New Bracelet!

Just in! New Shell charm bracelet - what do you think?? http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14945788

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,

Wordful Wednesday - Look at My 'New' Blog!

~Everyone's Happy About This Change!~

Well I can't tell you how pleased I am to officially unveil my new blog look. It was up yesterday, but it was Spay Day and I wanted to devote my full attention to each in turn.
I noticed a while back that some (well most actually) of my favorite blogs had 3 columns and matched the rest of their spaces - stationery, websites, stores, etc. and I wanted that. I wanted that cohesive, professional "look at me!" kind of thing to happen. I also noticed that my 2 column blog was getting very crowded.
Enter Chica & Pumuckl Blogger Designs.
They have done blogs for most of my favorites and was the natural choice therefore, when I was looking for help. They listened to what I had to say and on the second sample, this is what I fell in love with. Very friendly, efficient and VERY good at what they do, you can't go wrong if you want a blog with that 'special something'. They are very busy (a two week wait is not uncommon) but any wait is so worth it!
I love my new blog and plan to have my website address resolve to this address also as I now have fancy links on the top linking to my Etsy store, jewellery, photography and charities that I try to help.
I hope you love my new blog as much as I do and please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Have a great day!