Over the past few months I started introducing survivor bracelets to the Little Inspirations line of jewelry and I must say they have been a huge hit!  

While you may have only seen a few design options floating around, please keep in mind that they are available to be made for any cause.  Just let me know which one and I can directly invoice you if your design is not currently being shown on the website!  Some designs may need to be altered if your wrist is smaller, and may need adjustments to the original design concept... I treat each design modification as a custom order, so you can rest assured that you will receive a photo of your completed item to assure that you are happy with the finished product.  And if you are not, I will happily rework the design until you are! 

If you need a survivor bracelet custom designed, please let me know.  I'm happy to work on any new idea concept you want to throw at me.  While some designs may cost more than others, please keep in mind I do take every effort to assure that the cost is reasonable for the types of materials going into your jewelry, and the quality of workmanship you are receiving. 

And as always if you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me at littleinspirations@live.com with any questions or any concerns you may have!    

One of the great things about customizing jewelry is that you can have it customized to fit you!  So if you have a smaller wrist, or a larger wrist than the standard 7" bracelets that are out there, you can request that your bracelet be sized to fit you!  You can also request child size bracelets, or memorial bracelets for a shadow box, or any number of things.

To measure your wrist you can do it one of two ways.                
    1) If you have a flexible measuring tape you can measure your wrist by holding one end flat against your wrist.  Where the other end meets, that is your wrist measurement.  For Little Inspirations' purposes, we want the closest measurement as possible to your wrist size.  I can account for the neccessary adjustments to make it a proper fit.  Please do not measure up, or down as this may create a sizing issue when you receive your bracelet.
    2) If you have a flat ruler and a piece of string you can take a piece of string and wrap it around your wrist.  You will want to mark the string where it meets the other side of the string.  Then, lay it flat and measure against the ruler.  You can also use this method with a thin strip of paper in place of string.

As always if you have questions about sizing, materials used to make bracelets, or you want a clasp exchanged for a toggle or another clasp type that suits you, please let me know.  Most adjustments will be free unless it is regarding a sterling silver or other type of upgrade, so feel free to customize away when making your orders! 

Since most of the Awareness items I make are silver plated in order to keep costs low, I feel it is important to let you know how to take care of your jewelry.  Here is a green tip on cleaning silver plated jewelry items.

This tip is like magic: You can magnetize the tarnish away. Simply line the bottom of a bowl with a sheet of aluminum foil and fill the bowl with warm water. Add a generous amount of salt -- about 4 tablespoons -- and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Place the tarnished jewelry on top, and voila! You'll see the tarnish begin to disappear -- a natural chemical reaction that actually magnetizes the tarnish right off. No buffing or rubbing needed. Wipe clean and dry with a terry towel. This also works wonders on tarnished flatware and silver-plated home accessories.  (Tip taken from article called, Green ways to clean your jewelry) For the full article, click here.

A couple of other helpful tips for minimizing tarnish on your jewelry are easy!  One is simply to WEAR your jewelry a lot!  The natural oils in our skin prevent tarnish!  Also, you can pick up a tarnish remover cloth from your local jewelry store, or department store.  They're easy to use and shine up your silver plated jewelry quickly.  Just rub your jewelry between the cloth and the tarnish disappears! 

Don't forget, if you prefer sterling silver, just send me a message to request a sterling silver upgrade quote.  It's that easy!

As we all know, teachers, nurses, and many different types of people in many different occupations use lanyards to hold name tags, ID, and quick access cards.  Knowing that there are many different occupations we must conclude that the wear and tear at each job will vary.  The design that you choose for your lanyard must be one that is durable for your individual occupation or the use that you intend it for.  

If you work in a school, a hospital, or nursing facility, it may benefit you to have a double reinforced lanyard.  Beaded lanyards, depending on how often you get them caught on things can be likely to break at least 2 times a year or more, because of fractures that are created within your work environment either due to children tugging on them, getting them caught on the sides of desks, or otherwise.  Since lanyards are worn every day a sturdier design concept may be more beneficial to you in way of maintenance and otherwise.  A sturdier design may consist of things such as a chain design, wire link, hemp, or bead woven designs.

If you have a less strenuous job environment, such as you sit behind a desk or you walk around and interact with people but don't tend to do a lot of lifting or heavy duty work, a beaded lanyard may be just right for you and may hold up for a long time.  But as with any beaded product, if you wear it every single day it is susceptible to more wear and tear than your average jewelry item and cannot be guaranteed to hold up indefinitely.

The question is: How stressful is your job environment to a lanyard?  If you think you are likely to be in a position for a sturdier design, feel free to contact me.  I can easily work around design concepts and design something that will be a good fit for you in way of design, style, and durability.  

Remember: It's your jewelry! So feel free to consult me on anything you may have questions on.  I'm here to help you pick out the piece of jewelry that is going to be "just right" and not just another "it will do".