Tuesdays Treasures: Cleopatra's Fire and Sand Necklace

Cleopatra's Fire and Sand Necklace

So I completely forgot that yesterday was Valentine's Day (belated happy Valentine's Day, btw), and forgot that I had my whole day scheduled around making Valentine's day great for the husband. He takes great care of me, so I like to make at least one day all about him :)

As such, I didn't post this necklace yesterday, when I should have, and I'm sorry. Without further adieu, therefore, here is the necklace you've been waiting for!

This incredible pendant necklace comes from Cleopatra's story. Inspired by history (the Egyptians were known for their multi-pendant beaded necklaces), this will be the perfect addition to your wardrobe. Wear this with your jeans or a sexy dress, and see how this powerful statement necklace changes your outfit from nice to fantastic in a heartbeat!

I imagine Cleopatra as a strong woman, after ruling Egypt for years, meeting and falling in love with Marc Antony. After having his twins, I can see her having something like this necklace made to treat herself. With its large focal beads, and smooth, deep red carnelian beads, this would have appealed to her as a powerful statement piece. 

The necklace as it drapes when worn

Using three large Autumn Stone beads, carnelian stone beads, silver-lined gold Czech glass beads, black glass seed beads and 14karat gold filled findings, I finished the piece with a handcrafted "S" hook clasp. 14 karat gold filled Wire Guardians are used on all strand connections for extra durability and a stylish look.

This incredible One-Of-A-Kind necklace is now available in my Etsy store. Get it while you can, this one is so beautiful, you really should treat yourself! http://www.etsy.com/listing/93027010/cleopatras-fire-and-sand-carnelian

Tuesday's Treasures: Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

Today is such a treat, I've been waiting to unveil this little beauty for over 2 weeks! This is the newest necklace for my NeoAmour designer collection. It is inspired by the enigmatic Cleopatra, ruler of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians are very well known for their beautiful ancient jewelry - many pieces are found to have multiple strands, along with talismans and decorative pendants (seems they were quite ahead of the times in more than just architecture). Jewelry is depicted on many of the ancient tombs. It was a symbol of power, wealth and standing, and Cleopatra's jewelry would have been no different.

This necklace started out with this dramatic and unique focal bead, purchased from Louise of Fireseed (http://www.fireseed.etsy.com). She makes the most amazing beads, and I usually have a hard time sticking to a set spending limit (but it is ALWAYS worth going over budget to get her beads!!). I saw this incredible goddess bead over a year ago and fell in love with it, though I didn't quite know what to do with it until chance brought a few bags of stone beads and the pendant bead all in the same place at the same time. 

I started doing inventory in December (I still haven't finished, don't remind me, haha!), and as I pulled out a few bags of beads to count, they spilled into each other. I was about to curse when I took a second look and, well, Eureka! is the word that comes to mind now. A vibrant mix of turquoise, amber, lapis lazuli (Cleopatra used to grind up lapis lazuli to use as her eye makeup!), black Czech glass beads and brass-plated pewter findings all came together to create this 3-strand masterpiece.

I had been reading a brief history of Cleopatra and was thinking how brave she must have been to have accomplished everything she did. I wanted to make a necklace that would show her love of her country, her bravery, yet also show her vulnerable side. These beads spoke to me and said, "Make us into something Cleopatra would have loved..."

Cleopatra's history is long and the accounts vary depending on who does the telling - many were simply trying to discredit her for their own ends, as was (and is) common. Many said that she was an evil seductress. More likely is that she was a powerful, intelligent woman trying to find a powerful, intelligent man to help her stabilize her rule in a very unstable time.

Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

The goddess has always been a symbol of femininity and fertility, and I thought that this would be a perfect fit in a necklace for a young Cleopatra. By the time she was eighteen, she had witnessed her two sisters assassinations (they had each tried to take the throne from their father), her father's death, the decline of the Egyptian empire into perilous debt to Rome (thanks to her father) and had been forced to marry her own 12 year old brother. When Caesar came to Egypt to try to sort out Egypt's problems, I can see Cleopatra wearing a necklace like this to symbolize her fertility and womanhood. At that time, one of the only ways to stay safe on her throne would be to have outside help, and a strong man like Caesar would have been just the person to help her (he did, and she had his son, Cesarion).

This is a one of a kind necklace. I can never get the exact same goddess bead again, so if you like this necklace, please get it while you can.

This necklace is now available for sale on my Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleStudioJewels?ref=si_shop. Please take a look and get it while you can. I may have enough beads to make a matching necklace or earrings, please contact me if you are interested.

Monday's Methods: Getting Inspired

Sometimes we get in a rut. We want to create something, but we don't know what, or how, or why. In this case, I find my inspiration from many things. One of my favorite ways to be inspired is to look to the past. Above is a painting of Queen Victoria. She was an amazing woman, headed England and helped it to (once again) become a super power during the industrial revolution. She was also a devoted wife, loving her husband so much that when he died, she mourned for the rest of her (considerable) years.
Marie Antoinette is one of the most misunderstood women in history. Believed by many to have been a wanton spender, philanderer and generally bad woman, she was none of those things (okay, she spent, but when she tried to curtail it, she was railed at by the makers of her fine things, and told that she needed to spend the amounts befitting the Queen of France!). Beautiful, kind, and quite out of her depth at being a queen, she did the best she could, always persevering. After her death, the people realized what a mistake they had made, but the damage had already been done: she had been executed by guillotine. She went to her death still as proud and upright as always, and her courage (and handsome tastes!) are to be admired.
Queen Elizabeth 1, daughter of Henry VIII, had a tumultuous upbringing, always afraid for her life, afraid of her unstable father. She rose to power after the death of half sister Mary Tudor, and raised England from near destitution to its former glory and beyond. Each successive portrait shows her in larger and larger gems, and it was said that people would flock to walk behind her as the giant pearls and gems that were often sewn onto her dresses would fall to the ground, only to be picked up by whomever happened to be near her at the time (and kept by those people!). Her dignity and strength are legendary.
Cleopatra was one of the most beautiful women in Egypt. She ruled when women were not supposed to. She used her formidable intelligence to win conflicts, and the hearts of her subjects.
Boudicca was a Celtic warrior queen. When her husband died, the Romans informed her that she was not queen, her lands were not hers, and she, her daughters and people were going to submit to Rome (ie. become slaves) whether they wanted to or not. She was publicly beaten, and watched her daughters raped by Romans. Her strength was seriously underestimated! She went on a crusade to free her people and reclaim her land. She led a few bloody battles (winning, I might add, against all odds), before disappearing into obscurity. Her determination and fortitude is simply astounding and inspirational, as are all of these women of history.

For them, I have created the NeoAmour (NewLove) collection. Inspired by them, in honor of them, I am creating pieces to keep their memories alive.

What inspires you?

Thankful Thursday: I'm Featured!

Audrey, over at Audrey's Country Crafts Blog, has done a feature on me! I can't thank her enough, please go on over to her blog and visit and see the great work she did :)

Also, I'm sorry I didn't post Arwen's Walking Wednesday yesterday, I haven't been feeling well, and when I have been feeling moderately better, it rains and I can't take photos in the rain! We will (hopefully) be back next week. Until then, Arwen says hello and reminds you to sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (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,

Tuesday's Treasures: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Earrings

Here they are! As promised, these are the matching earrings to the Marie Antoinette Pink Daisy Daisy Lace Necklace and Bracelet that I blogged about here and here. They are the perfect accompaniment for the bracelet and necklace, but are showy enough to stand on their own.
I used the same Czech glass beads and Swarovski crystal pearls as in the necklace and bracelet (see below), and painstakingly hand wove them into the same daisy chain pattern, giving them a light, flowing look that is all woman!
These will be for sale later today in my Etsy store, I do hope you will check them out :)
Here are the matching necklace and bracelet for the earrings:
Tune in next Tuesday for a bracelet inspired by Queen Elizabeth 1 !!
Until next time.....

Freaky Friday - Oh Man, I've got BUGS!

He Looks Kind of Curious, Don't You Think?

While locking my front door before I went to bed last night, I had a peak at all the bugs swarming on the front step and around the lights, as I had heard quite a bit of banging around. I figured it would probably be a bunch of June bugs - you know, brown, big, kind of stupid and clumsy, but oh so cute, banging into my door after being blinded by the lights (lol). I was incredibly surprised, therefore, to find myself staring down at a giant moth. And I mean GIANT! I had only seen them this large at the natural history museum, as, apparently, moths this large aren't supposed to be able to survive in our cooler climate. Apparently they can! I couldn't help but take a few photos, even though opening my front door meant a wave of nasty bugs coming into my house. Here's the moth near my hand for reference:
That was about as close as I wanted to get....it was a bit scary being so close to something so big that could get caught in my hair *shudder*
Then I looked to the left, and found this little guy sitting on my watering can:
He's got something stuck on his head, but he is still pretty neat - look at how knobbly he is! Maybe he is a toad? I don't know, either way, he is pretty cute :)

Well, that is enough grossness for now, tune in Tuesday for a new piece of jewelry for my NeoAmour collection!

Tuesday's Treasures: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Rainfall Earrings

I originally came up with the idea for these after wanting to make my mom something nice for her birthday a few years ago. She loves feminine things, Marie Antoinette, and pleasant rain showers (among many, many other interests). I thought of how Marie Antoinette would have been nearly trapped in her palace on rainy days, watching the rain fall down a window, collecting on the window sill and imagined these earrings in all their luxury....They were a hit with my mom, and with a few other people I've specially made them for since.

These earrings are going to be your new favorite statement piece, make no mistake about it. They are elegant, glamorous and so feminine! They are great for a formal event - wedding, prom, or simply to dress up your jeans.
I took reclaimed vintage freshwater pearls and hung ten on each earring from 2 inches of fine sterling silver chain. I spaced the small pearls to look like rain falling gently down the chain, coming to a stop at a large, 8mm Swarovski Crystal pearl hanging at the bottom of each earring, as though it were collecting the pearly 'rain drops'. I also, as much as possible, made these earrings a mirror image of the other - to frame your face better. The earrings are then suspended from hand crafted sterling silver ear wires.

These have an approximate 2 inch dangle. I am also able to make these for you in 14 karat gold filled, or with different colored pearls or beads, just contact me for a custom order.

These are currently for sale on my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Section. Thanks for looking, and have a great Tuesday!

Sweet Saturday: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Jewelry Set Part2

**Update - this bracelet and its matching necklace are now up for sale on my Etsy Site!**
This is Part 2 from my post yesterday about the matching necklace to this piece.
This is part of my new NeoAmour Collection - Based on Powerful Women of the Past, Redesigned for Women Today.
Inspired by the femininity of Marie Antoinette, I decided to make a matching bracelet to yesterday's necklace. It had to be beautiful, feminine, and able to hold it's own with the necklace without being overpowering. I made this bracelet with Swarovski Crystal pearls in 'rosaline' (pink) and clear, silver-lined Czech glass seed beads. I again sewed a dainty Daisy Chain stitch and made the bracelet a little over 13 inches long.I then sewed pink ribbon on the ends to make a clasp, hiding the front stitches with seed beads, and sealing all ribbon ends with clear fabric glue to prevent unraveling:
The best part about the ribbon and the over all length of the bracelet is that you can tie the ribbon tighter or looser to make it longer or shorter (again, I would recommend doing a 'double bow' when tying it to make sure it doesn't come off - just tie a bow as usual, and then knot the bow again to make it extra secure.). In fact, the length of the bracelet is from 13 inches to just over 18 inches, so you could even use this as a choker necklace!
I do still prefer wearing it doubled around my wrist - it feels so silky soft against the skin.

This bracelet will be up for sale today in my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Section. If you wanted to purchase this bracelet and the matching necklace at the same time, you will get a 10% discount!
Merci beaucoup!

Fabulous Friday: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Jewelry Set

This is part of my new NeoAmour Collection - Based on Powerful Women of the Past, Redesigned for Women Today.
Inspired by the femininity of Marie Antoinette, I decided to make a beautiful necklace with Swarovski Crystal pearls in 'rosaline' (pink) and clear, silver-lined Czech glass seed beads. I started off with a dainty Daisy Chain stitch and made the necklace base a little over 15 inches long. I then came back and made small loops with more seed beads and Swarovski pearls to add dimension and swing:This captures the light, and emphasizes the neckline (and looks heavenly with strapless anything).During Marie Antoinette's time, there weren't many clasps to be found, and ribbon was often used as a closure for necklaces and bracelets (it looks more feminine anyway!). I sewed pink ribbon onto the ends of the necklace, sealed all the ribbon ends with clear fabric glue to keep it from unraveling, and used more of the seed beads to hide the stitches on the front side:Despite the weight of the necklace, the ribbon closure was perfect for this necklace as it also adds a bit of variability to the necklace - you can adjust it longer or shorter by tying the ribbon closer or further from the base of the necklace. I would recommend doing a 'double bow' when tying it to make sure it doesn't come off - just tie a bow as usual, and then knot the bow again to make it extra secure.
There is a matching bracelet, but this post is getting very long, so you'll have to wait on pins and needles for it to debut here tomorrow!
This necklace will be for sale starting today on my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette section in my shop.
Also, my TREASURY to help Epic Farms is expiring soon - please go look and click on the items and comment in the comment section to help this wonderful horse rescue.
A demain, mes cheries,

NeoAmour - Boudicca's Heart Necklace

~NeoAmour Boudicca's Heart Celtic Heart Copper Necklace Closeup~

~NeoAmour Boudicca's Heart Celtic Heart Copper Necklace~

I created this necklace after being inspired by a movie. What the movie was I can't for the life of me remember, but this necklace was the wonderful product. I am always inspired by the Celts, and Boudicca the Celtic Warrior Queen is one of those people that, despite the totally oral nature of her culture (she had to be recorded by the Romans, certainly no mean feat), has been remembered for the last 1700 years due to her sheer will and determination, and yes, great love of her people.
Made a Regent Queen after her husband died, she was thrust into power in a time when (though the Celts allowed women rulers) women were NOT to be in power according to the Romans, the largest threat to the Celts at that time. They actually believed that the fact that Celts allowed women to rule made the Celtic people more barbarous than ever! The Romans came, publicly beat Boudicca, raped her daughters in front of her, took her husband's belongings, tried to take her tribe's lands, and attempted to force the Celts to become slaves for the Romans.
Boudicca had other ideas.
Outraged at these atrocities, she fought back, winning a few major (and very bloody) victories before the Romans finally conquered her tribe, and left her to fade into obscurity. No one knows what happened to her, but I can imagine that after all of this heartache, she would have welcomed a life in the background.
I thought of her courage and decided to make a necklace made of hand formed hearts. I took copper wire and cut it into 21- 4 inch sections, then hand formed each section into a Celtic styled heart. I then hammered them flat to give them a slight luster finish and durability. To connect them I used silver rings and made a custom hook and eye clasp from sterling silver wire to connect it. For a final finish I attached Czech glass beads in a black dagger shape to dangle from a few of the hearts - as a tribute to her final 'heartache' at not being able to save her culture from the invading Romans.
This piece is currently for sale on my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Boudicca Celtic section. I am able to lengthen or shorten the necklace if you desire, and I can also remove the dangles if you would prefer. I can even make it out of sterling silver wire, or 14karat gold filled wire, all you have to do is ask :)
Thanks for joining my time-travel adventures today!

Soulful Sunday - Looking Back to Look Forward

~NeoAmour Collection: Boudicca's Coins Necklace~

It never ceases to amaze that our society constantly looks back for inspiration. Now, that is not to say that it is a bad thing - after all, "You can't know where you are going, if you don't know where you've been," and all that. Still, when researching antique and ancient jewelry for inspiration for my new collection, I realized just how true this is: we are always looking back, even in our fashion choices. This, I have realized, also makes my job a little bit easier....Cool!

My new collection is called NeoAmour, or, NewLove. It is based on jewelry of the past, that I have redesigned for today's woman. This is not just any jewelry: this jewelry is based on what powerful women of the past would have worn. Jewelry that symbolized power, wealth, status. Jewelry worn by Queens, Empresses, First Ladies (you know I'm talking about Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis!), and others, to show that they were not to be trifled with. They were women, yes, but much more than 'just' women. These were the women who ruled front and center, or from behind the scenes, using all their intelligence and foresight to help their husbands and countries to overcome various struggles.
That is what we do today, is it not? We run our offices, businesses, homes, and sports teams. We run charity events, host dinner parties, travel all over the world to help others in need. We raise the next generation while working full time and looking fabulous. We are Women (hear us roar!)! We deserve to have beautiful jewelry that is made with strict attention to detail, with quality materials, that is limited in number - often one-of-a-kind - just like us!
Now you will have it.
Based on powerful women like Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Queen Elizabeth 1, Marie Antoinette, Boudicca the Celtic Warrior Queen, and many more.
Designed for you.
NeoAmour - You Deserve It!

I will be adding pieces to these new collections in my Etsy store as I finish each one. There are currently two sections with items from my new collection, based on Boudicca the Celtic Warrior Queen and on Marie Antoinette. Please visit often and tell me what you think!