes included).  For some of us, it’s the only time of year we wear a hat to church.

Whatever your inclination, Pick Up Sticks has charms to help you celebrate the Christian holiday, load up your best friend’s Easter basket AND accessorize that Easter bonnet.

Check out these combinations of Pick Up Sticks charms, trinkets and chains.  There’s still plenty of time to order for your retail customers and help them choose the perfect Easter necklace.  If you’re not a wholesale customer, check the Pick Up Sticks website for a retailer near you.

And Happy Easter from Pick Up Sticks!

Pick Up Sticks for Hip Moms!

Hip Pick Up Sticks Mom Raynee with Mason

You know them – the incredibly hip moms who make being a mother look totally fashionable.  These women aren’t showing up at the grocery store with rollers in their hair like our moms did in the 60′s – these moms know how to put a look together and make it work.

Hip Mom Candace (who also happens to work in the studio. . .)

We created our dot initials and numbers with Hip Moms in mind – by combining the charms with spacers, proud moms everywhere can display their children’s names, sports numbers, birthdays, even their ages.  Or treat yourself with your own initials and a special personal date, like your birthdate or anniversary.

Hip Mom Shelley wearing her initials and anniversary date

Find dot initials, dot numbers and spacers at your favorite Pick Up Sticks retailer or at the Pick Up Sticks Retail Website.   Give your inner Hip Mom the ultimate personal and unique gift this summer!

Pick Up Sticks Design Contest Winner – The Mole Hole of Somerset, KY

We thought holding a contest to find the best displays from Pick Up Sticks retailers would be great fun – give us some new ideas, show us how all of you out there do it. . .We just had no inkling how tough it would be to pick a winner.  But we have, and we’re pleased to announce The Mole Hole of Somerset has taken the cake, set the standard, seized the prize!  And won themselves $200 of wholesale jewelry by doing so.

Are these displays great or what?  We especially love the dog, which The Mole Hole calls Pick the Dog.  Their story is that they found him waiting outside the front door one morning and decided to let him in for a while.  He was so grateful that he chose to make himself useful, and has been displaying their Pick Up Sticks jewelry since day one.  He makes us laugh out loud. . .

And these framed, themed displays?  Rosa from The Mole Hole says, ”One of our employees keeps a large supply of scrap-booking materials – vintage papers, stickers, quotes, decals, etc.  We thought the concept behind Pick Up Sticks would be enhanced by displaying similar subjects in a shadow box or frame. . .”

We agree.  Using vintage materials to display Pick Up Sticks, and doing it in such an appealing way (hmmmm – a frame within a frame?) is a great way to sell jewelry.  You make us proud, Mole Hole, and you’ve given us some great ideas so share with other retailers.

By the way, you can find The Mole Hole at 370 S. Hwy 27 in Somerset, Kentucky, or follow them on facebook.

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest – we posted the runners-up on Facebook, and may have space here to show you some of their amazing displays in the future.  It really was a daunting task to choose the winner – we’re blown away by how creative ou retailers have been with their Pick Up Sticks displays.  Can’t wait to see how you wow us next time!

Pick Up Sticks Giveaways from our Favorite Blogs

The Graphics Fairy is one of Sabrina’s favorite blogs, and for a good reason.  For years, the Graphics Fairy has given away a daily free graphic image from the public domain (usually vintage). . .so Sabrina’s morning routine is coffee, check out Graphics Fairy’s image of the day, more coffee, and then get to work designing.

From the Graphics Fairy Blog

In fact, one of our favorite new charms uses the cutest little fairy girl we’ve ever seen, and we got her image from the Graphics Queen.

From the Graphics Queen blog

These images are screen shots of The Graphics Queen’s latest post, which just happens to be a giveaway of Pick Up Sticks Jewelry.

From the Graphics Fairy Blog

See her giveaway details below and on her Blog.

From the Graphics Fairy Blog

Of course, we wanted all of you to know about the giveaway – if you want to enter to win Pick Up Sticks jewelry, you have until 10:00 p.m. tonight!

A couple of weeks ago, Pick Up Sticks was featured as a giveaway in the I Love New Mexico Blog.  The only requirement for entering the drawing was to either comment or subscribe to the blog.  After a pile of comments and 22 new subscribers, a winner was chosen.

Got a blog of your own?  We’d be thrilled to hear from you and maybe offer a piece of jewelry as a giveaway piece.  Comment below and provide a link to your site.  And for those of you who want to be informed about any Pick Up Sticks giveaways?  Just become a Facebook fan and we’ll keep you posted!

Pick Up Sticks Retailer of the Month – Terry Ivory

One of the things we like to do when we put together our Retailer of the Month post is to take a look at where they’re located – we see these folks every year at market, and we visit like old friends, but we never get the chance to actually go into their cities and towns and stores and spend time with them. We’re frequently amazed by the places where Pick Up Sticks ends up – islands in Michigan, the Virgin Islands, Alaska. Our jewelry sure does get to travel to some interesting places.

This month’s Retailer of the Month, Terry Ivory of Ocean City, NJ is no exception – the boardwalk at Ocean City, NJ looks like a modern version of the set for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”  It’s right on the Atlantic Ocean – in fact Terry Ivory’s store is directly across from the beach. And we want to go there. Check out images at http://bit.ly/jxQmrb and tell us if you don’t agree.

Terry has a second store at Stone Harbor, NJ, so of course we had to check out that location as well. Stone Harbor is located on Seven Mile Island where, you guessed it, there’s more beach. Our jewelry is getting to spend an inordinate amount of time at the beach, we’re thinking.

Terry Ivory has been a customer of Pick Up Sticks for several years, and as the photos show, they’ve really figured out how to display and sell our line. Terry says that Pick Up Sticks makes her smile, and then she suggests that the best way to sell our jewelry is to smile, and then when we ask how it’s changed the atmosphere of the store, she says, “It makes us smile with the customers.” We like all those responses, and that Pick Up Sticks is furthering the cause of smiling in Ocean City and Stone Harbor.

You can check out Terry Ivory’s website at http://bit.ly/lEQU4T – you’ll find that the stores carry hundreds of lines of jewelry, from fine gold pieces to totally fun and hip casual wear. Terry says she chose our line for the selection, service and “the girls that work for you.” (Which gives us a great excuse to say cheers to Jalaina, Candace and Brenda, the girls at the Pick Up Sticks studio, for being so good at what they do.)

As you might expect, Terry says that best sellers for her stores are charms about the beach. That would make sense since her store is on the Boardwalk on the BEACH. Did we already mention that we’re envious?

If you’re planning a road trip to the Atlantic, or if you’re lucky enough to already live close by, drop by either store (925 Boardwalk in Ocean City; 257 96^th Street in Stone Harbor) and tell Terry and her staff hello from us. We’ll be wishing we were there with you!

Pick Up Sticks for Graduation!

Graduation.  Matriculation. Commencement.  Convocation.  Invocation.  All  high dollar words for the act of and ceremony in which a degree is conferred.  The way we see graduation at Pick Up Sticks is this:  It’s a great excuse to pat someone on the back for a job well done; to congratulate them for years of effort and diligence; to host a celebration or present a well-deserved gift acknowledging a milestone.

That’s why we designed so many charms to show how proud we are of our graduates.  It’s a big damn deal, this business of moving on to the next step of your life.  It’s especially a big deal that you got this far, climbed this hill, accomplished this goal.

We’re all about celebrating every day at Pick Up Sticks, but graduation calls for a little something extra.  Henry David Thoreau said it best: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.”  We agree. 

Congratulations to all the graduates out there.  And to those of you who have to choose the perfect gift – well,  just take a look at these options.  They’ll be worn long after the ceremony, encouraging and reminding the recipient of their special day. 

Check our website (www.pickupsticks.net) for a retailer near you.  If there’s not one, find these and other great charms at www.shop.pickupsticks.net.

Pick Up Sticks – Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Mother’s Day is May 8 this year – less than three weeks away.  Mothers always receive the most interesting gifts from their children:  plaster molds of small hands, bean seeds sprouting in decorated dixie cups, lopsided coil pots, paintings of rainbows and stick figure families.  And then, later on, scarves and perfume, gardening tools, expensive brunches, bouquets of flowers and potted plants. 

The best thing about Moms is that they always act as though the gift they receive is the ultimate in thoughtfulness.  They’re always seemingly thrilled with whatever shows up with the sappy card – that’s how Moms are.

2011 could be the year you actually give her the perfect gift – Pick Up Sticks charms that say exactly what she means to you.  Put together a collection of charms expressing your gratitude.

And because there’s no specific day to celebrate the other women in your family, we also have sister charms.  Why not buy something for your sister as well?  It’s never a bad day to say how much you love and appreciate the people who’ve known you since you were planting those bean seeds and painting those rainbows. 

Emily Dickinson said a mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.  Oprah says biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.  And Milton Berle said if evolution really works, why is it that mothers only have two hands?  We obviously love a great quote here at Pick Up Sticks, and our charms are chock full of quotes that will make your Mother and Sisters smile.

You can find every imaginable Mother and Sister charm combination at www.pickupsticks.net and www.shop.pickupsticks.net.  Give Mom something unexpected, unique, fun and beautiful this year.  We’re pretty sure she’ll like it almost as much as a plaster mold of your hand!

Pick Up Sticks New Designs – Jalaina’s and Brenda’s Favorites

 

Jalaina’s New Favorite Necklace: 

“I love to wear the new Multi-Pearl Necklace with different charms and trinkets attached. This is a great necklace because it’s so versatile; you can take strands off and add them back to complement every outfit and every mood.

I wear it with a combination of black and white charms – the AN058 because I like what the Tree of Life represents, HD015 because I am quickly approaching graduation with my Master’s, and for added color, the You are Loved chicklet (CH007).

I also added the new crown (PT080), sparkle stick (PT078) and crystal (PT088) for a little extra bling.”

Brenda’s New Favorite Necklace:

“One of my new favorite necklaces is the fine multi-chain because it is so unique and versatile. I can wear it by itself either long or doubled-up as a shorter version. I can add charms and trinkets to make it more fun depending upon the outfit I am wearing or the mood I am in.

I recently added our new Drama Queen photo charm (QU013) to the necklace because I really like both the phrase and the graphics. I also added the seed pearl drop (PT069) trinket.

Our new key necklace is another of my favorites. It’s as versatile as the fine multi-chain and can also be worn long or doubled. The Wish photo charm (WD014) looks great with the different finishes of the key necklace and matches the color of the Drama Queen.”

All of us at Pick Up Sticks agree on one thing – it’s incredibly difficult to pick just one favorite when we’re surrounded every day by such amazing jewelry, especially our new necklaces! 

Do you have a new favorite?  We’d love to hear (and see) what you’re wearing right now – comment here AND send us an e-mail at marketing @pickupsticks.net. 

Pick Up Sticks Valentine’s Day Charms

Baby, it’s cold outside!  But with Valentine’s Day less than two weeks away, things are sure to heat up romantically in just a few days. 

And if you’re looking for hot sellers (we know, we know, enough with the references to heat, but really, it has been exceptionally cold. . .), look no further than Pick Up Sticks charms that will work as great Valentine’s Day gifts. 

If you’re a florist, consider adding a charm on a ribbon around the neck of a vase – you’ll be adding a personal gift to a floral arrangement and you’ll be adding a Pick Up Sticks collector to your customer list.

It’s not too late to order for delivery before February 14!

Sylvie from On a Limb – Our Testimonial Contest Winner

We’ve heard lots of great stories from Pick Up Sticks retailers and customers, but never one like this.  So we had no choice but to choose Sylvie, the adorable, smart, hard-working 13-year-old from Summerville, South Carolina, who WORKS FOR PICK UP STICKS CHARMS. 

Yep, we said that right.  Sylvie works for the sole purpose of adding to her Pick Up Sticks collection.  When her employer, Heidi from On A Limb (onalimbflorals.com), e-mailed us with her story, we had to know more.  So we called Heidi to get the low down on Sylvie.

“Not your typical 13 year-old,” Heidi says, “in fact, like no other 13 year-old you’ve ever met.”  Evidently Sylvie came into Heidi’s shop last spring, wanting to buy an expensive Mother’s Day gift for her Mom.  When she saw the price tag, Sylvie asked if she could work to pay it off. 

Heidi put her to work scrubbing floral buckets, sweeping and taking out the trash.  Heidi was leery of hiring someone so young, but Sylvie proved to be an amazing employee.  And once the Mother’s Day gift was paid for, Sylvie asked to stay.  Seems she’d had her eye on the Pick Up Sticks display. 

So now Sylvie, an accomplished drama student at a local fine arts school, works every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning solely to add to her Pick Up Sticks collection.  Her first necklace was given to her by her father – “All Who Wander” on a 20″ stainless chain. 

Her next necklace earned at the store was a 36″ stainless chain with a candy initial “S” and the bee trinket.   Right now there’s a “Flaunt It” charm on Heidi’s bulletin board in the back of the store – Sylvie needs to work one more hour to earn that one.

“Talk about great advertising,” Heidi tells us.  Sylvie has graduated to running the candy store portion of On A Limb, and she brings all her girlfriends from school in to buy candy.  Eventually they wander over to the Pick Up Sticks display.  At Christmas, Heidi had great sales to the mothers of all those girls.  It seems they all want what Sylvie has – a Pick Up Sticks collection.

Thanks Heidi, for sending us this great story.  And thank Sylvie, for being such a great fan of Pick Up Sticks.  We hear you’re quite the addition to Heidi’s store.  In fact, she says “you just have to spend time in her presence to see what an amazing kid Sylvie is.” 

We’re proud that you chose our jewelry, and for your story, you’ll get to choose a 20″ stainless chain, a photo charm and a trinket.  How’s that for expanding your collection?

Find On a Limb Floral at www.onalimbflorals.com, or drop by at 120 Central Avenue in Summerville, SC 845-875-7056.  Say hello to Sylvie for us!