Holiday Card Greetings, Always with Dogs

It dawned on me that the holidays crept up on me and I hadn't designed a new holiday card. What's a girl to do? Who would remember my terrific card from last year?  I decided to give my two doberman mascots new necklaces. Dunitz & Company fair trade necklaces, of course.  I also thought it would be fun to go through my computer and find my images from past years. In earlier times, we printed our greetings on paper and mailed them. In recent times, my masterpieces have been shared by email and social media. Here's my stroll down memory lane. I think this may be the first time I'm posting pics in "medium" size on my blog. It's either so you can see them easily without double clicking or to let you know just how much I love my dogs!


2007. Byron and the Snowman. Yes, he is wearing Dunitz & Company necklaces in appropriate colors

2008. Our mascot, Byron thinking about one of his favorite things. Yup. We made him wear reindeer antlers again.

2009. Byron was greeted by Santa that winter season.

2010. Byron was a bit more reserved with a Dunitz & Company bracelet featured as a collar.

2011. Return of the Antlers. And Byron was not too pleased.  I'm afraid at this point in the job, he had gotten quite old. I think the greeting reflected that.











2012. Stetson took over with a Chanukah Greeting.

2012. Simple, but our warm wishes are always the same.

2016. Don't ask. I haven't a clue what happened to 2013, 2014 or 2015 greetings. I can't seem to locate them.  By 2016, Ida had joined our crew.  Along with Stetson, they decided to don some Dunitz & Company fair trade kippot. Silly? Yes. Fun? Definitely.

2016. For Christmas, the mascots proudly wore Dunitz & Company necklaces. Me? I put on a Santa's helper outfit. Shall I saw I borrowed the outfit and body. Ah, the magic of Photoshop.















Seems 2017 was an oversight as well. Can't find a card in my files. Certainly our best wishes were in tow. They always are. Hey, go back to the top of this blog. And there you'll find our updated 2018 group shot. An updated version from 2016. But, heck, the dogs got new necklaces.  Happy Holidays and Best Wishes from Dunitz & Company for a healthy, happy, prosperous and fun New Year. See you in 2019! -ND

What I Say about Living Coral - Pantone's 2019 Choice

My color planning and choices for Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry for the upcoming Spring season have been long put to bed. Shades of deep orange have been super popular for Spring clothing for several years now.  And 2019 projections seem no different. Many of the designers whose names we easily recognize decked their models in vibrant variations of coral for this Spring's runway. It's no wonder that after several years, Pantone has named "Living Coral" their Color of the Year.

I have mixed feelings about this. What I've learned is our customers don't always follow trends when it comes to purchasing their jewelry. Because "Coral" was so big in clothing the last few years, Dunitz & Company chose to offer jewelry in similar shades. Check out Bev in our photo to the right. This pic is from a couple of years ago and she is, yes, outfitted in "Living Coral". She's a stunner. The jewelry is stunning. Truth be told, this color way has never been a particularly good seller for us. Why do I offer it? There's always a small group of women that adore (and purchase jewelry in) coral. Also, our customers NEED choices. Offer them coral. They'll buy the aqua blue. (Yes, "shades of blue" always win over Rose Quartz, Serenity, Greenery, Ultra-Violet, and I'm sure Living Coral.)

So, what's a jewelry designer, whose collection is based on color to do? Dunitz & Company's Spring 2019 colors were chosen and created long before Pantone made their recent announcement.  And somehow, I'm right on track. A great track, I think.  Each year we offer 12 different color ways in our seed bead and our Joanie M fused glass collections. You better believe that a majority of our offerings include various hues of jade and sapphire. Did I say blue sells?  But if you were reading, you also read that other colors sell albeit in smaller quantities. Offering many choices always our customers to reaffirm their favorites.

Guess what? Dunitz & Company is offering variants of Living Coral for Spring 2019. In our popular fused glass line we'll have some stunning pieces in what I have lovingly referred to as a dark melon shade. Perhaps I should now call it ‘Living Coral’ so I sound as if I'm in the know.  For production, I call it "Color #128". What do you think? Even without Pantone's announcement, Dunitz & Company is right on the pulse.







For our beaded jewelry, I was particularly influenced by the recent Emilio Pucci runway. Several of Pucci's fabrics combined wonderful shades of dark melon (aka Living Coral) with various shade of pink and in some cases, splashes of turquoise.  That inspiration resulted in, yes production "Color #363". I chose a strong bead that more resembles the inside of a cantaloupe and coupled it with pale nectar and the never-ending popular millennial pink. Sure hope our customers love it as much as I do.





As I was getting ready to complete this post, I received an email sharing Dayna Isom Johnson's (Etsy's trend maven) most recent blog entry.  She has anointed Etsy's Color of the Year as "Burnt Orange". Where I see her choice a bit dark for Spring clothing and jewelry, it sure follows suit. Similar color. Same family. Stay turned to the Dunitz Etsy Shop and you're sure to find some Living Coral, Burnt Orange, Cantaloupe, Melon colored options.


So there you have it. My two cents about Living Coral and Pantone's 2019 choice.  Keep your eye on Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry.  If you're a retailer, our Spring 2019 collections will be up on our wholesale site soon.  Looking to buy for you? You can easily do that too. We're here to help. Did you know our websites also have a store locator? Perhaps there is a retailer near you where you can see, touch and feel our jewelry before purchasing.

Tell me what you think about my thoughts on Living Coral. I'd love to hear from you. - ND

Etsy Finds - Loved & Tested

You all know Dunitz & Company sells fair trade jewelry and kippot. I often write about the fair trade aspects of what I do. What I may not focus on enough is that our line is all handmade. We love handmade. I love handmade. I love supporting makers from the USA and other faraway places. Dunitz sells on Etsy. And I also believe in supporting other artists selling on Etsy. Here are a few of my favorites, not in any particular order. They might be your next favorite too!

1. JANELLE SONGER'S CERAMICS - I'm crazy for Janelle's ceramics. She is so talented. I discovered her years ago on Etsy and purchased a vase from her (as an Etsy guest) for a wedding gift. Soon after, I learned my niece, Helen Gotlib, also an artist, was acquainted with Janelle. Small world. Then again, they both live in Michigan, from where I originally come. I have a couple of Janelle's pieces in my home. The cup shown here, a gift from Helen, is now my favorite piece in my bathroom. I started using it to conserve water while brushing my teeth. (Don’t let that water run endlessly!) https://www.etsy.com/shop/janellesonger




2. IZEPH DELIGHTS, ISAIAH JOSEPH - If you know anything about me, you know I'm a world traveler. You might not know that I'm coconut crazy. Randomly I searched on Etsy for coconut edibles. This led me to Isaiah's shop. And I've been drooling ever sense. He's originally from Dominica. That means his baked offerings have a Caribbean flair. Typical fudge is creamy.  His coconut fudge has a grittier texture, something I've experienced with desserts from other parts of the world such as India and Guatemala. His fudge transports me to other places far far away from Los Angeles, where I current live. Recommended. https://www.etsy.com/shop/IzephDelights



3. WOVENFINDS CO. - Lina from Woven Finds has been developing wonderful handbags with artisans in Morocco that are made from local palm. They're strong and fashionable. And she personally knows many of the artisans she works with since she was a kid. Her business is young. Yet she's so savvy when it comes to her new designs. She really has a pulse on what hip women want to carry. I've been toting around this small clutch when I don't need to carry the 'kitchen sink'. And I know, you know what I mean.  (Yes, that's a Dunitz bracelet I'm modeling with my purse!) https://www.etsy.com/shop/WovenFindsCo




4. CRICKET N WILLOW, SUSAN PALOMINO - Are you crazy for handmade soap? Then do I ever had a great suggestion for you! Not only does Susan's soap smell great and last long, it is beautifully wrapped. (Each bar is ready for gift giving, assuming you don't keep everything you purchase for yourself, as I did!) She only uses organic and natural components when making her soap. And she has so many appealing soap choices you'll have a tough time deciding which one you want to try first. At least it was tough for me. (Yes, my bracelets again!) https://www.etsy.com/shop/CricketnWillow 





5. ALMA POTTERY, LAVINIA HANACHUIC - Lavinia has such a whimsical style. And she never rests on her laurels. She's always creating new and innovative things. The punch line: if you see something in her Etsy shop that interests you, snag it. Because next month you'll see she's creating something different. I have one of her pieces hanging out next to my stereo receiver. And every time I go to turn on my music, I can't help but smile. https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlmaPottery

6. CYNTHIA WEBB DESIGNS - I'm personally acquainted with Cynthia for many years since we "grew up" in the wholesale business together. We both sell to boutiques all over the USA. We both now also offer up our work on Etsy. Her amazing designs in pewter are sure to please, from framed wall art to 'room blessings', which to some resemble mezuzahs. I think her little tickets make the best gifts. And since mine were purchased and given away, I'm posting her photo. Who can't ever have enough hugs? Or give too many? https://www.etsy.com/shop/cynthiawebbdesigns





7. MUSTANG LEATHER SHOPPE, SANDY RACINE - When it comes to our doberman mascots, you KNOW I'm serious.  This is why when Stetson's collar fell apart this year, I was on a mission to find something handsome, unique and perfect for him. I found leather tooling expert extraordinaire Sandy from Ohio on Etsy. And now Stetson looks quite dapper as you can see in this photo. Sandy also knocks it out the park with her one-of-a-kind leather handbags. You can see more on her shop page. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mustangleathershoppe





8.  DUNITZ, NANCY DUNITZ - How can I NOT mention my own Etsy shop when sharing all of my other favorites?  So, once again, I ask that you visit the Dunitz Etsy page. As of this date, the earrings here have been my best seller on Etsy. I can't tell you why? Maybe my SEO for this item is perfect! And/or, as I always say, "everyone loves blue!" You could soon be wearing a pair of these beauties too. Heck, and the matching bracelet too :). https://www.etsy.com/shop/dunitz





There you have it! My standout Etsy Finds - Loved & Tested. Of course I want you all to discover, love and wear Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry.  I also love the idea of you personally enjoying my Etsy favorites. -ND