Creativity is a special thing...it gives you the ability to start with nothing (or very little) and create
something; something that is yours!
One of the reasons that Michael and I decided to start a business was to create additional income to help offset the costs of raising kids, why not right?! Another reason, which has become just as important as the first, is this thing called creating; to think outside of the box.
We started our business with handmade wine racks and we felt great about it; proud that we had created something that people enjoy decorating their homes with. We knew there was so much more we could do though...which is why I wasn't surprised when Michael called me one day to say that he had thought of a new idea...copper engravings! Who would think that we would be working with the 29th element (Cu) of the periodic table to create lasting pieces commemorating significant days or locations?
Our copper engravings started with standard Italian sayings like "In Vino Veritas" and "Pane, Vino, Dolce".
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| Our first copper engraving |
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| Another engraving |
But shortly after that we realized we could offer customers a way to order a personalized copper engraving and started mapping out what the layout would look like, what font worked best, what size we could make and where to find the copper. Michael spent a couple of weeks playing with the copper itself to come up with a quality finished look. He tried different engraving techniques and different finishes to find the best product to offer. The next step was framing - we knew we loved the style of wood and stain we used for the wine racks and wanted to replicate that with the frames. Together we spent an afternoon trying different techniques and styles of frames, which are handmade as well!
After a couple of weeks we had our finished product! Customers now order a variety of different engravings. We have wedding dates, established dates, longitude/latitude, birth dates, and more. Below are a couple of pictures, we love seeing the different things people commemorate with an engraving. We recently had a customer order a Latitude/Longitude engraving with the coordinates of where they got married...SO COOL!
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| Newborn Baby Engraving... |
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| Latitude/Longitude Engraving, just need your name and address! |
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| Another twist on a Wedding Gift... |
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| Housewarming gift...copper style! |
With the holidays approaching copper engravings are a GREAT gift for the hard to purchase for family or friend. Don't know what to buy for the parent who has everything they need? An 'established' engraving is the perfect way to show them you care!
Looking for a place to order one? Check out our website
http://www.vetrinadelvino.com/framedcopperengravings.aspx and order a customized copper gift today!
-Tom
