Happy Thanksgiving!

Regardless of what life may throw our way, this is a day to slow down and practice gratitude for all that we have.  This year I am thankful that my family and close friends will be together, that I have turned my passion into a sustainable business, for good health, a home I love, the abundance we have in this country, good hair days, The Paradise (who else is watching this?), and Trader Joe's chocolate-covered peppermint cookies.  What are you thankful for?

Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  x o

A Trip Down Ruby Lane

 

As promised, I wanted to offer you some very sparkly pieces this week, just in time for those holiday parties!  I don't think I've ever met a rhinestone I didn't like!  Lol!  ;)

 

 

It's also time for me to announce another endeavor I've been working on busily for the past few weeks... I have opened another shoppe on Ruby Lane!  For those of you who may not yet be familiar with this website, please take a look!  It is a collective of sellers, with a strong focus on vintage and antique items, as well as artisan jewelry.  Lots to swoon over!

 

 

I LOVE Etsy and don't plan to leave it any time soon, but after a year of doing this jewelry thing full-time, I feel ready to expand my business and wanted to try an additional avenue for sharing my designs with the public.

 

 

Getting to play with jewels and gems every day is a dream come true, but I will not kid you that making a living on a cottage business is not for the faint of heart.  ;) 

 

 

As we draw closer to year's end, and Thanksgiving, I wish to offer my sincere gratitude to each and every customer, Facebook fan, newsletter subscriber, Pinterest follower, and blog reader who has helped encourage me - or pay my rent - along the way! 

 

 

I am always searching for new ways to develop my craft, update my business, and offer that little something extra special to each of you.  I welcome your suggestions and ideas as I plan and plot a few new things for the coming months.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by, and please take a trip down Ruby Lane while you're at it!  ;)

 

All That Glitters

 

Can you believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner?  This year is flying by, and there have been lots of changes in my life, but one thing remains constant:  my love of vintage jewelry!  Lol!

 

 

This week I've been inspired by the rich golden hues of autumn and have incorporated lots of gold and warm silvers into the mix.  This gorgeous mourning cameo heart pendant is actually a clay reproduction of an original Victorian gutta percha piece, created by my good friend Danette Darbonne of French Queen's Ransom.  She has this and other fabulous supplies in her shoppe, so please check it out!  Danette was gracious enough to allow me to create a necklace using one of her first castings...

 

 

I am always taken in by pendants featuring historical women, such as Joan of Arc and the Virgin Mary!

 

 

Gold, anyone?  ;)

 

 

Please stay tuned next time for a very sparkly new collection I'm dreaming up, perfect for the holidays, and news of another project I'm working on.  (Fingers crossed that it goes as planned!)  :)  Have a beautiful week, mes amis!  :)

 

Fun with Briolettes

 

Happy November, mes amis!  With only 52 more shopping days before Christmas, I've been busy in the studio, stocking up both The French Circus and The Paris Carousel with holiday goodies. 

 

 

I had a particularly good time this week playing with briolettes... those little teardrop-shaped gemstones that drip with colour and luxury when added to earrings and even necklaces.

 

 

Here little bundles of brios punctuate a classic cameo piece...

 

 

... and I've created hoops of briolettes in some new earrings, just listed this evening.

 

 

Emeralds, pyrite and quartz... oh my!  ;)

 

 

If I could own just one pair of earrings this holiday season, it would be these!  Victorian shell cameos, vintage rhinestone dress clips, rubies and garnets.  Need I say more?  ;)

 

 

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a beautiful week!  <3 Robyn

 

Very Special Pieces

 

In anticipation of the holidays, I've been playing with some very special pieces this week... pendants I'd been collecting for a few years and have finally wanted to share this season.

 

 

I found this antique St. Vincent de Paul relic at a Paris flea market... I'll never forget haggling with the old woman who sold it to me.  She wouldn't budge on the price - ha, ha!

 

 

I created this next pendant by assembling a vintage Sacred Heart scapular inside a rhinestone frame, then backing it with an old tintype of a bearded man.

 

 

This carved bone piece, formerly a brooch, is really gorgeous and unique!  Perfect for anyone who loves nature!

 

 

Victorian love knots carry glass cameos in these one-of-a-kind beauties...

 

 

And finally, this necklace features a hand-painted portrait brooch of the Virgin Mary, set in a silver and turquoise filigree frame.  I hung her from layers of gemstones, mother of pearl rosary beads and crystal bezel chain.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by, mes amis!  I'll be back soon with more holiday gift ideas!  :)