I absolutely love custom jewelry...there's nothing quite like the feeling of owning a piece that's uniquely yours. Something you designed to suit your needs or style. Recently, I was looking to pick up a piece of "religious" jewelry (we're Unitarian Universalists, not Christians, so this can be quite a task), when Joseph Allen Designs extended an offer to review a piece of their handstamped, custom jewelry. I knew this would be the perfect way to make a pendant to fit the sentiment I was trying to express.
Each Sunday in church, we wrap up our service by singing a hymn called Spirit of Life. There's one line in it that really speaks to me: "roots hold me close; wings set me free". While seemingly contradictory, that phrase just says to me that it's equally important to recognize the roots from which we come, and to allow ourselves to be nurtured by them, so that we can truly be free to be ourselves, express ourselves, and grow.
The design I picked was the large hammered forever circle. This design allows for up to 42 characters, or a stone, which takes up the space of one character. I chose the April birthstone because that's the month we became members of our church. If you don't want to use a quote, this particular design could potentially accommodate seven names (depending on the length of the name). For $69, this is a very affordable piece of personalized, hand-stamped jewelry.
Thankfully, Joseph Allen Designs had a design which allowed me to integrate this quote onto a pendant.
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| Custom made, with a little crystal added for added sparkle |
I love this piece of jewelry and wear it with pride every chance I get -- especially to church on Sundays! It feels sturdy, so I can wear it with confidence without worrying about it breaking, but it's also not so heavy that I'm constantly aware it's there.
Don't mistake my choice of quote to be all that Joseph Allen Designs has to offer, though! They offer custom, hand-stamped bracelets, keychains, pet-themed necklaces, mokume necklaces (they have a satin finish and look really nice), all of which can be customized with whatever characters/words/names/quotes/birthstones you like! They even have stuff for men! In fact, I almost chose a hand-stamped baseball keychain for my husband.
An item from Joseph Allen Designs would be a fantastic gift for the holiday season, and since custom jewelry is made to order, it's a good idea to get a head start on your holiday shopping now!
Want to WIN a $50 credit to Joseph Allen Designs? Here's how to enter!
(Note: Winner will need to provide an email address and use that email address to create an account on Joseph Allen Designs' website in order for credit to be issued)
Mandatory Entry: Who would you create a hand-stamped product for if you win? (Must complete this entry before any others will count!)
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I want to #win a $50 credit for personalized, hand-stamped jewelry from Joseph Allen Designs! http://bit.ly/qQlqQX Ends 9/5 #giveaway
- Please leave your email address in your comment or make sure it is visible in your profile!
- Contest ends on September 5, 2011 AT 9 PM EST. Open to US Residents only and the prize cannot be mailed to a P.O. Box. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted via email. Winner must respond within 48 hours of the email being sent or another winner will be selected. (Please make sure you check your spam and junk folders frequently to make sure you don't miss out!)
- Disclosure: I received a product free of charge for purposes of review but was not financially compensated for this review in any way. All content in this article is my opinion and has not been influenced by the gift of a product or other monetary compensation. Thanks to Joseph Allen Designs for providing the review sample and giveaway prize!
