I adore this woman Janine Binneman who makes the most appealing and enchanting pieces of jewellery, so I decided to find out more about her inspirations, her bucket list and what she's currently working on:
Did you always want to be a jewellery designer?
I always loved making things as a kid; I would mission around with a pair of scissors, glue and a stapler! I had a troop of paper dolls with hand coloured dresses, baby dolls with tiny handmade shoes and Ken Doll who I blinged out to the max!
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration is without a doubt the biggest 'Rockstar Chick', Mother Nature.
Just look around - the Ombre colours in the changing seasons, the vibrant colours of the sea and the way the light changes colours we see on a daily basis!
What are you currently working on?
I’m obsessed with Gemstones (another one of Mother Nature’s gifts) and currently planning my next gemstone hunting trip to Asia in September. I am working on a gem focused line which I'm not too sure of the deets, but watch this space; there will defs be loads of colour!
What does a normal day involve?
Each day is crazy busy and totally unique. I’m lucky enough to see clients daily as I love the vibe they bring into our creative space. I get to make their bling dreams come true, which it epic.
I spend time designing, playing with gemstones, drawing and hand colouring each client’s design, (I’m old school like that). I work on the quotes for all the pieces, whilst getting to the daily grind of emails and correspondence. When I’m lucky I get a few hours at my jewellery work bench, but this is happening less and less as my business grows. I end my day off, generally after hours, by catching up on all my Istagram DM’s as I really love connecting with our tribe.
Your vice?
My Vice is Bubbly, the drier the better!
How do you switch off?
I switch off by reading for about an hour or two every night before I go to sleep as it stops me from making never-ending lists of what needs to be done tomorrow and the anxiety that goes hand in hand.
I start every Monday with a killer training session with two friends and a hard-core trainer as this keeps me focussed, fit and gets me ready to kick the week's butt. To calm me down, I do Yin Yoga and aerial yoga weekly.
A mantra for life?
My mantra is “ Mermaiding to the Max”, living my life as me and doing as much as I can in the best possible way that is totally me.
Beauty product you love?
My top beauty product is my Vichy BB cream with SPF50. I carry a tube in my bag and never leave the house without it on my face! It has great coverage, is non-sticky and a high SPF!
What living person do you most admire?
I admire strong, unapologetic women like Pink, Brene’ Brown, Shonda Rhimes.
On home soil I admire a friend of mine, Abigail Sheridan, who started Chic Mamas do Care- a charity that collects and sells previously loved clothing. All the funds goes into educational projects focussing on preschool learning and school readiness. In the short time of 5 years we have raised over R5 million that has been redistributed into our local communities. This was her dream and it is now a reality. The only way to change our future is to focus on our kids education. I feel super proud to one of the trustees of Chic Mamas.
Greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance is buying Gemstones- lucky for me, I can sell them! I get the adrenaline buzz of hunting them, the retail therapy of paying for them and then the joy of seeing them go off to live with their new families- seriously it’s the best.
Any regrets?
I don’t have any regrets. I totally believe that the choices I’ve made have brought me to my now and it’s pretty damn amazing! When I turned 40, I decided that I would travel for my work, which I’ve made happen, so I now travel twice a year to go gem hunting!
Your favourite travel destination?
I love to travel, it’s up there with my gemstone obsession! I love beaches and islands, (which mermaid wouldn’t)? I’m also a total culture vulture, where Italy holds my heart, steeped in history, the old streets, galleries - total bliss! I hope to spend teh rest of my life travelling!
On your bucket list?
So many things on my bucket list like the Northern Lights, Iceland, Machu Pichu, Peru, the Easter Islands, Madagascar, the Camino and so many others!
I hope you enjoyed that - I sure did! You see, Janine is full of life, love and everything!!
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Happy Wednesday peeps!!
Cath