Tag, you're it! Custom Jewelry Tags

"Every job is a self portrait of the person who did it ...
Autograph your work with excellence.” 

~Vince Lombardi 

 
Before I designed jewelry I was a collector of costume jewelry. That is all that I could afford, and I didn't realize that there were other options. I recall having a piece of Monet jewelry that seemed to cost a lot to me at the time, and it had this little tag near the clasp. It was identified by that brand tag forever and made it more special in my eyes.

When I started designing jewelry of my own, I knew that I wanted to somehow sign my work. After all, artists sign their paintings and we have all seen the Antiques Roadshow where a patron has a signed copy of an artwork that is worth thousands that they didn't even realize that they had. Early on, the pieces that I made were definitely not worthy of the moniker of 'art,' and they certainly didn't include art beads, but that didn't stop me from dreaming that one day my signature might be worth something!

I am glad that I had the foresight to think of this back in 2006. It was actually one of the first branding moves that I made, long before I decided on copper boxes and chocolate satin ribbon with my company name and skeleton key logo hot foil stamped on it. As I am prone to do, I did a lot of research before deciding on what was right for me. In fact, one of my very first posts on Art Bead Scene back in 2009 was about this very thing. There are many options out there for signing your work.

{the Tesori Trovati skeleton key logo stamp}

At the time I paid around $150 for a custom stamp to be cast of my exact skeleton key logo from Microstamp. This was way before there was an explosion of metal design stamps out there, and now I see that there are plenty of skeleton key design stamps that I could use, but I am pretty happy with the one that I had created just for me. Because I am the only one that has it.



Along with that, I purchased bulk packages of little oval tags, also from Microstamp, in sterling silver, gold filled, brass and copper. This size above is 6x9mm. I find that I gravitated to the copper and silver ones the most, as that matches the metal tones that I used more frequently and I have recently made the decision to stick to copper since that became a signature metal tone for me early on. I can also use this to stamp the back of a metal piece instead of a tag, an added bonus.

Beaducation offers such a huge variety of metal design stamps that you might be able to find something that could brand your work from their stable of popular designs rather than having something custom made. Then you just need to find the little tags to stamp them on and you are set!

{TagMate System from Infinity Stamps}

I did a lot of research on Infinity Stamps. They have a really nice tool called the TagMate System that you use to steady the stamp so that you get a true impression each time. I can tell you that I have baggies of little tags that I ruined because I stamped too light, too heavy, or got a ghost image from an overeager double blow with the hammer. Eventually, I picked up a dead blow hammer and got the hang of it so I don't make those mistakes any more. The price was considerably higher, but the main reason I didn't go with this is because at the time they only had a limited supply of sizes of the tags that fit their tool and they didn't offer them in copper, which was my favorite, or brass. However, I see that they now carry a much larger variety of metals, like brass and copper and shapes, like hearts and ovals and rectangles. They also offer stamps perfect for clay, like polymer and precious metal so that if you use those materials you can sign your work as well. If I didn't already have a stamp, I would surely look closer at this product now.

{cast pewter tags from Charm Factory}

You could also have a custom engraved sig tag created for you all ready to go from Charm Factory. Since they offer engraving rather than stamping it is supposed to be quicker and more precise. They also offer a cast pewter option that is less expensive (see above). I also liked that option and might consider it in the future.

{the cutest little sig tags ever created by Mamacita Beadworks for Lorelei Eurto Jewelry}

Lorelei Eurto came up with a clever idea to sign her artisan pieces. She commissioned an artist named D'Arsie Manzella of Mamcita Beadworks to create a custom tag with a cute little owl on it and the initials "L E" for her name. That is so very beautiful!

{see how that cute little tag adds to the charm of this Lorelei Eurto bracelet?}

Since this is a bit more special and more pricey route to go, they might not show up in every piece that Lorelei makes, just the most artistically inspired, but I love how this is also an art bead with Lorelei's favorite owl motif that can play into the whole design.

{Andrew Thornton's unique signature - I would love to own a piece of his jewelry with this special tag!}

And I just stumbled across a blog post by my friend Andrew Thornton with little bronze tags that he made with his own signature for a jewelry line he was working on. I love the way these turned out and the color of the metal. If you work in PMC this would be an obvious option.

What other things could you do to make signature tags? These options above might not work for everyone, and can be an added cost that some are just not willing nor able to take on. There must be some other ideas from you clever people out there.

I work a lot in polymer clay now, and it is wonderful stuff. I think that it would be possible to make some tiny wafer-thin tags in a variety of colors that could easily be added to your work. You can even use products to patina the clay and make it look like precious metal, like the new Swellegant line created for Christi Friesen that works on all sorts of surfaces from metal to paper to clay. You can get these from Christi direct or from B'Sue's Boutiques. Can't wait to try them! But it all comes back to branding, and maybe if you can't brand each piece of jewelry, start with your packaging with paper tags and stamps and stickers to make your work stand our from the rest.

Okay, so just by signing your work in some way doesn't make it art, but it is a step in the right direction. Why? Because artists who care about their work, who see the value in it, and who believe that the piece is done will add their signature. Imagine finding a Miriam Haskell signed piece of costume jewelry, or Louis Comfort Tiffany. The value of a signature is not to be overlooked and who knows? Yours might be worth something someday!

Your turn...
Do you sign your work? How do you do it? 
If you don't sign your work, would you consider it? What method appeals to you?
What else can you do to raise the level of your creativity from just making pretty to creating art? 

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her new line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

The Art of the Card

"A product is something made in a factory; a brand is something that is bought by the customer. A product can be copied by a competitor; a brand is unique. A product can be quickly outdated; a successful brand is timeless."  ~ Stephen King

If you are in business for yourself, the first thing you likely purchased is a business card. Business cards are an essential tool. They are sometimes the first thing that people see about your business. They tell a lot about who you are, what you do and how you do it.They are compact, low cost, non-techie bits that can actually increase the value of your brand and bring you business for days, weeks, months and years after they leave your hands. They are not networking in and of themselves, but without them it would be hard to network properly. They can inspire, amuse and inform. They can be mini-masterpieces of art.

{My business cards and hang tags were created by Jody Passwaters of Rethink Ink on Etsy using recycled paper and soy-based inks. If you stop by, tell Jody I said hi!}

Of course, business cards should have your name and contact information. But they can also include a lot more. They can be attractive and charming, unusual and strange... but no matter what they look like they should definitely tell the world something about you and your brand. Since they are so essential, I would argue that while it is tempting to use the pre-made templates through a service like VistaPrint (which I have used extensively in the past), in the long run you will be better off having your own distinct look. If you don't have the ability to create your own look, have someone create one just for you (check out Etsy, there are some surprisingly low cost packages from designers that would love your business creating a look for you!).

Business cards help you in two ways: gain business and get your name out there. Don't leave home without them! Whether your small business has clients locally or far and wide, don't overlook an opportunity to give them away... especially with every package you send (I write the essential information about the piece written on the back), tucked in every thank you note... and always carry some in your purse and in your car because you never know when an opportunity will present itself to leave a few behind. Like at your hairdresser... or your favorite restaurant... or with your accountant.

One tip to be sure that the card gets saved: hand write one thing on the back of the card, whether that is about the jewelry that you made,  a special sale code or even an essential contact method like your email or your blog. With that note on it the card is less likely to be tossed away.

I have amassed quite an extensive collection of business cards. Cards from vendors that I bought things from and ones I hoped to buy from.Cards from large online retailers. Cards from other jewelry artists to make connections with in the future. Cards from bead artists I admire. Chances are, if I ever purchased anything from you, I have your card. I never like to part with things that I collect. Not only might I need to buy from them again, but some of them are so beautiful that I couldn't bear to part with them.

One day I was at Michaels and found these really cute little recipe boxes for a few bucks. The sweet little bird illustration on the outside and the silver latch gave it a treasure box appeal. Inside were little dividers that had recipe categories like 'Salads' and 'Entrees.' I sorted my cards into stacks by medium (ceramic, polymer clay, glass, tools, beads, chain & components, artists, etc.) and then I used my Dymo to re-label the tabbed dividers and placed the cards in the box. Now I can keep them and have them handy for when I am searching for the perfect bead or component to work with.

As I was going though my stash, I came across a lot of Moo cards. Do you Moo? These quaint cards are about 1/2 the size of  a standard business card. What sets Moo cards apart is the extraordinarily high quality photography and printing on extremely durable and heavy cards stock with a soft matte finish. Just holding a Moo in your hands gets you hooked. The genius of Moo cards is that in one box of 100 cards you can upload up to 100 images. That's right. Each and every card in the box can be different. 

This makes them collectible in my eyes.

{Cute little box with dividers inside for holding your Moo cards. Here is the jumble of my Moo cards ~ 35 designs in all ~ and some close-ups}.

I wanted some Moos of my own with a special discount code for my Etsy shop on the back. For every order that I send out, one of these loyalty cards will go along with it and hopefully turn into repeat business. But I also wanted to find a to be inspired by my Moo card collection all the time.

As I was placing my order I came across the coolest thing: a frame that holds 20 of your favorite Moo cards in a multitude of different arrangements. If you've ever collected baseball cards, or have a child who does, you can see how this would become addicting! I have the frame filled with some of my favorite artists along with my own Moo cards to inspire. My goal is to swap out my cards in the frame with as many others as I can get from beady friends, because each card represents a connection to someone new. Who knows? Maybe I will get so many Moo cards this year that I will have to order more of these clever frames. ;-)

{My Moo Frame ~ I might use this at my next show with all the pictures from my personal Moo cards to show different pieces that I have made.}

Now it is your turn...

How do you use your business cards?
Do you collect business cards like I do?
Do you Moo? Tell us what you think of your Moo cards!
What other purposes can you think of to use your Moo cards or business cards? 

If you are interested in creating your own Moo cards, use this code ~ 2RB2CK~ to get 15% off your first order at the checkout. Go to Moo right now to get started!

Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration Is Everywhere. Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote - not dust!) to enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com. Check out her brand spankin' new website at Tesori Trovati.