Name: Marcy
Web Site: http://www.ninadesigns.com/staff/untitled2.html
Bio: At 8 years old I was introduced to the world of art by replicating the Impressionists like Monet and Degas using pastels, watercolors and oil paints. I learned about the color wheel and enjoyed experimenting with different textures in each medium. During my time in art school I expanded those ideas into mixed media and collages. After school, jewelry making caught my attention and I approached it with the same intention. I feel very fortunate to be able to work in a place that can fuel my creative energy. Each day at work I come across new items I haven’t seen before, which triggers an idea that multiplies into an all-nighter of creating new pieces and exploring new techniques.
Posts by Marcy:
Find Nina Designs at GLW Holidome & GJX at Tucson 2012
January 24th, 2012If you’re a Tucson veteran you’ve already started planning your shopping strategies for jewelry findings at the most spectacular tradeshow of the year. This is an exciting year for Nina Designs.
For the first time in Nina Designs history we’ll be exhibiting at two shows during Tucson 2012.
GLW Holidome Show
Booth: #727 – 733
Address: Holiday Inn, 4550 South Palo Verde Rd Tucson, AZ 85714
Date: Feb. 2 – Feb. 10
Description: Our booth will be filled with exciting new styles and all your favorites – charms, links, earrings findings, silk, leather, and more! You’ll also find our new bronze styles.
GJX Show, Downtown Tucson
Booth: #2309
Address: 198 South Granada Ave., Tucson AZ 85701
Date: Jan. 31 – Feb. 5
Description: At this booth you’ll find only sterling silver and gold vermeil styles, with a focus on higher end and pricier items, like fancy clasps, large gold veremil pendants, and handmade chain.
SHOW TIPS:
1 – Bring a few photocopies of your state resale license, or stickers with all your information on them.
2 – For California customers, we suggest bringing copies of your BOE-230.
3 – Check out our On The Road blog series for more handy shopping tips.
NOTICE: With most of our office staff in Tucson this year, there’s a potential for delay in order processing in the office, from Jan. 31 – Feb. 10, 2012. Our office will be open and taking orders, but there could be delays to our usual order processing times.
The Challenge of Asymmetrical Design Using Silver and Bronze Jewelry Findings
November 15th, 2011Creating 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.
How to Make Leather Jewelry with Silver Findings and Pearls, by Marcy Kentz
July 20th, 2011Learning how to make jewelry with leather cord, silver findings, and pearls is a lot easier than you think. I began making leather jewelry many years ago when a generous leather hand bag designer offered me his leather scraps. Because I had a fairly unlimited supply I felt free to experiment, to hit bumps in the road, and to keep trying. Through years of trial and error I have come up with some unique leather jewelry techniques that I can’t wait to share with you.
You may not know it but here at Nina Designs we offer FREE jewelry design ideas and FREE how-to lessons. This is where I will be sharing my leather jewelry how to’s. The first lesson is available now and teaches you how to punch, cut, and glue leather, as well as how to seamlessly attach 3 strands of pearls to wide leather cord. By the end of the lesson you will have created a beautiful three strand leather necklace with pearls. I hope my classroom lessons will inspire you and open new doors in the world of jewelry making.
Leather jewelry is a hot trend right now and it’s a lot of fun to make. The look of leather jewelry is at once feminine and edgy, and appeals to a wide audience. Stop by Nina Designs where you’ll find new wide leather cord that is a dream to work with. Have you been working with leather cords in your jewelry? Do you have any questions I can address in upcoming leather jewelry how-to’s?
Leather Necklace How To #1, by Marcy Kentz
Find Jewelry How To's at Nina Designs
Large Hole Pearls Make Great Wrap Bracelets
July 3rd, 2011During a recent bead night here at Nina Designs I made a Chan Luu style wrap bracelet with large hole pearls, sterling silver buttons, and deer hide leather. I love the blues and greys in the large hole pearls and thought the cobalt blue deer hide lace would bring out those undertones. I wrapped the leather around itself to create a substantial loop for the sterling silver button. I chose the 2 mm gray deer hide lace because it goes through the pearls twice. It helps to punch a hole at the tip of the leather and put a small piece of wire through the hole. Then bend the wire in half use it like a needle. This technique will especially help pull the leather through the pearl the second time. I put a few of our large hole Bali beads in the middle of the bracelet because I love the detailing on them.
Large hole pearls are so versatile and a great catalyst for making unique jewelry. You can thread them onto sterling silver chain, silk ribbons and cords, and onto both sizes of deer hide lace (3mm and 2mm). Now I’m thinking what other materials would look good as a wrap bracelet, how else can I modify this design and most importantly which Nina Designs findings would work? There are so many different combinations that would look good using this technique that I can’t wait to make more.
Jewelry Findings Galore: Tucson Generates an Abundance of New Ideas
May 24th, 2011Trade shows offer so much visual stimulation from gold vermeil and silver findings, to exotic beads and gems, to the colorful characters hunting for treasure. I collected many jewelry findings, and more importantly – inspiration on my trip to Tucson last February.
One of my favorite things about working trade shows is being able to see all of our wonderful jewelry findings displayed in front of me. We offer so many silver charms and silver spacer beads and I would love to have them all. Choosing is difficult, but once I see them all in one place, the ideas come rushing in and I can imagine the ways I want to use pieces and it makes it easier to decide. I love seeing how our customers use jewelry findings in their own unique way as well. I keep an eye out for unusual jewelry using techniques I can learn from and that generate new ideas.
We had one customer come by our booth wearing some stunning jewelry. What stood out was her exquisite large bangle bracelet. She meticulously hand sewed tiny gold beads with coral and turquoise onto leather and wrapped it around the bangle. For years I have been working with leather and sewing beads and findings using different techniques to create all sorts of pieces, but it had never occurred to me to wrap the leather around an object to give it a solid shape. I started chatting with this customer. We shared our experiences, ideas, and techniques, and my mind started racing with the possibilities of designs using this technique.
The first thing I did when I got home and dumped out my treasures was to try this technique. First I made this bracelet, then these earrings. And the results are so satisfying. Now I am on a mission to find more objects to cover in leather and adorn with silver, gold and gem stones. What new techniques are you experimenting with these days?
Making My Christmas Gift with Gold Vermeil Beads, Rubies and Leather
December 8th, 2010
Ruby & Gold Vermeil Cascade Necklace
I made this necklace with gold vermeil beads, rubies, and leather cord for my sister’s Christmas gift. One of the things I love about being a jewelry artist is making jewelry for all the special women in my life. A woman can never have enough jewelry so making a pair of earrings or a necklace can cover a lot of bases – Christmas, birthdays, even a simple thank you. For Christmas my family draws names out of a hat and we give gifts to that one person. My family is very crafty so we have a rule that we must make our gifts by hand or alter them in some sort of creative fashion.
Because they all love unique handmade jewelry, all the women in my family fight over who I get as my person. This year I picked my sister’s name out of the hat and decided to make her something very special. I wanted to make her an eye-catching necklace that’s a bit fancy so she can wear it to holiday parties. She has red hair so the rubies will look great on her. Plus rubies and our gold vermeil jewelry findings compliment each other so well. We recently got in the three tear drop jewelry links in gold vermeil and I love how versatile they are. They make great earrings by themselves, but I thought that they would look nice incorporated in a necklace, cascading from the collar bone. I wanted the rubies to mirror the tear drop jewelry links so I wire wrapped tiny faceted gold vermeil beads to frame and accent their shape.
I had a lot of fun making this necklace and it has given me an idea for some great earrings. Perhaps that will be her next gift. What kind of Christmas gifts are you making this year?
Feather Silver Charms Evoke a Tribal Spirit
November 12th, 2010
Tribal Spirit Earrings
With the feather silver charms in mind, I was inspired to create statement earrings with a Native American flair. Maybe it’s because I’m really drawn to it, but I’ve been noticing an overwhelming presence of earthy, tribal looks on the fashion scene lately. For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved this look. Growing up, my family would travel to Montana every summer and we would go to pow wows and Indian reservations. I was always in awe of the beautiful traditional jewelry with turquoise, silver and intricate bead work.
With these memories in mind, I was inspired to create tribal spirit earrings using feather silver charms and silver earring findings. I love working with leather, so I cut some leather cord into 2″ strips and poked holes at the top and bottom with an awl. I wire wrapped turquoise stones to connect the feather silver charms to the leather. Then I used silver jump rings to connect the leather to the silver earring findings so they would hang like fringe. I wanted the earrings to be long and have a lot of movement like the flow of the feathers on the headdresses worn during dance ceremonies. These earrings are fun, fashionable and remind me of those long road trips to Montana.
Tribal Spirit by MarcyKentz featuring butterfly jewelry
Ready For Fall Leather Cord Necklace
September 1st, 2010For this leather cord necklace I was inspired by the new colors we just got in the deer hide lace. The wine and sienna remind me of fall which is quickly approaching. Fall also happens to be my favorite season and color pallet. Although spring is known as the season of new beginnings, I believe fall is as well. A new year of school starts, the sun is changing, trees are turning beautiful colors and the air is crisp. The succession of colors of the leather and the gemstones I used captures this feeling.
One element I love experimenting with in my jewelry is using leather in unexpected ways. It is so versatile in the ways it can be manipulated. Instead of using the tulip crimp clasps, I used jumprings and a gold vermeil three strand clasp. I just poked holes at the tips of the leather and stuck the jumpring through it. This gives each leather cord a defined length and the beads sit in relation to one another. It sits on my neck just as I envisioned it.
What are the different ways you have used the deer hide leather lace?
The Splendor of Fall Necklace
Punch Small Holes with Awl & attach with Jumprings