From Slavery Comes Creative and Physical Freedom - Made By Survivors

Made By Survivors is a not-for-profit dedicated to the economic empowerment of women worldwide, addressing global poverty and marginalization of women. 

This information is a Guest Post by Dianna Badalament, Jewelry Program Manager at Made By Survivors.

Established in 2005, Made By Survivors empowers women who have survived human rights abuses including: human trafficking, slavery, rape, child marriage and extreme poverty, coupled with limited education. 

We train and employ survivors in a highly technical craft: Jewelry Arts. 

We also create opportunities for survivors to learn business and entrepreneurship so they can have long-term financial stability and transform their communities from within. 

In 2009, the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking’s Siren Report indicated reasons why economic empowerment should be a priority in aiding a human trafficking survivor:
· It is what survivors often say they want and need
· Involvement in economic activities requires participation in a wider community    

  contributing to social reintegration
· It can reduce stigmas and also be socially empowering
· It reduces the risk of further exploitation

There is an array of inspiring news about Made By Survivors that I’d like to brief you about: 

· Made By Survivors’ unique sterling silver jewelry - affordable, quality, handmade, fair trade jewelry

· Made By Survivor stories of perseverance and hope from our artisans: Baby and Soma

· Founder’s story, a family radically changes their lives and works together to make an impact

· Why Made By Survivors is different from other non-profits:
> 100% of profits go to support rescue, shelter building, education and employment.
> MBS centers are designed so they can be independent, self-sustaining, and survivor-owned within three years of launch.
> Our survivor-metalsmiths are breaking gender barriers. Metalsmithing is traditionally a male-only profession in many parts of the world.

The transformation in the survivors as they move through our programs is one of dramatic improvement financially, emotionally, and socially.  The products they create are of great pride to the artisan-survivors and the best way to support them is to buy their quality, fair trade, handmade products atwww.MadeBySurvivors.com and wear them or gift them.  Through MBS’s website, donors can also sponsor children for school or donate to support our many programs.    

Made By Survivors Products can be purchased at: http://www.madebysurvivors.com/

6th Annual Halstead Grant - Winner Announced!

Halstead Bead, Inc. announces the winner of the 6th Annual Halstead Grant for Jewelry Business Entrepreneurs. 

Philadelphia-area designer Layne Freedline of Layne Designs is the winner of the 2011 Halstead Grant for jewelry entrepreneurs. The prestigious award includes a $5,000 small business grant as well as $1,000 of jewelry supplies from the grant sponsor Halstead Bead Inc.

Layne Designs jewelry features unusual gems set in handcrafted sterling silver settings. Her line showcases stones such as jasper, druzy and labradorite with paisley inspired silver accents. Freedline plans to use the grant funds to expand her website and exhibit at a national industry trade show.

In response to winning the award Freedline said, “I am very grateful for Halstead Bead Inc., for the encouragement that this grant offers. The handmade marketplace is blossoming from this kind of motivation toward strong business practices.”

The grant is awarded to a new jeweler each year in recognition of design aptitude and business strategy. Qualified candidates must submit lengthy applications including their portfolios of original jewelry and business plan details.

“Layne submitted one of the best business plans we have seen in our six years of judging this competition. We were blown away.” said judge, Hilary Scott. “She is a talented metalsmith with an infectious passion for her craft.”

Freedline received her jewelry arts training at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. She is continuing her education by pursuing a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America. In addition to running her own studio, she also teaches jewelry classes at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, PA.

Layne Designs is dedicated to fine quality craftsmanship so that each piece may be treasured as an heirloom. Founder, Layne Freedline has a passion for the beauty of hand-wrought metal objects. She brings to the craft a sleek, modern style with ties to the natural and cosmic.A fascination with the earth's gems and fossils has peppered her high fashion collection with unusual gems from around the world."There is nothing like holding a gem in your hand, a sparkling treasure from the earth, and honoring it with a beautiful setting for the joy of a beautiful woman."

Layne Designs joins a distinguished roster of Halstead Grant recipients since the program began six years ago. For more information and applications for the 2012 Halstead Grant check the Grant website later this year.

Latest From MJSA! Handbook on Effective Pricing...

WOW - the timing couldn't be better - with all the Trade Shows - Art and Holiday Fairs just around the corner...MJSA - the leader in information for the Trade has announced the latest addition to the Members Bookshelf!


From the MJSA Press Release:
MJSA, the U.S. trade association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, has published The MJSA Handbook on Effective Pricing: Determining Expenses, Selling Value, and Maximizing Profits. The PDF publication contains the best of pastMJSA Journal and MJSA Custom Jeweler articles on this perennially popular subject, offering strategies for pricing both finished jewelry and repair work.

The Handbook includes best practices for cost accounting (including a step-by-step guide to factoring in overhead costs, one of the most-overlooked areas in pricing); pricing uniqueness in a design, including custom work; and turning a repair operation into a profit center. It also provides successful strategies developed by working designers and jewelers, such as Susan Helmich, Mark Morrell, and David Geller.

The MJSA Handbook on Effective Pricing is free to MJSA members, can be downloaded from the MJSA website, mjsa.org . Non-members can order the Handbook through the online MJSA Bookstore for $9.95.

About MJSA 

MJSA is the U.S. trade association for jewelry makers, designers, and related suppliers. It provides the resources to achieve professional excellence and maintain a competitive edge. For more information, call MJSA at 1-800-444-6572 or visit www.mjsa.org.