Into the mystic

If you ask most women (and even some of you guys) what one of their favourite Disney films was growing up, we wouldn’t be surprised if The Little Mermaid is on that list. From wanting beach-inspired, wavy long locks to collecting and wearing seashells, we won’t judge if you went on a dreamy quest to be Ariel as a child.

Sarah Harman, founder of Moon Tide jewellery was no different. Having lived by the sea most of her life and now based in Brighton, Sarah’s range of crystal and shell jewellery is inspired by mermaids and seaside treasures. “There is nothing more feminine than a mermaid - they’re mystical, beautiful and untouchable. Our jewellery is made with real shells and crystals, so it’s like you’re taking a piece of mermaid treasure with you.”

All things associated with the sea, including Brighton’s key locale and free-spirited atmosphere also adds to Moon Tide’s mystical inspiration. “There is a great bohemian spirit where I live. A visit to the little boutiques and you feel like you’re in a treasure cove,” says Sarah.

Beyond a fairy tale

It was while Sarah was running her fashion blog Bohemian Brighton that she decided to launch her own line of jewellery in May 2014. “I was more and more inclined to write content about independent businesses rather than big brands, and found very quickly that I was being inspired by these designers to start my own business.”

Sarah also felt there wasn’t any affordable, beach-inspired jewellery she could buy in the UK, so she decided, with her background in jewellery and product design, that she should make her own. “There are some great US and Australian brands that sell bohemian-inspired jewellery, but I found the pricing, with the added custom charges and postage endured from buying from these countries to be too expensive.”

Boho promos

For her launch in May, Sarah started an online shop and linked it to her established blog. She also designed MOO Flyers to thank customers for their purchase and to invite them to enter her monthly Instagram competition; her MOO Stickers are used as a final touch when wrapping her jewellery orders in tissue. Sarah wanted to extend that bohemian, seaside feel to all her promotional materials, including the image used on her flyer. “The look I was going for was almost a sun-bleached feel with a handmade edge to illustrate that our jewellery is hand-crafted and inspired by the seas. The image has pink and blue tones in it to reflect the shades of the crystals I use in the necklaces and bracelets. ”

Sarah used to handwrite her thank you notes, but that was a timely process, especially as her business started to grow. Instead, she also designed Flyers to speed up the packaging process. “The idea was to create something that communicated the message perfectly, whilst also being something customers may want to keep. I think the flyers have certainly improved my customer’s appreciation of my brand.”

Gypsy moves

While her brand is still new, Sarah is still planning for the future – creating a lookbook of her designs and an autumn/winter collection using darker stones and shells. “I’m organising a lookbook, and will be looking to MOO to print some of the images on Business Cards to hand out at events and give to potential wholesalers.”

De-mystify your own business needs and try designing your own Flyers and Stickers like Sarah.

Written on:

13 Aug 2014

Categories:

Sticker Ideas, Flyer Ideas, Fashion Ideas