Artist Robin 'Pearl' Brown is the creative spirit behind the exceptional company Magnolia Pearl. Robin, along with her partner John Gray, began her journey in 2001 when people on the streets of Fredericksburg, Texas were begging to buy her handmade purse off of her arm! Since that moment, the creative juices have been overflowing!
Now, Magnolia Pearl has grown into an empire of incredibly inspired, handmade and one of a kind items. From frocks and dresses, tunics and bloomers, shoes and hats, coats and pants; there seems to be nothing that Magnolia Pearl cannot imagine. The passionate creativity flowing through each Magnolia Pearl piece is so apparent and is what truly sets this company apart.
Check out this interview from Absolute Charm showcasing the colorful history of Magnolia Pearl.
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Images © Janie Viehman Photography
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Susan Wechsler is a Denver based artist who specializes in mosaic art. Having been in Colorado for the last twelve years, she has continually grown her following. With no official advertising Susan has obtained a large customer base as well as a following of students. She teaches her mosaic skills and processes in workshops and in classes for other local artists.
To really get to know Susan and her journey to creating mosaics, check out this awesome biography video!
The Scarab is honored to carry several absolutely incredible creations from Susan's latest collection of Skulls. Other favorite collections seen in Susan's work consist of shrines, masks, angels, dress forms, wall art pieces and more!
The tedious process of mosaic work is quite apparent in the impeccable quality of Susan's creations. We are absolutely in awe of these wonders. Take a peek at our collection of Mosaic Skulls by Susan Wechsler.
]]>At the time, we had no idea that such a talented poet, writer and tarot reader was wandering through out little shop. To us, he first seemed just like any other customer. Then, we began to realize how calm and grounded he seemed. His energy was just delightful. He was thoroughly entertained by listening to the soft tones of this antique Tibetan Bell that we had sitting on the shelf. Now, we were beginning to be intrigued by this man.
Once conversation with Stewart began, it took no time at all to realize that we were all vibrating on the same frequency. We were all three, clearly, the types of people that just 'got each other'. As we discussed life, love, beliefs and reality, it was no surprise to me that Stewart then offered to give Jane a reading. I popped up from my desk requesting my own reading as well! Of course, Stewart obliged and both Jane and myself received truly incredible Tarot Readings down by the river in Minturn.
Stewart has a number of published poetry books as well as 'Way Of The Current: Tarot Reflections', which is the book he used during both of our readings! We highly recommend all of Stewart's works as we truly enjoyed the pleasure of getting to know him and his thoughts. What a treat it was to have encountered each other!
]]>Our dear friend and customer Jill Suarez is the lady in the valley to go to for cuts, dyes or styling! Her studio is called About Hair and is located at 200 Capitol St. in Eagle, Colorado. We highly recommend her and wanted to help spread the word!
Here is a cute photo of Jill rocking her latest purchase from The Scarab boutique, our feather earrings! These kickass earrings are literally trash turned treasure, they were handmade by another friend in Red Cliff who used bike inner tubes and sterling silver ear wire to create these awesome pieces.
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In the 70's, Streeter moved back to his native New York where he opened up his first shop called 'Store' in the Soho District. He began traveling and finding inspiration from his adventures as well as in other cultures. Of course, this helped his craft progress even more as he began wax-casting and even working on my sculptural creations.
While his his craft as a jewelry artist was already gaining momentum, Alex caught a big break when he was enlisted to create a ring for Robert De Niro for the movie Angel Heart. The ring worn by De Niro became one of Alex's most popular designs.
Now residing in Tucson, Arizona, Alex is still creating and his Soho store is still bustling. Daughter Lily Streeter has joined the family business and now runs his Soho location along with handling all of his marketing. You can find Alex's jewels at his Soho shop or from another select group of retailers such as The Scarab.
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Sally Bass Jewelry should be considered the queen of statement jewelry!
Her pieces are always big, bold, colorful and they never cease to amaze!
She uses found objects, thrown away items, antiques, trade beads and more to create her incredible pieces.
Each piece tells a story of where it has been and what it has been made into now! We love to discover new jewels by Sally.
To learn more about Sally and her incredible creations or to see where she is headed next, check out her website!
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Friend and design consultant Stephanie Caldy visited our shop in Minturn and shared her feng shui expertise on how we could improve the energetic flow of our shop. After a wonderful consultation, we received some great pointers from Stephanie. We wanted to share her process along with her ideas for The Scarab.
Maximize the energy flow
The goal of a professional Feng Shui and Sensitive Design consultation is to maximize the flow of energy in order to improve public perception and feelings of a brand, in an office or a store space. We aim at optimizing the experience people have in retail spaces, offices and professional spaces.
Enhance the public experience
Blending traditional Feng Shui principles, design and brand communication, we first start working on "macro" implementation and transition zones so that the brand key messages are perceptible from the outside. (Showcase, signs, entrance, waiting rooms).
Then, we search for solutions to optimize the "hot zones": It is generally situated to the right of the entrance, moving to the center, following the circuit of the chi (which also corresponds to the path taken by a majority of customers). Finally, we aim at heating or lighting up the so-called "cold" areas to reduce stagnation (chi, products that do not sell...).
What kind of public or audience is targeted with this technique ?
These are the brand’s customers, buyers, partners, but also the board, management and staff of a company. In an harmonized space, where the energy circulates in a fluid way, the public will experience, perceive and feel (through the senses) clear and specific messages from the brand, through each of the energetic or Feng Shui zones in the space.
What will change?
Feng Shui is said to be the art of placement. Generally, we move objects, furniture, signage, sometimes colors and lights. We can sometimes change the distribution of room’s functions. In summary, we find a way to develop coherence and harmony amongst everything that occupies the space. Visitors can feel more clarity, comfort and well-being through their exploring and buying experience.
What are the results ?
We can generally note a better frequentation, a better relationship and loyalty with clients and team, as well as a better visibility and reputation of the brand on the market.
These improvements naturally set up the way to develop sales and incomes. It also helps leaders with a better vision and creativity to take decisions as well as teams, with more happiness at work.
1 - South zone: A better macro implantation to boost brand visibility on the market: Clarify and enhance the entrance of the store with an elegant exterior sign and a decoration using mainly Fire and Wood elements.
Clear the way (move away a round metal table standing on the way)
2- South-East: Welcome to abundance! The Feng Shui wealth zone is also where visitors catch their first impression when entering the store: Place new products, luxury range, treasures and precious gems. Add plants and open the view on the outside. This area is perfect for placing the counter.
3 - East: A healthy business. Clarify and enhance the side entry, located in the health sector of the company. Install an alley of trees and plants on the sidewalk, and a fountain inside (with water flow turned to the inside of the store).
4 - Center: Yin - Yang perfection : Place the jewelry, money counter for maximum flow in the all space.
5 - North: The brand foundations and history.
Consolidate and highlight the brand values and strength by displaying its “mission and statement” board, as well as elements of its history. Celebrate here the 25th anniversary of The Scarab creations and success. Consolidate the brand foundations and stability with the rug collection display (Rugs have built the brand's success and reputation).
Move away or hide mirror on the back wall, reflecting back the chi coming in from the front entrance.
6 - North West and South West: Balance the feminine and masculine principles to harmonize relationship. Verify the placement of different functions (sales, consulting, offices, discussion area). Place products in harmony with the energy zone "temper” (carpets, furniture, jewelry, clothing, accessories, sewing workshop).
7 - Northeast: Quality, Research and Development Sector: Bring a strong light as well as Earth and Fire elements to this darker area of the store.
8- West: Awaken joy and creativity, with metal elements. The vintage electric guitar collection is at its best here, as well as the over-sized metal buffalo trophy.
We have implemented many of Stephanie's suggestions and are already feeling the difference! We highly recommend her great work. If you wish to contact Stephanie for your own sensitive design needs, you can do so here.
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We are so grateful to have been a part of the Girl PowHER Fashion Show last month. Jacque Kudner of Remagine Designs came along to showcase and share her amazing handcrafted jewelry to all the fashion show attendees. This event was a huge success and we were so thrilled to have been able to participate and support such a great cause.
This event was presented by Amanda Precourt benefitting YouthPower365's Girl PowHER program. This incredible program aims to "help adolescent girls gain mindful awareness, bolster self-esteem and stay engaged in school through healthy activities, community service and positive mentorship."
Along with supporting this amazing cause, attendees had a fabulous night watching the runway show, enjoying food and drink, and shopping from a number of local pop up shops.
The runway boasted local boutiques such as Garbarini, Gorsuch, Grey Salt and Perch. Many of the items worn on the runway were available for purchase after the runway show. All the vendors from this great event donated a percentage of sales to help Girl PowHER to continue empowering young women.
Thanks so much to Amanda Precourt for all her hard work, from starting Girl PowHER in 2010 to growing her organization to such a successful and positive program. The Scarab and Remagine Designs were so pleased to support this wonderful event. Make sure to check out Girl PowHER or come and support the fashion show in 2018!
One of the reasons The Scarab was so drawn to 2 Chicas jewelry was because of the perfect balance between sweet and soft pearls along with rough knotted leather. We also love the fact that many of their pieces can be worn different ways. From open wrap necklaces to adjustable bracelets and even unique clasps that can be positioned like a pendant, these girls are bursting with creativity!
The combinations are endless between baroque pearls, navajo pearls, turquoise, colorful stones, sterling beads and more. Another awesome feature of 2 Chicas jewelry is the fact that it pairs just perfectly with another favorite artist of ours, Richard Schmidt Jewelry.
Richard Schmidt is known for his amazing sterling silver creations with assorted semi-precious stones and embellishments. Many of Richard's pendants feature a large bale allowing for the pendant to fit on a number of necklaces including 2 Chicas chunky pearl and bead pieces.
Shop our selection of handcrafted and one of a kind jewelry now!
]]>Although we love more rare crystal specimens, the use of quartz seems to be the top trend in the design world. From tiny quartz chunks that are just a few inches to large quartz geodes that are several feet in diameter, designers are finding more and more spaces to display these great accents.
Our other favorite features of using crystals in interior design has to be the versatility! We have seen quartz geodes used in super clean and modern styled spaces and look so elegant. We also love seeing quartz accents used in more bohemian and colorful styled spaces.
If you want an even brighter look, try out our dyed quartz pieces. With a matte black coating on the outside of the geode, the inside is treated with an oxidation process causing bright colors! We have an assortment of magenta hued crystals covered in speckles of gold and yellow.
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West African artist Kofi Awudu Ouedraogo creates stunning bronze sculptures. Jane and I discovered Kofi while wandering what we deemed as 'The African Village' during The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. This particular area featured tents and tents filled with African antiques, textiles, art, fashion, pottery and more.
Kofi's work was easy to pick out of the rest.
Unlike most of the booths there who featured antiques, Kofi's booth featured pieces of art that were obviously new creations. His sculptures were so sweet and delicate that it was hard to see them and not stop for a while.
After perusing for several minutes, we started to chat with Kofi. He was rather soft spoken and carried a very calm demeanor. He explained that each of his creations is one of a kind. He first carves forms in beeswax and then casts them in bronze.
The Scarab will carry a small assortment of sculptures by Kofi. If you are interested in any special orders, then please get in touch.
Shop our online selection of handcrafted and one of a kind treasures now.
We love our mountainy life here in Colorado... but, there is one other place (in particular) that we quite like. That place is Texas! More specifically, we love our time, friends and discoveries during Texas Antiques Week, which takes place twice a year in Round Top, Texas. Get to know some of our favorite friends from our Texas adventures.
Each year, we stay with our friends Kwaku and Barbara on their artist compound and homebase of Bedikos Tropical Steel. Kwaku and his metal art became mainstream when they began creating all the palm trees for the Chuy's Mexican Restaurant. The property and metalsmithing space is full of inspiration! There are buses turned bedrooms, old campers rented out, tiny houses, sculpture art everywhere and outdoor living spaces inspired by life in Belize. We are so grateful to have such a magical space to stay during our time in Texas. Although these guys do not make merchandise for our shop, they definitely provide necessary inspirations and motivations for our creative endeavors.
Iowa Mike is another friend who we regularly have visited during our Round Top adventures. A retired Vet, Mike collects one of a kind antiques and oddities. We are never quite sure what kind of treasure we will find in his booth from antique shaving kits to glass cats, carved walking canes or front door mats.
James and Jayme are the creative duo behind the one and only Bonedust Cowgirl. They hand-carve one of a kind jewelry and accessories using bone, antler and leather. With such a unique look, Bonedust definitely has a strong following and we try to always have an assortment of their creations available in our shop.
Following in the footsteps of her fashion designer mother, Angela now runs Honest Cotton, a clothing line using ethically sourced and created fashions. With the most fabulous and comfortable clothing, we not only sell Honest Cotton products, we also love to wear them! Although Angela and Maria are often busy running their booth during the daytime, you can almost always find us all cooking up a delightful dinner together during the evenings.
Another part of our Texas tribe is the Schmidt family! Richard Schmidt is an established silversmith based in La Grange, Texas. As a regular vendor during Round Top, Richard Schmidt Jewelry has quite the following of women who are in love with his jewels! We always carry a selection of his work in our shop and it never disappoints. As much as we love buying Richard's jewelry, we also love attending dinner at his lovely home in La Grange during each of our visits.
Genie is another one of Jane's long time friends and artists who she originally met out at Round Top. Not only does Genie collect the most unique and intriguing assortment of rusty junk and baby doll parts and pieces, she also handcrafts our embellished skulls. Genie decorates bison, deer, and longhorn skulls with anything she can find from crystals, feathers, broken jewels and more. With each piece unique, we are always excited to see what new creations she comes up with!
For those of you who don't already know, this is Jane, the owner of The Scarab along with her best friend and partner in crime, Alisa. Alisa has not only been a friend to Jane for years, she always attends our Texas buying trips in order to keep us sane and organized :)
This is me, Janie. I have worked for Jane since 2013 and absolutely LOVE following her around with my camera. Not only do I enjoy grabbing great shots of our adventures, I also manage our website and marketing. You can see my photography work here!
We love all these people and many more amazingly talented friends who we encounter each year. It is these friends and artists who allow us to have a truly unique and one of a kind shop and for that, we are so grateful! The best part is that each year, we find new incredible talent to share with our tribe of followers!
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With a love of color and things handmade (as well as a desire for a truly unique space) these vintage, glass, pendant lights fill me up with happiness! They are funky, colorful and fun.
Shop the yellow pendant lamp.
Shop the green pendant lamp.
Shop the blue tiered pendant lamp.
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Check out Kelsey's blog with these photos or follow her on instagram @gypsyinpumps!
One of our most favorite stops each year during Round Top is always the Bonedust booth! James and Jayme are the fantastic duo behind all of Bonedust's hand carved and one of a kind jewels.
James and Jayme work together hand-carving antler and bone jewelry as well as inlaying different stones into their pieces. They create necklaces, cuff bracelets and rings which are, surprisingly, carved out of one solid chunk of antler.
Although we visit these guys each year during Round Top Antiques week in Texas, their homebase is actually Oklahoma City. James and Jayme run a vintage shop called Bonedust Cowgirl where they sell their own creations as well as a number of vintage finds.
As one of our favorite artisans, you can always find new pieces by Bonedust in our Minturn showroom as well as in our online shop!
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Amethyst is a violet toned variety of quartz crystals. Irradiation, iron impurities and other trace minerals lead to his beautiful purple hue. Variations of Amethyst can be found in a number of locations such as Brazil, South Korea, India, Africa and the United States.
Amethyst is well known as a semi-precious stone used in jewelry however it is also known to have many metaphysical properties. On an energetic level, Amethyst works as a natural tranquilizer, it is known to alleviate stress and anxiety. It can also be used to protect oneself from negative energy or electromagnetic stress.
Amethyst is also considered a stone of sobriety and is a great piece to carry for anyone struggling with substance addictions. With strong healing and cleansing properties, Amethyst is a great stone to help one find a centered balance.
On a more physical level, Amethyst also carries a number of healing properties such as:
The Scarab was invited to participate in Campout For the Cause by a friend who was the brand ambassador for Curate Snack Bars. Curate snack bars are carefully curated recipes which is why this company likes to feature carefully curated artisans. The Scarab was invited to set up their gypsy wagon of handcrafted jewels and treasures inside the incredible curate trailer!
As you can see, it was a 'really tough' weekend of extra hard work :) There was no fun to be had...
Thanks so much to Curate and Campout For The Cause for having us! We love supporting the good people and organizations of this world!
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We found the mercado to be full of about ten unique artists showcasing a number of different and incredible treasures from one of a kind art, to jewelry and textiles, handmade leather shoes and more. Creative minds from differing places of the world had all gathered to share their crafts, it was lovely.
Along with the mercado, which was set up in a beautiful circus-style tent, there was also a number of out buildings, teepees and even an authentic bedouin tent! The decor of each space was absolutely unique and perfect. Everything there exudes creativity.
What an amazing space it was to discover! With 20 acres full of wonder and just a short drive from Austin, Rancho Pillow can be rented out for parties & events or even just a weekend away. Be sure to make a stop if you are ever in that area, we highly recommend it!
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With a deep passion to create, Jacque Kudner has always viewed art as one of the most important aspects of her life. Hailing from Michigan, Jacque started out as a high school art teacher. As her craft developed, she not only started selling pieces with The Scarab and a few stores in Michigan, she also started to teach her own jewelry making classes.
Specializing in vintage and one of a kind creations, Jacque uses found objects to create her stunning jewelry. With each piece unique and many found items used in her treasures, Jacque's creations are truly works of art meant to be treasured for a lifetime and more.
Not only does Jacque create amazing necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings; she also loves to create one of a kind decor and treasures. From jewelry boxes and prayer chests to journals and shoes, Jacque is overflowing with an abundance of creativity.
As you can tell, we ADORE Jacque and every single thing she creates! She truly is one of the most inspiring and innovative artists whom we have crossed paths with. We love traveling with Jacque's jewelry for pop up shops as well as hosting trunk shows with larger collections of her work in our own shop in Minturn, Colorado.
View close up images of Jacque's work in our lookbook.
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