Christmas and Cyber Monday Sale!

Just a quick post to announce that Graceful Leigh is having a Cyber Monday through Christmas sale!!! 30% off all items storewide.  Includes ALL CUSTOM orders!

**Excludes gift cards.**

Use code: CYBERXMAS at checkout.

Public Domain Image

Silver Tones

Because I am joining Daughters of the King next month, I will soon begin wearing the silver cross that all Daughters wear. I tend to favor gold tone jewelry, as you may have guessed if you are familiar with my designs.

Holy Spirit Medal

Now I have begun to consider more silver tone designs to wear with my cross of the Order. Although I do wear silver now and then, depending upon my outfit, it will be strange to don my Daughters of the King cross daily and think through different ways to layer other necklaces with it.

This necklace is for sale in my Graceful Leigh shop!

Don't forget, I have an ongoing 15 % off sale at Graceful Leigh. Now that I am finished with Thanksgiving preparations and guests, I am planning to get busy crafting again!

Victorian Style

Victorian period clothing and jewelry (I love the hair pieces!). 

I copied this image from an antique magazine I have from the 1880s. Victorian style was actually quite eclectic with differing influences like Romanticism, Gothic revival, Elizabethan, and others. Floral motifs were present in many Victorian pieces of jewelry.

Metalwork such as filigree was very popular. This was also a time when cameos were very much in demand. (Hmm I seem to recall some of these elements coming back in vogue during the 1980s!). I think of this time period as being very romantic, with a stress on femininity.

Daughters of the King

Public Domain Image

I realize I have fallen behind! I have been swamped since my son's Birthday at the end of October. I have been consumed both by church activities and volunteering to help with a fundraising auction for my son's school.

One church activity that has taken some of my time has been my discernment process for joining the Order of Daughters of the King. I am extremely excited that will be accepted as a new member in December. I have come to realize that, through Daughters of the King, God is calling me to deepen my commitment to Him; to put Him first in my life; and to not shy away from evangelism and service in His name.

And, being me, I have been thinking through some necklace designs that may compliment the traditional silver cross we wear as members of the Order.

Retreating to the Desert

Wikimedia Commons Public Domain Picture of  a Harris Hawk in Tuscon

This February, I am participating in my first real life (non-virtual) art retreat called Art Retreat in the Desert in Tucson  AZ.  Every time I think of it, I am exceedingly excited, and wish I could race around the room screaming with glee like my son does when he is enthusiastic about something.

The retreat is a combined 40th Birthday and Christmas gift from my husband. The instructors will be: jewelry artist Diane Cook, jewelry designer Deryn Mentock (and the lady from whom I have taken several classes, including my current Alchemy of Objects workshop), mixed media artist JoAnnA Pierotti , Jewelry designer Richard Salley, and jewelry designer Jessica Papke.

I am looking forward to learning from some great instructors, gaining the expereince of an art retreat, and going to a city I have never visited.

St. Augustine Cathedral, Tucson, Arizona
Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

Victorian Mourning Jewelry and Fundraising Necklace

 This week, for The Alchemy of Objects workshop lesson 5, the challenge was focal pieces. For this challenge, I paired a Victorian mourning brooch with a coordinating black cross pendant. I then used faceted, black beads to pick up on the faceted nature of the brooch and cross. The back has a vintage rhinestone clasp and a vintage Medal.

I used a Victorian Mourning Brooch paired with a black cross as the necklace focal. 

This week, I also created a necklace to donate to my son's school for their silent auction fundraiser. It features a handmade clay bird from Firefly Design Studio. I used marbleized agate stones that compliment the green of the pendant.

I also drilled a hole in the bottom to add a coordinating charm dangle. The back features a vintage box clasp and bronze bird dangle, picking up on the bird theme.

A bird necklace crafted for a silent auction. 

Vintage Coin Purse Necklace

As part of the Alchemy of Objects Workshop with Deryn Mentock, I was hard at work this past week on a necklace. This necklace focused on proportion as well as transferring an image to leather. 

A flower transfer decorates the front of a vintage coin purse

I paired vintage beads with red, lampwork beads, ending with a vintage clasp and coordinating dangle.This piece is surprisingly comfortable when worn, despite the bulky focal. 

Here is a close up of a brass book I created. I used "messy" soldering on purpose and thought the floral stamping would pick up on the flower transfer. I also used photocopied antique book passages inside the tiny book. 

I am still going to add a good luck charm of some sort inside the purse. I was also thinking of donating this piece to a fundraising auction at my son's school.