Queen Elizabeth II: 60 Years Strong

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Today marks the accession of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. 60 years ago today, her father, King George VI died, leaving Elizabeth to rule in his stead.

Wars, political and personal strife, economic downturn, family deaths, she has persevered through it all. No one is perfect, and many will take the opportunity to say nasty things about the monarchy, but for all the negatives that may be, no one (or government, for that matter) is perfect, and I am still very happy to have a Royal Family for Canada. The tradition, history and safety of our monarchy is vital to our country's well being. It means that there is always another step to our political processes, and our laws and amendments always have to go for final approval through her, even though she may be more figurehead now than active, hands-on ruler in Canada.

I am proud and happy to see the Royal Family as it continues to the next generation. His Royal Highness Prince William and his wife, the lovely Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have their work cut out for them in the future, but if they can work as hard as Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and for even half as long, we'll be standing in good stead.

Many may pooh-pooh the Queen, but consider: She pays taxes, amounting to millions of English Pounds (or Euro) per year, which is great for the English economy, and she works - hard. Our Queen works hard, every day. She has a schedule that most 30-year-old's would balk at, never mind a woman in her 80's. She tirelessly helps so many, even if they don't even know it. When many would be slowing down, retiring, spending time in leisure, Queen Elizabeth does not. She is a remarkable inspiration to anyone, Monarch-lover or not.

While the official celebrations aren't scheduled to start until June, I say we celebrate our Queen, thank her for her services and be grateful for her hard work and dedication to our country.

Thank you Your Majesty, we love you. God Bless the Queen!

Tuesday's Treasures: A Bracelet for Queen Victoria

As promised, here is the newest piece of jewelry in my NeoAmour (New Love) line! This substantial piece, inspired by Queen Victoria, was worth your wait to see it!
Queen Victoria was a very strong woman. Ruling during the Industrial Revolution, she helped Britain become (once again) a super power among the world. She survived numerous assassination attempts. Widowed after many years of marriage, she never stopped mourning, so strong was her love of her husband. However, her love of jewelry and adornment was a close second - she even had a miniature crown made for 'everyday' wear! This bracelet is for her - black for mourning, but with a nice amount of sparkle.
This is one heavy bracelet! I used over 60 GRAMS of teeny, tiny Czech glass seed beads (approximately 2000 beads!!), in opaque black and silver lined crystal, that were each INDIVIDUALLY hand sewn into place with over 20 yards of beading thread. This took me well over 10 hours (I lost count after that actually - it is probably closer to 20), and is so beautiful and substantial, this is going to make someone very happy.

I will be listing this in my Etsy shop today, please let me know what you think, and please do take a gander at my Etsy shop for all sorts of delightful goodies that will make you feel wonderful every time you put them on :)

Remember to enter my monthly contest by adding your name and email to my monthly newsletter (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

New Elizabeth 1 Tudor Rose Bracelet

Tuesday is here and as promised, here is the newest installment of my NeoAmour collection! This bracelet is based on Elizabeth 1, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (yes, that Anne Boleyn). She came to the throne after her half sister Mary (AKA Bloody Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII and Catharine of Spain) died, with no money, very little in the way of military defense, half the country (as Catholics) hating her, and the rest of the world wanting to invade her country or marry her to make it easier to rule her country.
By the end of her reign (known as the "Golden Age"), she had never married, by choice, defended herself and her country against numerous attacks, and had brought her country from near poverty to a time of incredible prosperity. This was one woman with no equal and it is in her memory that I made this.

~click the image above to go to a larger version~

I made this bracelet over a period of 2 days, taking a little over 8 hours to make. I based the colors on the Tudor Rose, a symbol of her family's house. It is about 1/2 inch wide, perfect for dressing up or down. I used black Czech glass seed beads for the base, green Czech glass seed beads for the small leaves, and Japanese glass seed beads for the rose - a gold center surrounded by an opalescent white with a red border.
I tapered the ends and then made a custom sterling silver "S" clasp, attaching a safety chain for extra security.
I like this bracelet so much that I am keeping this one, but I will be listing a custom version for sale in my Etsy store, so that you will be able to get it in the perfect length for you! Please do stop by and have a look at all of the wonderful pieces available, and any feedback would be most welcome :)

Thanks for visiting today, be sure to enter my free earring giveaway here and please keep checking back for more jewelry, particularly on Tuesdays for new pieces from my NeoAmour Collection.
Have a happy Tuesday,