A Review and Giveaway!

A review of Graceful Leigh by Ally Chew

I am excited to announce a review of Graceful Leigh by Ally Chew on Instagram!

Ally will kindly be hosting a giveaway of the bracelet below on her Instragram site. I will be sure to post as soon as the giveaway begins.

A Graceful Leigh charm bracelet to be given away soon!

Retreat Excitement Builds

I am working on packing up jewelry items and tools to ship to Tucson for Art Retreat in the Desert. I am getting extremely excited.

Taking these with me!

The first day, Thursday, we are all going to the Gem and Lapidary Wholesales show, an enormous bead show. The other days are workshop days. I am taking two classes taught by Riki Schumacher.

I am greatly looking forward to learning some new techniques and improving on others. For instance, though I have taken numerous online soldering workshops, I still am not as skilled as I would like to be with a torch. I am hoping in-person instruction will help me figure out what I am not doing correctly.

Have any of you attended an art retreat?

A Lockables binder for findings and tools.

Feeling Treasured

I am excited to have a bracelet featured in this Etsy Treasury:

'The Most Sacred Heart of All' by foodforthesoul

A Christian who lives united to Christ's heart can have no goals but these: peace in society, peace in the Church, peace in his soul, the peace of God which will reach its climax when his kingdom comes.~ St. Josemaria Escriva

Holy water bottle1 ... mariesegal $19.99	Sacred heart tin or... TheVirginRose $32.00	Take 20% OFF SALE V... DissyBs $22.00	Prayer Chaplet - Sa... RaesSpirit $15.00
Sale- GUADALUPE Mil... VINTAGELOURDES $56.00	Single decade rosar... kirstenjd $10.00	Sacred Heart of Jes... diddywadiddy $16.00	Day of the Dead VIR... illustratedink $15.50
Sacred Heart Image ... StLudmillasJoy $6.00	The Sacred Heart Br... ReSouledForeve... $7.95	Vintage Calendar Sa... blackforestros... $8.00	French Antique Sacr... fredsprayer $35.00
Stunning SACRED HEA... mariposafuerte $24.50	Sacred Immaculate H... TheWoodwifesWa... $20.00	Sacred Heart of Jes... MarysPrayers $7.00	Sacred Heart Jesus ... GracefulLeigh $35.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Extremely Busy Crafting Week

In addition to the charm bracelet I created a few days ago, I have finished up two more bracelets as well as a necklace.

For sale at Graceful Leigh

The first bracelet in silver tone, includes some of my all-time favorite vintage, religious finds. I used a silver-tone Rosary connector to attach both halves of the medium-weight chain link. I added a bead drop from this. The red cross is a vintage lucite piece. There are other cross charms, an angel charm, as well as some mini Saint Medals.

This is for sale ass well at Graceful Leigh. 

This second charm bracelet features a blue, enameled Crucifix at its center. One of my favorite vintage finds- the Catholic Baptism shell charm that opens to reveal Jesus and Mary on one side and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the other. Two Milagros charms are also present.

Buy this at Graceful Leigh

My final, recent creation is a statement charm necklace. I love the vintage angel that is the focal point of this statement charm necklace. Her bell moves! Vintage, Italian crosses in red and blue enamel appear beside vintage Catholic Saint Medals. I hung everything from a highly unusual, heavy-weight, vintage chain. I also added coordinating bead drops in reds and blues.

My creative frenzy was brought about because I was almost sold out of bracelets and necklaces. In fact, I still need to craft some more!

Also, it is not much longer now before I head off to Art Retreat in the Desert February 7-10!

How Charming!

Available from Graceful Leigh's Etsy Store

A gold-plated cross of Caravaca (Cara Vaca) is the heart of this bulky charm bracelet design. This cross style is especially popular in Mexico and this one includes angels, a skull, and crossbones. Various, vintage charms adorn the rest of the bracelet, including horses, hearts, a great flower, and vintage Saint Medals. A heart and arrow toggle clasp adds a nice finishing touch to this statement making piece of jewelry. Small, glass beads add accents of color. 

Available from Graceful Leigh's Etsy Store

And just in time, too- my store was almost out of bracelets again!

Beads and Dog Tags

I always look forward to the periodic 50% off sales the my favorite local bead shop, The Bead Shoppe holds. Today was one such day! Is it a bad sign that every employee there knows me well????

While there, I made sure to pick a few things for my son, Liam. Those who follow my blog may recall that he loves to create his own jewelry. I got him some cute rhino beads, colorful beads, and a glass star. He says he likes the star best.

Here is a peek of some of the items I purchased today. Don't you love these colors? I love pink and green. The palette makes me think of spring.

Yummy colors of greens and light pink.

An order was also placed for three of my custom, St. Francis dog tags. I am working hard on that as well as the bracelet I am recreating for a customer. 

A Busy New Year

Epiphany Blessing to all. Hope you each had a wonderful Holiday season and are enjoying a Happy New Year!

Pentecost necklace

I am hitting the ground running. I am shipping out the necklace pictured above tomorrow.

I am also hard at work on a special order. One customer purchased the bracelet below and it was stolen from her. So, she asked if I could recreate it for her. I am going to do my best, though some of the vintage elements may be hard to replicate.

Keys of Heaven bracelet