Posts by Elspeth:
Details are the magical key to unlocking the power of silver charms!
June 4th, 2011
The microscopic details of our silver charms and jewelry design have altered my creative focus in a big way. Previously, my creative energy was focused on projects like refinishing furniture or choosing the perfect color palette for an entire house . . . projects about the big picture. Small and detailed was not necessarily my area of expertise. But alas, all of the fantastic silver charms and findings at Nina Designs have been successful in opening (or shall I say narrowing) my eyes to a new set of parameters.
All of us share a common interest in jewelry and are well aware that in the world of silver charms and chain, details are key. What gauge silver wire is appropriate with my favorite silver charms? Should I use 4 mm or 5 mm jump rings? How many inches of that beautiful gold-plated chain is enough? How much is too much? Making jewelry requires a set of very critical eyes. And a strong magnifying glass too! You’ve got to be aware down to the millimeter. When it comes to jewelry, it really is the small things that matter most.
What details do you pay most attention to in your designs? Any handy tips you’d like to share?
Cherry Blossom Silver Charms Arrived Early This Year!
April 14th, 2011Here in Berkeley, CA, spring is in the air and in our collection of silver charms too! Spring arrived incredibly early this year. I realize that the rest of the country has been socked in by a long hard winter . . . so I apologize in advance for boasting about our beautiful California weather. Perhaps you can read along and transplant yourself to a place that’s a little bit warmer.
During my lunch breaks, I stroll along the streets of Berkeley and breathe in the intoxicating smells of sweet cherry blossoms and blooming daffodils. Talk about a heart-warming experience. Love is in the air. And, just in time, because we have a new collection of cherry blossom charms and jewelry findings that are very precious. Paired with a few multi-colored tourmaline gemstones, cherry blossoms instantly becomes the perfect addition to your spring designs.
Now, I can’t wait for summer to be in full motion. This pre-mature taste we’ve been getting around here is enough to make me crave it more! I’ll just have to funnel my warm weather craving into my jewelry designs!
Spring is in the air
Find all these jewelry parts at Nina Designs!
Jewelry Design Inspiration: Turn “trash” into treasure with the help of silver findings
March 25th, 2011
Dickens' Amelia Earhart
Need some jewelry design inspiration for your next fabulous configuration of silver charms and precious findings? Check out the work of my dear friend Dickens Bascom (also known as Dickens 44, born in 1944). His work is wacky, fun, and totally creative… and the best part? It’s made completely out of stuff that any other person would call trash. He calls it “found art.” I call it pure inspiration!
Dickens’ intricate sculptures (including a life-size Amelia Earhart!) and spiritually symbolic paintings elevate artistic creativity to a new dimension. He has totally inspired me to create jewelry out of found objects. I believe that “found jewelry art” has great potential to be an innovate trend in jewelry design. (I need to be selective in my decisions though, because it could also turn out looking rather trashy).
Here are a few ideas I had:
1) Pair our sterling silver buttons with old buttons out of your collection at home.
2) Braid a few strands of our hand-dyed silk ribbons with vintage fabric scraps.
3) Match assorted sizes of our hammered flat teardrop silver pendants with decorative fishing lures (be sure to remove hooks)!
4) Contrast any of our silver coin charms with real old coins (I especially like old corroded pennies that have turned green)!
5) Weave vintage bottle caps into our colorful leather cords.
The ideas are spinning in my head like a merry-go-round. The possibilities are limitless when you expand your jewelry to found items! One woman’s trash is most definitely another woman’s treasure!
Bookmarks featuring silver charms – the perfect gift for dads, boyfriends and brothers alike!
March 7th, 2011In support of my new found interest in silver charms, my dad made a comment that he “wished he had pierced ears” so he could wear a pair of my earrings. He has yet to pierce his ears and I have yet to make him a pair of earrings.
Silver charms make wonderful bookmarks!
However, I recently put my jewelry making skills to use and created a wonderful birthday present for him. I combined a few simple silver charms and bold piece of our hand-dyed silk ribbons to create a stylish and functional bookmark. My dad absolutely loved it! It was a very unique gift, made that much more special as a gift from daughter to dad – made with lots and lots of love.
I have plans to create more personalized bookmarks for all of the men in my life. Maybe one day I’ll create a piece of man-jewelry for my Dad (I’m thinking a strip of leather with one of our bear-claw pendants). Before I get to work, he needs to prove himself hip enough to rock the man-jewelry! Until then I’ll stick to jewelry “alternatives”… like bookmarks.
Do you use your jewelry-making skills for alternative projects? Any ideas for home-made gifts for the men in our lives?
Make your silver charms and pendants really count
February 25th, 2011Combine silver charms with unexpected elements to make jewelry that is unique AND cost-efficient! It is more than possible to showcase your favorite silver charms and pendants but keep costs low by diversifying your designs. A silk ribbon or a length of leather cord are both great elements to spruce up your designs without breaking the bank.
Dark Angel Necklace
We have a great selection of silk ribbons, leather cord, gemstone beads and pearls to choose from. With the price of silver on the rise, it is sometimes difficult to create designs entirely in silver that are affordable. Don’t be discouraged! Consider it a challenge to create jewelry that is affordable yet every bit as beautiful.
I have been trying to tackle this challenge in my own jewelry designs. In my most recent design I used our black hand-dyed silk, a pair of diametrically opposed angel wing pendants, and one silver cross pendant. I didn’t use much silver in this necklace and as a result the silver cross is a very special, much appreciated part of the piece.
I scattered large hole pearls throughout to add a bit of color and interest. I also utilized a few pearls as slider beads to finish the necklace and make it adjustable! My Dark Angel Necklace was a success in creating beautiful jewelry on a budget.
Inspiration = Creativity = Beautiful Silver Charm Designs!
February 18th, 2011A good playlist and a decent set of speakers are all I need to delve into the world of silver charms and beads. Structurally, music perplexes me. Emotionally, it opens my heart and allows me to feel things I didn’t even know I could feel. Creatively, it inspires me in a way nothing else can.
We’ve all had musical experiences. Imagine yourself driving on a long stretch of highway, listening to a song that just seems to fit. In that moment, everything is perfectly aligned. Your tires are on the road, your hands are on the wheel and music fills your thoughts. As if nothing else matters, it consumes your entire being.
Beautiful Charms, Music and HWY 101 = These Earrings
That same musical experience happens to me nearly every time I sit down to create a new jewelry design. I become one with a spool of silver wire and the music emanating out of the speakers. Music finds it’s way into my designs from the beginning stages of a design. Whether it be sketching or selecting the best silver charms and jewelry findings, I’m sure to be bopping along to my top inspirational tunes.
The notes take life in the evolution of my designs. Lost in a world of great music and beautiful silver components, I become inspired deep from within. It’s an indescribable feeling. And the results are incredible!
What inspires you to create?
Think of your silver charms as family heirlooms
February 2nd, 2011
Family Heirloom: 1942 Graduation Ring
Jewelry made from silver charms, precious gems and hand-made silver chain is much more than an ornament that hangs delicately around the neck. Self-expression finds a voice through jewelry. Our necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets convey our individuality and often represent landmark events.
When I graduated from high school my grandmother gave me a beautiful tri-color gold ring. To my surprise and most beautiful of all was the fact that it was her own high school class ring from 1942! The ring is so much more than a band of gold around my finger. It bridges time between generations, is a family heirloom and will forever remind me of the special bond I have with my grandmother. The intricate art-deco design is also representative of the era.
I haven’t taken the ring off since she gave it to me 6 years ago. One day, I plan to gift it to my own granddaughter and continue the tradition.
What does your jewelry say about you? Will your designs be passed on as family heirloom pieces? What stories will they tell?
Usher in the New Year with Fabulous Gold-Plated Silver Chain Jewelry
January 14th, 2011
One of my first creations
I combined a delicate gold-plated silver chain with a few small gold plated charms and two chunky black quartz gemstones to create the perfect earring for this year’s New Year’s festivities. I love the simplicity of these earrings. I think I found a great balance between elegance and fun!
One of my favorite parts of getting dressed up is to finish the outfit with the perfect accessories. Before Nina Designs became a part of my life, I had to search near and far to find that perfect accessory. I didn’t have the slightest clue what a wire wrap was – let alone how to do it! In the past few months I’ve learned so much about the art of making jewelry. Now, rather than hunting the stores for the perfect accessory, I envision what I want and make it come to life! Nina Designs has given me the skills, tools and inspiration to dive right into jewelry making. Jewelry is all around me now. I think, breathe and dream jewelry! How could I not? I’m surrounded by an office full of totally creative women as well as a stock-pile of silver charms, chains, clasps, silk, gemstones and more!
It felt wonderful on New Year’s Eve when my girlfriends complemented me on my earrings. My response? “Thanks, I made them!” Thank you Nina Designs!