News
December 3, 2008
For Your Consideration: "Dear Writer" Accessories
They're here! Turn the heartbreak of a form letter into a badge of honor with our "Dear Writer" accessories. Made with the platitudes taken from actual rejection slips (mine!) and 1950's advertising imagery, our whimsical pins feature your choice of two detailed pewter charms in the shape of a pencil or opened book.
Six unintentionally hilarious designs and sayings! Choose from the willfully generic "I regret to inform you" to the quirky "eminently publishable" to the hollow encouragement of "one of the most memorable" or "do try again." Our key chains and bookmarks are the perfect gender-neutral accessory for the male writer (or artist) on your list.
Sass Brown Designs is the place for inexpensive, original gifts this holiday season: ornaments and personalized accessories made from Scrabble tiles; sudoku necklaces; conversation candy heart jewelry; and so much more. And you can feel good knowing that your order helps yet another starving artist.
Thanks again for your support of independent designers during these scary economic times. Have a happy holiday and prosperous New Year.
October 1, 2008
Order NOW for Halloween!
Order Hiatus: October 22–November 8. No orders will be filled during this time!
It's hard to believe, but October 31 is just one month away, and that means it's time to start thinking about the holidays. As many of you know, I earned my M.F.A. in Creative Writing and divide my time between jewelry design and poetry. This autumn, I will attend the Vermont Studio Center for several weeks from October 22–November 8 to complete my second book-length manuscript. Although orders may be placed during this time, I will be away from my studio and unable to complete any work until I return. Please keep this in mind as you plan ahead for holiday gift-giving.
To help inspire you, take a moment to browse our holiday collection, including jewelry made from real candy corn, guitar picks shaped like classic movie monsters, and other spooky creations.
Below you will also find a preview of one of my new designs (not yet available on the website) in honor of the upcoming writing residency. This is one example of our "Dear Writer" collage pins, adorned with platitudes taken from actual rejection letters I've received over the years. The witticisms (or cliches, depending on your perspective) are layered on top of a colorized 1950s retro advertising picture and graphic paper background. Look for all six designs and sayings in the upcoming weeks!
Thanks again for your business and interest, and best wishes for a happy fall season.
August 3, 2008
Sass is Back!
After several months in limbo, the Sass Brown Designs website finally is up and running again. As some of you know, my workshop was being renovated and reorganized, and during that time I had limited access to my supplies and workspace. Thanks so much to everyone for your patience while we took time to make improvements. I am looking forward to filling your orders and creating new designs.
FYI: Sass Brown Designs has a new email address. Please add us to your list of trusted sites so that our newsletters don't end up in your SPAM folder. Thanks.
February 1, 2007
There's Still Time to Order Valentine Jewelry!
It's not too late to find a completely original and affordable gift for Valentine's Day. Look no further than Sass Brown Designs and our new line of handcrafted jewelry made from genuine conversation candy hearts! Choose from a variety of phrases and color combinations. Suspended in translucent resin, our candy heart necklaces, bracelets, and earrings feature a rounded-off diamond shape and a shimmery pigmented contrasting background to make the colors really pop. Both funky and sweet, these pieces strike just the right balance. Prices start at $27.00.
And remember—Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts. Why wait for your honey to get a clue when you can treat yourself to something you really want this year? Better yet, choose something for the best friends in your life (your mom? sister? girlfriends?) to say thanks for always being there.
Just e-mail us for more information, or visit us online at Sass Brown Designs or at our Etsy shop. Be sure to check out our full line of Valentine's Day jewelry, including designs incorporating cinnabar and coral. And thanks again for supporting independent artists!
January 10, 2007
Be Your Own Valentine: NEW Candy Heart Jewelry
Here at Sass Brown Designs, we're so excited to share with you our new work featuring real candies suspended in translucent resin. This process has been a true labor of love over the course of the past year, as resin is a fickle medium requiring precise measurements and temperature. We are proud to say that the result was well worth the effort. Come see for yourself!
Our candy corn necklaces and earrings were so popular at Halloween, that we decided to make jewelry with conversation hearts for Valentine's Day—and boy, are we getting some great feedback! We've chosen an unusual, rounded-off diamond shape for the pendant, and have mixed a shimmery pigmented contrasting background to make the color of the hearts really pop. Both funky and sweet, these pieces strike just the right balance.
We have a wide variety of sayings and colors in stock for immediate shipping, or you can choose to customize your own design for just $8 additional. Since these pieces are made just for you, please order early and allow 10–14 days for them to ship out. If you have a deadline, let us know as soon as possible, and we will do everything we can to have your order ready. See our website for full details, including a complete list of available words, phrases, and color combinations.
And remember—Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts. Why wait for your honey to get a clue when you can treat yourself to something you really want this year? Better yet, choose something for the best friends in your life (your mom? sister? girlfriends?) to say thanks for always being there. Let us help you find the perfect phrase for that special someone, including your own best Valentine—yourself.
Here's a direct link to our holiday jewelry page, where you can find all our Valentine-themed designs.
Thanks again for your continued support, and have a happy New Year and hearty V-Day.
November 26, 2006: NEW Holiday Designs, Coming to a Store Near You
It's that time of year again, and Sass Brown Designs has posted some new holiday-inspired designs just in time for gift-giving. All our holiday jewelry and decorations—including Hanukkah earrings and our best-selling Personalized Letter Tile Ornaments (made from genuine Scrabble tiles)—can be found in one convenient place. Best of all, most of these designs now are on sale! Order early for fast shipping and the best selection.
Sass Brown Designs is working to expand its jewelry line to a location near you. If you know of a store that would be a great fit for our work, please drop us a line and tell us.
Since this is the time of year when traditionally we give thanks, Sass Brown Designs would like to give a shout-out to the following boutiques that carry our work. If you're looking for great gift ideas and live nearby, why not stop by and browse? Although they will not have a full selection of everything we sell online, you can see it in person, try it on, and forgo shipping costs:
Honeymilk
37 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
267-322-4057
Mud and Metal (coming soon!)
1121 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-467-8698
Pandora Jewelry
220 East 13th Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
303-832-7073
Paws Pet Boutique
64 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-263-8683
Sweet Mabel
41 North Narberth Avenue
Narberth, PA 19072
610-667-3041
Don't forget to check out our work—and other fabulous handmade gifts—online at Eco-Artware and PixelgirlShop.
Did you know that Sass Brown Designs loves to take special orders? That means we can work together to design something exactly the way you want it. In the past, we have made Personalized Letter Tile Charm Bracelets for bridal parties, cufflinks for groomsmen, and even a "Marry Me" necklace for a proposal! Just contact us, and we'll get the process rolling—brainstorming ideas, developing design prototypes, and making necessary adjustments. We may even be able to negotiate a price reduction for bulk orders. Please see our Order Policies page for more details.
Thanks again for your support, and have a safe and happy holiday.
October 25, 2006: NEW Sudoku Pendant and Candy Corn Jewelry
As you may know, Sass has been hard at work behind-the-scenes this year creating new jewelry that preserves found objects in resin. Check out the first of these products to debut on her website—the Sudoku Puzzle Pendant, a real mini Sudoku puzzle made into a necklace, complete with black rubber cord and a sterling silver pencil charm poised for solving, and, just in time for Halloween, our earrings and necklaces made with a real classic—candy corn.
With Halloween just a few days away, you'll need to place your order ASAP!
A new 2006 Holiday Gift Guide sponsored by IndieShopping.com has featured Sass Brown Designs' Gumball Machine Charm Bracelet, made from vintage vending machine and Cracker Jack premiums from the 1950s.
IndieShopping, a website devoted to up-and-coming designers, highlights products from their favorite online boutiques in their seasonal gifts guides. Look for our Personalized Letter Tile Hoop Earrings, Lucky 13 Pick Charm Bracelet, and new Sudoku Puzzle Pendant to be reviewed in an issue of IndieShopping's newsletter and blog—and then given away as prizes in forthcoming contests.
Place your order for our Gumball Machine Charm bracelet, and receive a free gift if you enter "indie" during checkout (under "Special Requests).
Don't forget our other spooky Halloween-themed jewelry:
Teeny Tiny Devil Earrings
Glass Skull Earrings
Monster Pick Necklace
Monster Pick Earrings
Keep checking back in the coming weeks for additional designs featuring conversation candy hearts, coffee beans, playing cards, Chinese fortune cookie fortunes, and more.
June 7, 2006: Great Gifts for Dads and Grads
With Father's Day fast approaching (June 18), Sass Brown Designs wants to remind you that we have more than just great jewelry. We're also your source for fun and functional men's accessories like cufflinks, money clips, key chains, tie tacks/lapel pins, and more—all adorned with our signature game pieces and found objects. Consider cufflinks personalized with your hubby's initials; a genuine poker chip dangling from a key chain for your dad; or a guitar pick necklace on a rubber cord for your brother, the would-be rock star. There's still plenty of time left to order!
We want to make it easier for you to find our latest products. The following are direct links to items debuting this month:
Beaded Mah Jong Bracelet
Snake Eyes Earrings
Poker Hand Necklace
Poker Hand Key Chain
Black Onyx Horse Necklace
Porcelain Owl Earrings
Don't forget: Well over two-thirds of our website is still on sale (and now in one convenient section)! Get these pieces while you can, because once they're gone, they're gone.
April 26, 2006: We're Eco-Chic (and on SALE)!
According to the latest article in SheFinds, Sass Brown Designs is right on trend with magazines like Vanity Fair, which last month declared green as "the new black" … meaning it's officially cool to be earth-conscious. SheFinds singled out our new hoop earrings made with SCRABBLE tiles ("nostalgic and whimsical") and our mah jong necklaces ("quite elegant"). You can read the article—"Eco-Chic: Reuse, Fair Trade, Earth and Animal Lov'n Fashion"—in this week's SheFinds newsletter, devoted to discovering online shopping treasures.
In other news, Sass Brown Designs is hard at work behind the scenes revamping our website and products. This will mean simpler navigation, more eye-catching graphics, and a sharper focus on vintage, recycled, and repurposed materials.
To make room for our upcoming product lines, we need to move out some old favorites–so now more than two-thirds of our website is on sale 10–15% off! If you've been pining away for that special necklace or pair of earrings, now is the time to buy. Quantities are limited, and once they're gone—they're gone. When you order, don't forget to mention SheFinds under "Special Requests" during checkout to get your free bonus gift with any purchase!
We want to make it easier for you to find our latest products. Following are direct links to items debuting this month:
Personalized Letter Tile Hoop Earrings
Personalized Letter Tile Pet Tags
Sterling Silver Personalized Letter Tile Rings
Grandma's Bingo Diamond Danglers
Lucky Punk Skull Pick Safety Pin
Toy Box Charm Bracelets
Gumball Machine Charm Bracelets (Silver Plate)
Thanks for shopping!
March 20, 2006: Your Featured Designer
Sass Brown Designs is the featured designer this week on MyCiCy, a women’s boutique devoted to emerging fashion designers and a great place to find beauty-related tips, news, and freebies. Chosen as a designer “who captivate[s] us with their ingenuity, flair and most of all, love for and dedication to their craft,” Sass Brown Designs is featured on the homepage, with links to several photos (and glowing write-ups!) of our products. We also will be mentioned in this week’s newsletter, the CiCy Suds.
For those of you who are local, I am cutting back on craft shows this spring and summer to spend more time on the website and publicity. However, I am planning to attend the Delaplane Strawberry Festival on May 27–28 (Memorial Day weekend) and the Reston Festival on July 8–9. I will be out of town on May 12–21 … a girl’s gotta go on vacation!
Thanks again for your continued support. Please stay tuned for updates to the website, including a redesigned homepage, new game-related products, and a sale section!
February 7, 2006: New Venues for Sass Brown Designs
Great news! Last week Sass Brown Designs was featured in a Valentine's Day article on She She Me, an online newsletter devoted to upscale, girlie shopping. Click on their links to the "perfect Valentine's earrings and matching necklace," and go directly to our site. These are just two of our pieces in red-hot cinnabar, most of which can be found under "Asian Influences" and "More Necklaces."
In addition to She She Me and eco-artware.com, Sass Brown Designs jewelry now can be found online at
PixelgirlShop.com, a website full of wonderfully quirky art and handmade items.
And finally, Sass Brown Designs celebrated Chinese New Year once again with the Washington, D.C. chapter of Families with Children from China (FCC), as one of two vendors at their annual banquet. Nearly 600 were in attendance to usher in the Year of the Dog. For more information on FCC (including The Mall, an online resource for companies featuring Chinese adoption-related products), visit their website.
You can find more seasonal goodies easily at Sass Brown Designs by going straight to our home page and
clicking on "Holiday Jewelry". Custom orders always are welcomed ... for Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, weddings, birthdays, or whenever.
October 4, 2005: TGIF from Sass Brown Designs
Here at Sass Brown Designs, TGIF stands for "Thank Goodness it's Fall." Autumn means the start of the festive holiday craft show season, and with the donning of richer colors and heavier knits comes the opportunity for—what else?—a new season of jewelry!
Our website has been updated with crisp pictures and tons of fresh designs you won't find anywhere else. Check out our new line of charm bracelets featuring guitar picks, Legos, and vintage gumball machine prizes. Get nostalgic when you wear our recycled 45 RPM record adaptor necklaces with optional music-themed charms. Click on the convenient homepage link to our holiday jewelry and find that Halloween necklace or pair of Christmas earrings that are fun, not gaudy. Peruse our eagerly awaited selection of sterling silver and semi-precious stone chandelier earrings. Every section of our website has something new to offer, so take your time and look for the designs marked "NEW" in cranberry.
December 1, 2004: Happy Holidays from Sass Brown Designs
It’s been a crazy year here at Sass Brown Designs, starting with a slew of cancelled shows due to a back
injury, and ending most recently with Susan’s much-anticipated wedding. Thanks to all of you who
were so patient during the times when we were away—both physically and mentally!
And now, all of a sudden, it seems, it’s the holiday season again! We have been working diligently on
updating our website, and have a number of exciting changes and additions to report:
–Tons of new game-related products, including Personalized Letter Tile Rings; jewelry made from
Monopoly houses and hotels, miniature chess pieces, and real guitar picks; a line of semi-precious stone
earrings (more styles soon!); colorful dice earrings (to be posted shortly); and teeny tiny animal earrings made from Peruvian ceramic beads.
–Lower prices on nearly all earrings throughout the site.
–A link compiling all of our jewelry for animal-lovers, organized alphabetically by animal.
–More affordably-priced selections for teens and children; look for new trendy choices in the coming year.
–A link to all of our holiday jewelry and accessories at the bottom of our homepage, where you can find items for every holiday, all year long! Check out our latest selections for Hanukkah and Christmas.
August 5, 2003: Check Out Our New Online Shopping Cart
At last! We finally have finished implementing our online shopping cart, so now you can order items from Sass Brown Designs directly on our website with your credit card. We're thrilled to offer this convenient new way of placing your orders, and hope you will stop by our website soon to check it out. In addition, take a moment to peruse our newly-completed product descriptions ... we've finally caught up with our rapidly-expanding line!
July 11, 2003: July News and Update
First of all, many of you will be excited to learn that we accept credit cards now—Visa and Mastercard—in addition to PayPal, personal and cashier's checks, money order, and, of course, cash. Until we have an online shopping cart (coming soon!), just call me with the number when you would like to place an order.
You also will find that the website has been greatly expanded, including some gorgeous and trendy new pieces in semi-precious stone. Check out our mother of pearl flower pendants and chunky rose necklaces in all your favorite stones, with coordinating strands of stone chips, tubes, squares, and rounds. We've also added many more shapes of the popular cinnabar pendants in the larger sizes customers are demanding. For those who prefer something more demure, check out our delicate (and inexpensive) glass teardrop and leaf chokers—the perfect compliment for both a sundress or a summer suit. And finally, for our younger customers (and for those young at heart), we've created colorful stretch bracelets with acrylic butterflies, cats, and stars and moons. Look for full descriptions of these items to be added within the coming weeks.
So far, craft shows have been a bit disappointing this summer, what with all the wet and humid weather dampening people's enthusiasm for outdoor shopping. All the more reason to host a jewelry party—and earn free stuff—in the air conditioned comfort of your own home! If you live in the Metro/DC area, visit http://www.sassbrown.com/sb/designs/home_parties.cfm for more information.
Stay tuned for more information on Sass Brown Designs ... coming soon to a store near you! Currently, I am working on orders for two wonderful stores: the gift shop at the Naples Museum of Art in Naples, FL, and Eco-Artware, a gallery of usable art from recycled, reused, and natural materials.
February 20, 2003: Sass Brown Designs Press Coverage
Great news! Sass Brown Designs was the focus of a feature-length article in the Alexandria, Virginia-based Connection Newspapers late last month! Both the February 20 Alexandria Gazette Packet and the February 27 Mt. Vernon Gazette ran the story, entitled "Twisting Words—and Other Things— into New Creations." The article chronicles the evolution of my business, including early entrepreneurial stirrings, sources of artistic inspiration, the influence of Asian culture on my designs, and a certain unusual customer request. It also features two photos: one of me working on jewelry made from SCRABBLE® tiles in my home shop, and a collection of my Asian-themed designs.
Many thanks to my customers and friends who agreed to be interviewed and whose kind words appeared in the article. Your support has been invaluable.
February 3, 2003: Game Piece Jewelry Spells Love for Playful Couple
Paul Phillips knew he wanted to propose to his girlfriend in an unusual way, but until he stumbled upon the recycled game piece jewelry of local artist Susan Brown, he was at a loss for words.
"Since we'd been playing a lot of SCRABBLE almost since we met ... I tried to work out a message with all 100 SCRABBLE tiles, but that's really hard," Phillips explained. "Around then I heard about [Sass Brown Designs], and decided a necklace would have about the same impact with a lot less thinking on my part."
And so one afternoon during a walk through a California forest, he pulled out a beaded necklace with red and clear hearts, and SCRABBLE tiles spelling out "Marry Me." Then, just to be clear, he presented her with the engagement ring and a pair of Brown's dog tag earrings, stamped with "Say" on one side and "Yes" on the other.
"Fortunately she followed the sage advice on the earrings," Phillips said.
For nearly a year now, Brown has been specializing in personalized jewelry made from SCRABBLE tiles—including bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, pins, key chains, and bookmarks—but as far as she knows, this was the first proposal. "Most people want their name or initials, although I have a list of suggested words on my Web site for those who need a little help," she said. To date, some of the most popular words have been diva, cutie, and brat. Brown herself sports a necklace with her nickname, Sass.
As for how she comes up with ideas for her jewelry, Brown credits thrift stores and flea markets as sources of inspiration. "I've always loved surrounding myself with things, objects that make me happy to see and touch," she explained. "And so one afternoon last year I was poking around a nearby yard sale and came across some games from my childhood. I remembered that what I loved best about the games were their pieces—how they looked and how they felt in my hand. It started with SCRABBLE, and then expanded to dominos, wooden bingo numbers, Mah Jong tiles, and even miniature playing cards."
One challenge Brown has encountered is the uneven letter distribution of SCRABBLE sets. While she never seems to run out of E or U, some letters always are on short supply, especially M, Q, and Z. "My latest design is a necklace with all vowels; I call it "The English Teacher's Special," she said. "I've actually considered pricing the jewelry by the point value of the word, but that became too complicated.
Still, if people have tiles they'd like to donate, I'd gratefully accept them!"
The other side of Brown's work is her Asian-themed designs, a passion which was fueled by several of her friends adopting children from China. "Initially, I started creating custom-made designs for them," Brown explained. "In a small way, I think the jewelry can help parents feel more connected to their children's culture."
February 1, 2003: Price reductions; February Ad and Special Offer
February means great deals at Sass Brown Designs, your source for personalized game piece jewelry and Asian charms. Not only are we offering 10 percent off the highest-priced item in your next order, but we have just reduced prices all across our Web site! So take a moment to see if the jewelry you've been coveting has dropped in price—now is the best time to buy! The special offer applies to all first-time orders during the month of February only; just mention this e-mail, and the discount is yours.
Your savings can be applied to anything on our Web site. Treat your honey to a coral heart/rose necklace or a matching set of cinnabar heart earrings and bracelet. Celebrate Chinese New Year by picking up a hand-carved bone or carnelian zodiac animal necklace that corresponds to your birth year. Or check out our designs featuring game pieces, including SCRABBLE, dominos, Mah Jong tiles, bingo numbers, playing cards, and checkers.
January 28, 2003: Local Jewelry Designer Gears Up for Chinese New Year, Caters to Adoptive Parents
Chinese New Year may begin on February 1, but the entire month will be busy for local designer Susan Brown, whose business specializes in jewelry that incorporates Asian charms and artifacts, including Chinese zodiac animals. Many of Brown's clients are adoptive parents of Asian children, and the D.C. chapter of Families With Children from China (F.C.C.) has invited Sass Brown Designs to be one of a select few vendors at their New Year celebration dinner on February 8.
"I've always been fascinated by Chinese artifacts, but when several of my friends adopted children from Asia, I started creating custom-made designs for them," Brown explained. "In a small way, I think the jewelry can help parents feel more connected to their children's culture, while honoring Asia's rich traditions."
Brown's work is gaining national exposure as well. After discovering Sass Brown Designs on F.C.C.'s "The Mall"—a directory of companies that cater to families in the Chinese adoption community—the Rhode Island/Connecticut chapter asked Brown to donate jewelry for their Chinese New Year celebration.
"I try to incorporate Asian themes, subtly but distinctly, into our lives to reflect my daughter Maya's heritage, and my friends and family have expressed an interest in doing the same," said client and friend Nancy O'Brien. "I've given Sass Brown Designs jewelry to friends who are in the planning or waiting stages of adoption, and as gifts to our "adoptive family"—those families that traveled with us to China and whose children were in the orphanage with Maya." O'Brien, who sponsored a home jewelry party for Brown last December, is both a current and waiting parent, as she adopted Maya Ann Xue two-and-a-half years ago, and soon will be traveling to Chongqing to bring home new sister Talia.
Asian-themed jewelry also has broader appeal and represents a new major trend, ushered in by the recent popularity of Mah Jong bracelets featured on film and in television programs. Pendants made from traditional Asian elements like cinnabar, jade, and porcelain recently have graced the pages of InStyle magazine and various clothing catalogs, and Brown has been amazed by the increased demand for such designs. "Customers keep requesting that I add new Asian designs to my line, like my Ming Dynasty pendants made from fragments of pottery discovered during an archaeological dig at a Chinese porcelain factory," she said.
The local F.C.C. New Year celebration will include a traditional Chinese dinner at New Fortune Restaurant in Gaithersburg, Maryland, as well as entertainment provided by Tai Yim Kung Fu School, Madison Chinese Dance Academy students, and Grace Wang and the Kunqu Opera Society. Additional Chinese New Year events are scheduled throughout the month of February. 2003 is the Year of the Sheep.
January 2003: Happy New Year
With the holiday season over and the winter cold crushing down, I thought perhaps that January would be a bit of a breather here at Sass Brown Designs. But the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations and Valentine's Day have sent me into a designing frenzy!
Take a look for yourself. Our newly-updated Web site features several brand-new categories: Playing Card Jewelry, Earthy Elements (natural designs made from hand-carved bone from China), and More Bracelets. But don't forget to check out additions to the other categories as well, including lots of Chinese porcelain pendants, cinnabar, domino necklaces, and items designed with Valentine's Day in mind. Also keep an eye out for cross-links to jewelry sets—matching necklaces, bracelets, and earrings perfect for gift-giving.
Thanks again to those of you who have added your feedback to the new Customer Testimonial page, and if you haven't yet, please consider sending us a few lines about your experiences with Sass Brown Designs—the quality, uniqueness, and overall selection of jewelry; customer service; price; custom orders; Web site; shipping; and/or whatever else you consider important.
On behalf of Sass Brown Designs, here's hoping this is the beginning of a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year for you all.
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