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}

.............................

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...

And, the Winners Are....

The winners of our Winter White Vintage Holiday Giveaway ARE...

Faye Jones, #68~ Matthew Mead's Grande Tiered Stand
Connie Brookins Mattos, #121~ Deb's Sweet Sweater Pumpkin
Staci Torgerson, #172~ Dawn's Precious Angel Wings
Stephanie Gossett, #136~ One year subscription to Belle Inspiration!
Ion Jewelry, #181~ Belle's Winter Gate Earrings

Thank you ALL for your participation, and for all the wonderful compliments and kind words. Welcome to all our new friends and followers~ wishing you all a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

If you are listed here as a winner, you have 48 hours to claim your prize. If we do not hear from you within 48 hours, another number will be drawn and your prize will be forfeited. 

.............................

A BIG Thank You again to all the contributors in our Holiday Giveaway. Please visit their blogs and pages and share some love with them. They are all very wonderful, generous and talented people, with whom I am honored to be acquainted.

Matthew Mead of Holiday with Matthew Mead~ 

Debi Ward Kennedy of HOMEWARDFoundDecor.com~ 

Dawn Coleman Edmondson of The Feathered Nest~

Mimi Bleu of Belle Inspiration Magazine 

.............................

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...

Vintage Winter White Holiday Giveaway

~ CONTEST OVER * WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED ~

Belle West is pleased to announce a Holiday Giveaway that is going to knock your socks off. I wish I could rig this thing and win ALL the prizes, but we know that wouldn't be nice. {still very tempting though...} And, I love that everything is white. I did that on purpose. I love the clean, classic look of white for the holidays. Fresh as the driven snow and reminiscent of Christmas past... *sighs*

Our first prize is from Matthew Mead of Holiday with Matthew Mead. The Creative Mastermind behind those amazing Holiday books that are chock full of brilliant decorating ideas. I Love this man!! :} Matthew is graciously offering a beautiful White Grande Tiered Stand that has a charming vintage look to it. You can also take it apart and use each piece separately. You don't see stands like this every day. {which is why I really want this stand}... Great for every occasion, all year long. To see more images of the stand in action, click here and here. Thank you, Matthew! XO

Our next prize is a gorgeous Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin by Debi Ward Kennedy of HOMEWARDFoundDecor.com. Not your everyday sweet sweater pumpkin, this little baby, about the size of a cantaloupe, is a 2012 Limited Edition Luxe vintage cashmere sweater pumpkin with a vintage crown candleholder on top. I mean, WOW. {there's gotta be a way I can rig this thing...} Deb designed the first original sweet sweater pumpkin back in 2007 and it's easy to see why people go absolutely NUTS over these things. They are SWEET, are they not! And, all handmade by Deb, I might add... Thank you, Deb! XO

Our next most precious prize is a pair of Angel Wings made by Dawn Coleman Edmondson of The Feathered Nest. A sweet girl with a beautiful soul, this woman creates all kinds of vintage inspired beauty. You can find her creations and tutorials at Sew Many Roses on Etsy. I think her Sweet Snowman Ornament is one of my favorites. Brings back childhood memories. These beautiful wings are handmade of cotton, hand ruffled, with a vintage brooch adornment and aged seam binding, about 8x8". Precious, I tell ya! Thank you, Dawn! XO

Our next amazing prize is from Mimi Bleu of Belle Inspiration Magazine. She has graciously offered an entire year's subscription to her beautiful and inspiring digital magazine, Belle Inspiration! Mimi lives in Paris, France and her digital ezine is all about romantic living with practical ideas to fit any budget. Also the author of a wonderful online catalog, Les Boutiques, with a new holiday issue set to release in just a few days where I am honored to be among those featured. Thank you, Mimi, for this wonderful contribution. XO

From Belle, we have a pair of icy Winter Gate Earrings. I wanted to make something white, but this beautiful black trellis just slipped in there, and I actually love the texture of black with white decor. Seems to work well for jewelry, too. So, imagine snow and ice on a beautiful scrolled black iron gate in winter... there you have it. White freshwater pearls, aged black brass trellis and clear 'diamond' vintage rhinestones on brass ear wires. Can you see the stars in the rhinestones? They have a wonderful sparkle in person, and the lustre on those pearls...! Almost 3" total length.

To ENTER the Giveaway, simply FOLLOW this BLOG and leave a comment below. You can increase your chances of winning by sharing the Giveaway on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, your FB page, or Group. Simply comment below for EACH share with a LINK to the share, post or pin. Five lucky winners will be picked by Random.org. Only comments left on this blog are eligible for entry. This giveaway ends Sunday, Nov. 18th. Winners will be posted Sunday or Monday. 

NOTE: "Anonymous" commenters are welcome, as long as you leave a name and email where you can be reached in the event that you win. Thank you all!

.............................

A BIG Thank you to all the contributors in our Holiday Giveaway. Please visit their blogs and pages and share some love with them. They are all very wonderful, generous and talented people, with whom I am honored to be acquainted.

Matthew Mead of Holiday with Matthew Mead~ 
Debi Ward Kennedy of HOMEWARDFoundDecor.com~ 
Dawn Coleman Edmondson of The Feathered Nest~
Mimi Bleu of Belle Inspiration Magazine 
.............................
You can visit Belle West at~ 
Belle West Gems on Etsy

Belle West on FB 
Legacy 925 on FB
On Pinterest... 
And, Tumblr...

Holiday Window Shop Blog Hop & Discount

Welcome to the Holiday Window Shop Blog Hop hosted by Jewel School Friends. Just in time for the Grand Opening of my new gem store on Etsy~ Belle West Gems.

Here's just a few of my fabulous gemstones available in gorgeous holiday colors. You can see more on my last blogpost, and even more in the store. For anyone shopping this weekend via the blog hop, I'm offering a holiday discount~ Use code BlogHop10 at checkout to receive a 10% discount off your entire purchase.

Ruby Moonstone Chunks

Sunstone AB Cubes

Ruby Moonstone Rondelles

It's always a good idea to support your local businesses as well as artists, designers and crafters. Remember, we built this thing... ;)

So, Hop on over and check out the other blogs participating in today's event. I believe there may be others offering holiday discounts as well. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Jewel School Friends (host)
www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Belle West
http://bellewest925.blogspot.com

Lindy's Designs
http://lindysdesigns.blogspot.com/

A Grateful Artist
http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/

Fabric of My Life
http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/

Libellula Jewelry
http://libellulajewelry.blogspot.com/

Knot Just Macrame
http://www.knotjustmacrame.com

Amazing Designs by Marlene
http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com

Antiquity Travelers
http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/

Spice Box Designs
http://spiceboxdesigns.blogspot.com/

Freestyle Elements
http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com/

Alankarshilpa
http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com

Pretty Things
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

Don't forget to thank a Veteran today~ Freedom is never Free... 

Click here to visit my new store~ Belle West Gems on Etsy.

You can follow Belle West on...

Facebook... Belle West and Legacy 925
On Pinterest... 
And, Tumblr...

Belle West Gems Boutique~ now on Etsy!

Just a quick note to announce the opening of my new gem store on Etsy. Offically, Belle West Gems, but I kinda like the sound of that 'Boutique'... So, here's a few teasers and a link to the store. Mosey on over there and give her a like, a heart, a sale... you know, whatever you can. ;)

Amethyst AB Faceted Rondelle

Ruby Moonstone Irregular Chunk

Carnelian AB Irregular Chunk

Labradorite AB Onion

Ruby Moonstone Faceted Rondelle

Sunstone AB Cube

Blush Pink Freshwater Pearl

Click here to visit my new store~ Belle West Gems & Beads on Etsy. I hope you find something you can take home and cuddle up with. ;)

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

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

Belle West Pinkalicious Giveaway!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!! .... AND THE WINNERS ARE!!~

Shelly~ Calendar

Pine Ridge Treasures~ Bracelet
Carolyn Collins~ Bath Set
Kathi Deibels~ Earrings

Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you all for participating, and for all the love and wonderful comments. Please contact me within 48 hrs with your mailing address so your prezzies can be shipped to you. If I do not hear from you within 48 hrs, a new winner will be chosen. 

And, thank you, my sweet Nova for handling the drawing via Random.org. 

Such a sweet child I have. :)

.....................................................................................................

~CONTEST OVER~ 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to celebrate my being accepted to the Fashion Denver's Holiday Market, being held at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in December, we're having our first Giveaway! Yippeeee!! I am honored to include some beautiful 'pink' items from a few friends, so we'll have not just one winner, but several lucky benefactors. And, now, for the pinkalicious offerings~ 

One lucky winner will receive a Vintage Rose Collection 2013 Calendar from Jo-Anne Coletti of Vintage Rose Collection and Ruffles and Roses Photography. Check out her website and I'm sure you'll agree, her photography is breathtaking. Thank you, Jo-Anne!

Another lucky winner will receive this beautiful Pink Carnation Bracelet created by the talented Donna Martin Bradley of Stranded Beads. Made with a Pink Carnation tile from artist Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp, accented with pink silk cords, seed beads and brass chain, this bracelet is 7.5" long. Gorgeous! Thank you, Donna! 

Lucky Winner #3 will win this luxurious boxed gift set, from Jessica Falcon of The Falcon Soaperie. All of her body products are natural, handmade, vegan, and organic. I was the lucky recipient of one of her recent giveaways and I can tell you firsthand that her soaps smell absolutely delicious. I keep them in my office so I'm refreshed by their tantalizing scents when I go digging for beads! This boxed gift set includes 2 Carnation scented Pretty in Pumice Soap Puffs, 1 Pink Bath Salts Jar, and 1 4oz. Massage Oil. Absolutely divine. Thank you, Jessica!

And, last, but not least... one lucky person will win this pair of elegant Art Deco Earrings from Belle West, made especially for this giveaway. Made with big, luscious Ruby moonstone gems and real freshwater pink pearl dangles on brass stampings, with gold fill ear wires. They measure just under 2.5" total length.

To enter this giveaway, you can do one or more of the following.... the more entries, the more chances you have of winning. 

1. Main Entry~ Follow this blog and leave a comment below.

2. Like my page, Belle West, and share the post on Belle West re: this giveaway. Comment here again with a link to your share. (Shares must be public).

3. Pin any or all of the images from this giveaway and comment here with a link to your pin(s). You can also repin my pins if you like. You can find them on my Belle West board. 

4. Tweet this giveaway and comment here with a link to your tweet. 

5. Blog this giveaway on Tumblr, comment again with a link to your post. 

This giveaway runs from Monday, October 22 to Friday, October 26, so you have five days to share. Good luck to you all, and once again, thank you for being a part of my adventures. I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

You can follow Belle West on...

Facebook... Belle West and Legacy 925

On Pinterest... 

And, Tumblr...

P.S. Don't forget your mammograms. It could save your life. XOX

PLEASE NOTE: I have changed the settings so that ANYONE can comment,; you do NOT need a blog, Google, or Yahoo account to sign in. BUT~ if you are commenting as ANONYMOUS, YOU MUST SIGN YOUR NAME AND LEAVE AN EMAIL FOR US TO CONTACT YOU IN THE EVENT THAT YOU WIN. OTHERWISE, YOUR ENTRY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Thank you. :)

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 Trip to Bountiful~

I don't know about you, but I need some "Beautiful" today....

I found this image on Pinterest last year which was quickly filed under 'one of my MOST favorite images of all time' and a room I would love to live in. The color, the light, the view, the fabric... there's not one thing about this room that I hate. Soothing. Inviting. Romantic. I could go on.

Then, recently, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was visiting a store in California called "Bountiful". The name sounded familiar... (was it because of the movie?)... So, I checked out their page, and it turns out that THIS is where this room lives! It didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't just the room that I was in love with. It was the entire house... 

From the old brick and leaded glass windows...

This amazing staircase and chandelier! And, what's up with that goose... :)

To this warm and inviting corner of coziness....

And, my favorite room of all time~ what a magnificent fireplace...

As if that wasn't enough, the white McCoy style vase, the silver candlesticks... *sighs*

The chandeliers, this beautiful antique farm table, and EVERYTHING on it....

This quaint little kitchen that reminds me of my grandmother's house. The old cabinets, the window, surrounded by all that greenness...

This stove!!!

I would kill for this vase. This mirror, the reflection...

The doors in these old houses... iron beds...

Love this room... beautiful light, red velvet sofa, and that sign!!

Alabaster lamps are my favorite....

There's that bird again... :)

Windows surrounded by lush green vines, rose gardens...
THIS is my dream home.

If you'd like to learn more about Sue Balmforth's 'Creepy Mansion', check out the Bountiful Facebook page. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this breathtaking home is available as a vacation rental and sleeps 20. *SIGHS* .... 

You can follow Belle West on~
Facebook... at Belle West and Legacy 925. 
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, and much more beautiful jewelry on the way. Thanks again for visiting. I hope you have a beautiful weekend. XOX