Belle West Clearance Sales Event

Belle West and Belle West Gems is having a Gems, Beads, Jewelry, Gifts, Vintage, Scrapbooking, Art Supplies and Tools SALE over on Facebook. This Event is Open to the Public, so Come on Down, and Invite your Friends!! I'll be listing some more things tomorrow night~ Here's a sneak peek of what's coming up… 

Sterling Silver Pill Boxes

Sterling Silver Dragonfly Hair Barrettes

Sterling Silver San Marco Bracelets

Sterling Silver Engravable Earrings

Sterling Silver Black Onyx Pendant

❤

Click Here for the Event~

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558063814421956/

Visit Belle West on Facebook~

https://www.facebook.com/BelleWestLLC

Visit Belle West Gems on Facebook~

https://www.facebook.com/BelleWestGems

Visit Belle West Gems on Etsy~

https://www.etsy.com/shop/bellewestgems

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you'll come see us for the Sales Event!

Have a great week!

❤

Happy Flag Day! Free Shipping All Weekend Long...

Happy Flag Day, America! ♥

To honor our beautiful country, we're offering 

FREE SHIPPING ALL WEEKEND LONG!~

Both stores, jewelry and beads.

Use coupon code FREESHIP at checkout. 

Have a great weekend!! 

And, God Bless America! ♥

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BelleWest

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BelleWestGems

Spring Has Sprung {Sale}!

Spring has Sprung, and it's so gorgeously green outside. I love the grass under my feet, how the sun filters through the trees in the evening, blossoms everywhere, and the scent of flowers on the breeze. My favorite time of year, except for the occasional sneeze. Or, 10.

So, in celebration of this beautiful season of rebirth, we offer you 20% off your entire purchase in either of our stores, Belle West or Belle West Gems. Just enter coupon code "Spring20" at checkout to receive your discount. This sale ends Wednesday, June 5th at midnight, so spring on over and grab some goodies while you have the chance.

Once again, we thank you all for liking our page, following our blog, buying our treasures and being great friends in this journey of life. Blessings to you and yours! We hope you have a wonderful week. XO

{Donna}

Robin Sullins Relief Fund~ Fantasy Art Auction Fundraiser

Not sure if you've seen or read this story in the news, but a friend of mine on Facebook is having a fundraiser to help her sister in law with medical bills after a terrible and rare infection from a simple dog bite on Christmas day put Robin Sullins in the hospital where she lost both legs at the knees, and all her fingers. She is still in the hospital, and doing better, but it's an ongoing battle with enormous medical expenses.

Angi Sullins of Duirwaigh Studios has setup a Fairy Tale Art Auction to help with Robin's medical expenses and I've donated my Purple Fantasy Charm Bracelet to the cause. It looks like this will be listed on Sunday, so keep an eye out on the Auction page if you're interested.

Purple Fantasy Charm Bracelet~

This richly colored two sided bracelet consists of deep purple, freshwater stick pearls with a beautiful lustre in shades of deep blue and green, separated by gold vermeil spacer beads on one side. The other side is a charming collection of hand-wrapped lime green coin pearls, lavender lustre pearls, Picasso Czech glass beads and Amethyst Chinese crystals on a gold plated vintage chain. Finished off with a hammered, gold plated toggle. About 7-3/4". Retail value $107.

Please visit Robin's website, Facebook and auction page for more information. There's some beautiful and amazing things for sale, even a signed print by Daniel Merriam, one of my favorite artists. If you'd like to make a donation to the auction, you can email Angi at Donations@Duirwaigh.com.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. Remember to be thankful every single day.

My Funny Valentine...

I am in Love. Unabashedly. Unashamedly. Head over Heels. In L.O.V.E. She's 12 weeks old today (February 14th), and Oh, So, FLUFFY!! Her name is Annabel and she's an American Eskimo. This is her at about 8 weeks, when we first brought her home. Look how tiny she is, at 3.5 pounds!

Her first snow, doing her white fox impression. *BIG Hearts!* It was so bright outside that my daughter could barely see the phone to take a pic... poor thing. : )

Annabel doing her polar bear impression. She is the cutest thing when she sleeps! 

She's taken over the cat perch on the landing where Elsa used to sit... poor kitties. They're still trying to adjust. : (

And, as you can imagine, I'm not getting a lot done these days. Seems I'm taking her out about every 30 minutes. Playing with her, so she won't feel ignored. And, sometimes I just have to stop everything and hold her in my arms. These are the times I just cruise the newsfeed on FB, or Pinterest, because as you can imagine, it's really hard to make jewelry with one hand... *sighs* ... The challenges of trying to run a business with a 'newborn' in the house... what is a girl to do...

Well, I did get a few things online this week and although they're a bit late for Valentine's Day, they're still a great deal. Liquidating my old sterling silver inventory, so I've got a few charms, bracelets, necklaces, and sweet little pill boxes left at some really great prices. AND, if you buy this weekend, I'll give you an additional 25% off your entire order. I have very limited quantities, so get it while you can. When it's gone, it's gone. No Moe. To receive the 25% discount, use Code "LoveAnnabel" at checkout. 

So, Happy Valentine's Day to all my family, friends, fans and followers. You all mean so much to me. Hope you have a great day and remember to count your blessings. We can all find something to be thankful for, even if it's just chocolate... : )

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You can visit Belle West at~

Belle West on Etsy 

Belle West on FB 

Belle West Gems on Etsy

Belle West Gems on FB

On Pinterest... 

On Tumblr...

On Twitter...

Frost Holiday Fashion Market, Denver

Just a quick post to let you know what I've been working on, and where you'll find me this month... Fashion Denver is having a Holiday Fashion Market at the Grant-Humphrey's Mansion December 16th, from 10 am to 6 pm, and yours truly, Belle West, will be in attendance.

The event is called 'Frost'. Inspired by the wintery colors in their logo, and the grand, historic mansion where it's being held, I decided to make some holiday jewelry to add some romance to the event...

So, here's just a few things coming your way~ rainbow moonstones and pearls...

This sparkling druzy necklace is called, 'Frost', in honor of the Holiday Market~

The labradorite stones under the chalcedony have a nice fire to them...

I love the little 'skirt' on this Tanzanite colored stone. Maybe she's a flower fairy? And those are real rubies below her...

These are feeling like "Her Royal Highness" and "The Snow Queen"...

So, that's it for now. There will be more at the show, of course, but I don't think I'll have time to post again before next year... making jewelry, and trying to decorate for Christmas... we have the tree up with lights, but no ornaments. Hopefully, this weekend we can finish that up. After the show, my daughter and I are heading to Disney World for a week, Dec. 18-24, then back home in time for Christmas with the family {er, my husband, aka, the Dad Unit}, and then my friend, Ana, will be here from Dec. 26 - Dec. 30.

Would anyone like to decorate my home for me? Maybe make some jewelry? Maybe have a nervous breakdown? Just meet me under the table, where you'll find me sucking my thumb. LOL :}

So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! If you make it to the Frost Holiday Fashion Market, be sure to stop by and say hello. I'd love to meet you. XOX {Belle West, aka, Donna}

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You can visit Belle West at~

Belle West on Etsy 

Belle West on FB 

Belle West Gems on Etsy

Belle West Gems on FB

On Pinterest... 

On Tumblr...

On Twitter...

Ode to Autumn with Lavender Falls and River Rocks

So, I'm trying to make something pretty for the Fashion Denver Holiday Market photo shoot this week, which needs to be delivered Monday... and I have all kinds of inspiration... pinks and greys, blacks and blues... visions of jewelry dance in my head.

But, as I dig through my beads and metals, this little gold leaf keeps calling out to me, "Pick ME! Pick ME!" Not at all part of my current design inspiration, but he's begging for attention. I'm slightly annoyed, as it seems every time I have an idea in mind, there's some component or another missing, and I end up making something completely different, but I decide to play around with these and see where it goes. Turns out, with the onset of snow in the Rockies, these leaf dangles are the perfect opportunity to give one last 'Huzzah' to the waning season... and, so, here is my... Ode to Autumn...

I've always loved pinks and golds together, so this was a natural. Golden leaves and lavender pink autumn clouds, reflecting the last light of day as the sun sets over the mountains... Lavender Falls~ AB sunstone cubes, paired with lavender nugget freshwater pearls, gold leaf dangles, on gold fill French wires.

Since I had one more pair of leaves in silver, I decided to go ahead and set them free. The AB Labradorite gemstones are perfect with silver, and the peacock blue freshwater pearls, stacked like river rocks, remind me of the stones they stack in Boulder Creek. I still don't know how they get those things to balance the way they do. Finished on sterling silver French wires.

River Rocks and Lavender Falls are both OOAK, one of a kind, and available for $35 each. {River Rocks is SOLD!}

So, now, back to the drawing board... still not sure what I'm taking to Denver tomorrow for that photo shoot....

You can follow Belle West on...

Facebook... Belle West and Legacy 925

On Pinterest... 

And, Tumblr...

Have a great week and thank you for allowing me to share my adventures with you. XOX

Hearts Afire

A very special client ordered one of my Victorian Hearts Charm Bracelets, and since some of the original charms are no longer available, I had to take some new pics. Well, with me, any excuse to take pics. I'm obsessed. What can I say. A friend suggested I do it on a pink background this time, since the original is on a red... but I don't have any pink fabric, so I used this floral box that holds some of my art supplies, and I like how it turned out....

Except for that reflection of me and the camera! LOL. I tried to fix it in iPhoto, but it kept putting brown spots on my charms. And, I was like, "I don't THINK so!!" So, here's another shot and wouldn't ya know it, those pesky reflections again... Oh, well. I'm too tired to care today, so there it is. But I love my old bottle! Can you tell what that green thing is behind it? Any guesses? hehee ;)

And, now for the best non reflective shot of the day! Boring, but non reflective. I had a few pics that were a little more interesting, but too many were out of focus. I think I was paying more attention to the neighbors watching me on my front porch, holding a white photo tent over my head (to deter the reflection)... Ha!

And, just for fun, here's the original photo I recently found and added to this post... Since Pinterest seems to think this photo doesn't belong to me...

Well, c'est la vie... Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you. I'd say we had lunch together. And, it was pretty good. Considering I woke up at 4:00 am, couldn't get back to sleep, and decided to get up and wash the bed. Sad part about that was when my head was killing me at 8 a.m, and I wanted to go back to bed, but then... "OH NO! My sheets are in the wash!" Haha! No nappy for me.

So, now, I'm going to retire to the living room with some comfort food, and curl up on the couch with the last few episodes of Mad Men, Season 5. Then I'm all caught up and ready for the new Season. And an early night....

Sweet dreams, everyone, and remember.... wait a minute, I lost my train of thought....

And, until I can figure out how to put those cute little Pinterest and Facebook buttons on my blog~

You can follow Belle West on...
Facebook... Belle West and Belle West Gems
On Etsy... Belle West and Belle West Gems
On Pinterest... 
And, Tumblr...

I'd love for you to join me on my adventures by following my blog and 'Liking' my pages, as we have some wonderful giveaways coming up (when I get a little more sleep and can think straight), and much more beautiful jewelry on the way. Thanks again for visiting. I hope you have a mahvelous week! XOX

A Peruvian Blue Birthday

I wanted to give you a peek at my newest creation, a custom order for a sweet client of mine. Her mother's birthday is next week and in lieu of fire opals, we opted for Peruvian Blue Opal, and this is what came pouring out of my heart...

Hand wrapped in sterling silver, with Amazonite and sparkling aqua blue crystals that really set off the blue-green color of the opals. So, what do you think? Is this dainty, delicate and feminine enough for an 85 year young lady? Not too trendy? The earrings are a simple dangle on posts which is a classic look, well suited to a young woman of this age. I hope she likes it.

In honor of this very special day, I thought we should have some cake. {Do we need a reason to have cake?} My husband's birthday is February 12th, and back in the ole days it was a tradition that I baked him a heart shaped cake every year for his birthday, since it was, technically, almost Valentine's Day. Made sense to me. I imagine this beauty to be an Italian Cream Cake with buttercream frosting. It's from an Italian bakery, so that makes sense, right? Well, imagine it to be whatever flavor you desire and grab a piece and let's celebrate.

Once again, thank you for stopping by and visiting with us today. Wishing this sweet mother a very Happy Birthday and hope she enjoys her very special gift. xox

You can see more of my charming creations at Belle West and Legacy 925 on Facebook. I'd love for you to join me on my adventures by following my blog and 'Liking' my pages, as we have some wonderful giveaways coming up, and much more beautiful jewelry on the way. 

For additional inspiration and beauty, you can follow me on Pinterest... I'm Belle West. xox

Rudolph and the Ice Queen

I had the pleasure of creating a very special custom charm bracelet this week for a client who wanted Christmas charms with some added bling in the form of snowy, white pearls for a wintery feel.

As I laid out my pearls and crystals, I came across a beautiful keishi pearl that resembled snowflakes. But after placing them on the bracelet, it was just too 'flat'. So, I dug a little deeper and found some round faceted pearls in my stash that gave it just the right 'pop'.

Then came the crystals. The original blues I started with just didn't have the right tone, so I played around and came up with these sweet little blue rhinestone 'crowns' resembling a Snow and Ice Queen look on those pearls. And, if you live in Colorado, what's a good snow without a little ice?

And, so was born... Rudolph & the Ice Queen. I'm actually quite pleased with the results. The aqua blue double AB Swarovski crystals give this bracelet a beautiful flash of color that sends chills down my spine. Brrrr... it really is cold here. We got our first dusting of snow this morning and it's quite beautiful against the yellow Autumn leaves and that moody, gray sky. I love Colorado. And this bracelet reminds me of a wild west wintery Christmas. Ice and all.

Dream Lake Icy Reflection

You can see more of my charming creations at Belle West and Legacy 925 on Facebook. I'd love for you to join me on my adventures by following my blog and 'Liking' my pages, as we have some wonderful giveaways coming up, and much more beautiful jewelry on the way. Thank you for visiting and sharing my chilling tale of Rudolph and the bitter Ice Queen this morning. Hope you have a wonderful day. And, stay warm. ;)

For additional inspiration and beauty, follow me on Pinterest... I'm Belle West. Pleased to meet you.

Credits: EstesPark.com photo via Rocky Mountain National Parks page on FB.

Diana Frey Twisted Sistah Giveaway

I have loved and admired the creations of Diana Frey for years through publications like Belle Armoire Jewelry, and was lucky enough to see her work in person at the Old Glory Antiques Faire in Denver, where I had the pleasure of meeting Jo Packham (Where Women Create). She just happened to be wearing a fabulous bracelet (cuff) made by Diana Frey that just twisted my mind. If you've never seen her work, here's a little teaser, and you'll find many more beauties to drool over on her blog. She's been doing jewelry workshops around the country for years, and is now beginning to offer classes online. Yay for us!! 

In celebration of her first online jewelry tutorial workshop she is giving away a "Twisted Sistah" DVD~ a full, 3-hour double disc set, complete with all the information you need to create your own Twisted Sistah choker or cuff. Supply lists and resource lists are included. *my heart is pounding* How sweet is that??   

So, here's how it works~

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1.  leave a comment on her blog post

2.  if you have a blog, please post about Twisted Sistah and link back to her page

3. become a follower of her blog

She will be announcing the winner on September 10th.  So, spread the word and sign-up for the give-away....a $125 value

Good luck to you all! I look forward to this workshop since I haven't had the opportunity to attend one in person. To learn more about this class, click here.

Moonbeams & Twilight Dreams

I was lucky enough to catch a spot in Etsy's Treasury last weekend (on my birthday-eve, no less) and created this beautiful compilation filled with some of my favorite colors. For those who are wondering 'what's a Treasury'?~ it's a collection of products you like on Etsy that are based on a theme, a color, whatever you like. My Treasury was called Moonbeams and Twilight Dreams. 

She never made it to the front page, and since they expire within 2 to 3 days of their creation, I decided to save a snapshot to share with you here as it was just too pretty to fade away. I hope you enjoy it!

2009 ~ Time for a New Thing

Out with the old... In with the new! I'm so excited to see 2009 ~ feeling very hopeful for progressive changes in my life. I'm closing my store online that I've been operating for the past 10 years and liquidating my inventory so that I can start a brand, new adventure. Sometimes we get bogged down in something that no longer suits us - like clothes that no longer fit that we keep hanging in our closets, and this is how I see my business.

I've always loved to make things and jewelry is at the top of my creative list. I adore charm bracelets as they come in so many interesting forms. Charms can be made of silver, gold, resin, old game pieces, beads, photos... the list goes on. Charms are a fashion statement that never goes out of style.

I started my business in 1999 fueled by a passion for those sweet little charms. I loved making theme bracelets for Faith, Travel, Babies, etc. But in just a short period of time, it seems everyone was making charm bracelets and I wanted to stand out in the crowd and do something more unique.

I also began making baby and bridal jewelry during this time. When one of my suppliers was unable to fill an order for pearl earrings, I began making my own, and fell absolutely in love with pearls! I've always loved pearls ~ used to wear them with jeans, and people complimented me on wearing them in such a creative and 'casual' way. Soon, I was making bracelets and necklaces and found myself completely obsessed with beads, both gemstone and pearl, and now I find myself moving in an entirely different direction than where I began in 1999. So, it's time to move on to the next phase in my life ~ and Legacy 925 has to go.

I may still create charm bracelets, but possibly with a little more pizzazz... and lots of dazzling pearls and gemstones! I'll be posting my new designs on Etsy, as well as my old charm inventory. 

So, check in often ~ I'll be posting updates here whenever possible and sharing ideas on this new path that I've found.

Happy New Year, and Welcome 2009 ~ a year of endless possibilities! This could be the year to see your dreams come true. I hope to see some of mine blossom this year. ;>)