Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Pope Francis Rosary in Matte Opal and Picture Jasper



"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" Psalm 23, verse 1

This is the thought that goes thru my mind every time I see Pope Francis' official Crozier. How fitting, because Pope Francis is, in every way, the "good shepherd" for the Church. He is a very holy, and simple man doing his best to live the way Christ taught us too.

Because I think so highly of him, I wanted to make a rosary to honor Pope Francis. The Ave beads are 8mm matte opal beads. These beads are the prettiest beads I've seen in a long time. They are not completely round, and some of them do have dimples and imperfections. This gives them the appearance of being handmade although I'm very certain that they were not made by hand. They range in color from turquoise to green to tan and brown. They remind me of heavily oxidized copper. The matte finish gives them a satin feel. Accenting the Ave beads are the Pater beads which are 12mm picture jasper. These beads provide a nice contrast to the matte opal beads. Both the cross and the center are silver colored metal. The wire is fine silver plated onto pure copper.  Please click here to learn more about this rosary and please visit my shop, Holy Name Rosaries,  to see more of my wire wrapped, unbreakable rosaries and chaplets.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Our Lady of Fatima Rosary in Natural Amazonite and Lampwork Glass



The Ave beads in this rosary are 8mm natural amazonite beads. These beads are a light aqua color and are slightly translucent. They provide a beautiful contrast to the handmade lampwork Pater beads. The lampwork beads are very dark green glass with stylized pink flowers with adventurine glass swirls.

The center piece honors Our Lady of Fatima. The intricate cut-out crucifix shows Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross. The crucifix is stamped "Italy" on the back Both the center and the crucifix are silver colored metal This is a substantial rosary with a nice weight and feel.  Please click here to learn more about this rosary and please visit my shop, Holy Name Rosaries, to see more of my wire wrapped, unbreakable rosaries and chaplets.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosary with Handmade Lampwork Beads




The focal point of this rosary are the handmade lampwork Our Father beads. These beads are comprised of silver and gold foil encased in bright red-orange transparent glass. Because they are handmade, no two beads are exactly alike. Some may have minor imperfections from the creation process. This is to be expected with handmade items and adds to the charm of a handcrafted item. The Hail Mary beads are 6mm bright red orange man made rock crystal beads. These beads look red in some light and orange in other types of light. The center of the rosary honors Our Lady of Guadalupe whose feast day is December 12. The reverse side honors St Juan Diego. Both the center and the crucifix are silver colored metal, the wire is fine silver plated onto copper.   Please click here to learn more about this rosary and please visit my shop, Holy Name Rosaries, to see more of my wire wrapped, unbreakable rosaries.   If you would like to learn more about Our Lady of Guadalupe, please visit my blog post honoring the Virgin of the Americas.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

St Benedict Rosary in Black Onyx



St Benedict was a very simple man. He had few, if any possessions and lived a disciplined life devoid of frills and non-essentials. Therefore, I have tried to keep this rosary simple in honor of St Benedict's asceticism.

The Ave beads are 6mm black onyx and the Pater beads are 12mm black labradorite with silver colored bead caps on either end. The labradorite is quite pretty and when the light hits them right, some of the beads have a nice iridescence or "fire". The St Benedict center and crucifix are silver colored metal.  Please click here to learn more about this rosary and please visit my shop, Holy Name Rosaries, to see more of my unbreakable, wire wrapped rosaries.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Wedding Rosary in Rosaline and Handmade Lampwork Beads



The focal point of this delicate wedding rosary are the 19mm by 15mm handmade lampwork Pater beads. These beads have pink flowers on a white and gold background intertwined with strands of silver foil. Accenting the Pater beads are the 8mm fire polished rosaline beads from Czechoslovakia. The delicate color of these beads is the same as a nice Rose or Blush Wine with a little bit of pink and a little bit of peach.  The center piece is a heart shaped Miraculous Medal composed of gold finished nickle free pewter. The intricate crucifix is gold colored metal. This is a substantial rosary with a nice weight and feel. This would be a beautiful rosary to carry in your wedding, it would also make a great gift. Please click here to learn more about this rosary and please visit my shop, Holy Name Rosaries, to see more of my unbreakable, wire wrapped rosaries.