The design timeline vs the launch timeline of collections

 Life of A Designer  1 Response »
May 142013
 
King For a Day Necklace from Manic Trout

King For a Day Necklace

It took me a few years to figure out the pacing and release schedule of jewelry on Manic Trout. Until recently, I typically designed 2 large seasonal collections a year with 2 themed collections thrown in the mix. My launch dates were just in time for each season, but I was never making the much ahead of time press deadlines. When I went full time with MT almost 2 years ago, I still was working this way. A year later, when I signed with a new PR firm, I decided that it was time to buckle down and design towards the press cycles.

Disco Science Bracelet from Manic Trout

Disco Science Bracelet

It however took another few months to catch up as when I had that thought, I was starting 6 months behind schedule. I however have finally caught up and adjusted my design schedule to the timeline I want it to be on. (yay!) This means that I am designing waaaaaaay ahead of the launch dates (sometimes by 5 months) and am working a few seasons ahead of what I am releasing. Which is a struggle in itself when I have to promote and share the jewelry I designed months ago as my creative side has issues with this.

Zerrin Do You Know Me Necklace from Manic Trout

Zerrin Do You Know Me Necklace

I worry that this is confusing to you as I am all sorts of sharing about the design process of jewelry coming out at the end of 2013 right now and then, bam! I switch gears and want to show you jewelry that I was talking about 3 months ago again. However, this is much the reality of the life of a designer and technically, that is what this blog is all about. That is also why I'm sure many if you follow MT on FB and other social media sites...you get to see behind the curtain.

Vanoa Girls Like You Necklace from Manic Trout

Vanoa Girls Like You Necklace

So here I go, switching gears from sharing the design process to sharing the finished work. It however is exciting news, as the Summer '13 Collection from Manic Trout has arrived!

Sanda Fun For Me Earrings from Manic Trout

Sanda Fun For Me Earrings

May Giveaway

 Contests  28 Responses »
May 072013
 

The votes are in and the May Giveaway featuring jewelry of your choice has officially begun! Thank you to all of you who voted, I had to laugh as the end of voting was the night before the Kentucky Derby and out of no where, all of these votes for the horse necklace came in...was it a subconscious race to the finish line???

What ever the reason, I am excited to announce that one lucky winner will receive the Mustang Sally Necklace from the Summer '13 Collection before it is even available to buy online!!

Mustang Sally necklace from Manic Trout

Mustang Sally necklace from Manic Trout on bust

The Mustang Sally Necklace is 21.5" long, features large chunks of Lapis Howlite and a galloping brass horse. The necklace is part of the Summer '13 Collection from Manic Trout and is $80.

To enter to win this awesome necklace so you can flaunt you're amazing style all summer long follow the deets below...

1. Show some love by liking Manic Trout on Facebook, or following Manic Trout on Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. If you already do all of this (you're awesome!) but please tweet or share about Manic Trout or jewelry from manictrout.com.

2. Comment below with what the one thing you hope to do this summer is and where you liked/followed/shared #1.  (this is your entry).

3. Cross your fingers and hope that you're the winner selected at random on Friday, May 10th!

The winner will be announced here on the blog, as well as on facebook and twitter and they will be emailed.  Contest closes at midnight on Thursday May 9th.  Only one entry per person please.

Good luck!

Edited to add that Vanessa is the lucky winner!!! Congrats Vanessa!!

How to: Styling Series – wearing Manic Trout vintage scarf necklaces

 Life of A Designer  No Responses »
May 022013
 

I am aiming to shoot a video a week in the studio...its been interesting thinking of ways I can bring you in to Manic Trout this way. We're still getting our sea legs on the filming and of course, I talk too much...but I would do that if you were in front of me too.

This week I showed you how to style the vintage scarf necklaces...something I have been wanting to do for awhile and glad I finally got around to it. If you have a Mermaid Parade or Fireworks After Midnight...this is for you. If you want one, it's your lucky day as they're all in the last chance sale or sample sale!

Oh also, I have decided to let you choose what the May Giveaway will be...to see the selections from the soon to be released Summer '13 Collection and cast your vote...go to the facebook page.

Finding inspiration

 Life of A Designer  No Responses »
Apr 262013
 

I am often asked where I find inspiration for my work. This is both a hard and a super easy question to answer. The short of it is everywhere, the long is that I am always on the lookout. I read hundreds of blogs daily, mostly design and travel related, read piles of books and magazines, keep my eyes open when I go anywhere...from walking the dog to traveling and basically never think something is too obscure to be inspiring. Yesterday, a bug on the bottom corner of a page in a magazine I was flipping through sent me off into an inspired frenzy immediately. My assistant Lauren saw all this go down and asked if I would go through the process of finding something that inspired me to designing a piece of jewelry on video...so she did. We used my phone and it was our first video, so no judgement....

 

 

What inspires you?

What is a Sample Sale and where can I shop it?

 Life of A Designer  No Responses »
Apr 232013
 

manic trout sample sale

Today is an exciting day at Manic Trout because it marks the first day of the annual Sample Sale at ManicTrout.com! I haven't done a Sample Sale this big since 2011. I was shocked to realize how many no longer needed samples had accumulated! Wondering what this sale is all about and why it's so amazing?

Basically, jewelry which has been worn on photo shoots, sent to magazines and are the exhibited pieces at large shows are samples. These samples are returned to the studio after they have fulfilled their destinies. However, they then serve no purpose other to take up studio real estate. I mentioned this to a friend a few years ago and  she suggested I have a sale and offer them up to my customers just like the fashion houses do. I realized the brilliance in this and that it's really a win-win for everyone!  Now, once a year, all sample jewelry in the studio is inspected and sold on ManicTrout.com at a greatly reduced price.

First dibs goes to the newsletter subscribers (if you are not one of those lucky people, you may sign up on the right) and man oh man, do they shop fast! After that, I announce the sale to social media followers...lesson learned here...being on the mailing list is worth it as orders started coming in with minutes of the newsletter hitting inboxes! After the sale, samples will not be available for another year.

Now what you know what the fun is all about...hurry on over...there is only only one of each sample and they go fast!!

 

If I could be anywhere right now…

 Life of A Designer  No Responses »
Apr 202013
 

where i'd like to be

It would be next to this pool with a book in my hands. However, its shockingly cold in Austin at the moment (60 is very cold for late April!) and one month ago I was lucky enough to read 4 books in 4 days on our mini vacation. Therefore my spend the reading quota has been used up for awhile...so instead I think I will find anew series on netflix and make jewelry until my hands hurt today. So not the same thing.

image via

Beauty in the kindness following tragedy

 Life of A Designer  1 Response »
Apr 162013
 
family

My sisters and I (on the left) visiting our cousins in Boston in the 1990s

Here we are, in the wake of yet another tragedy in the US that is leaving most of us bewildered, frightened and trying to find the good in the situation. A situation where you don't realize you were holding your breathe until the many, many, many family members and friends potentially in harms way were confirmed safe. A few weeks ago, Austin was on the radar for weapons of mass of destruction (#whyaustin) and yesterday the home to much of my family was bombed. In the past if and when something like this happened, you would hear about it via the tv or radio usually with a bit of delay. Now though, within seconds you see what is going on in your facebook and twitter feeds and are transported to the scene via live feeds minutes after it happens.

Social media however has its wonderful benefits, such as moments after the bombs went off, seeing my mother facebooking away from Manhattan when she lives right outside Boston and would normally have been home. I also thought it pretty amazing the amount of people who thought to check in on FB, just to ease some of the worry of their loved ones. Sadly, acts of terrorism and destruction will never go away, yet it is however uplifting to see so many people focus on the acts of kindness and heroism that follow these events. Yesterday's tragedy was a not so gentle reminder to focus on being grateful for family and friends being safe and that we do not live our lives in fear. Boston you are in my thoughts.

Poof! Another week gone by…

 Life of A Designer  No Responses »
Apr 052013
 
An Alphabet of Animals Carved from Crayons and Other Miniature Pencil Works by Diem Chau

An Alphabet of Animals Carved from Crayons and Other Miniature Pencil Works by Diem Chau

The days are whooshing by at a rate a bit too fast for my comfort level recently. I am still not sure what happened to Tuesday this week. The really good news is that I have a new studio assistant (yay!) which I had been putting off as I was too busy to train someone. I however reached a point where I was going to loose me mind if I did not have help. At that same moment I was looking over contracts to sign with a showroom in L.A. who will also rep Manic Trout in parts of the country. This is a big step and would not be possible to take on without studio help. Luckily and thanks to Instagram, the incredibly organized Lauren, who kept commenting that she should work for me, now does (yay!).

For the first time in months I have not walked into my studio in the morning dreading how I was going to get everything done. I am able to focus on designing and making jewelry and Lauren keeps tabs on everything from invoicing wholesale accounts, packing website orders, managing inventory, updating spreadsheets (we both really like spreadsheets) labeling and packaging jewelry to whatever else needs to be done. But seriously, she got here just in time, right before I drowned in a sea of un-filed paperwork.

March Giveaway…A Bee necklace perfect for spring!!

 Contests  46 Responses »
Mar 262013
 

The march Giveaway is perfect for spring...if it ever actually arrives...*sigh*. So anyway, the perfect remedy for dealing with the lack of spring blues is to put on this bracelet. No joke. There's a bee and mint green...you don't get more perfect for spring than that...

Never Forget You Bracelet

Never Forget You Bracelet from Manic Trout

The Never Forget You Bracelet features a beautiful bee and mint green glass. It measures 8" long, closes with a lobster clasp and retails for $85. This bracelet is part of the S/S 2013 Collection from Manic Trout.

To win this bracelet and show and magically make spring appear on your wrist:

1. Show some love by liking either Manic Trout on Facebook, or following Manic Trout on Twitter or Pinterest. If you already do all of this (you're awesome!) just tweet or share about Manic Trout or jewelry from the site.

2. Share what you love about Spring in the comments below (this is your entry).

3. Cross your fingers and hope that you're the winner selected at random on Friday, March 29th!

The winner will be announced here on the blog, as well as on facebook and twitter and they will be emailed.  Contest closes at midnight on Thursday March 28th.  Only one entry per person please.

***edited to add...thank you all for entering, I loved reading your replies, yay for spring!! The winner of the March Giveaway is Amy, congrats Amy!***
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