my style: vintage bling & leather

I love bling. What girl doesn't? But I love leather too - good old fashioned chunky leather. I have some everyday leather cuffs I wear that are nice and wide and simple - and by simple I mean no bling.Like these little beauties.

 And then sometimes I want a little sumpin' sumpin' on my cuffs - like snazzy silky flowers

But then there are the days that I just need some good old fashioned BLING - lovely bling!

I think my leather just might be my favorite "jewel" now that I think about it. Paired with the right bauble or bling it is the perfect combination of "I can survive, I am a tough girl" and "dear me, I am feminine!" Just MY STYLE!

newsworthy: jewelry affaire magazine

 I have always had a love of leather crafting. I love the feel of the leather and the dimension that tooling adds.

{I love a process.}

I love laying out the design. I love the patterns, unique and original hammered out each time the mallet falls. I love painting in the details, planting a beautiful garden as I go. I love the staining. Taking the vivid color down a notch, creating a timeworn look, soft and weathered.

Each time a beautiful {process}. A routine. A ritual. An assembly line...

...a calming feeling.

 ...vintage seam binding tie closure adds charm to this cuff...

 ...LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!...

 ...a teardrop cut from leather, vintage beading, and a cabachon make for a beautiful pendant...

 ...these are my lovies...I love the vintage jewels. I have been collecting vintage jewelry for a long time, and finally I have found a way to use some of my favorite pieces...

 ...I fiddled with the stain and sealer until I came up with a beautiful {glazed} look...

 ...and the colors are wonderful. There is no rule for beauty in a garden, as there is no rule here...

{ muslin & leather plaquette cuff }

I love my leather cuffs, and I have many...but I am always looking to try something new with them...and so...

This is the latest. Another one of my coveted number plaquettes from my sweet friend Roben-Marie and her Art Goods Shop is front and center on this one!