Refinery29 Says Lancaster's Building Character Is Swoon Worthy Confirming Anne's Great Taste In Landlords

Our GlamTribale home at Building Character in Lancaster, Pa got a terrific shout out from Refinery29 in Carrie Murphy’s article 3 Rad Day Trips From D.C. & Travel Getups To Match. Carrie wrote: “Swoon over the amazing Building Character, a warehouse-y mecca for vintage, recycled, and handmade crafts.”

Save 30% On Jewelry & Gifts At Building Character May 18-19 In Lancaster, Pa

GlamTribale has joined the leader board, supporting Building Character’s quarterly warehouse sale with 30% off our entire shop May 18 & 19th.

I love Building Character, now a collection of 40+ shops located at 342 N. Queen St, Lancaster, Pa. GlamTribale actually operates two shops in this reclaimed 10,000 sq ft warehouse operation. Find us in Building C.

With spring finally sprung, the warm weather shopping season is in full swing at Building Character, open seven days a week.

Next weekend’s Warehouse Sale coincides with Ladies Night Out, every 3rd Friday, with Building Character open until 9pm. Save 30% on all GlamTribale jewelry, coasters, planters — everything we sell at Building Character.

We will deliver new products from our Omo Valley collection, a design project that was received with great excitement at last week’s Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Show. One of my writers Benjamin Roussey is writing an in-depth series about the Omo Valley people on our GlamTribale blog.

Carolyn Verdi Boutique Trunk Show April 24, 2013, Wednesday Evening

Time To Party!!

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT
Trunk Show FEATURING

Anne Enke’s GlamTribale

and more wonders from
MICHELLE CHERRY & SULTANA MARIA

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
5:30 PM-8:00 PM

CAROLYN VERDI BOUTIQUE
918 PINE STREET

PHILADELPHIA, PA
Free street parking on Wednesday night

Coaster Gift Sets, Gift Card Earrings at Building Character, Lancaster Pa

I’m so very delighted to share the first photos of our ‘little GlamTribale shop’ at Building Character in Lancaster, PA. It’s located directly at the entrance into Building C and is one aisle away from our larger space that houses the majority of our GlamTribale jewelry. 

Most of our 4/$25 coaster sets, individual coasters for $8, some planters at $95, gift cards with earring $25-$35 and $15 earrings are in this high traffic spot.

I share two more pictures and also the wonderful news that FINALLY, we’ve loaded our first 4/$25 coaster sets and gift cards with earrings $25-$35 onto the GlamTribale website. These are superb gifts that arrive priority mail in our eco-friendly, Carversville-inspired burlap bag for $4.95 shipping and handling. 

If I do say so myself — the touches of turquoise are smile-worthy. We have places to sit in both shops so that our Building Character friends can explore to their hearts delight. Our retail customers wanting to make a gift of 2 coasters can purchase a smaller burlap bag for $1. Our larger burlap bag with GlamTribale label is available for jewelry purchases for $2. 

Building Character is located at 342 N. Queen Street and is open daily with easy parking on Queen Street or in the back plaza. I’ll be there this week for First Friday festivities. ~ Anne

GlamTribale Opens At Building Character in Lancaster, Pa

Our new GlamTribale shops at Building Character in Lancaster are evolving — but not according to plan. In the process of having a major crisis last Thursday night — when we had 24 hrs. to open for First Friday — my strategy for the spaces has changed quite a lot.

30 Dreadful Seconds

Imagine this. I was sitting on a chair painting the back wall a golden mocha color, engaged in a bit of a nirvana moment. Painting is almost as therapeutic as mowing the lawn — there’s something very tidy about accomplishing the task at hand with such clear signs of progress.

The table top was sitting on the pedestals away from the wall. Two full cups of coffee, a half-eaten muffin and a full gallon of paint sat on the unsecured table top — an action I will never repeat again in life. My business partner Robert was assembling the allegedly freestanding shelving units that went on the aisle when I heard a burst of profanity that wasn’t music to my ears. 

The shelving units which were destined to house the majority of our inventory weren’t freestanding at all. We bought them unassembled and just in to Ikea that day. The website made no mention of screwing them into the wall, nor did the illustration. 

Not believing what I was hearing, I turned around to see better what was going on, resting my elbow on the table top. That action sent the board flying into the air, taking with it a full can of paint, coffee and Robert’s muffin. 

I was horrified as my lovely vision of our new shop dissolved before my eyes. There was nothing to do but punt. On Friday I grabbed everything that I could from our brief stay at Hidden Treasures, including the bench that Robert bought — one I had no intention of using in such a small space. 

Disaster Strikes; Reconsideration Follows

In short order, my sense of what to do in this space took a major turn as I sat on the bench now covered with a quilt from my loft. The design boards as interchangeable wall segments created a strong sense of sanctuary. I could see clients sitting on the bench looking at jewelry and other gifts when we’re not there — which is most of the time. “Pad the bench, Anne!” 

We were ready for business on Friday evening, and I was thrilled to meet so many great people at Building Character. I have no doubts this will be a significant success for us, although I will be changing the space around yet again. 

I must bring clear collection statements to the space without cluttering it. Two gold towers covered with the stripe fabric will replace the planters in the back. The gold plant stand on the aisle isn’t working effectively as a display, but I like the idea of being able to sit and pull out trays of jewelry from underneath the table. We will have a special concierge and special order service operating out of Building Character, so now I love the idea of the bench as a place where people can review the total product collection while sitting down. 

I’m a person who likes to have everything perfect before I show it — but that’s not the case in our new shops in Lancaster. Give us another 2-4 weeks and we will be a total jewel out there. For now, I’m just emitting a sigh of relief because we look lovely and very promising and we will only get better with the signage and marketing that I’m working on. 

The photo of the bench and stripe fabric display is the first view coming around the corner and down the aisle. On Thursday it was a guy who turned the turned, stopped dead in his tracks and then smiled as he walked towards the space. The look of total pleasure and delight on his face was all I needed to know that we are on the right track. 

GlamTribale At Building Character Is A Love Affair in the Making

The other challenge is balancing out our inventory in pricepoints. When we first showed the GlamTribale Collection in Lancaster end of July, 2012 people were not only thrilled but mentioned that we are so well-priced. Since then I’ve developed our lower-priced Tribale2 collection and I feel that at least for now, we must lead on the aisle at Building Character with the lower-priced product. I want our reputation to be that of a destination for gifts in every price category — from a $25 present to $250. 

The most important consideration in any retail decision is traffic — as in clients and customers. Building Character has excellent traffic and it will only increase with the arrival of spring. The mix in the space is changing as Marty adds more artisans like GlamTribale to the mix. There’s a great opportunity for perhaps 7-10 of us artisans to band together as a group who expands the reach of Building Character’s current clientele. The great news is that several of us are already brainstorming possibilities of what we can do together. I will be writing about my new friends at Building Character because we can help each other succeed while nurturing joint projects that harness all our energies.

Truthfully, I am in love with the gem of a spot in Lancaster. Next week, I’ll share photos of our small shop in the doorway of Building C. It will be a feeder to this larger space but also the primary location for our coasters, planters and upcoming collection of poured candles. ~ Anne

Read more details about GlamTribale’s new Lancaster home at Building Character. Visit Building Character on Facebook. 

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Building Character Lancaster, Pa Is New Home for GlamTribale Jewelry & Gifts

As of March 1, 2013 GlamTribale has a new home in Lancaster, one much better suited to our friends, clients and my personality. Lancaster’s Building Character artisan market at 342 N. Queen Street is open daily with easy parking on Queen Street or in the back plaza. 

I will personally be there on First Fridays and perhaps also on Girls Night Out, which is the third Friday each month. As we do at Giant Steps Gallery in Philadelphia, we will be changing out both locations — yes, we have two spots at Building character — with new inventory each month. We will not carry the same collections in both locations at the same time. And we will create special products unique to each shop.  Read more details about GlamTribale’s new Lancaster home at Building Character. Visit Building Character on Facebook. 

Below are some of our new blank inside gift cards with earrings — priced $25-$35 available at all GlamTribale locations and soon online. The cards are made of 100% bamboo or hemp paper and make a truly stunning gift.  ~ Anne

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Woolly Mammoth Tribal Necklace @ Giant Steps Gallery Philly

Justin Burok is our go-to guy at Giant Steps Gallery in Philadlephia. He sent me this photo yesterday, noting that it wasn’t Valentine’s Day red, but he so loves the Themis Woolly Mammoth Tektite Tribal Necklace.

So do we, Justin. 

A Special Necklace for a Special Woman

I’m thinking of our pop-up shop last September 2012 in Mt. Airy. A very athletic, attractive, grey-haired woman came through the door ready to buy. She tried on many necklaces — several more conservative — but she kept returning to this Themis necklace ($160).

“This is the story,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror. ” I want a necklace that will leave my daughter speechless, with her saying ‘Mom, where did you get that necklace!’ I’m tired of being predictable, so I want a necklace that will have people noticing me but also one that doesn’t push me out the window, because it’s just too adventurous. As for my daughter, she will be begging me to borrow the necklace, and I will say ‘no’. She will say where did you get it, and I will say ‘it’s rare, unique and only a very few will be made’.”

With that our new friend bought her Themis necklace truly fit for a queen, while her husband returned later to scoop up several other pieces as presents. 

New Limited Edition GlamTribale Designs

Hers wasn’t numbered and neither is Justin’s Themis necklace at Giant Steps Gallery. Initially I thought that using woolly mammoth beads, made from bones a minimum of 10,000-100,000 years old, from an animal now extinct, was enough distinction for one woman. 

I was wrong.

Understanding today how special GlamTribale Jewelry is to the women who wear it, I’m committing to make no more than five Themis necklaces of this design. To do one — which must then amortize all my design time into a single necklace — seems unreasonable. But I understand clearly that our ladies don’t want to see themselves coming and going, and I think five is a good compromise. 

New Hours at Giant Steps Gallery Philadelphia

You can try on the Themis necklace at Giant Steps, 229 S 20th St in Philadelphia, one block off Rittenhouse Square Park. Good news!!! Giant Steps is now staying open until 6:30 pm to reach retail clients coming home from work. Visit the Giant Steps framing and art gallery’s new website. 

For more information about the Themis necklace, visit our description page at GlamTribale. 

Shop other items from our Themis collection at Giant Steps or online at GlamTribale.