Make 2014 your best year yet!

Even though we are 3 months away from 2014, and there is still much to be enjoyed this year, I’ve learned that when I plan ahead, the likelihood of experiencing new and wonderful things with VeruDesigns, and in my personal life, is much, much higher than when I leave it up to “luck” or circumstances.  It may seem early to begin planning, but as last year (2012) taught me tha hard way, once we get close to Halloween, the year-end holiday activities take over not just in terms of what we do as a business, but in our personal lives as well.

 

And so, just like most large companies do their “budgeting and planning” for the following year around this time of the year, we (here at VeruDesigns) will be spending the next 2 weeks imagining what we want our 2014 to be like, how VeruDesigns can become more meaningful, more of service to you, more beautiful, more unique, more worthy of your time, MORE.

 

So, during the next 2 weeks we will be absent from your e-mail so that we can focus purely in dreaming up our 2014.   The J.CREW inspired bead you see above, is part of our 2014 dreams and plans that I hope to share with you as they begin to unfold.

 

If this idea of helping shape your 2014 resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me (in spirit) imagining your own personal 2014:

 

  1. What are the 3 main desires/dreams you’d like to do/accomplish/experience next year? (a new skill? taking a long-delayed trip to a specific place? Starting your own creative/artistic endeavor? . There are NO RULES! Let your heart dictate your answers).
  2. Think of 3 simple and do-able steps for each of your 3 desires that will put them in motion, AND that you can commit to begin executing on as early as January 2014.

 

Take it one step further by sharing some of your desires/dreams with me in the comments section below.  There is POWER in  writing down our dreams, but even more so when we share them with like-minded women who have the same fears, vulnerabilities but also desires to make our lives a little more wonderful every year. There is no judgement, just love.

 

Enjoy this wonderful time of the year!
Much love to you,

– Veruschka

President & Founder

VeruDesigns, LLC

“If you love today’s reveal, SHARE the love! Forward this e-mail to friends and loved ones!”

Featured Designer – Renee at Beautiful Oak Jewelry

One of the challenges I faced early on as a jewelry designer was accepting the fact that unlike some artists who are born with a very specific purpose, and have a laser-focused passion for doing that “one thing” alone, I had to come to terms with the fact that I’m a multi-passionate artist.  I love many artforms, and until I decided to see this as a strength, instead of a weakness, I kept wondering if I should make VeruDesigns happen or not.

 

Since then, I’ve come across several artists who share this multi-passioned profile. And today I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of them: Renee Beaucheane, a fellow Philadelphia-based Jewelry Designer and Founder of Beautiful Oak Jewelry.

Now, Renee is a triple-threat: She is not only a Jewelry Designer, but also a Graphic Designer and a Stylist!
Below is a sample of the custom designs she made for her own wedding: Stationary cards, Family Crest (which has an SUPER sweet story on its own!), and all these amazing details that made her day a very, very special one.

 

But her main passion is still very much Jewelry. In case you wonder, Beautiful Oak is the English translation of Renee’s gorgeous french last name (Beaucheane).   It fits not only her perfectly, but her quirky & earthy jewelry too.

Trained as an artist & designer, she started making jewelry as a hobby. It was a fun way to be creative and release stress. But over time she started to develop a style that didn’t go unnoticed, with pieces that not only fit together but form an ever growing and cohesive collection.

You’ll notice right away that her pieces are made of natural materials and motifs, such as wood and glass, and very much inspired by nature. I love the fact that she also likes to find old jewelry and give it a new life.

You’ll always find bold statement pieces with colorful elements that glow beautifully in the sunshine.  Whether they are glass or resin these translucent accents compliment the nature-inspired elements that make her jewelry so recognizable.

 

Of course all her pieces are 100% handmade and available for purchase at her gorgeous ETSY Boutique, which you can visit right away by clicking on her ETSY Banner below:


Make sure to scroll through our slideshow below that will give you a glimpse of her jewelry art:

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If you enjoy Renee’s pieces, make sure to LIKE her Facebook page, by clicking HERE. Or, if you’re on instagram, then make sure to click here.

 

What do you think?

Thanks so much for sharing Renee’s beautiful Art Jewelry via Facebook, twitter, pinterest or e-mail.  Your support means everything!
Much love,

– Veruschka

SAVE THE DATE! West Elm DUMBO – The Workshop


You are the firstto know about our FIRST EVER VeruDesigns HANDS-ON WORKSHOP!!!!!! (I’m sooooooooo excited!).   

 

  • So first, make sure to SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2013 from 10am to 1pm (It’s NO coincidence that it’s happening on the same week of FASHION WEEK in NYC!).


  • Second, write down our awesome location:  We are being hosted by WEST ELM DUMBO,  one of West Elm’s most beautiful stores AND home to their corporate offices here in the US!  Right across from lower Manhattan in Brooklyn NY.

 

  • Third, stay tuned, as we’ll be announcing within the next few days the remaining (awesome!) details included in the event as we open our workshop for REGISTRATION!  (no worries, you’ll be the first to know when that happens!!).

West Elm DUMBO – 75 Front St, New York, NY 11201

To learn more about West Elm Dumbo, follow them on Instagram (by clicking here) or facebook ( here!)

 

A few more things about this workshop:

 

1. LEVEL (Expertise Required)

This workshop is designed for BEGINNER to INTERMEDIATE level polymer clay fans. So, even if you’ve NEVER worked with Polymer Clay before, this course will not only teach you the basics, but you will leave with more hands-on experience and knowledge than most other beginner courses out there.

NOTE: The workshop and techniques were specifically adjusted and designed to accommodate the limitations we have time-wise.  The construction of the bead/shard was engineered so that it requires tools that are small and light, and to ensure that the completion can be accomplished within approximately 2-hours.

 

2. THE PROJECT:

We will make together one of these 3 WEST ELM INSPIRED PENDANTS.

The class will consist of 3 Parts:

  1. Part 1: Creating the bead “pattern” –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  2. Part 2: Adding the “back” of the bead –> Demo followed by execution (with my help).
  3. Part 3: Baking the bead (toaster oven), and finishing it.

 

3. MATERIALS & TOOLS:
Among many “otheramazing surprises and take-aways to be disclosed next week, these are some of the basic tools and materials that you will be provided to create your limited-edition jewelry pendant:

 

4. LIMITED SEATING:

Because we’re having to purchase your materials ahead of time, and because our space (even though BEAUTIFUL) is also limited, we have limited seating.

So make sure to stay tuned as we’ll be announcing the remaining details of the event as we open our workshop for registration!

Got questions or comments? Ask me! Share with me!

I LOVE to read your thoughts and opinions through the “comments” section below.  Also, SHARE THE LOVE!! If you think a friend or a loved one would enjoy our EXCLUSIVE CLASS, then let them know by sharing this post through any of the “sharing” buttons below.

I’m very excited!

Much, much love,

– Veruschka

And the winner of our 1st raffle is…

Ok….so, I know you were expecting to learn WHO WON this Sunday’s AUG. 18th raffle in a couple of weeks form now.   But I couldn’t WAIT!

So….dear SUZ…Congratulations. YOU WON!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Love your choice of colors, and I will e-mail you directly later on today!

 

Also, TODAY we announced the launch of our CUSTOM JEWELRY BOUTIQUE to the rest of the world, and opened our 2nd Raffle (to take place on Sep. 2nd) to everyone who wants to participate.
Check out our short but FUN VIDEO we released today to make the announcement, by clicking HERE or on the picture BELOW:

If you already shared your favorite colors with me, you are ALREADY IN for our 2nd raffle.  If not, then there is stlll some time. Just REPLY to this e-mail and tell me your favorite colors, and you are IN!

Much love to you,

– Veruschka

President & Founder

VeruDesigns, LLC

Introducing our CUSTOM Jewelry Shop!

THAT’S RIGHT! You are the VERY FIRST to see our brand new CUSTOM JEWELRY SHOP!!    And to celebrate I’ll be hosting TWO RAFFLES where I’ll give away 2 (two!) amazing (and custom made) jewelry pieces  for FREE!! 

 

So, let me first explain what our CUSTOM Jewelry Shop is all about, and then I’ll give you all the DETAILS on how you can win one of the two custom jewelry pieces I’ll be making for the winners of our raffles :-)
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Starting today,  you can finally commission a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece through our online Custom boutique. That means you can buy a piece made just for you and based on your favorite colors and/or any inspiration idea you’d like to see expressed in a jewelry piece.

 

How does it work? Our shop let’s you commission a piece in THREE (3) VERY easy steps!

 

STEP 1 – Choose a “White Canvas”: First, choose one of 5 designs/models from our online custom shop. You “choose” a model by adding it to your cart  (like you would normally do to purchase an item online).   The number of models/designs available to you to choose from will continue to grow over time, but for now you can choose among the top 5 designs that you (our AWESOME clients) have made the most popular in our store.


 

STEP 2 – Tell me your favorite colors or  Inspiration:  After you have completed the purchase of your CUSTOM piece online, you’ll receive an e-mail from me. The e-mail will be an invitation for you to participate in the design of your piece, by telling me the colors and/or the inspiration idea you’d like me to use to create your one-of-a-kind jewelry piece.

 

In the example below, we used the pictures of 2 chairs and a rug to create this necklace.

 

And/Or just tell me your favorite colors (and leave the remaining design decisions to me!)

 

 

STEP 3 – Enjoy! From there on all you have to do is wait 7 to 10 business days to receive a completely unique and absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry with its own fully custom designed packaging.  I promise that this will be the most personalized gift you may ever get for yourself or someone you care about!

 

Finally, all our CUSTOM MADE jewelry pieces come with a 100% Guarantee, so there are NO risks for you, only JOY!
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WHEN:

We will have TWO FREE RAFFLES!!

  • The first one will take place on Sunday Aug 18th, 2013.
  • The second will take place on Monday  September, 2nd 2013.
  • Our two winners will be announced during our Tuesday’s Reveal newsletter of Sep 3rd!

 

PRIZES:

  • Our Aug 18th raffle winner  will get a “CUSTOM 1-SHARD Necklace“.
  • Our Sep 2nd raffle winner will get a “CUSTOM 5-large Bead – Bracelet“.
  • To see what both prizes will look like, visit our CUSTOM Jewelry shop HERE.

 

HOW?

How can you participate?

  • There are TWO small steps to follow:
  1. —–>  First you need to make sure that you are subscribed to VeruDesigns.com.
  2. —–>  Afterwards, all you have to do is tell me your favorite colors by e-mailing me directly at “Veruschka@VeruDesigns.com” (OR sharing them in the “comments” section -below- on this page), anytime before the raffles take place!.
  • Not subscribed yet? No problem. Just enter your e-mail below and you are DONE!

 

 

WHO?

Eligibility: Who can participate?

  • If you are a VeruDesigns subscriber the day this announcement came out (8/13/2013), you are eligible to participate in BOTH FREE raffles.
  • If you are not a subscriber yet, sign-up today! and you’ll be automatically eligible to win our Sep 2nd Raffle.

 

That’s it!

Remember that only those of you who are subscribed to VeruDesigns AND have shared your favorite colors with me (via e-mail to Veruschka@VeruDesigns.com OR in the “comments” section below) will be included in our super fun raffles!

It’s NOT enough to be subscribed only :-)

 

If you are one of our two winners to be announced on Sep 3rd, I will reach out to you directly via e-mail, so that -if you like-  you can additionally provide an inspiration image.  You can participate as much (or as little!) as you prefer :-)

 

I’m so excited!!

Not signed-up yet?! Make sure to sign-up now and don’t forget to tell me your favorite colors in the “comments” section below!

 

Make also sure to share this post with your friends and loved ones via facebook, twitter, e-mail or pinterest! Remember…this is all about sharing the love!
And now… 
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Much love to you,
– Veruschka

VIDEO – The Philadelphia WEST ELM Event

On July 20th, 2013 – on one of the hottest summer mornings of the year – West Elm Philadelphia and VeruDesigns hosted an amazing group of women for the unveiling of the “West Elm Inspired” Jewelry Collection that we’ve been working so excitedly to complete.    Our 2+ hour event turned out to be an amazing morning thanks to the fantastic women, little girls (and a few men!) that joined us for the unveiling of our collection and demo.

 

Even though I had limited video and photo footage, we were able to capture the heart of what took place thanks to the  video and pictures taken by some of our guests and West Elm Team members! (thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to share your footage with our friends!!)

 

This is how it unfolded …

Our friends got to see the full collection of 14 one-of-a-kind pieces, all inspired by West Elm furniture and accessories.

 

You can see (below) 5 of those 14 pieces, but no worries, we’ll be adding all the remaining pieces in time for our next Tuesday’s Reveal :-)

 

A heartfelt thank you to every single one of our gorgeous guests (who couldn’t have been more fantastic!).    And a special thank-you to the amazing West Elm Philadelphia Team.  You made it all possible (yes, YOU made it FABULOUS!).  A very special hug of genuine appreciation to the force behind the West Elm Philly Team – Krista Wintrode, the BEAUTIFUL Area Manager at West Elm whose support has been unbelievable.

 

If you haven’t visited your local West Elm store and you enjoy being inspired, then don’t wait any longer.  Learn more at WestElm.com :-)

Much love,

– Veruschka

Winners of our West Elm Raffle!

What a FANTASTIC event we had at West Elm Philadelphia this past Saturday, July 20th!
Many, MANY thanks to those of you who came to join us on such a beautiful (and hot!) Saturday morning.

 

I can’t wait to share with all of you the details of our event NEXT Tuesday (I simply ran out of time for this week’s reveal!), but next week I will not only unveil our FULL West Elm Collection that was shown for the first time at the event,  but I will share all the fun that went on at the event itself :-)

 

Today is all about announcing the winners of our RAFFLE where our attendees had a chance of winning 3 awesome Prizes!

 

Because the event ran a little longer than planned (we had so much fun!), we ended up postponing the raffle until today, where beautiful Lauren (one of West Elm’s own Senior Stylist) helped us pick randomly our 3 winners.

And here they are!

 

—–> PRIZE # 3: As you know all our attendees got a super cute limited-edition VeruDesigns “Rocking Bird Pendant“.  Well the winner of our THIRD PRIZE will receive “The Rocking Bird Matching Earrings” made by the very talented Renee Beaucheane, Jewelry Designer at BEAUTIFUL OAK (and Senior Home Stylist at West Elm too!!).
….And our winner is….

Congratulations on your win!

These are Leslie’s brand new matching (and handmade!) earrings, designed and created by Renee:

[nivoslides width=”900″ height=”600″]
By the way, keep these earrings in mind, as they give you a sneak peak into Renee’s jewelry collection that I hope to share with you in full very soon!

 

—–> PRIZE # 2: Our second prize was one of my favorite necklaces of my West Elm Inspired Collection… the “Jungle Leaf – Necklace”, by VeruDesigns.

And the winner of this gorgeous necklace is …

Sheila!! Congratulations!!

 

—–> PRIZE # 1:  As promised, the winner of our NUMBER 1 Prize, will get a CUSTOM MADE/ONE-OF-A-KIND Necklace, made exclusively for our winner, and based on a WEST ELM Inspiration item/idea of HER choice!!!

And our winner is ….

Dear Purva!! Congratulations!!

 

To our 3 beautiful winners! I will reach out to you via e-mail directly with details about your prizes :-)

 

To everyone: Have a lovely rest of the week, and until NEXT Tuesday’s Reveal!

– Veruschka

Countdown to our West Elm Event!

….AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!

Besides being the FIRST to see the FULL Collection of WEST ELM Inspired necklaces in person (on a HUGE 1-day-only discount), did I mention that our FIRST PLACE RAFFLE WINNER will get a CUSTOM MADE Necklace based on the WEST ELM Inspiration product of HER choice!? Yep! Custom made :-)

 

Our SECOND PLACE Winner will get the One-of-a-kind  “JUNGLE LEAF” Necklace (see below modeled by West Elm Philly’s Own Home Stylist Tanya Weddemire).

 

And ALL our participants will leave the event with a limited Edition Necklace made ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY for this event: “West Elm’s Rocking Birds”! Inspired by the gorgeous Rocking Bird Accessories (which by the way, are about to be SOLD OUT!)

[nivoslides width=”900″ height=”600″]

 

And, if you’re curious about the JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES behind VeruDesigns Jewelry (particularly when making BEADS and 3-D pieces), then don’t miss our DEMO/Workshop, where I’ll be sharing my TOP 2 KEY jewelry making secrets 😉

 

So, here is what you need to know to ensure a spot at our LIMITED SEATING Event: 

Register To Our West Elm Event by Entering Your E-Mail!

Finally, BRING your best friend, colleague, daughter or mother too! Everything is even MORE fun when we share a great experience with someone we care about!  So don’t be shy and SHARE this post with your favorite lady friends 😉  Share the LOVE!!

I CAN’T WAIT to finally meet you in person!! I promise this will be a super fun experience, where you may awaken the Artist that lives inside of you, and if not, then you’ll leave inspired by what you’ll see (and get!).

 

See you on Saturday!

Much love,

– Veruschka

 

Our West Elm Event!

Register To Our West Elm Event by Entering Your E-Mail!

We’re only 2 weeks away from our July 20th WEST ELM Philadelphia Jewelry Event, so make sure to REGISTER today by entering your e-mail below!  Your e-mail will allow me to give you access to our tutorials that I’ll make available to only our participants AFTER the event!

 

This is what you need to know about our 2 Hour event:

1) It goes from 10am to 12pm on Saturday, July 20th at 1330 Chestnut St. – WEST ELM PHILADELPHIA

2) The Event has an admission cost of only $30 which you can pay in advance or that same day! What can you expect?

 

  • —->  You will get an original & Limited Edition Necklace (Of Only 20 Ever To Be Made!): You will be one of only 20 people who will own a Limited Edition of only 20 Handmade Necklaces made exclusively for the participants of this event (retailed at $85 each), modeled after West Elm’s Rocking birds Accessories.
  • —->  DEMO AND FREE ONLINE TUTORIAL: You will participate of a super fun 1-hour DEMO with me, where I’ll show you step by step how to make 3 different but beautiful jewelry pieces. We will start with something very simple, and will end with something a bit more complex. I will share with you two of my biggest jewelry-making techniques and secrets!  You will have access to the ONLINE tutorial on my website (available only after the event), so that you can re-visit what you’ll learn anytime you decide to make your own jewelry at home!
  • —->  WEST ELM JEWELRY COLLECTION REVEAL: See AND SHOP our Exclusive WEST ELM Inspired Collection at an amazing 1-day-only reduced price!
  • —->  AMAZING DRAWING: You will be elegible to participate in our AMAZING drawing at the end of the event, where we will be giving away 3 AMAZING jewelry pieces! (Two of them with an approximate retail price of $380 to $450).
  • —->  GIFT BAG: Your gift bag will include a couple of other super fun goodies too!!


Register To Our West Elm Event by Entering Your E-Mail!

 

So far we’ve unveiled a handful of necklaces that are part of this amazing collection. To see them all. CLICK HERE.

So…will I see you there? Say yes!! 😉

Much love, and make sure to share this very exciting event with your friends and loved ones!

– Veruschka

Quick-starting the reveal of our West Elm Collection!

If you follow us through social media, then today’s reveal is not a complete surprise, however I’m not less excited!!!!

 

We’ve been working hard for the last few months on each necklace that is part of this brand-new jewelry collection, inspired by my FAVORITE Philly store: “WEST ELM Furniture and Accessories“; and for the next few TUESDAYS I’ll be sharing with you most (but not all) of the collection of close to 20 necklaces. This has been a collaboration with WEST ELM PHILLY that will culminate at the  end of July with a REAL-LIFE unveiling of our jewelry collection at the Philadelphia WEST ELM store, right here in center city Philadelphia!

 

Exact dates and times for the JULY Event (at the Philly West Elm store) will be announced very soon and you’ll get my personal invitation to stop by and join me for a lovely summer evening with the amazing West Elm Team.  Besides the very exciting fact that I’ll be FINALLY meeting some of you in person, if you choose to come there are several other surprises:

  • You’ll get to see the FULL collection in person!
  • You will be able to BUY any of the pieces at an incredible (one day only) “guest” price!
  • You’ll join me for a SUPER FUN and personal workshop, where we’ll create a jewelry piece together, and you will go home with a bag of basic lovely materials to make your own next jewelry piece at home, as well as the ring/necklace that we’ll make TOGETHER!
  • You’ll get a chance at winning one of the West Elm necklaces during our drawing at the END of the event!
  • And of course, you’ll get to visit one of the most BEAUTIFUL stores in Philadelphia, see the real life furniture pieces that inspired each of the necklaces and meet the AMAZING West Elm team of true artists and professionals!

And MORE! If you haven’t yet, make sure to subscribe to VeruDesigns.com now, to participate and get my invite!

[nivoslides width=”900″ height=”600″]

Now, the story of how this collection came to be is quite organic to say the least, as I’ve been a huge fan and loyal customer of West Elm products and services for several years now. Our living room furniture, kitchen and bathroom accessories attest to that, and time has only made me love them more, because the quality of their products can only be appreciated through time.


[For more info, go to WestElm.com/ABOUT section]

 

This is by no means the first time that I’ve created West-Elm inspired jewelry. In fact, if you are familiar with my bridal-collection, then you’d be surprised to know that the “Bouquet” necklace was inspired by West Elm’s Spring flower arrangements of last year. And one of my favorite 2011 colossal bead necklaces (The Coral Madness Necklace) was also inspired by a West Elm living room.

 

There is much more to come, and I truly hope you enjoy this labour of true love.

I’d love to read your thoughts and comments below (in the comments section). If you enjoyed today’s reveal, make sure to share the love with your friends and loved ones!

Either way, “see you” next tuesday, with our first BATCH of reveals for this collection :-)

Much, much love to you,

– Veruschka