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Copycats and Dogs – Why I’ll shop #handmade this holiday

Posted on October 22, 2015 | Leave a response

As we head into the holiday season I would just like to draw consumers’ awareness to an issue facing independent designers and artists.

This weekend, I discovered photos taken directly from my website and online shop being used to sell product on two other websites.  My ring on my hand in a photo on an overseas website! I don’t know what customers who buy from those sites get if they purchase, because I have no affiliation with the sites. They were selling S’wag-style items at a very, very cheap price. Complete, exact replicas of my hand-carved design.

I quickly went through a range of emotions from shock, to anger, to flattery, to sadness. It was even more disheartening when I realized that a handful of the other products/images on the website had also been taken from Etsy artists that I recognized. I am not the first and I will surely not be the last. It sickens me.

And so, I’d like to take a minute to talk about handmade, Canadian arts and crafts and encourage you to continue supporting designers and artists.

Price: My prices – and those of most artists – are high compared to the overseas website selling copies of our work ($3 a piece). And here is why.

I design my pieces, carefully plan them out, and take them from a sketch to a 3D piece. I either cut my piece by hand or carefully cast my pieces into high-quality metals – sterling silver or gold. I clean up each individual piece by hand — file the metal, sand it, polish it. I solder on findings or solder different components together. I make each piece with care and precision. I am a one-woman show! I work hard. And I work two other jobs so that I can run my two small jewellery businesses.

Passion: My businesses are my life and my passion.  I don’t have any employees. I am able to keep my businesses running with the help of family, friends and consumers who care about the value of handmade.  I make my jewellery because it makes me happy and because it makes you happy.

Customer Service: If something happens to your factory-made product, most likely you throw it out.  When you buy from me or other artists, you are dealing with a person. We communicate and build a relationship. If something happens to your piece that I have made, I fix it or I replace it; I do what I have to do to keep you happy. And I hope that you are happy with your Canadian-made S’wag Jewellery.

It’s hard to compete with companies who steal ideas, mass-produce with low-end materials and sell for cheap. There’s not a lot I can do about my pieces being replicated. I guess I should feel flattered that I am up there with the likes of Gucci and Chanel, having knockoffs of my work floating around the world. S’wag has gone international!

But jokes aside, this experience has really got me thinking, and I will certainly be considering my own buying habits more carefully in the future. As consumers, we need to ask more questions. We need to recognize that when we are buying something online or in a store and the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Someone is losing – the artist, the designers, or the factory worker who is likely being paid very little if the products are being sold so cheap.

This holiday season, let’s think about the purchases we are making. It is so easy to spend thoughtlessly on gifts of quantity over quality. This holiday, let’s visit craft markets, local stores that support local artisans or artisans themselves. We may end up with a smaller looking gift, or a few prized items rather than pile of presents, but no one will lose out!

My studio isn’t big or fancy. It’s just my jewellery bench in a small room in a custom bicycle painting shop. But it’s mine. And I do what I love in there. I will continue to post my pictures and items on social media – it’s allowed me to connect with amazing people around the world.

Thank you for all of your support!

Please consider supporting local artisans this holiday season!

Sarah Dobranowski - Designer and Goldsmith

S’wag Jewellery/SarahAnaDesigns

 

For a list of where you can shop S’wag Jewellery please visit our “Where to find S’wag” page.

 

#meetthemaker #handmade #supportthearts #shoplocal

 

 

studiopic

 

 

Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: dachshund jewellery, handmade, jewellery, Made in Canada, meet the maker, shop handmade, shop local, support local

Happy Birthday!

Posted on July 30, 2015 | Leave a response

 

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Did you know that August 1st is the universal birthday for shelter and rescue dogs everywhere?

Often the actual birthday of shelter dogs and rescue dogs is unknown. To give these animals some much needed recognition The  North Shore Animal League in the United States has named August 1st  ”DOGust 1st – The Universal Birthday of Shelter Dogs.” We love this idea! Every dog deserves a birthday!

S’wag Jewellery would like to celebrate this special birthday with you. From now until Saturday, August 1st we have discounted our mini friendship bracelets in our Etsy shop from $20 to just $12. $2 from each sale of one of these friendship bracelets will be donated to the Canadian Dachshund Rescue here in Ontario, Canada.

Help us to wish shelter and rescue dogs a Happy Birthday by purchasing one of our bracelets for yourself or as a gift for a friend. Stock up now and save for the holiday season or upcoming birthdays! These bracelets are the gift that keeps on giving!

Woot Woot! Happy Birthday!

~ S’wag

 

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Posted in: Jewellery | Tagged: Bassotto, Canadian Dachshund Rescue, dachshund bracelet, dachshund jewellery, dachshund jewelry, dachshund product, sausage dog, teckel, universal birthday for shelter dogs, wiener dog

Free Domestic Shipping

Posted on June 25, 2015 | Leave a response

From now until June 29th we are offering free domestic shipping (Canada) on all items in our Etsy shop!

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING15 when checking out.

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~Sarah

Posted in: Uncategorized

Best Friends Contest!

Posted on May 27, 2015 | Leave a response

Do you have a best friend that you share everything with? If ‘yes’ then this contest is for you!

I recently teamed up with my best friend to start a small business called I’m With Sarah. We sew really cute things to bring comfort and cuteness into your life – lavender filled sachets, boo boo bags, hand warmers, hot/cold bags, weenie wigwams – all in super pretty, soft, cozy fabrics. (Lots of them with doxie’s on them!)

S’wag Jewellery and I’m With Sarah have teamed up to bring you a fantastic prize pack for you to share with your best friend. In the prize pack you win: 2 friendship bracelets, 2 lavender filled sachets in cute doxie fabrics, 2 doxie shaped bookmarks and 6 greeting cards to share! All items are handmade by either S’wag Jewellery or I’m With Sarah. The prize pack has an approx. value of $90. 11120090_10153463178968267_33219014_n

Here is how you enter:
You must follow both S’wag Jewellery and I’m with Sarah on either Facebook or Instagram. All links listed below. Once you like both pages TAG your best friend or SHARE this photo with the person that you would like to share this prize with. (We need to be able to see that you shared or tagged the photo so please make sure your profile is set to the appropriate settings.
We will be choosing the winner on Tuesday, June 9th and announcing the winner on Wednesday June 10th. Good luck to you and your bestie! ~ Sarah and Sarah

Instagram -

S’wag

I’m With Sarah 

Facebook -

S’wag

I’m With Sarah 

Posted in: Jewellery | Tagged: Bassotto, Contest, Dachshund, dachshund jewellery, dackel, doxie jewelry, doxie product, handmade, i'm with Sarah, lavender sachets, s'wag jewellery, sewing, teckel, weenie, weenie wigwams, wienerdog, wienerdog jewellery

Special Coupon Code for 30% off!

Posted on January 27, 2015 | Leave a response

Help us out by completing our quick 10 question survey and we will send you a coupon code for 30% off in our Etsy shop! It only takes a few minutes. Click on the link below to complete the survey. We will send you a coupon code within 24 hours. If you don’t receive the coupon code then please e-mail us at swag jewellery@gmail.com. Thanks! We greatly appreciate your feedback!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HQNLSWC

Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: coupon, coupon code, dachshund jewellery, doxie product, save, survey, survey monkey, swag jewellery coupon code

I’m With Sarah

Posted on January 26, 2015 | Leave a response

Looking for a super cute way to stay warm this winter? We’ve got just the thing (or things) for you!

Introducing “I’m With Sarah —>”  A crafty company bringing you cute and comforting sewn products to warm you up and warm your heart. This small business was started by myself (Sarah) and my best friend who also happens to be Sarah. We have recently opened up our Etsy shop and though at this time we only have one product in shop we are looking forward to adding more in the near future.

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The first product we have listed is a washable cover for a hot/cold bag. We like to call them Hot Toddy Bags and Hot Toddy Covers. Many of you might know the name brand ones called  ”Magic Bags’. These are fabric bag filled with oats, or in the case of the ones we make uncooked rice, which can be heated in the microwave for a short period of time or placed in the freezer. It can then be applied to the neck or other part of the body for relief from aches and pains or for warming up or cooling down. The covers we sew are like a pillowcase for the hot/cold bag. You simply slip it over the bag and use the bag as you normally would. When it is ready to be cleaned simply remove the cover and throw it in the wash. The covers we have listed are made from super soft fleece. We currently have 2 fabrics available. One with a cute dachshund pattern or one with a multi-breed dog pattern. We have many more patterns which we will be sewing up – polka dots, florals, etc.

Hot/Cold Bag cover

We will be listing the actual hot/cold bags in our shop soon. However, if you own a name brand bag our covers do fit them.

We also have smaller hand warmer size bags coming to the shop. These bags can be popped into the microwave for a few seconds then popped into your mitts or pockets before you head out to walk to dog!

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We hope to be adding a lot more products to the Etsy shop in the near future. We are just waiting on a few other fabrics to arrive. We will also have some of these items available this year at Wienerfest so pop by the S’wag booth during the festival in June! These make an awesome gift. If you have a doxie lover on your Valentine’s list these are perfect! Covers are just $10.

Head on over to Facebook and give us a “like” to stay up to date with our new products and promotions!

 

 

 

Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: Dachshund fabric, dachshund product, dog product, hot/cold bag, hot/cold bag cover, hot/cold bag washable cover, i'm with Sarah

Be Mine, Valentine.

Posted on January 11, 2015 | Leave a response

Valentine’s Day is just a little over a month away but it is never too early to start thinking of unique, one-of-a-kind gifts. When I am looking for handmade items to give as gifts I like to look at local craft shows most of which fall before Christmas or during the summer. When I can’t attend craft shows or when I am looking for something very specific (ie. Themed items) I turn to Etsy. Since most things ordered online take a little while to ship I thought I would share my thoughts sooner than later.

Below I will suggest a few items from my own shop that make great Valentine’s Gifts. I will also share a Treasury I made on Etsy with a few items which I thought were really cute. (There are way too many on there. I wish I could have included more!)

First up we have our best seller – Mini Doxie Friendship Bracelets. These are a perfect little item to give to a friend. They are only $20 and come in a variety of colours.

Mini Doxie Friendship Bracelet - $20.
Mini Doxie Friendship Bracelet – $20.

 

Next up is the newest addition to our shop. This one is super simple and lightweight. It is available on a sterling silver chain or on a black cord. These ones retail for $25-$35.

Wire Dachshund Pendant - Simple and Sweet - starts at $25.
Wire Dachshund Pendant – Simple and Sweet – starts at $25.

 

Keeping with the theme of Valentine’s Day we have chosen our next piece, our Heart Shaped Doxie Pendant. This one is made in Sterling Silver and retails for $95.

Heart Shaped Doxie Pendant - $95
Heart Shaped Doxie Pendant – $95

 

If you are looking for a ‘gift for him’ (or her, these are unisex) we have a great pair of dachshund cufflinks for $100.

Sterling silver dachshund cufflinks - $100
Sterling silver dachshund cufflinks – $100

 

And next we include our all time favourite. Our dachshund bangle is sure to make any doxie lover smile! The sterling silver doxie wraps cozily around the wrist. These ones retail for $165.

Dachshund Bangle - $165
Dachshund Bangle – $165

 

To browse some other cute items that we have in store visit our Etsy shop. We have items ranging from $10-$165. We have also made a treasury on Etsy of other cute doxie items from various different shops.

I Woof You - Treasury on Etsy
I Woof You – Treasury on Etsy

 

To view this treasury click here. 

or you can follow along with us on Pinterest where we pin all sorts of dachshund related goodness!

Happy Sunday!

Sarah

 

Posted in: Jewellery | Tagged: Dachshund, dachshund bangle, Dachshund cufflinks, dachshund gifts for her, dachshund gifts for him, dachshund jewellery, dachshund pendant, dachshund valentine's day, doxie, doxie jewellery, doxie product, sausage dog jewellery, wienerdog jewellery, wienerdog valentine's day

The Face Behind S’wag

Posted on January 5, 2015 | 1 Response

Ever wonder who is the face (and hands) behind S’wag Jewellery?

We want you to get to know who is making your one-of- kind piece of S’wag and show you a bit about our process.

My name is Sarah Dobranowski and I am S’wag Jewellery. The hands you see in all of S’wag’s Instagram photos are mine. The smiling, dark haired girl in our Facebook photos is me. (The blonde modelling is my younger sister Alicia) And every piece of jewellery, every painting and every accessory in our S’wag Etsy shop are made by me here in Toronto, Ontario.

 

The Face behind S'wag Jewellery
Myself and my Coton de Tulear Owen!

 

All of S’wag’s designs start as a small idea in my head. I then start to sketch out ideas on paper. I usually like to discuss my ideas aloud with my older sister Alexis. I like to call her my PR manager. She can often be seen in photos with me at shows and events around the city. She helps with some of the business and sales side of things.

 

Ideation
Ideation

 

After I decide on a design I take to the bench to make a sample. Some samples are made in metal. Others are carved in wax. If I decide the idea is worth replicating I make a silicon mold of the original so that I might make multiples in the future or I make a tracing template so that I can easily saw out individual designs.

 

A wax original carved by me
A wax original carved by me
Silicon Mold
Silicon mold of our friendship bracelet and charm components

 

With pieces such as our Sterling Silver Wrap Rings I cut the dachshund out of sheet metal. I then form it into the ring shape. Much time is spent filing and smoothing out all the edges and surfaces with files and emery paper. The final step is to polish the piece.

 

Ring blanks in sterling silver
Ring blanks and a pendant designs laid out on Sterling Silver

 

With pieces such as my Carved Doxie Pendant I pull waxes from a silicon mold using a wax injector. Hot wax is injected into a 2 part mold using pressure. Once the wax is cool I remove it from the mold. I can pull multiple waxes from a mold. These waxes are then cast into metal using the Lost Wax Casting technique. I cast in brass, sterling silver and gold. Once the piece is cast in metal I file and emery the surface of the metal to make it smooth. With both fabricating from sheet metal and casting I may need to solder on findings such as bails or jump rings.

 

Injection Waxes - Various dog breeds
Injection Waxes pulled from silicon moods. Originals were carved in wax by me.

 

Once the pieces are polished to perfection they are ready to be sent out to you!

S’wag also makes a number of non-jewellery items such as cards, paintings, felt ornaments and bookmarks. These items are all handmade by me as well.

I love making S’wag and I take pride in my work. I love that I get to handle each and every pieces that I send out into the world. As I am the only person who makes my products it sometimes may take a little longer then some bigger companies. I do my best and try to get all pieces shipped in a timely manner! I hope that when you receive a piece of S’wag Jewellery you are happy with the product.

 

All pieces come in super cute paw print packaging!
All pieces come in super cute paw print packaging!

 

We hope you learned a little about what makes S’wag Jewellery unique. We hope it gives you some understanding as to how much time, effort and love goes into each piece. If you have any other questions you would like to know then please don’t hesitate to ask!

If you would like to follow our journey through 2015 follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Best Wishes,

Sarah

S’wag Jewellery

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: custom dog jewellery, dachshund jewellery, doxie, doxie jewellery, doxie product, Made in Canada, made in toronto, s'wag, s'wag jewellery, sausage dog, sausage dog jewellery, toronto goldsmith, wiener dog, wiener dog jewellery

Think Custom

Posted on October 8, 2014 | Leave a response

Have an idea for the perfect piece of dog inspired jewellery but can’t seem to find it anywhere? Why not look to custom jewellery to find your perfect piece?

As most of you know the majority of the pieces of jewellery we make are Dachshund related, but every so often someone comes to us asking if we can make a dog of another breed. We love custom projects so we are always eager to see and hear what people have in mind. We have made pieces from small friendship style bracelets, to gold pendants, cufflinks and charm bracelets. We have made pieces that resemble yorkies, french bulldogs, redbone coonhounds, dobermans, corgis and more! We have made pieces for Mother’s Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays and to commemorate the loss of a pet. No matter the dog, no matter the occasion, we love designing the perfect piece for you!

Here is a look at a few custom pieces we have made for clients.

Yorkie Friendship Bracelet
Yorkie Friendship Bracelet

German Shepherd Wrap Bracelet by S'wag Jewellery
German Shepherd Wrap Bracelet

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Redbone Coonhound Necklace

Cavalier King Charles Brooch by S'wag Jewellery
Cavalier King Charles Brooch

If you are considering a piece of custom jewellery or would like to inquire about pricing of custom pieces write to us at swagjewellery@gmail.com. We would love to see/hear about what kind of ideas you have and we look forward to the next exciting projects that will come our way! If you are looking to have a custom piece made for the holiday season we encourage you to contact us sooner then later as the season gets busy and our production times slow a little. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Posted in: Jewellery | Tagged: cavalier king charles jewellery, custom dog-inspired jewellery, custom jewellery, custom jewellery toronto, dachshund jewellery, dachshund product, doberman jewellery, dog lovers, dog product, made in toronto, redbone coonhound jewellery, yorkie bracelet, yorkie jewellery

New Items in Store!

Posted on October 6, 2014 | Leave a response

Wow, have we ever been horrible with keeping up with our Blog! We need to make it our mission to post more often!

I guess to start off we have lots of new designs in shop! We have been branching out a bit and have some new breeds. Have a look at our shop and let us know what you think! Here is a sneak peak at a few of the pieces.

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Don’t see your favourite breed in shop (We know, we are heavy on the weenies!) you can always commission a custom piece! We love doing custom orders! Stay tuned for our next blog post where we will share for you some of the custom pieces we have made in the last little while.

Cheers,

Sarah

Posted in: Jewellery | Tagged: Bassotto, cute doxie gift ideas, Dachshund, dachshund gift ideas, dog jewellery, doxie, sausage dog, teckel, wiener dog
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  • Copycats and Dogs – Why I’ll shop #handmade this holiday
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