Gingers

Gingers are an online boutique that sell cheap handmade jewellery and best of all they are based in my hometown Newcastle. They're jewellery is simple and understated, yet completely fashionable. All the stuff they sell is in limited numbers giving it that exclusive feel, you know that if you're wearing a Gingers item you won't see someone else in exactly the same thing.


I had the pleasure of doing an interview with the beauty and brains behind Gingers...


First of all, the obvious question: tell me about Gingers, when did it start, the idea behind it?
Well...I wanted to get my friend some jewellery for her birthday but I couldn't for the life of me find anything in the shops that I instantly loved and that I knew she would love. So I decided to go trawling the internet for online boutiques and small craft shops to see if I could find anything better, I found some amazing things but decided that I'd have a bash of making my own. So I bought some bits and pieces of my own taste, and made a few items which I fell in love with myself. And then I thought that I'd see if I could sell them online, because I'd had a lot of people I know buy them for themselves and/or for girlfriends.

And then Gingers just happened!

Also, I'm very intrigued to know why your called Gingers? 
I am totally and utterly ginger, and the friend who i created my first pieces for is also a ginge. I seem to just collect ginger people.

Your jewellery is handmade, does that make the process more personal? 
I think it does, I mean I know how well the jewellery has been made and exactly how it holds up against daily wear. When I make new products I, as well as my lovely ladies, test out all products to see if they are life proof - theres nothing worse than getting a lush piece of jewellery, and then it falling apart on a night out!!
I like that when people buy my jewellery, it's because they like it and want to wear it or give it to someone special, it's a nice compliment.

Your jewellery is in limited numbers, which makes items feel exclusive, yet they're cheap, is that what you aim to do? do you feel this sets you apart from other competitors? 
There are a lot of little boutiques and creatives that do this as well, I love it! I definitely think that that makes my jewellery different from some high street brands. I don't see the point in charging ridiculous prices for costume and "junk" jewellery because its not accessible to everyone. I wanted to be able to sell things completely to my own taste at prices that I wouldn't at all mind paying myself. I am a total accessories fiend and sometimes my habit can get expensive, and as I know there are a lot of ladies like me out there, I just seemed sense to offer limited pieces at pretty good prices.

Could you tell me a bit about the process of your jewellery, from the idea to the design to finishing touches of the product?
At the minute I'm going through a floral phase, as you can probably tell by the site and its products. For my ideas, I have a HUGE sketchpad (on my overflowing desk) and whenever I have a thought or a spark, I either draw it or write it down, I am a crazy doodler and I work best in organised chaos. When I've worked out the idea - it takes me ages to find just the "right" parts for it to fit together how I imagine.
For finishing touches, I make sure everything is clean, neat and sturdy. I make sure that the items are completely perfect, then I pack them up with all sorts or pretty things so that even the packaging is lovely.

What would you say defines your site?
I think that my site is more kitsch than anything else, most of the jewellery is cute and lovely - in my own opinion! A lot of the things that we sell could potentially be found in any high street shop because they are the sort of pieces that go with anything.

Could you pick 3 of your items and tell me a bit about them? 
I actually love all of the jewellery and have cheekily stolen a few bits for myself!! Obviously everyone is different but at the minute my Top 3 would have to be:


Lilac Blossom Floral Earrings - I love the colour mainly, its so summery!! They are a lovely dainty shape, and they're just the right size.

The Ginger Bread Man Ring is also a favourite - I've been wearing it constantly for the last 2 weeks. I love it because its just the right size and because of the colours on it you can wear it with almost everything. Its just the perfect day ring.

My third would have to be the Strawberry Smoothie Ice Creams - Who doesn't want ice creams in their ears? They just make me feel better!

And, finally, could you give us an insight of what products to expect in the future? We have loads of new products currently being planned, made and tested. A lot will be available at the end of May/early June. Watch this space because I can guarantee there will be something for everyone.

http://gingers.bigcartel.com/

Scarlett Hearts

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Being a poor student and unable to afford pricey costume jewellery led to the birth of the amazing Scarlett Hearts.

Scarlett Hearts is a small independent company that runs an online boutique of handmade jewellery and textiles. Each piece is handmade and extremely affordable. We at The Dressing Room definitely recommend you check them out... We hope you enjoy the interview, and at the end there is a little treat for all you Dressing Roomers.

Where did the idea for Scarlett Hearts come from and how long has it been running?

Scarlett Hearts as an online boutique is just a baby, its barely 2 month old; however the idea of Scarlett Hearts has been brewing for a while now. I absolutely love jewellery; I always have a necklace on without fail. More importantly I like my jewellery to be completely different to what everyone else wears. In the past people have looked at me like I was crackers for my jewellery but now it’s just expected of me.

However, as a poor student it became hard to fund this addiction to pricey costume jewellery so I started making my own. I have experience from working in a jeweller so I knew the basics and I just went from there. People then began encouraging me to start selling my jewellery and here we are today, my baby is now out there on the internet for everyone to see!

What made you choose the name 'Scarlett Hearts'?

“Scarlett” is what my Grandad used to call me because of one particular red velvet dress I wore when I was young. So basically ‘Scarlett Hearts” is just me loving something enough to sell on my website! 

All your goods are handmade, does that make it extra special?

I think it adds an element of loving to each piece! I personally make each item and if I’m not 100% happy with it I will not even bother putting it out there.  I want my customers to receive something special, something that they couldn’t buy on the high street. 

I love making all of the items in my shop so it’s just a massive bonus that I will hopefully sell them to people who will love them too.

 I get such a buzz from seeing people wearing my jewellery and using the bags that I make from scratch. It is a feeling that nothing can beat!  

Everything in your store is inspired by the people you know or your favourite things, can you tell me a bit more about this?

I have quite an eclectic, eccentric group of friend who each have very different styles and personalities.  Pretty much all of my products are inspired by one of my friends in one way or another. The easiest examples of this are when I have just names a product after them.

For example Sara’s Victorian key is named after my housemate whose love for history and period dramas is second to none. Another example, Emma one of my closest friends has always had a love of anything ladybug related so of course Emma the ladybird brooch and studs were inspired by her. Finally, all the camera necklaces are inspired by those who are into photography as hobbies or jobs within the friendship group, in particular the “oh snap” necklace. 

Basically I’ve looked at all of my friends, what they like what they don’t like, any hobbies they have and have used all of this as inspiration for my jewellery. They have such a diverse range of tastes between them and I think that is reflected in my pieces!  

Your items are affordable and low priced, do you think this is what sets you apart from other online handmade jewellery boutiques?

I wouldn’t say it sets me apart but I think it makes it more available to customers who are in a position where they cannot afford the “handmade” price tag. I was once in that position and had there been a more affordable place to buy original handmade jewellery I would have been so happy! 

At Scarlett Hearts we also have a Product of the Week in which we discount the price of a certain item for one week only; this also allows our customers to get a little bargain. This idea again comes from the idea of not having the “handmade” price tag to our items, making us stand out from the emerging crowd of handmade jewellery. 

I absolutely love all the other independent jewellery companies out there; I still buy from them because I think it is all about supporting each other rather than competing! 

What product(s) sell the most on your site?

Our best seller on the website has to be the “phone box or time machine”. It’s a personal favourite of mine because it is super cute and adds a quirky twist to any outfit, I wear mine lots! Plus it is currently our POTW so you can grab it at a discounted price for the week commencing 25^th April till the 2^nd May. 

Finally, could you pick about 3 of your items that sum up Scarlett Hearts for our Dressing Roomers?

My favourite pieces, that’s a toughie! I love them all but if I had to choose, currently my favourites are:

The Typewriter key initials, they are super cute and vintage looking. I enjoy them being on back plated chain as it gives them a more vintage feel. As a new product to the store, they have become quickly one of our best sellers! 

Next up is the penny farthing! I absolutely adore this piece! Everyone loves it because it is not something that you can find everywhere and also it’s a piece that is going to get noticed!

Finally, I’m completely obsessed with anything nautical, I always have been. Deep down I think I’m defiantly a sailorette!  So this bag is perfect for me! The bag is all handmade which makes it one of a kind, which is a plus again because I always like to be different and stand out from the crowd! 

I think all of these 3 items and of course the “phone box or time machine” necklace above explains what Scarlett Hearts is about. We strive to provide something a little bit different for our customers because who wants to follow the crowd? Most importantly to us we want each of our customers to feel special whilst wearing our pieces! 

And as if the interview wasn’t enough... Scarlett Hearts is offering YOU Dressing Roomers exclusive discount...

“Thank you so much for the interview! As a big thank you to you and your readers please use the discount code DRESSINGROOM for 10% off until 9^th May.”

http://www.scarletthearts.bigcartel.com