I received a package in the mailbox 2 days ago. It was beautifully wrapped and nicely sealed. If you've been reading my blog, you should know I love receiving things in mail. I simply love the packaging! Can you guess who sent it to me?
Inside the box, there's a sweet, petite box and a letter.
Do you see what I see? A note card and...
A beautiful 18" necklace adorned with a translucent London Blue Topaz drop!
Alright, let me tell you what's going on : Marlo from
Marlo Noël Jewelry has sent me a beautiful necklace for a review! It's called the
Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz. I was so excited and eager to wear this on. It looks gorgeous with everything, which means --- I can wear it anytime, anywhere, on any outfit! Marlo says that the
Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz would look amazing with a spring dress and a cardigan.
The topaz is about 7mm tall by 7mm wide, and the necklace is approx. 18" long on a sterling
silver chain, finished with a sterling heart clasp and tiny blue topaz rondelles. It is multi- faceted, and the colour is a pale, translucent light blue. From here, I can conclude that this topaz is of good grades. Plus, Marlo's craftsmanship is excellent, and I can't even find the slightest defect.
I was harboured with lots of praises when I put this necklace on. Everyone thinks that I look much prettier with this necklace on. Maybe it gives me a boost of confidence in some special way. Personally, I love the style --- simple and nice, and I love the colour of the necklace, which is a pretty light blue, so this necklace is definitely a perfect choice for me. It's not too appealing, but at the same time, its beauty shines from within. For me, it's second to none!
1. Hi, please introduce yourself.
Hi, I'm Marlo, designer for Marlo Noël jewelry. Thank you for having me!
2. How was your shop started?
I've been making jewelry since I was 9, but I didn't really know anything about Etsy until a few new coworkers introduced me to it last August. They saw my jewelry and said, "Why in the world don't you have an Etsy?!" I enlisted my brother-in-law, Max, who edited hundreds of jewelry photos. Without his help, I'd have very average pictures with grey backgrounds and inaccurate color. Post-production really is the secret to great photos, and thus, a successful online shop! I guess I veered away from the question a little there...
3. Who/What is your source of inspiration?
I get inspiration from wedding blogs like Snippet & Ink and 100 Layer Cake, and from beautiful, creatively merchandised shops near my home. I'm also very inspired by letterpress and typography.
4. What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I'm struggling a little bit with this one... I guess I'd say the necklace I wore in my wedding, which was basically a huge cluster of a bunch of different gemstones with a large, coin-shaped mint quartz at the center. I intended to make a shadowbox with that and some other special items from my wedding, and I kind of forgot when I misplaced the necklace for about a year. Thanks for reminding me- I'll have to reopen that project.
5. Which items in your shop receive most compliments from customers worldwide?
The most popular items by far are the Lucy, the Mary, & the Blair necklaces, and the Kate & the Alice earrings. Although if I was answering based on sales, it would be the Anna and Maribel necklaces.
6. Which item from your shop do you like the most? Why?
Although I love all of them, my current favorites are the Anna VI necklace, because the color combination and style are simple and modern, and the Alice earrings, because who doesn't love a cluster of rainbow colored sapphires? Oh, and I also love the Grace necklace, because there are silver shards that run through the stone, which is really cool, but doesn't show up in photographs very well.
7. How do you promote your Etsy shop?
I email lots of bloggers to see if they'd be interested in doing a feature on my jewelry, or perhaps a giveaway for their readers. I've done 4 giveaways with different wedding blogs of gift certificates to my shop, so the winner can choose what they love best. I also advertise with one blog at a time, which definitely gets traffic to my shop. I like to choose blogs that have a complimentary style to my own, where I think the readers would be interested in my jewelry. I'm getting ready to run an ad with 100 Layer Cake, which we just finished designing today! I try to blog as often as I can (which isn't as often as it should be), and I have a Twitter, which is a great way to tell followers that you have new items in your shop.
Rachel Bracelet .. Sky and London Blue Topaz, Mint Quartz, Amethyst and Iolite
$ 238.00
8. Make a wish!
Okay! (everyone knows you have to keep it a secret or else it won't come true)
~ A great thank you to Marlo for making this review and interview possible!~
Lovely links:
Marlo Noël - Custom Jewelry Design
MarloNoel on Etsy - Custom Semiprecious Faceted Briolette Jewelry
Marlo's blog : design by the sea
Marlo on Twitter : http://twitter.com/marlonoel
*Custom-made pieces are available.*
About the designer:
Marlo is currently pursuing her love for jewelling, drawing inspiration fro her seaside home in Cardiff, California. She designs numerous pieces for each season's collection, only the finest of which are shown on the website.
Do you see what I see? A note card and...
