Ouch Ordering Information
Since it's taking me WAY too long to get my online store up and running
(apparently "Learn to code Wordpress templates" is a bit larger of a task than I had somehow thought, silly me)
I've decided to put all of the Ouch Ordering Information, (which assonates nicely, don't you think?) right here, so that at least I've got it all in one place, and can link or point people to this post.
Here are the FAQs:
What's an Ouch? Ouch (rhymes with "pooch") is a historical term for a certain type of metal-set jewel, dating back to at least the 1500s. I have to assume that the word "brooch" comes from this, but the original ouches aren't likely to have a pin on the back like a modern brooch does. They were sewn onto clothing and headwear and made into jeweled belts, called girdles. I don't have an image of the back of an extant ouch, so I can't guarantee that my four-loop solution is accurate, but it certainly makes it easy to attach and make into the pieces I wanted. This lady below is covered in them. Blue ones, I might add. (Most of the rest of the ones in portraits are either red or black, but when I found this here blue ouch lady, I just started ordering a bunch of colors.)
Did you make these? I'm not casting them personally, so by most definitions, No, I'm not making them. I have had these custom made by a jewelry manufacturer, who has been lovely to work with. I hope to have more designs made through them in the future, but for now, these are the only ones.
What do the backs look like? This:
How much do they cost? They are $1.50 each. Since few people need just one of these things, I've set as low a price as I can, so that it's actually possible to cover a dress in them, if someone wanted to do that.
How big are they? They are 26mm square, which is about 15/16ths of an inch. They are about 1/4" thick.
How many do I need? Only you can figure this out. But - I used 17 of them to make a back billiment on a French hood, and that was with 10mm glass pearls between them.
I've had several people order around 80 to sew onto their court gowns, in case those numbers are helpful.
Can I get a discount if I buy a bunch of them? If you need 300 or more, they are $1.25 each, though that's actually more of a price break than I get at that quantity. (My cost only drops $.09) Again - I'm trying really hard to make these as affordable as possible. You can mix colors to get to that 300, as long as I have them in stock, or even if I don't (though if I have to order them, there's a four to five week delay.) You can even get a bunch of friends together to make the minimum - it's all the same from my end, as long as there is only one invoice for me to send and one mailing address.
What are they made of? My manufacturer has described them as "Plated Metal Alloy" and I am told that means Zinc...mostly. Though sewing them onto things should be perfectly safe, I would not recommend allowing children to suck on them. Cause you never know, right? I certainly don't. The pearls and jewels are acrylic, but they look like glass.
How do I order them? You can send me an email at truly.carmichael@gmail.com and tell me:
- How many you want, in what color and finish (Antique or bright)
- Your mailing address
- An email address to which I can send a paypal invoice
What payments do you take? Paypal or personal check.
Can I have custom colors made? Yes, actually - you can get pink and light green ones or whatever you like. IF - you need at least 50 of them. My minimum order in one color is at least twice that many, but I'll take the chance that someone, somewhere, sometime will want the rest, so I'll cover the rest of the order. (For cabochon stones or AB rhinestones, the minimum order is 300, so you'd need to want at least 200 of those, and I'll cover the rest.) Aren't I awesome? I'm totally awesome. Oh - and if you custom order some, there will be a four to five week delay. Nothing I can really do about that - other than let you know.
What if I want more than you have in stock? It takes four to five weeks from the day I place an order with my manufacturer till I can get them to you. If your need is urgent, I can ask what the cost would be to rush them.
What colors do you have in stock? Ok - here they are, grouped by stone color
Blues:
And I just added these two
Closeups, with color names:  | ||
Montana Blue in Antique Gold
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| Sapphire blue in Antique Gold |
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| Sapphire blue in Bright gold |
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| sapphire blue in bright silver |
Greens:
Closeups with color names:
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| Emerald in Bright gold |
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| Emerald in Antique gold |
Closeups with color names:
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| Combo Red and jet in Bright gold |
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| Combo Red and Jet in Antique gold |
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| dark ruby in antique gold |
Closeups with color names:
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| jet in antique gold |
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| jet in bright gold |
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| Red and Jet in Bright gold |
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| Combo Red and Jet in Antique gold |
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| Red and Black and antique gold only. These are $.75 each. |
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| These are 3/4" square, metal with black acrylic stones |
Purples
Closeups with color names:
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| Amethyst in bright gold |
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| amethyst in antique gold |
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side view to show the amethyst stone color, which I found hard to capture in the straight-on shot |
Limited edition custom colors:
These are the remainders from some custom orders. I have fewer than 50 of each of these, and when they are gone, they are gone. BUT - these are what I have now:
Ones that I don't have, but could get:
AB stones (Aurora Borealis, or rainbow washed stones.)
I currently don't have any of these except the sample they sent. What do you think of them? Should I order them? They would be getting the AB stones just for me, and the cost might be a few cents more, but what do you think? Are they over-the-top GOOD or just over-the-top?
Cheers!