We’ve been working on a world image to add to our jewelry charms selection. It’s been more challenging than I expected capturing a recognizable representation of the world! It turns out that due to the curve of the planet, it’s actually difficult to see more than one continent at a time – the world really is two thirds ocean!
The first version on the left – which we took to calling “kangaroo earth” due to North America’s resemblance to the large tailed creature – was too angular and South America looks like a crumpled up piece of paper. The world on the right is our revised version, with smoother edges and better proportions between North and South America. We will have stock at the end of August and are excited about how well the whole world charm will go with our other jewelry charms like our peace word tag and gold plate vermeil peace symbol.
Home sweet home.
The whole world joins our jewelry charms collection.
I love summer weddings, a warm afternoon of celebration is the perfect place for some bright fun jewelry made with Nina Designs’ jewelry findings and beads. Some big earrings and a bracelet will add just the right amount of bling to my dress, a simple sheath in a rich pinky-raspberry color.
So where do I start? Some people plan and sketch. Some people lay everything out on a design board. Not me, I start grabbing things that I like and make a pile. I like seeing how the colors and textures mix and match.
We got some beautiful bright blue apatite faceted rondelles and I have been dreaming of our yellow aquamarine faceted nuggets. Our pink rubies, and the glimmering green idocrase briolettes will look great dangling from our sterling vermeil earrings. Hammered sterling vermeil links and a matching lobster clasp will finish off the bracelet.
It looks like it is time for me to get to work. Check back for Part 2 and you can see how I put all of those luscious goodies together. Until then, how do you get started on your jewelry designs?
Colors and Textures of Summer Jewelry
Our Silver Charms are intrepid travelers, exploring the great unknown with a true spirit of adventure. Follow along as our Lion Silver Charm cuts a path through dense bamboo, our Turtle Silver Charm hitches a ride on a monster tortoise and our Koi Silver Charms skim across a lily pond.There are other images from my trip to Bali that I hope to translate into silver someday: the graceful herons, the large comedic toads and my favorties, gaggles of quacking ducks that forage in the rice fields. It isn’t hard to find inspiration in such a beautiful place! Where do you find your inspiration?
The trees on our new silver pendants are inspired by California Oak trees that grow on the hills around us here in the Bay Area. Our office is full of nature lovers. I find that stepping out of the office and walking around the block to admire the roses, jasmine and listen to the birdsong is the perfect way to re-center and re-charge from a mid-afternoon slump. While researching the meaning of trees, I came across this photo of an ancient oak tree in England that is believed to be where Robin Hood and his merry men took shelter. I’m humbled by the fact that such a majestic tree began as an acorn small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Oaks are considered the mightiest of trees and symbolize strength and courage. These new silver pendants will be available in the beginning of September. May they bring a bit of the oak’s strength and courage into your life.
Local lore puts Robin Hood and his merry men under this very tree!
Oak trees are the inspiration for new silver pendants.
Our community garden is in full bloom and the warm sun on the rich orange marigolds brings to mind the luscious tones of Nina Designs’ sterling vermeil jewelry links. I love to take my dog on evening walks among the overflowing, abundant plots of organic veggies, fruits and flowers. The waning sun drifts through the foliage and enlivens the already lush colors. I watch the composition of shapes and colors transition and morph as the evening draws on. I’m particularly struck by the series of circular motifs popping up throughout the garden.
The blooming Marigolds immediately brought to mind a Nina Designs sterling vermeil link. The exploding shape and vibrant orange of the Marigolds served as my muse for my new favorite summer necklace. I combined this sterling vermeil link with one of our finished gold fill chains to create this graceful piece: The Blooming Marigold Necklace.
Blooming Golden Marigolds
Blooming Marigolds Necklace
Silver Findings share their color with the moon. In the United States, we don’t pay much attention to the moon. In Bali, the lunar calendar dictates the cycle of Hindu ceremonies that binds the culture together. Like almost every building in Bali, our factory has a temple. Women gather daily to bless offerings that they scatter throughout the work rooms. During my visit, we celebrated the new moon with a small ceremony before work. The Balinese use flowers, palm leaf offerings, incense, holy water and rice to pray. It is a beautiful tradition that always leaves me feeling calm and centered. The man officiating this ritual is Ketut. He is an amazingly talented and skilled silversmith and artist who shepherds our silver finding designs through the sampling process. In his free time he also studies sacred mask dances to perform at large temple ceremonies.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated an extensive collection of beading supplies. What better to do with beading supplies than make jewelry? I have a lot of jewelry – I could probably wear a different piece of jewelry every day for six months without wearing the same thing twice! The challenge has always been how to organize my jewelry so that I can actually see what I have. For many years, I used a small jewelry box originally purchased in the early 90’s, piling blue necklaces on top of blue, and red on top of red. I had a separate earring rack, with earrings layered two to three pairs deep. The piles of necklaces and bracelets slowly outgrew the box, overflowing onto the dresser top until it looked like a volcano with rainbow hued lava had erupted in my bedroom. What could be done?
One day I was in one of my favorite boutique jewelry stores, admiring the artful display of silver pendants, and realized I could do something similar! I promptly purchased two large cork boards from Michael’s, decorated the edges using pretty ribbon and a hot glue gun, and using straight pins, started arranging and displaying my jewelry collection! The cork boards hang on the wall above my dresser, making it easier than ever to review and select the perfect jewels to match my outfits. Now if only I could organize my beading supplies as effectively!
Jewelry neatly arranged on corkboard.
Earrings are hooked to knotted ribbon and bracelets are pinned directly to the corkboard.
Recently I’ve been intrigued by our Sterling Vermeil. The satin finish looks so silky and smooth. It’s irresistible! For me, sterling vermeil is an affordable way to add real gold to your pieces without spending too much.
Later this summer I’ll be attending a “black tie” wedding so I decided to use some of our sterling vermeil components to create a fancy yet affordable necklace. I started playing around by just adding sterling vermeil accents to a mostly sterling silver piece. And now, I’m hooked!
I also created a necklace using coin-shaped turquoise gemstones, faceted rondelle rubies alternating with some small Sterling Vermeil Spacers and finished it off with a tiny sterling vermeil hook-and-s clasp. I have fallen in love with how gold accents adds depth and richness to any piece. I’m so excited to see where sterling vermeil takes me!
Mixed Metals Necklace
Sterling Vermeil
In this crazy life we live, it is easy to become creatively depleted. Thrown off center by our busy, exhausting schedules, it is crucial to find a well from which to replenish our spirits. My creative energy does not flow when I am stressed or distracted. I turn to yoga, dance and nature to keep my energy balanced. But once a year, I get a major tune up in the Balinese rice fields. Running at dawn through the rice paddies, I can feel a year’s worth of worries fly away on herons’ wings as my spiritual tank slowly fills up. There is a cosmic stillness to the landscape: the silhouette of a massive volcano looming majestically over the fields, palm trees like a fringe of eyelashes and a gentle breath of wind rising just before the sun. Where do you fill your creative well?
Adorned with cute little paw prints, these jewelry charms honor the fuzzy friends in our lives that provide unconditional love and endless enjoyment. My two long hair gray cats were my first babies and are valued family members. The fat boy loves to squeeze under my portable work tray and curl up in my lap as I make jewelry (this was much easier when he was a small kitten!). I’m willing to sacrifice and endure an uneven, crooked work surface in exchange for the purring warmth and contentment of his presence. We know that many of you have special pets – now you can celebrate them with our new paw print jewelry charms! The triple paw print jewelry charm will be available towards the end of August.
His fuzzy majesty surveying his backyard domain.
Celebrate your fuzzy friends with paw print jewelry charms.
