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Small Business Saturday spotlight: Nanny Goat Jewels

Nov 22, 2015 | Arts & Culture

By Lauren Kirchmyer

Nancy Moran credits her friend with changing her life forever. “She took a jewelry class and brought home a bracelet she had made,” Moran said. “Her comment to me was, ‘You think you’re so artsy, make this!’”

She took her friend up on the challenge and went to a local retail craft store to purchase a jewelry magazine and supplies. She taught herself how to make a bracelet.

“Incidentally, the bracelet my friend made was the only piece of jewelry she ever made,” said Moran, who quickly fell in love with creating new designs. The beginning of her design career took place during the year 1998, with her first designs being sold at a local spa in Amherst. She soon expanded her line and began to sell her jewelry at local craft shows.

“When I first began designing, my friends all told me how good my things were and they bought them. I thought they were being nice because they were friends,” Moran said. “When I sold my first piece to a stranger who really seemed to love what she was buying, I lost it. I was so thrilled somebody appreciated what I had done.”

Though she sells her products locally, her line has been purchased and taken back to not only states across our country, but also Canada, England, Africa and Germany. “It is totally unbelievable and mind blowing,” she shared. “My experiences with making and selling my jewelry has fulfilled my need to ‘create’ something I feel is beautiful and makes others happy.”

Currently her line of jewelry – sold under the business name Nanny Goat Jewels – consists of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She also dabbles in hair jewelry in the form of fascinators and recently began making “table jewelry” in the form of teacups and saucers holding mini brooch bouquets.

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She makes her jewelry out of anything that catches her eye.Along with ceramics, glass and metal beads that are found in craft stores, she will also order pieces of dismantled vintage jewelry, watch parts, twine, ribbon, locks, keys and odd trinkets.

“I think my designs are unique because I love to combine elements that usually don’t belong together like rhinestones and rope, lace and chain, and skulls and anything. I love skulls,” Moran said. I make statement pieces, traditional mainstream-type jewelry and really off-the-wall stuff. I also like to keep them affordable.”

Nanny Goats 2Her creations are inspired by fun, thinking outside the box and the desire to be different. “I love people who want to make a statement, those who are not afraid to wander away from the rest of the crowd and express themselves,” she said. “Fun, funky and fabulous is my mission statement!”

Nanny Goat Jewels is available at Canalside a few times a season, at the Quaker Arts Festival in Orchard Park, the Buffalove Fest at the Buffalo Zoo, as well as at various local arts and craft shows in the area. The designs may also be purchased through the business’ Facebook page or by sending an email to Na***********@gm***.com.

“I have met so many wonderful Buffalonians as well as visitors to the area at Canalside, animal lovers at the Zoo’s Buffalove Fest, and have made new acquaintances and some people I am proud to call new friends,” Moran said. “To have a ‘following’ is unbelievable to me. I love making others happy with my designs … that’s what it is all about for me!”

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