All VeruDesigns Jewelry

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The “Stand Out” Necklace is the first of a new series of jewelry pieces that are very much inspired by creative geniuses such as Dr. Seuss and Lewis Carroll, to name a few, and whose “words” and “worlds” lift my spirit every time I read them, and -I think- fully resonate with the kinds of pieces I love making.

 

Jewelry can be a very unexpected way of affirming (modestly) a piece of who we are, our personality, our passions and beliefs.  The misunderstanding that many have, is that the idea of “wearing something to express ourselves” is for “others to see“; when in fact it is for ourselves alone.  It’s a way of exercising  our comfort level with ourselves. With our “authentic” self. It’s not to mold or force opinions about ourselves onto others, because the only opinion that matters, is our own.

 

Making peace and embracing our uniqueness is part of this life journey.  Some reach this place early in life and others a bit later.  Good thing is that life is not a race, but what is important is that whatever “speed” works best for us, we do get to this point of unconditional “self-love”. Because only when we “fill our cup” with our own love, are we truly able to fully and unconditionally love others.

These ideas are not only at the core of many of Dr. Seuss stories, but were written in a language that a “pure” Soul (like a child’s) not only understands, but remembers as the truths he/she was born with.

Hope you enjoy this piece too 

 

Are you affirming yourself? Are you standing out fearlessly? 

 

As always, if you LIKE this piece, please “LIKE” it, if you love it, please “SHARE” it on facebook or any other social media outlet that you enjoy (see the SHARING THE LOVE buttons on the right side of this screen). Your support is very much appreciated.

Much love dear friend,

 

– Veruschka

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… It all begins with an idea on paper:-)

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This is not the first (or the last time) that I make a necklace inspired by one of my sweet-tooth’s favorite treats at any wedding or birthday party: BEAUTIFUL CAKES!  You may recall the “Dulzura Necklace“, which was a tribute to the amazing pastry Artists behind these delicious pieces of Art, (yes, Artists in their own right!).

 

However the fall-inspired colors (blue, neon green and purple) and the simplicity and character were specifically inspired by YOU. Yes, you beautiful women of the 21st century.

 

Rebecca, the stunning model for this photo-shoot is one of the amazing women that embodies the fabulousness of what it is to be a woman in the 21st century.    I’m not implying that our fabulous life as women is easy. I dare to say it is more challenging than ever before! However, like never before as well, we are surrounded by amazing examples of what we are capable of,  exactly when we need to be reminded of our inner-power in those moments of distress, self-doubt or self-criticism … all the time!

 

When I asked Becky to model for me (something she has never done before), I did so with the intention of conveying something very common yet overlooked in our own lives as women among women:  So many times we look for inspiration in well known authors/speakers, celebrities, or anyone who meets the criteria of being “famous“.  We tend to overlook and rarely celebrate the amazing women that are part of our own reality: OUR girlfriends, sisters, daughters, mothers, colleagues or neighbors. Women who might not be famous, but “walk the talk” every day of their lives.

 

By looking at the pictures alone you would probably not guess that Becky is a full-time working-mom, not of one, but TWO BEAUTIFUL little girls, an incredibly loving wife, a hardworking Manager, an unconditional friend, sister and daughter, and the “rock” of her family. She is the first one to get up in the morning to get her girls ready for school, the last one to close hear eyes,  and always “there” for her girls in the middle of the night when one of them has a nightmare or just needs a cuddle.

 

Yes. We women are fabulous, and the more we embrace and love each other, the better we become as women in our own individual paths of life.

 

Much love dear friend,

 

– Veruschka

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I’m so lucky to call Becky one of my absolute best friends in life.  We don’t see each other as often as we would like, but every time we connect it feels as comforting, genuine and peaceful as ever.

 

The first time we met was after our now-husbands set up a couples-date to get to know each other.  I don’t recall the details of our first-ever conversation, but I remember clearly the “feeling” I had after meeting her: As if we were life-long friends who had just connected again. Oh! And I remember Becky’s eyes. She has beautiful eyes. They are the windows to her Soul. Open, loving Soul.

 

I looooved having this shoot with my friend. She is so beautiful inside and out, and I am very excited to have captured that through the lenses of my camera and share this beautiful person with all of you.

Much love,

 

– Veruschka
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Thought you’d enjoy some images of how this piece came to be




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[tab title=”Free Bracelet for You”]

“I wish I could show you, When you are lonely or in darkness, The astonishing light of your own being. ~Hafiz

The “Self-love” bracelet was designed and created for YOU, to be a reminder of how unique and perfect you are, just the way you are. This 100% handmade one-of-a-kind bracelet is a GIFT, for you, and as all gifts it is FREE.

 

Since I cannot make a free bracelet for every amazing woman who sees this post, we will held a drawing here at VeruDesigns.com in mid-October 2012, where I will be giving away this unique one-of-a-kind piece (retailed at $95) to one very special lady . . . and that someone could be YOU

To participate in this free drawing, all you need to do is REGISTER to VeruDesigns. com, and you’re done!  (Click on the NEXT “TAB” if you have questions about registering).

 

Why am I doing this?
This is my way of saying “Thank your for your support and being who you are: One of the men and women that inspires ME to do what I’m meant to do”, but it’s also a way for me to connect with you directly at a more personal level by becoming an official member of the VeruDesigns community

 

Much, much love to you and thank you for your support and your trust,

– Veruschka
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[tab title=”How To Particpate”]
What do you need to do?

——>  1.  First, go back to our homepage (Verudesigns.com). You’ll see right below our logo the place where you can enter your FIRST NAME and your E-MAIL address to register. Just click on the “>” sign, and you’ll be almost done!

——>  2.  You will receive an e-mail from me, asking you to please confirm your subscription to VeruDesigns.com by clicking on a “confirmation” button.
——>  3.  In early October I will notify you via e-mail the specific date that the drawing will take place. This is a members-only drawing, and you become automatically a member by registering to VeruDesigns.com
——>  4.  On the day of the drawing, I’ll announce via e-mail and Facebook who our winner is!
——>  5.  If you are the winner, you will also get a personal e-mail directly form me, asking you to provide me with your shipping address (no matter where you are in the world!) so that I can ship your beautiful new bracelet right away!
——>  6.  That’s it!
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“There is nothing we have to give to the world if we don’t love and nurture ourselves first.”   – Esther Hicks

 

VeruDesigns is -among many things- one of the most powerful ways I know to nurture my soul, just like water and air nurture flowers and plants.  It is the first major endeavor in my life I pursued for the sole purpose of loving myself, enjoying myself, trusting and creating myself.

 

The decision of following and actualizing dreams and passions comes easy to many people.  Not to me. It took a life-changing event for me to grasp why I’m here, what my life is truly about, what I’m capable of and how my self-love is at the core of my ability to love anybody else fully and unconditionally and be the best version I’m capable of being.

 

Today’s “Nurture The Soul” Necklace is a celebration of not just self-love, but what it awakens in all of us: The Creator and the Teacher that lives inside us all.

 

If you like this fun piece, please “like” it! If you love it don’t forget to share it with the people you care about and help us remind everyone that we are all creators and teachers in our won unique way.

 

Much love dear friend,

 

– Veruschka

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Ellen, our beautiful model today, couldn’t be more of a perfect representation for this beautiful one-of-a-kind piece and what it is about.

 

A horticulturist by trade, Ellen spent many years being the best stay-at-home mother and wife she could possibly be.  When her oldest daughter left for college and her younger son began approaching his senior year in High School, she knew that she had a choice: She could prepare for life in an “empty nest” and choose to see her life as approaching “the end” of what seemed the most important phase in her life as a mother . . . OR

. . . she could choose the to view this stage as the “new beginning and re-birth” of the next version of herself.  She had the choice of focusing on what she was about to miss in her life, OR what she could add and expand into her life.

 

Ellen’s re-birth began with the bold choice of loving and nurturing herself. Not only did she go back to college, but in this journey of challenging and educating herself again, the eternal Artist and Mother inside of her lead her to her true calling: Teaching.

 

After several years of studying and working very hard she was offered a permanent opportunity as an Art Teacher to about 500 students a week at an elementary school. I’ve been lucky to see the light in her eyes when she talks about how much she loves “her children” . . . and the parents, and her colleagues and her school!

 

Pat Conroy once said that “great teachers fill you up with hope and shower you with a thousand reasons to embrace all aspects of life”… This is Ellen.

 

I will never forget when my own Art teacher looked deep into the eyes of my 7-year old self and said “You can be, do and have everything you want, if you believe it. What you believe you can make happen!”.

It took me several years for the seeds of her words to bloom inside of me, but they did, and for that I will be forever grateful.

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This has been no question one of the most complex, time-consuming but extremely rewarding necklaces I’ve created in a while.

 

The “Amalfi Necklace” was commissioned by someone who had very clear requirements for the design. This necklace is not only meant to capture Amalfi’s look and feel, but its energy, its vibrant colors, its delicious LEMONS, and the amazing view of the village from the water. I’ve learned that the beautiful woman for whom this jewelry art is intended for as a gift, is never afraid to shine, and feels great appreciation when wearing pieces with a unique story and meaning.

 

Making this piece reminded me of our own time in the beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy just a few years ago. Pictures never make true justice to a piece of heaven like Amalfi. For those of you who have been there, or are lucky to live there or close by, know what I mean. The magic of these places transcends any description. Is it the air? Is it the unbelievable sunsets and sunrises? Is it its colors? Is it its breathtaking geography and architecture? It’s all that and more, so much more!

 

Hopefully you’ll enjoy this piece as well. It was such a labor of love and I couldn’t be more excited to share this with you on this Tuesday’s Reveal.

 

Please “like” it if you like this piece, and don’t forget to “share” it if you LOVE it!
Your selflessness means everything to me.

If you have any memories or thoughts you’d like to share, don’t be shy! I’d LOVE to hear from you

 

Much love dear friend,

– Veruschka

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[tab title=”Behind the Scenes”]
I thought you’d enjoy to see some of the behind the scenes steps in the making of this lovely piece:






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We had a magical time in Amalfi just a few years back! I think I was meant to create this piece before I ever knew it

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I thought a gorgeous “bird house” caging our precious hearts was a lovely way of expressing the need many of us have to protect our hearts out of fear of being hurt. . . And yet, a caged heart is the very reason one lives a caged life. We go on this life-quest looking for this one person or thing(s) that we believe has the key to our hearts. Someone/something that will make us feel “safe”, happy, and will make us the loving and powerful being we know we are.

And there lies the irony:  Only we have the KEYS to our own cages. It’s the key of CHOICE. And once we open our heart, then we begin to really “see” our world as beautiful as it really is, and it’s this appreciation that begins to transform our being from the inside out.  Fear comes from a believe that we are vulnerable to the outside world, but LOVE brings the KNOWING that we are stronger than any “thing” or “situation”. Love is freedom. 

I truly hope you enjoy this piece as much as I LOVED making it. I’d love to read your thoughts/comments about happiness. How do you experience it? What makes it happen in your life? If you have a minute, share it below!
As always, if you like this piece, please LIKE it! If you love it, “SHARE” it with your friends and loved ones.
Let’s spread the love as far and away is possible!With love,
– Veruschka

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“It’s incredible, that unconditional love you have for a child. I still wonder if he really came from me, from my womb. It’s a miracle. I don’t understand it. I live it very intensely.” – Anne Parillaud

This photo-shoot was not only incredibly fun, but I was honored to capture a beautiful friend of mine who embodies so much of what this necklace is all about.

Fernanda is not only beautiful on the outside, she holds her heart wide open and radiates her inner strength, compassion and kindness through her beautiful smile and personality. She is also an outstanding professional in the demanding (and tough!) financial industry, but she somehow is able to seemingly be the confident, loving and tough decision-maker she needs to be from 9 to 5, and comes home with her smile intact, full of love and energy to be the mother she loves being to her gorgeous Eduardo, wife to Jon and a friend to all of us who are lucky to know her.
As always, if you like this piece, please LIKE it! If you love it, “SHARE” it with your friends and loved ones.
Let’s spread the love as far and away is possible!

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[tab title=”Behind the Scenes”]
This necklace  came to my mind by what I am calling “divine intervention”.  I was having a conversation with my (always patient) husband about the ideas I wanted to convey with this necklace.  I was telling him how I was looking for a “beautiful” symbol that showcases “fear”, but at the same time is overwhelmed by other symbols of beauty and a message of strength and love.

My husband came up with the idea of maybe using a little “bird” as the symbol of freedom, and have it “caged” in a tree.

For some reason this idea didn’t resonate with me much that night.  This is where the story gets interesting: The next morning, after coming back form the gym at 7:30am, I sat in my computer, and my little sister (who is in South America) had sent me an e-mail to tell me about this beautiful purse she had seen at a boutique that was shaped like a “bird cage” and how she had decided to save some money to buy it next month.  An hour later while working in our office, my husband was looking at the mail we had received that day and gave me all the envelopes directed to VeruDesigns.  One of the envelopes came from a Museum in Maryland with a brochure about their future exhibitions.  The main picture on the brochure was a painting of a bird-cage with its door open.

This is when I said: “Ok Universe! I got your message! This is what I’m supposed to do!” Viola!

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When designing this Bridal necklace I couldn’t help but combine two things I LOVE in weddings: NATURE and a tasty looking Wedding CAKE!

Why?

• The Cake: Well, let me disclose that I have a VERY sweet tooth, and rarely does a day go by without me having something sweet to eat at some point during my day. And so it’s no surprise that my absolute favorite moment at any wedding (aside from when husband and wife kiss for the first time) is when it’s time to eat the cake! YUM!
• Nature: I just spent two consecutive weekends driving through the countryside of Pennsylvania (my adopted home-state!), and found myself falling in love with the raw beauty of over-grown leaves, luscious trees and grasses…green, green and more green everywhere! You’ll notice that yellows and greens are the predominant colors in this necklace because I felt they reflected perfectly the stage of our summer season.

 

I hope you enjoy this “Tuesday’s Reveal” piece, and whether you live in the country or in a city (like me), I hope you get to spend some time with mother nature before this season comes to an end. There is little else that can replenish your soul with as much energy and appreciation as nature on a sunny summer day

 

As always, if you like this necklace, PLEASE “LIKE” it! If you love it and this made you smile, “share” it with your friends and loved ones! This universe is all about sharing the love!

– Veruschka

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[tab title=”Design Process”]
Making this piece was so much fun!! The actual design didn’t come to me as easily as you’d think. All I knew is that I wanted to somehow express the green beauty I had just witnessed in our own home-state.  Once the design crystalized in my mind however, the rest happened almost without thinking about it.  I couldn’t wait to continue working, and when I finally finished it, it felt wonderful wearing it for the first time.
It’s quite lighter than you may think too!

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Let me introduce you to our beautiful Pennsylvania!

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This week is a bit different from my usual “Tuesday’s Reveal”.  

 

Instead of creating one beautiful but very complex and time-intensive piece, I created a handful of smaller, but equally happy and colorful ones.  I thought we all could use some “small & pretty”, and this ring, bracelet and necklace (which is still a work in progress!) are just that (oh…and very comfy too!) 

 

As always if you like these pieces, please “LIKE” them! If you love them “share” them with the people you care about (by clicking on any of the “sharing” options we have on the right side of this screen!).  These jewelry pieces are a gift of love and are meant to be shared 

Much love to you and thank you for honoring me with your time!

– Veruschka
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Plant a Dream – Ring

I’m the daughter of someone who loves nature as much as life itself.  My mother, who spent as much time in libraries as in her father’s garden growing up, is a big believer in nature and the wisdom that it provides by simply observing it.    During this beautiful summer it has been impossible not to think of my mami every time I walk by a happy-looking plant on a window or at a front-door in my neighborhood.

 

Today’s “Plant a Dream” Ring is a small but very loving tribute to all of you who ARE mothers and to all of your mothers as well. This is a particular love-poem (in a way) to my very beautiful mami Lilian, who never ceases to amaze me with her infinite love and wisdom.

 

“If you have a dream, plant it! Get up and plant the seed. But don’t just wait around. Water it, believe in it and take care of it. Life, just like earth will always surpass the love that you put into it”.

– Lilian (also known as my one-and-only MAMI)

 

As always if you like this piece, please “LIKE” it! If you love it “share” it with the people you care about.  This jewelry piece is a gift of love and is meant to be shared 

Much love to you and thank you for honoring me with your time!

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The Nameless Bracelet

There is a reason I’m not disclosing the name of this Bracelet, nor its inspiration.  But don’t worry, you’ll know the full story, with more pictures and close-ups VERY soon!!
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Necklace – Work in Progress

This is still very much a piece “under construction”. I promise to give you the FULL scoop once it’s completely done. There is an amazing story behind this piece that I can’t wait to share with you 

 

Much love to you and thank you for honoring me with your time!

– Veruschka

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I’m sure I wasn’t the only bride who wished there would be an “easy” way for me to hold on to my beautiful wedding bouquet during our whole wedding party, without looking silly. My real life wedding bouquet was a wedding gift from my “other” mom and dad (also known as my in-laws). And even though several years have gone by since our wedding, that bouquet is still my favorite reminder (and now souvenir) of our awesome day. Of course the leaves and flowers are now dark and dry, and keep falling apart with every day that goes by; and as much as I’ve tried to conserve their integrity, flowers are not meant to look  “alive” after their death. This is how -as I contemplated this week’s Bridal Necklace- I wondered how would it be if I could’ve “worn” a version of my gorgeous bouquet on our day (or before/after!), and be able to keep it intact and as beautiful as ever for years to come!?

 

And this is how it turned out. I hope you enjoy “The Bouquet Necklace” today.

 

I would very much love to read what you think. Please share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment below, and If you like this piece, please “like” it!. If you LOVE it, please “Share the Love” it with with your friends and loved ones, by clicking on any of the “sharing the love” options you can see on the right side of this screen

 

VeruDesigns exists only because of the love of our friends. . .because of YOU and your unselfish willingness to spread the word about what we do. Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart,

– Veruschka

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This was a particularly complex necklace to make.  Not only because of it’s detail, but the many elements that make it the beautiful piece it is.  Every single petal, leave…you name it! Was made by hand one-by-one.  I loved making it and hope you love the result!

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