Giveaway! - Custom Cameo Necklace

I'm running a giveaway on Instagram & I almost forgot to write about it on this here blog!

I'll be giving away a cameo necklace, custom designed by you! You choose your picture and base and I'll make it and whizz it around the world to arrive on your doorstep. Sounds like a pretty good deal right?

Just pop over to my Instagram, @gabriellamurray, repost this photo and tag it with #pixieandpixier & on April 4 I'll contact the winner.

Have a nosy around my shop for some ideas. You can go pop culture or I can even put your cat in there (not literally - no animals are harmed in making these jewels!). Or maybe you had your eye on something I've already made. It's totally up to you!

Hop to it! (Still not quite over Easter)

A Few New Things

I thought it would be nice to show a few new things that I've listed in my shop recently since I'm swamped with uni work and all I do is imagine all the pretty things I want to be making!

These brooches are a step even further into my obsession with those Sweetheart/Love heart sweets. I love everything about them but their taste so I guess it doesn't matter that these brooches aren't edible.



Who else is excited for Anchorman 2?! By the trailer it looks as if Brick might have a bigger role and I freaking hope so because Steve Carrell is pure perfection (I'm addicted to this video of the Best Of Michael and Toby). Anyway, this 'I'm Kind Of A Big Deal' necklace showcased one of Ron Burgandy's greatest lines.


I'm a sucker for Venus symbols so I just had to make this pink/purple/glitter necklace. Long Live Feminism.


On a completely unrelated note, look how weird my cat is.


Have a lovely weekend!

Gabi
x

Etsy Extraordinaire #3: Lights, Camera...Sale!?

PIXIE’s Guide to Becoming An Etsy Extraordinaire, Or How To Run a Successful Online Shop

Hiya! Here's the third edition of my 10-part series of Etsy success tips. You can find the rest of the posts here!

#1. Lights, Camera...Sale!?

Now, I'm a little out of my depth here. I've only in the past month or so been working on my photography. Despite having a DSLR for about 10 years I shamefully admit that I only took it off Auto mode last year! What was I thinking!? Whatever camera you have - know how to use it! I've been reading all about aperture and white balance and I guess it's starting to make sense. 

Although really beautiful rich and perfectly styled photos can really make your shop stand out and make your products look amazing - they're not crucial. You can work towards beautiful photos, as I am, but it is important to start with some nice, clear pictures of your products. 

The photos from my earliest sales make me cringe (and I have a huge to do list to re-do a lot of the listing in my shop now!). I honestly don't know what I was thinking! So, learn from my mistakes. Take a couple of photos clearly showing your product. Use a simple background (try laying out sheets of paper) and maybe even style it up with a few props. Of course, how you style your photos totally depends on your personal style and branding, as well as the particular product. 

It's a good idea to use up the allocated number of five pictures. I know, a lot of the time I only have a couple! But try and show your product from a number of different angles, with someone wearing it (if that applies) or even showcase your packaging.

With your photos try and develop a sense of cohesion. Your individual products might vary a fair bit so product photography can be a great way to tie them in together and present a really solid brand. 

Get practicing!

Gabi

x

Etsy Extaordinaire #2: Make Something Worth Selling

PIXIE’s Guide to Becoming An Etsy Extraordinaire, Or How To Run a Successful Online Shop

Here's the second edition to my 10-part series on running and Etsy shop. Click here to follow the series!

#1. Make Something Worth Selling

This one seems pretty basic but is probably the most challenging! To have a successful Etsy shop you're gonna have to make some pretty amazing things! Make it so people have to have your special goodies because they're just that fabulous. Now, this doesn't mean you have to be selling diamond encrusted chocolate-scented underwear (too many positives make a negative?)!

You're gonna have to put a tonne of hard work into designing, developing and creating whatever amazing things you'll be selling! A good rule of thumb is to make something that you'd pay good money for. Make something unique. Take care to make it special and beautiful. 

If you want to get a high number of sales (which as a shop owner you should!) it's a good idea to make your products easy to make and not too time consuming. Sure, it's nice to have some things that take extra time to create and these can big your 'big ticket' items but mostly you should aim to have affordable products that don't take hours to make. If something takes a hour to make and you're only charging $10 for it then something is wrong! 

Your customers are gonna be handing over their hard earned cash so make sure what you're selling not only deserves it but is also so amazing that everyone just has to have it (and in every colour too!). 

So, what are you waiting for? Get creating!

Gabi

x

Bart and Furby Twinz

I made these tops the other day and they got me feeling so crazy right now (acting so crazy in love). Ok.

I'd like to say they're a comment on media sexualization and the concept of the male gaze in pop culture but really I just thought it would be extremely cool to have Bart Simpson and/or Furbies on my boobs.

They're up in the shop if you'd like your own :)



Gabi
x

Etsy Extraordinaire #1: Ready? Set? Go?!

PIXIE’s Guide to Becoming An Etsy Extraordinaire, Or How To Run a Successful Online Shop

Hi! This is the first part of a 10-part series, in which I’ll let you know all the snippets I’ve learnt in my first year of running and Etsy shop. You can find the post introducing the series…here!

#1. Ready? Set? Go?!

My highschool Accounting teacher used to say ‘failure to plan is planning to fail.’ It’s a whopper of a cliché and more than a little bit cheesy but, as a long-time lover of all romantic comedies ever, I can a few cheesy clichés.

Before you open your amazing shop you’re gonna have to do your homework first. Research shops you admire and those targeting a similar demographic, write lists, create beautiful moodboards, dream up your collections, go crazy on Pinterest and make as many brilliant products as you possibly can! (More on this next week!).

In your preparation, try to develop a clear aesthetic and unique branding for your shop. This sounds pretty heavy but these are probably things that you already half decided on. Things like colour schemes and overall branding just come with developing your shop. It’s your ‘vibe’ and you’ve got to kind of exaggerate it so customers know exactly what you’re all about at just a glance.

You don’t have to perfect this right now. I’ve learnt that branding tends to develop itself. I’m still forever tweaking my shop and trying to develop my very own cohesive brand. Although, my photography ‘skills’ have improved, placing the handwritten logo in the centre of product photos was in my very first listing and it is still something I use to this day! Come up with a colour scheme and aesthetic that makes your listings immediately identifiable, makes your products pop and your heart flutter. 

x

In The Shop

I gazed longingly at the Cat heart appliqued skater dress with a studded collar and perfectly perfect floaty-ness for a solid 10 minutes before I finally pushed myself to list it on in my shop (unfortunately I don't have the charisma to convince myself to keep a dress that won't actually zip up past my breasticles). It sold pretty much straight away and I will live to regret it for the rest of my days (but seriously, thank you buyer!).

Luckily there's this black number going!







Umm, Girl Power Super Heroines Tee? Yeah, yes please!


I don't even know why I do things like this. Bart made me do it?


Rabbits, guys. Bunny Rabbits.

This Maggie tee and Ghost World vibes skirt are also up for grabs.



Just in case you were worried there wasn't enough Simpsons appreciation merch.

There's a load of other stuff too that I'd love for you to have a gander at.

PIXIE and PIXIER on Etsy. Where clothes are bright and photos awkward.

PURPLE LIPSTICK AND BARBIE SHOES

Where the hell did January go?

I feel weirdly delayed because my year didn't really start until last week. I've been busy creating goals and trying to organise 2013 and everyone else seems to be already settled into the year!

Well, as an avid list and goal maker (what do you mean type A?!) I believe in goal-setting year round. I've been photographing all the things I've made (like this Barbie shoe necklace - coming soon!) and making even more bits and bobs. I finally have a phone again and I'm so happy because I literally missed Instagram on a daily basis! Let me know if you're an Instagram addict too, I'd love to add some more people. I'm @gabriellamurray. I just got Vine too (Gabriella Murray) and I'm desperately trying to get the hang of it!

Social networking will be the death of me.

Daily Outfit: FART SIMPSON

I got this amazeballs sweater a few months ago and have been living in it ever since. The arms are a little short on me and it's kinda scratchy but, I don't know if you've noticed, it's covered in Bart 'El Barto' Simpson and therefore I will love it forevermore.

My sissy got me the GOLDFISH HANDBAG (!!!) for christmas I love it with the power of a thousand suns. 




When wearing such a sweater what is one to do but to keep accessorising within this historic family. I made this Lisa necklace forever ago but because I'm lazy so busy I haven't had the chance to list it. BUT it's up for grabs now: here!




These shoes are amazing but look kind of orthopedic here. Whatever. They're from Woolworths in South Africa which is an amazing shop and sells only cruelty free cosmetics and household products, so, yeah, it's perfecto.


Sweater: etsy (the shop has now closed but they exist in other internet realms!); Skirt: Mr Price; Shoes: Woolworths SA; Handbag: gift from some weird amazing shop; Necklace: PIXIE

Party On Garth!

I leave for South Africa in 4 days! So very excited to try different foods, take a billion foods, see beautiful animals, see my sister (BFF for lyfe!) and just explore a little bit more of this beautiful world.

I'll be closing my etsy shop while I'm away and I just know already that I'm going to miss it so much! Over the year PIXIEandPIXIER has become a really big part of my life. I'm just so happy to be able to make things and send to people all over the world to cherish. Even if it keeps me up until 4am packing sequins and glitter in the packages I just feel fortunate that I'm actually able to spend hours a day devoted to it.

I wanted to write a really big and profound post saying how truly happy I am that all these lovely people have appreciated what I've made (even enough to buy it!) but I've just been so busy getting all the last orders ready and getting ready for my trip. I guess all I need to say is: Thank You. It may not seem like much that a few people have given me a few dollars for some necklace with Daria on or earrings of Kurt and Courtney but it really brings a smile to my face when I see every new sale. It's nice to see that the things I make aren't entirely pointless and that people like the same bizarro crap I do.



So, thanks guys.


P.S. The shop will be closing later tonight (probably tomorrow morning Aus time) so feel free to pop in any last orders for my final post office trip for the year!



I got this cat fabric for new amazing stuff to come and just had to take some pictures with my feminist and naughty word stickers.

Confined to my Sanctuary

Busy working in my studio -cough- bedroom

I have been making and packing orders like a crazy lady. So, massive thanks to everyone who placed an order the past few days - you have certainly kept me busy. Because of this I've pretty much been living in my PJs only to actually get dressed in a t-shirt-shorts-combo to duck out to the post office - hence the lack of outfit posts and any real substance.

Also, I go to South Africa for TWO WHOLE ENTIRE MONTHS in two weeks so I've been spending a lot of time thinking about getting organised for that. That mostly means stocking up on cat food and buying travel sickness pills.

My place of work and one of my many list books

The Greatest Jewelers Tool

I saw this little thingymabob somewhere on the interweb a few weeks ago and it blew my mind. I promptly ebay searched and order one for a mere $2 and when it arrived it turns out the listing was for 5! Amaze! You use it for loosening/tightening/adjusting/whatever jump rings and the like and it has just made my life 50 times easier. I've also been wearing them as rings because I'm clearly cool like that. 

Window situation - cat dress, lips bag, Indian charms and sunflowers, obviously.

This photo is weird but it features key elements in my life right now so just overlook the Virgin Suicides tinge (or alternately, embrace it). I DIY'ed the dress, the lips bag is from ebay and there's a YippyWhippy Lisa Simpson brooch too that you can barely see. 

Ok. 

I'll probably be doing some kind of etsy closing-down-for-a-little-bit sale in the next few days so keep your peepers open!