To celebrate this season of giving, for every Nina Design jewelry finding you review in December we will give Heifer International $2.00. Every product you review will help children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. Just a little of your time can make a big impact. To give an extra $1.00 to Heifer, share your review on Facebook!
You can find this window in the description of every product
To review a product, go to www.ninadesigns.com:
1) Find the product you want to review. Use the “add a comment” link.
2) Rate the product using the star system.
3) Write what you like or dislike about the product.
4) Share your review on Facebook.
Review our Products to give a gift of hope to families in need
Everyone loves Bronze Claw Pendants – especially when you win them in a blog giveaway! Last week we asked our readers: what are the ruling forces that govern your jewelry design? All comments we entered into a drawing to win this fierce bronze claw pendant, but I decided to go ahead and send one to each of the four readers who answered. After all, it is the season of giving! Plus, there is something to learn from each of the answers. They were thoughtful and well written. Thanks to Annette, Jean, Gaye, and Suzelle!
See the original post and be sure to read the comments for interesting design tidbits.
Bronze Claw Pendant
FREE BRONZE SAMPLES! When you order $10+ of bronze, take $10 OFF your total with coupon code: BRONZE. Choose your own samples – they’re on us. But hurry! Offer good only through November 2011. This gives you just over a week to get your bronze samples for FREE!
Try all three finishes: Solid Bronze, Silver Plated Bronze, and Gold Plated Bronze. You’ll fall in love with the variety of charms and pendants we now offer in bronze. And, more is on the way! At these prices, who can afford NOT to grow their collection.
NEW Bronze Clasps and Earring Findings from Bali just arrived too. The Balinese silversmiths worked diligently to formulate the best bronze alloy so that it is soft enough to hammer and shape, yet hard enough to take the torch. We also had to consider the color of the bronze alloy. We wanted it to match the bronze used to cast the Thai bronze charms and pendants. We are very pleased with the outcome. The Bali bronze has a rich luster, a warm burnished color, and is expertly finished. They are gorgeous.
Remember – with the coupon code: BRONZE you can sample $10 worth of the bronze findings for FREE!
Bronze Clasps
Celebrate Thanksgiving adorned in a leather cord necklace complimented by our large hole pearls and a cluster of festive silver charms swaying happily on our Family charm holder. Enjoy this special time of gratitude and appreciation with significant individuals through fellowship, cooking, and devouring a delicious meal.
I personally love this time of year and can always find a chuckle in the challenge of cooking a delicious turkey and seeing how many creative ways my family can transform it after the holiday has passed. Sure, there are turkey sandwiches, soups, and salads, but we like to challenge ourselves by thinking of bazaar turkey recipes. Like turkey birthday cake, its a spoof on your traditional pot pie. I’ll spare your stomach the details! But if you have any bizarre recipes to share, please do!
Ok, but really . . . when the laughter starts to settle, the bellies are full and coffee is being poured, I hope you soak in this precious time with family and friends to really build a memory on what it’s all about – real genuine, face to face, relationship building with people who give your life meaning. Once the holiday passes, it’s easy to turn the electronics back on that consume our lives, but I challenge you to continue this practice of mindfulness throughout the year.
Have a warm and tasty Thanksgiving!
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job at Nina Designs is sketching and designing many of the Silver Pendants and Charms we carry. The ideas for new styles originate from a variety of places: a mod 1960s style chandelier, a beautiful sprig of wildflowers appreciated during an evening walk, holiday themes like Day of the Dead, or inspiring photos from National Geographic. Both Nina and I have always admired ocean sea fans. They are delicate and lacy, yet sturdy enough to withstand strong sea tides.
Below are my sketches from our design process. We wanted the sea fan pendants to look both flowing and organic (not always easy in hard sterling silver). After completing the final sketch, I sent the specifications to Thailand, where talented silversmiths made a master model. Often, samples require several revisions before we’re satisfied with the final result. In this example, the sea fans needed just one round of modifications to reach perfection!
What inspires your creations?
Sea Fan: from sketches to final product
Creating an asymmetrical design using silver and bronze jewelry findings is a huge challenge for me. Most days making jewelry is fun, easy and effortless. It’s almost like the pieces come together by themselves and I just follow their lead by constructing the piece. As a Libra, I instinctively design with symmetry and balance. It takes a lot of thought and will power for me to break out of this mode of designing. Most of the time I go back and forth and then end up taking apart the elements that make it asymmetrical. As frustrating as it can be, I still find it to be a fun challenge because my mind has to work around my normal design instincts and it feels like putting together a puzzle.
This necklace went through many different looks before I got it here. It’s hard to pin point all the elements that make asymmetry work for me, but the most important one is balance. Although each side is different, they reflect each other. The bronze claw pendant is a strong center piece and each side cascades upwards from it. The curve of the bronze claw pendant makes a nice space for the abstract link to nest. The gold chain pulls it together and helps balance the mixed metal components. I am satisfied with this as one of my few successful asymmetrical designs.
What are the ruling forces that govern your jewelry design?
Leave your answer as a comment to win one of the bronze claw pendants shown in this design. One entry per person. Deadline: Next Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011.
Win the center Bronze Claw Pendant by answering the blog question.
With just a bit of silk ribbon, bronze jewelry charms, and some large hole pearls, you can get a head start making easy, budget friendly gifts this holiday season. In fact, this gift idea is so affordable, you can make multiples. Perfect for holiday stocking stuffers, party gifts, and hostess gifts!
Quick Holiday Gift Idea
To get started simply choose colorful silk ribbons, match them to your favorite bronze jewelry charms, tie a knot at the top, then string on a large hole pearl. The pearl has a dual function, as a design element at the front, or as a way to adjust the length of the necklace at the back.
Voila! A thoughtful, handmade gift idea that doesn’t cost a bundle or take a lot of time. You could even make these in the car on your way to the party! Happy Holidays!
When I first started selling my handmade jewelry, I needed a jewelry display that was easy to assemble and could work in a variety of settings. Many of my events were at-home trunk shows, or in a group show setting, so I needed the jewelry display to be portable and versatile. I had a bunch of black velvet boards, but found them to be too dark and overpowering for most of my jewelry.
Easy Jewelry Display
The solution I came up with was to cover the velvet boards in a variety of cream fabric, and then add a ribbon to the top. I selected an appealing combination of green ribbons in a variety of textures. The ribbons can be used to hang the boards from a wall or a tall folding screen if wall space was unavailable. I’ve often just set the boards on a tabletop and leaned them up against a wall with the ribbons tucked behind.
The fabric and ribbons are literally taped to the back of the velvet boards (I love duct tape)! I use straight sewing pins to attach the jewelry to the front of the boards. For storage, I slip each board into a large ziplock plastic bag, with all the jewelry attached. The ziplock keeps the silver from tarnishing.
So there you have it – an attractive and easy way to display jewelry. How do you display your jewelry?
