Gone...for a while

Well, it's already gone, my Aquamarine Rosary. Lasted about 24 hours in the shops. This is what you missed--but I'll bring it back in a couple weeks. There was a lot of interest in it, so if you were one of the interested parties, you might want to connect with me before it relists. You can contact me at my shop at Etsy (leave me a convo there)....

Thanks for all your interest in the Rosary. It made my day, a miserable summer cold at full power day, much nicer! I'm off to cough myself to sleep tonight, but I'll dream of a beautiful Aquamarine sea in the sun...
j

FREE Bracelet Giveaway!!

Our Etsy Rosary Guild, of which I am a PROUD member, is starting a new tradition--a monthly giveaway of one of the member's items absolutely Free.
I'm honored to be the first chosen, and here is my offering--

The bracelet is Sterling Silver, Lamp Work and Pearls, and Swarovski Crystals.
The entry rules and more info is available on our Etsy Rosary Guild Blog. To visit (and enter) Click Here.
You can enter as often as you like, starting Memorial Day at 8am and continuing for 8 weeks. Winner will be chosen at random by random.com.
Don't miss your chance at this lovely bracelet, valued at $25!
PS--Maxx vonMeow says it works great as a dress up kitty collar!
j

Chalcedony and Aquamarine -- Pastels Everywhere,!

I've been keeping busy over this vacation week, wrapping beads every day and building up the shop inventory.  I had two lovely sets of beads in pastels, and summer is the perfect time for them, so...

ON THE BEAD BOARD
Aquamarine has always had an audience, and this is seriously good Aqua with the slight green tinge that sets Aquamarine apart from other blue stones. These stones are lovely, pale seafoam, and there is a LOT of Sterling Silver here. I always go full tilt with Aquamarine, because the bright Sterling punches up the color so beautifully!

My other pastel is a wonderful periwinkle violet, done in Chalcedony. This is a completely natural violet, found in nature, and is neither dyed nor heat treated. Try Googling Chalcedony and you'll see pictures of this stone in the rough. I added a little sparkle with Swarovski Crystal, and the White Turquoise Paters accentuate the pastel Aves nicely..

Both are in the shop now.

And finally, I'm trying to keep a Poppy Jasper Traditional Rosary in the shops--trouble is, they sell quickly. Perfect for a pocket or purse--or if you simply like the smaller, more traditional sizing--these Rosaries are made to last through a lifetime of daily use. Though I usually  use a St Francis theme with a San Damiano Crucifix, I ventured out a little with this one:

Notice the Moonstone accents with their blue flash?

VACATION NOTES

It is drawing to an end *Sniff* -- and I've gotten hold of a Perfect Storm of a summer cold, slowing down my Rosary production plans as I cough and wheeze through the day. And I managed to avoid a cold all winter, too! Seems rather unfair! Squeaker has her own ideas of how I should spend my day -- if she was relaxed at my last blog, she's limp as a towel today and showing me how to totally relax (or is it yoga?) in the midst of my misery! 

All for now,   J

Garnet's Here --and More!!

ON THE BEAD BOARD

The Garnet I spoke of earlier is in the shop! And it's very opulent indeed! The color is magnificent, clear and deep but obviously red even in low light. And in sun...o my....

 It's vacation week for me, and finally some quantity time to spend at the bead board! For you Benedictine Oblates and those who have a devotion to St Benedict, I'm offering a Labradorite (black moonstone) Rosary with the classic St Benedict Crucifix.

All that you love about Rainbow Moonstone is present in these mysterious, foggy gray stones--turn them and see the changing flashes of blue, green, orange/red and occasionally purple that seem to come from deep inside the ash-gray stones. The stones are anything but dull!!! And they blend beautifully with the Pewter and Enamel Crucifix that hasn't changed in the last 100 years or so.
St Benedict is a strong Protector from Evil, and his prayer of exorcism is abreviated on his medal, which is embedded in the Cross. The medal is explained beautifully by the Order of St Benedict's web page at http://www.osb.org/gen/medal.html --click on the link to be directed to the page.
And visit my shop to see this and more--http://HeartFeltRosaries.com .

KITTY VACATION
My vacation is here at home, cleaning, wrapping beads and spending time with the furry quadrupeds. The furkids got a break in the weather and I'm able  to keep the windows open so they can air themselves and sniff the neighborhood smells.  Squeaker shows me how to relax:

The catnip and kitty treats are flowing freely, and we all listen to EWTN for our edification. The kitties remains faithful...must share a LOL from icanhascheezburger.com, a funny, goofy site I love to visit...

All for now, time for the mid-morning cat massage and petting fest...j

Citrine Rosary is back on the menu!

Some of you may remember my period of citrine madness last year ....I still have some beautiful stones, lovely sunshine yellow, carefully faceted waiting for inspiration.  Well, it came in the form of a custom Rosary, made to gift a special Priest--and I liked it so much I am going to make another for the shop!

I'll be working on it tomorrow, so look for it to be listed this week.

If I was looney for citrine last year, this year's version is moonstone. I just brought back my Ultimate Moonstone Rosary--

and some scrumptious peach moonstone/bronze Rosaries...

That wondrous inner glow that moonstone shows has got me hooked!
Do check out the shop...and contact me for more info or for custom requests!

Time to pet the kitties....

j

Saint Francis San Damiano (St Damian's) Rosary is back

ON THE BEADBOARD

I'd like to keep this Rosary listed at all times, but....so many things to do that I haven't listed it in a while.
This is a simple, exceedingly durable bronze Rosary, perfect for daily use--carry it in your pocket or purse!

 The ruined church of San Damiano (Saint Damian) was where St Francis of Assisi was praying when he heard The Lord say to him, 'Francis, repair my Church!'
The Blessed Saint thought Our Lord wanted him to repair the Chapel, but he soon realized that Our Lord had something greater in mind--the reformation of the Holy Church itself. And that he did, with great holiness and simplicity. For more about the life of this fearless yet gentle Saint, go to:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm

This traditional-sized Rosary features 6mm red-brown Poppy Jasper in honor of the Franciscans. The Aves are capped with bronze Bali Beads to accentuate the tone on tone swirls of color from cream to rich tan of the Mother of Pearl.
And on the back of the Crucifix is the Blessing Saint Francis gave to Brother Leo: The Lord Bless Thee and keep Thee; The Lord shine his face upon Thee and give Thee Peace (In Latin) with the great Tau of the Saint.
It's in the shop now, so do stop by HeartFeltRosaries and look around!

All for now, must cuddle kitties....

A Peachy Moonstone Tale!

ON THE BEAD BOARD

Moonstone--glorious Peach Moonstone with it's mysterious glow and the color of a rich, ripe peach (OK, beige with a rosy tint for the rest of you)! I have some, and I'm having a wonderful time making it up into glorious Rosaries!

I have two flavors for you: Ornate

 And Elegant--

I loved making both -- it is easy to design when the stones are beautiful, and these are top quality: even color, translucent not opaque, no spots or inclusions--just that foggy light from within that changes with your viewing angle.

The Elegant Rosary uses bronzite, with its golden overtones, for the Paters; while the more Ornate one showcases solid bronze Bali bead caps over golden lead crystal. You won't be able to see the crystal and the Paters will look like solid bali beads...until you hold them up to the light and see the sparkle!

Both Rosaries are in the shops now and at a very reasonable cost (considering the quality of the stones)--go to HeartfeltRosaries.com to see for yourself!

I have a little more of the moonstone on the way, so contact me if you have a custom order in mind--before its too late!

ALL QUIET IN THE MIDWEST..

The furkids wore themselves out playing after a little catnip session and are now sacked out, each in their own special favorite place--Squeaker in her much loved cardboard box, Elvis Purrsley in the cat tree by the screened and open window (the night is cool and beautiful), and Maxx vonMeow in the bed, waiting for his owner to finish this and call it a night.  So Goodnight to all and a pleasant day tomorrow...

j

A Garnet Primer -- and a new Rosary is on its Way...

I'm going to be busy today, folks...I have some spectacular Garnet on hand!!! See below for how I'm spending a lazy Saturday afternoon, but also, a little about Garnet. A part of our Ebay Rosary Guild Mission Statement addresses the need to honestly and fully describe the materials we use--You are a better buyer when you know what to look for--and what to avoid.

About Garnet...

Garnet comes in all kinds of colors, but the red is probably the most widely known. It is a nesosilicate, formed deep in the mantle or deep crust of the earth in great heat and great pressure. One particular type of Garnet is often found in the presence of Diamonds, formed in that same high pressure furnace, and Diamond prospectors use the presence of Garnet as an indicator of good things to come!

Colors include green (demantoid and grossular), cinnamon browns (hessionite, tsavorite), some lovely yellows, even black. Recently (1990s) a unique, color-change Garnet was discovered in Madagascar--blue green in morning light, red in strong afternoon light...and purple under incandescent!

Garnet is a fairly hard stone, and ranges form 6.5-7.5 on the 10 point Mohs Scale.

It was the most popular stone used by the ancient Romans and early barbarians, and there are many examples of gorgeous inlaid work of the 7th and 8th centuries found in England and Scotland.

Of course, there is good Garnet and not so good Garnet...look for transparency and a clear red ranging from claret to deep red with raspberry highlights in the best red variety stones. Lesser quality will be more opaque, have more inclusions, and often has muddy or black overtones--ick.

I love Garnet, but seldom find excellent quality in beads.  When I do hit the jackpot I buy as much as I can get, as it may be a long time before I see that quality again. I really hadn't seen much good Garnet in the last two or three years, but some sources say there has been a large, new find in Australia.

Not sure if that is why, but the Garnet I just obtained is near gem quality. Believe me, I did the happy dance when I came across it!

Garnet is a bear to photograph!!! But I've done the best I can to show you the color tones of these stones--as I said, nearly gem quality clear, saturated red that is easily noted even in low light, and luminous cranberry and raspberry highlights...

I blended A++ White Freshwater Pearls with the Garnet, and a hefty Bali bead for the Paters. I wanted to give the Rosary a Medieval feel--what do you think?
It should be listed this weekend--if I can get a good picture!

As always, contact me with questions or Custom requests...if you love Garnet, these are the nicest stones I've had in years, and though I'm trying to source more, for now...get them while you can

j