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 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 New Designs!!

They’re here!  More new Pick Up Sticks photo charms and trinkets for Summer 2011.

And as always, Sabrina created trinkets that will go perfectly with the photos charms, like this small bee with the Just Be charm above.

Everyone in the studio is loving this Two of a Kind friend charm. . .

which would look gorgeous with the new faceted drop above, don’t you think?

AND the faceted drop would look great with this Love Hoo You Are charm. . .which would look great with our new small owl trinket. . .

Or how about all three together? 

We think our new Best Friend Queen is going to be one of this season’s hottest sellers. . .

But we don’t know if she’ll outdo our new Queen of Happiness.

Regardless of which charm is the best seller, we think they’ll both look great on a chain with our new Crown Heart trinket.

Our Garden Girl is sure to be a big hit as well, given everyone’s current determination to  grow as much of their own food as possible.  (Yes, we’re growing a garden – are you?)

Our new word for this season is Lucky.  It describes how we feel about our job of creating and selling a jewelry line that’s so well-received by all of you.

Totally stoked?  We are, and we’re especially excited about our new Dots Numbers.  All the hip moms are going to be wanting several – we’re pretty sure Michael Jordan’s Mom would have worn a 23 all those years he played for the Bulls.  Or how about new brides?  They’ll be wanting the date of their big day. . .

And finally, our new spacers, which will go with all our new charms and trinkets, and with everything you already have in your collection.

Pick Up Sticks Retailers – Watch your e-mail for your exclusive newsletter offering you a 10% discount if you order before show season (and if you’re not an exclusive yet, we’ll let you know if you’re within $500 of the required $1,500).  You’re going to want to order a pile of these new Pick Up Sticks designs!

Pick Up Sticks Retail Website

 Have you heard?  Pick Up Sticks now has a retail website at http://shop.pickupsticks.net.  We’re so excited!  And we’re very proud of our site -take a look and tell us if you don’t agree that it’s totally fun and eye-catching! 

 And why do we now have a retail website?  After years of requests from customers who weren’t able to locate a retailer or a specific charm, we decided the best way to take care of our collectors was to create a place where they could find every single item in our line.

In the process we had to learn how to launch the space shuttle of computer programming and digest an entirely new technological language, replete with words like hosting platform, HTML, A-files, security certificates. . .we were old dogs learning new tricks, and let us tell you, it wasn’t pretty.  Who knew jewelry-making girls from rural New Mexico could actually figure all that out?  It was like calculus (which none of us passed). . there were days when it hardly seemed worth it.  But now we’re totally pumped about the results!

As always, we still think the best way to get your Pick Up Sticks addiction fed is to find a retailer – a place with an owner who loves the line, staff wearing interesting combinations of charms, and a gorgeous display full of your favorite photos charms, trinkets and necklaces.  We talked about how to find your favorite Pick Up Sticks retailer before (http://bit.ly/dP2iAR) and we urge you to do just that.  Actually getting your hands on our jewelry really makes for some fun shopping.  But if you’re unable to get to a brick and mortar store, or if your retailer can’t order the charm you want most, you can always check out our new site. . .

Take a look and let us know what you think.  Here’s a five-star review we recently received from a customer – she’s exactly the person we were looking to serve when we created the website:

Reviewer:  Patricia from central NJ

“I love my mermaid pendant…from the first moment I saw it on a display in a little gift shop in Sanibel Island, Florida 3 years ago, I knew it was for me! I get complimented every time I wear it. It never fails that someone will notice it and say, “what is that necklace you’re wearing?”. I love the art work, as well as the message. I once thought I had lost this pendant…couldn’t find it anywhere…I was so sad, because I had no idea how I’d ever replace it…and then one day, it popped up…a very happy moment! And, for some reason, it wasn’t until just a few days ago that I noticed the inscription on the bottom of the pendant “pickup sticks jewelry”…and then I found your wonderful website! And now, just days later, you’ve started selling retail! I couldn’t be happier! keep up the good work!!”

Thanks Patricia!  And thanks to all Pick Up Sticks fans.  We’d love to hear more of your “searching for Pick Up Sticks” stories.  If we can, we’ll find a retailer near you so that you get the full experience of shopping the line.  And if not, feel free to find us online at  http://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!

Celebrate Your Faith with Pick Up Sticks

With Easter less than a month away, Pick Up Sticks has created a uniquely hip assortment of photo charms and trinkets to encourage you and remind you to take a moment each day to celebrate all that you believe. 

Instead of a chocolate bunny or a box of Peeps, fill the baskets of the women who inspire you with our beautiful but fun messages of faith and life’s blessings.  They’re sure to cherish these long after the holiday is over, and the universal truth of each piece can be worn every day of the year.   You’ll find more at www.pickupsticks.net – we’ve just given you a small sampling of our inspirational line here.

We’re pleased to have created these beautifully chic reminders of your faith and enduring optimism.  Happy Easter everyone!

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 New Designs – Glena’s and Candace’s Favorites

Glena and Candace wearing their new favorite Pick Up Sticks necklaces

Glena’s New Favorite Necklace:

New bird necklace with photo charms

“One of my favorite new designs is the bird necklace with a PT083(Freebird) trinket and a G chicklet initial (CHI0G).  I love the new bird necklace and wear it daily, but I change the charms each day to match my mood and my outfit.

The fact that the G chicklet initial charm has an adorable vintage bird graphic makes it perfect to wear on the bird necklace.

The key necklace is another favorite because of its versatility. You can wear it as a short 18” necklace or as a long necklace (37”), which is great for winter sweaters.  It is definitely like having two necklaces for the price of one. 

New key necklace with photo charm

The charm that I like best on the key necklace is QU012 which says “Tiaras make me taller “and “Queen of Courage.”  This message is perfect for me, being a 6ft tall girl – and who doesn’t need a reminder to always be courageous?”

Candace’s New Favorite Necklace

“My favorite new jewelry is the 18” carved necklace with “That’s Amore” (LV045) because it describes perfectly how my husband and I met. The “Mom” word candy (cw034) is even more perfect for me because I am only two months away from becoming a mother myself. And the “You are Loved” photo charm (CH007) reminds me every day of the amazing love I’ve been blessed with.

New 18" carved necklace with photo charms

I really like the fine multichain necklace with the “On My List” charm (TR103) because I still have so many things planned and places to see in my life. I almost always include the clear drop trinket (PT088) with whatever I’m wearing because it dresses up any outfit or necklace.”

Have you had a chance to choose a new favorite from this season’s designs?  If so, let us know.  Send us a picture of you wearing your new Pick Up Sticks designs along with the name of the retailer where you found it, and we’ll try to feature your faves on Facebook or here on the blog!

Jalaina’s Magic Necklace

 

Sometimes in the studio, we’ll be kicking around new design concepts, brainstorming about what we should create next, and someone, out of the blue, will suggest a totally new idea that knocks all our socks off. That happened recently when Jalaina said, “Why don’t we create a necklace that has multi-chains, but could be worn with more or less chains depending on the customer’s mood?”

And then, being Jalaina, she immediately went to work trying to figure out how to make her necklace idea work.

So here it is, the amazing necklace. The first image above shows the necklace with all the chains attached. That’s how you’ll receive it.

The chains and pearl strands all attach to the multi-pearl necklace with lobster claws, making them easy to remove if you’re in the mood for less chain for a particular look (see photo on left).

And guess what! The chains you remove can also be worn as their own necklace and in a shorter version, depending on where you clasp them.

Finally, you can add charms to the chain – here’s Jalaina wearing the necklace with her favorite charms. 

This one is sure to be a hot seller this season. Your customers will love that they’re actually getting several looks for the price of one.

Stay tuned. You never know what amazing piece of jewelry we’ll come up with next!